# Single Dad Sitcom With No Help **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2007, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441 "2007-07-04T00:23:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/21 "2007-07-05T08:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=anyrose] the other kid was “teen heartthrob” (gotta have a teen heartthrob) Joey “Whoa!” Lawrence, [/QUOTE] Actually, he pronounced it “Wo!” I never watched the show, but I watched enough ABC to see the promos. Every frakking week, the promo would feature a tight closeup of JL turning to the camera and saying “Wo!” That’s why I never watched the show. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_C](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Captain\_C](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_C)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/22 "2007-07-05T08:37:32Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] Ned Flaunders on the Simpsons [/QUOTE] Um… isn’t he married to Maude? ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/23 "2007-07-05T08:45:46Z")
[QUOTE=Captain\_C] Um… isn’t he married to Maude? [/QUOTE] She up and died. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/24 "2007-07-05T11:40:17Z")
[QUOTE=Priceguy] She up and died. [/QUOTE] Not just “died” but UP and died! ---
**Author:** ![Orual](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/779978/32.png) [@Orual](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orual)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/25 "2007-07-05T11:50:24Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] Supernatural [/QUOTE] Good Lord, that would be the most deranged sitcom ever … ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/26 "2007-07-05T14:28:07Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam] Actually, he pronounced it “Wo!” I never watched the show, but I watched enough ABC to see the promos. Every frakking week, the promo would feature a tight closeup of JL turning to the camera and saying “Wo!” That’s why I never watched the show. [/QUOTE] So he was asking “Where?” in German? ---
**Author:** ![iamthewalrus\_3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/258eb7/32.png) [@iamthewalrus\_3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iamthewalrus_3)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/27 "2007-07-05T16:46:20Z")
_Arrested Development_. Sure, there was other family around, but you’d be pretty hard pressed to argue that they ever helped anything. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/28 "2007-07-05T16:52:01Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Not just “died” but UP and died! [/QUOTE] You would think “died and UP” would be a better construction for a Flanders. ---
**Author:** ![Electrical\_Storm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac8455/32.png) [@Electrical\_Storm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Electrical_Storm)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/29 "2007-07-05T17:16:00Z")
[QUOTE=Rediff] I was trying to think of a sitcom past or present that featured a dad who was single (divorced, widowed whatever) and had no help. We have had shows like _Alice_ and _One Day At A Time_ that featured a single woman raising a child or kids on her own with no help, but I can’t think of a father doing this. _The Great Gildersleave_, _The Courtship of Eddie’s Father_, _Diff’rent Strokes_, _Family Affair_ and _Bachelor Father_ all had housekeepers or “manservents” to help them. _My Three Sons_ had a grandfather, then an uncle help. _My Two Dads_ needed not one but TWO fathers to raise that little girl and of course _Full House_ had not one, not two but THREE dads (effectively) to raise those kids. The only sitcom I can think of that had a dad raising kids with no help was _Hello Larry_. Were there anyothers? [/QUOTE] Would “Full House” count? I know Bob Saget’s character had two guys living there with him and his 3 daughters as well (Dave Coulier and John Stamos characters) but he was a widowed father on his own. I recall John Stamos’ character got married and they had kids of their own, but don’t recall whatever happened to Dave Coulier’s character on the show. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/30 "2007-07-05T17:26:27Z")
[QUOTE=Electrical Storm] Would “Full House” count? I know Bob Saget’s character had two guys living there with him and his 3 daughters as well (Dave Coulier and John Stamos characters) but he was a widowed father on his own. I recall John Stamos’ character got married and they had kids of their own, but don’t recall whatever happened to Dave Coulier’s character on the show. [/QUOTE] Well he mentions full house when he says: > [@](#): > > and of course Full House had not one, not two but THREE dads (effectively) to raise those kids. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/31 "2007-07-05T17:33:47Z")
[QUOTE=iamthewalrus(:3=] _Arrested Development_. Sure, there was other family around, but you’d be pretty hard pressed to argue that they ever helped anything. [/QUOTE] GM had one more parent than Maeby did. 😛 In the 70s there was a short-lived drama called Sunshine, about a widower folk musician trying to raise his 5-year-old daughter. It could be argued that his fellow band members helped a little. ---
**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:** [July 5, 2007, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/32 "2007-07-05T18:28:54Z")
[Silver Spoons](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Spoons) ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/33 "2007-07-05T20:12:29Z")
[QUOTE=OneCentStamp] You would think “died and UP” would be a better construction for a Flanders. [/QUOTE] Actually, based on her trajectory, I’d say she DOWN and died. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [July 5, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/34 "2007-07-05T20:32:42Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam] Actually, he pronounced it “Wo!” I never watched the show, but I watched enough ABC to see the promos. [/QUOTE] How generous of that network to promote the competition, considering the show was on [NBC.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blossom_%28TV_series%29) ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/35 "2007-07-06T01:54:44Z")
All right, then, NBC. I wish I didn’t have **any** memory of the show. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/36 "2007-07-06T02:08:08Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam] All right, then, NBC. I wish I didn’t have **any** memory of the show. [/QUOTE] Well I have lots of memories of the show that I wish I didn’t have (my sister was a pre-teen when the show started so if I wanted to watch Fresh Prince of Bel-Air I was screwed), so I question the **“Wo!”** thing as well. Him saying “Wo!”, as opposed to “Whoa!”, doesn’t make any sense what-so-ever. He’s surprised. “Whoa!” is a pretty common explanation of surprise. Plus, I couldn’t get any hits on Google with “Blossom” and “Wo”. Plenty of hits with “Whoa” though. Oh, and to prove how little help the father had, I remember the mother on Blossom ditched her family to go be an out-of-work dancer in Paris and how every character (except Blossom, except when her mother ditched her again) thought that was selfish. For all it’s faults, Blossom was the anti-dumb husband/father show. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/37 "2007-07-06T02:34:45Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] Him saying “Wo!”, as opposed to “Whoa!”, doesn’t make any sense what-so-ever. He’s surprised. “Whoa!” is a pretty common explanation of surprise. [/QUOTE] He meant “Whoa!” but he pronounced it “Wo!” ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/38 "2007-07-06T02:36:58Z")
[QUOTE=Rilchiam] He meant “Whoa!” but he pronounced it “Wo!” [/QUOTE] I say again, huh? How are those two words not pronounced exactly the same? ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/39 "2007-07-06T02:40:02Z")
Empty Nest had a widower doctor “raising” his two adult daughters and a big dog. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441/40 "2007-07-06T02:54:39Z")
[QUOTE=Justin\_Bailey] I say again, huh? How are those two words not pronounced exactly the same? [/QUOTE] 'Cause they’re not, that’s all. The Keanu “Whoa…” is an expression of awe, pronounced on an exhale, with the “wh” blend given emphasis. The Joey Lawrence “Wo!” is an expression of barely contained excitement, almost a squeal. It’s from the larynx, a compression of the first consonant and the long “o” sound; no time for the blend or the trailing “a”. I tried to find a YouTube clip, but I can’t. That’s already more time than I should have spent on this, so if you still can’t hear it the way I hear(d) it, you just can’t. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/single-dad-sitcom-with-no-help/410441.md?page=3)