# Broken Families on T.V. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 25, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187 "2004-02-25T23:16:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ex\_Machina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/1 "2004-02-25T23:16:42Z")
Watching the meeting of Dill with Scout and Jem in _To Kill a Mockingbird_ last night I was reminded that broken families were not as rare as we are led to believe. Jem and Scout explain that they live with their father because their mother has died and Dill talks about a father who doesn’t live with him and his mother. I began thinking about the many television programs which featured broken families. See if you can name one. For example: \*\*The Courtship of Eddie’s Father \*\* was about a single father, his son, and a housekeeper. Now you try. ---
**Author:** ![cichlidiot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/5f9b8f/32.png) [@cichlidiot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cichlidiot)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/2 "2004-02-25T23:25:59Z")
_My Three Sons_ and _Family Affair_ are two more. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/3 "2004-02-25T23:30:47Z")
There are so many of them! My guess as to their popularity is that the producers only have to pay for one adult star, but I’m cynical like that. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/4 "2004-02-25T23:31:22Z")
The Brady Bunch: Carol was a divorcee when she married Mike (a widower), even though the ex-husband was never, ever seen or even mentioned, not even by one of the daughters! One Day At A Time: Bonnie Franklin’s character was a divorcee, and the premise of the series was that she was having a hard time raising her two daughters without a dad figure around to help out. Maude: Maude was apparently married several times before the series began, wherein she was married to Walter Findlay. Adrienne Barbeau played her daughter Carol by a previous marriage who lived with Maude and her current husband. Barbeau’s character was also divorced, and had a son Philip who lived in the household as well. ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2004, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/5 "2004-02-25T23:32:41Z")
D’oh! I was supposed to name one, wasn’t I? Bonanza. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/6 "2004-02-26T00:10:07Z")
I’ll mention an obscure TV show to make a point **Starman**. The show was based on the movie by the same name. In the movie, an alien befriends Karen Allen and has a child by her. In the TV show, the child is there (now about 14), but the Allen character is gone. When asked about that, the producers said that in order to have a series, women had to fall in love with the Starman every week, so the Allen character would have gotten in the way. That’s the reason for that so many series tended to have widowers on them – you could have a one-hour love affair and not have it messed up by any wedding rings. ---
**Author:** ![jimmmy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@jimmmy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimmmy)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/7 "2004-02-26T00:32:39Z")
Right \*\*Reality Chuck \*\* TV had had quite a body count – to avoid being “bad” parents/people by divorcing. One of the most dangerous occupations, it seems, you can be is a SO to a TV character with kids … it’s got a higher death rate than a hot LZ. 3 more Mrs. Partridge, **Partridge family** Mr. Drummond\*\* Diffrent Stokes\*\* Magnum **Magnum PI** * * * Don’t recall Alice\*\* Alice\*\* tho in the movie she was divorced 2fer: Patrick Duffy-Suzanne Summers **Step by Step** Divorce Daniel J. Tavanti/Barbara Bach **Hill street** Assorted : **Dallas, Dynasty** ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/8 "2004-02-26T00:34:46Z")
Broken family means divorce, not widow(er)s. Furthermore, it means that children have to be involved so divorces without children are not broken families. The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, Maude, My Three Sons and A Family Affair do not count. The Brady Bunch most certainly does not count either. Both Mike and Carol were widowed. Haj ---
**Author:** ![Ex\_Machina](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Ex\_Machina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ex_Machina)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/9 "2004-02-26T01:12:49Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Broken family means divorce, not widow(er)s. In that case I’ll amend the OP to refer to non-nuclear families where a parent (or parents) is absent by divorce or death and children (if present) are being raised by a single parent or other guardians. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/10 "2004-02-26T02:49:14Z")
Of course, Andy Griffith. The only person married in the whole town was Otis the drunk. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/11 "2004-02-26T04:16:24Z")
Crazily enough, the show that came to mind upon reading the thread title is **Blossom** , wherein I suddenly remember with absolute clarity an episode where Blossom begins to, er, blossom, and she has a dream where Claire Huxtable draws her a picture of the female reproductive system in icing on a pink cake. She wakes up and is pretty hurt that her mother is unavailable to her and at any rate is nothing like Mrs. Huxtable, and she has to talk to her dad about it. This, after I haven’t thought about the show in _years_. I remember we did see the mother occaisionally, but she was a flighty Vegas type and not very maternal, whereas the divorced single dad was very Mr. Mom to the 3 kids. ---
**Author:** ![hansolo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/22d042/32.png) [@hansolo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hansolo)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/12 "2004-02-26T04:25:49Z")
OUT OF THIS WORLD- the father was from outer space, yet still talked to his daugther through the cube thing in her room ---
**Author:** ![Beauty\_Personified](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e480ec/32.png) [@Beauty\_Personified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beauty_Personified)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/13 "2004-02-26T05:11:23Z")
What about _Who’s The Boss?_ Where were Sam’s mother and Jonathan’s father? One of _the_ shows of my youth, along with _The Cosby Show_, _Family Ties_ and _Growing Pains_ (which were all two-parent households). Anyhoo… ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/14 "2004-02-26T13:27:00Z")
On “Whose the Boss” Sam’s mother was dead. James Coco played her maternal grandfather and when he died IRL, they had a Very Special Episode. “Kate & Allie” were two divorced women, both with children. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/15 "2004-02-26T13:49:18Z")
“The Critic” - divorce “Home Movies” - divorce ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/16 "2004-02-26T13:52:49Z")
“Friends” Ross’ wife becomes lesbian, divorces before giving birth. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/17 "2004-02-26T18:53:48Z")
**Annie** , Tony was widowed, but Angela was divorced. Her ex showed up in an episode or two. Let’s not forget _Grace Under Fire_\*. Her ex, Jimmy, was a recurring character on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/18 "2004-02-26T19:13:39Z")
Bernie Mac - Kids’ mother in jail, father nowhere around so they live with their uncle. That 70’s Show - Hyde’s parents both bailed on him, Donna’s mother split, Jackie’s father’s in jail, Fes’ family in another country. Arrested Development - Let’s just describe this one as the dysfunctional Family Circus. ER - where do we begin? Abby comes from a divorced family, Sam never married the father of her son, Luka’s wife and kids were killed, Kerry and her partner had a baby by artificial insemination, Mark Green was divorced with a surly daughter. . . Frasier - Father a widower living with an adult son who’s been divorced twice and only sees his son about once a year. The other adult son is on his third marriage. And let’s not forget Batman - Single adult male living with his aunt (and butler) adopts a teenager whose parents were killed by criminals. ---
**Author:** ![jeevwoman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@jeevwoman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeevwoman)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/19 "2004-02-26T19:28:58Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > The Brady Bunch most certainly does not count either. Both Mike and Carol were widowed. > > Haj No, sorry. Carol was divorced. This was never said, but in all the books (_Growing Up Brady_, etc) they quote Sherwood Schwartz as saying that in his mind, Carol was divorced–thus making her the first divorced woman on tv. Censors would not allow this word to be uttered on TV in 1969, so it was simply never discussed. In the pilot, they make a big point of showing how the first Mrs. Brady died but do not mention the death of the girls’ biological father. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2004, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187/20 "2004-02-26T19:44:27Z")
> [@jeevwoman](#): > > No, sorry. Carol was divorced. This was never said, but in all the books (_Growing Up Brady_, etc) they quote Sherwood Schwartz as saying that in his mind, Carol was divorced–thus making her the first divorced woman on tv. Censors would not allow this word to be uttered on TV in 1969, so it was simply never discussed. In the pilot, they make a big point of showing how the first Mrs. Brady died but do not mention the death of the girls’ biological father. So does this mean that “A Very Brady Sequel” never happened and that Carol’s first husband was not, in fact, the Professor from Gilligan’s Island? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/broken-families-on-t-v/231187.md?page=2)