8 Simple Rules..

[Lindaloo]

John Ritter's show will not be cancelled afterall. After reading about how they are going to keep the show on the air, I have no clue how they will pull it off. I hope they can. This was one of my favorite shows and I do not know how I can go on watching it without John Ritter.


BTW... they are having a special tonight at 8 central on ABC about John's life.

[chadtm80]

Linda i LOVED that show.. Glad to see its going to continue, but its going to be hard to watch it without him... Didnt they film ahead?

[Lindaloo]

They only filmed three episodes. They were working on the fourth when he fell ill.

I made an error in the time though. It is airing on ABC at 7 central, 8 eastern. Sorry for the wrong info.

[Miss Mary]

Linda - I never got around to watching his new show last year. And now regret that decision. As a general rule I just don't take on new shows - sounds awful, but I have to be realistic. Only so much time in the day.....that said I just might watch it now. It would be nice to re-air the first season again for viewers like me to catch up but I guess we missed that chance (summer).

I had a meet the teacher night for Laura's school so I missed the special too. Did you catch it? Fill me in on how it went. Heard they were going to interview J. DeWitt and S. Somers for it. Had to be a tear jerker.

Mary

[Lindaloo]

It was a tear jerker Miss Mary. Janet had a hard time talking. They showed the last take of the show while they were doing a promotion for the Disney Channel. He seemed to be in good spirits.

Even when he was loaded in the car he gave his last "thumbs up" to the crew. I did not know until now that he died during surgery.

All I know is he will be missed. The show is supposed to take the direction of losing Paul Hennessey. It will be a real tear jerker and I guarantee the ratings will go through the roof.

[Miss Mary]

Linda - he gave the thumbs up sign as he was going to the hospital? Oh my......brave right up until the end. I read reports that he thought or others thought it might be food poisoning. And JR told Henry Winkler he was so tired. HW said you're always tired. JR said but I just had a nap! So sad when you realize time was ticking away then...if only he could have gone to the hospital much sooner. But like many of us you think you'll feel better, etc.

I just read a Larry King interview with J. DeWitt, online. Here it is in case you haven't read it:
http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/1 ... index.html

Feel like crying all over again. I am still in shock over his death. I think I'll feel that way for a long, long time. Perhaps forever. When I see certain celebs in old movies, and they're gone already I just sigh and get sad. Nina and I were watching TV the other day and she tuned in Three's Company. I sighed, like I always do. She asked if I'll always do that now, with that show. I'm sure I will. I do it too with scenes or footage of the Twin Towers, like on Friends. Can't help it. Sad things evoke responses from me.

Mary

[azskyman]

Life's journies are often planned for, but never known. While it is sad indeed that there was little they could do for him, it is great testimony to his spirit that he gave the thumbs up on the way in the hospital.

There are certain celebs over the years that seem to have an extra sting to their loss. Michael Landon, Bob Hope, John Ritter, Red Skelton, Gilda Radner, among others.

It is usually not possible to continue a show for any length of time that has such a loss associated with it. Occasionally a spinoff will make it...but even that is rare.

Sad day for many. And for good reason.

[GalvestonDuck]

It is usually not possible to continue a show for any length of time that has such a loss associated with it. Occasionally a spinoff will make it...but even that is rare.

Chico And The Man is one example. It didn't really spin-off after Prinze's suicide, but they changed the "situation" of their sit-com when Ed adopted Raul. And of course, they brought in Charo.

[TexasStooge]

Glad to hear that!

[JQ Public]

Yeh i heard that also. supposedly they are gonna be working the fathers death into the story. They will finish up 3-4 shows that they have already shot and then come in...in about a month to shoot the death episodes.

[JetMaxx]

Miss Mary, I know exactly how you feel....I've always been a huge fan of John Ritter and Three's Company.

On a related note....I was a huge fan of "Eight Is Enough"-- but was unable to ever watch the show after my Mom's sudden death in December 1977.

Why? Because actress Diana Hyland (who played the mother on the show) passed away from cancer in March 1977...and the producers of Eight Is Enough wrote her character's death into the script for the 1977 fall season (and mom died only weeks later). To make it even worse....Diana Hyland was the exact same age as mom when she died...41. I've never watched an episode since, not even in reruns....it's just too painful.

With John Ritter's passing, watching reruns of Three's Company will never be the same again (just as "Little House On The Prarie" hasn't been the same since Michael Landon's death

[Miss Mary]

Perry - I was an EIE fan too!!! A few years ago I got my kids hooked on reruns. It's true! Then they'd see a current picture of the actor that played Nicholas and know this show was made years ago! He was a cute little kid wasn't he? I loved that show. It was a shock that DH died. I did like Abby though but it was rushing things when you watched reruns. If you watch the pilot it seems so different from the series. If my memory is correct a few actors are different. But that show went on and was quite successful. 8 simple rules sure has a challenge before it....hope it can succeed.

Mary

[GalvestonDuck]

Ironic...from one Eight to another 8.

Anyway, is EIE in reruns anywhere?

[JetMaxx]

Shawn, there was an Eight is Enough fansite that claimed the PAX TV network was planning to show reruns of EIE in syndication, but it's not listed on their program guide, at least not on the PAX affiliate here in Atlanta (channel 14).

I really loved Eight Is Enough....and lordy that Susan Richardson was such a cutie with her flaming red hair

[David]

was such a cutie with her flaming red hair

Too bad my red hair doesn't get these types of compliments.

[Miss Mary]

Well, I just watched my first-ever episode of 8 Simple Rules. Kicking myself for not watching last year. Sure was sad to see John in that role but then again, it felt right. He was perfect to play the father of that family! Linda - any thoughts on the season premiere? Won't give away any details, don't worry about that.

I would say Paul's shoes will be mighty hard to fill. If they ever even think about filling them.

Makes me miss John Ritter all the more now.

The new People Magazine has a nice tribute section to him.

Mary

[Lindaloo]

I know Miss Mary.. whoever will have big shoes to fill.

I believe they had already taped 3 episodes for next season and were working on the fourth when he fell ill. I read where they are going to have an episode where he dies on the show. If this turns out to be true, then it is going to be one sad episode for me.

[Miss Mary]

Linda - that will be one sad show, indeed.

Can you give me some history and others too, tuning in for the first time also:

Questions:

Are all 3 kids from their marriage or is one from a previous marriage? The two girls look about the same age. The boy is a few years younger, right?

The mom said she just got her career back. What does she do? I know John's character is a sports writer.

Sure seems like one busy household to me!!!

Side note: I have on the new show, I'm With Her, which follows 8 Simple Rules, and I actually like it!

Mary

[Lindaloo]

Miss Mary... they are all his children. And she worked as a nurse. Here is a short history for you.
------------------------------------------------------------

John Ritter ("Three's Company") and Katey Sagal ("Married...with Children") star in the 2003 People's Choice Award-winning series for Best New Comedy, about a loving, rational dad who suddenly discovers that his two darling daughters have unexpectedly morphed into hormonally-charged, incomprehensible teenagers. The show has also won two 2003 Teen Choice Awards for Choice TV Comedy and Choice TV Breakout Actress for Kaley Cuoco, and two Family Television Awards for Best Comedy and Favorite Siblings.

Since leaving his demanding, on-the-road job as a sports writer and becoming a work-at-home Lifestyle columnist in order for wife Cate (Ms. Sagal) to return to work as a hospital nurse, Paul Hennessy (Ritter) has helped to make raising the kids a shared experience.

But, with the success of his book on race-car driver Carter Tibbits, the newspaper offers Paul the opportunity to return full time again as a sports writer. After accepting the position, he and Cate must now both balance their busy work schedules with the responsibility of parenting three teenagers.

Paul still fondly remembers the days when his daughters would sit on his lap singing silly songs, and he was their hero for scaring away the monsters under the bed. Those days are long gone.

Paul is still a bit rusty on day-to-day interaction and discovers that he's a little out of touch with his kids - especially his daughters. His value has been reduced to a wallet and a ride to the mall. Oldest daughter Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) has matured into a beautiful and popular teenager, but her exclusive and long distance relationship with her Naval Academy boyfriend has alienated her from her friends at school - and she's finding that her popularity is beginning to slide. By contrast, middle child Kerry (Amy Davidson) is intelligent and cute, but her lack of self-confidence has led her to hide behind a mask of sarcasm. However, she finds herself becoming popular at school just because she's dating Kyle, and this goes against everything she stands for and believes in - which threatens their relationship. And youngest child Rory (Martin Spanjers), fondly referred to as "The Boy" by Paul and Cate, is beginning to distance himself from his parents as he enters the world of puberty and discovers one of life's true mysteries - girls.

Though Bridget and Kerry still love their father, Paul has to come to grips with the fact that he is no longer the most important man in their lives at the moment. Dating boys and fitting in with their peers are the girls' top priorities. No matter what they do, Paul has one major rule that will never change - "If you make my daughters cry, I'll make you cry."

[GalvestonDuck]

I tuned in last night and just cried the minute he walked down those steps and into the living room in the opening scene. He was there...and yet, he's not here anymore. It's still hard to believe he's gone and watching last night made it that much harder to believe.

And then, I rolling in the floor he was in the "family meeting" with the kids on the couch and he said, "...she's the salt of the earth" (referring to Cate, the wife and mom). Then Bridget says, "Ahh...salt." Then Paul (Ritter) continues, "What we need to do..." and then, without missing a beat, stops abruptly, turns his head towards Bridget, and gives her that classic quizzical "what the heck is the blonde chick trying to say?" look like Jack Tripper used to give Chrissy on "Three's Company." Then he just continues where he left off. The look was classic John Ritter.

I'll miss it.