1 9 7 9 – 1 9 8 0 (USA)
The NBC sitcom starred McLean Stevenson as Larry Alder, a radio talk show host who leaves Los Angeles after getting divorced and moves to Portland, Oregon with his two teenage daughters.
Given Stevenson’s successful history on M*A*S*H, both the network and the viewers had high expectations for the series. But the show proved disappointing, quickly earning a bad reputation as a poorly written, unfunny sitcom.
It earned an overwhelmingly negative response and was often the subject of jabs in Johnny Carson’s late-night monologues on The Tonight Show.
The series added new characters at midseason and had cast members of then-popular Diff’rent Strokes make cross-over appearances. Nothing helped.
This was McLean Stevenson’s third failed sitcom following his departure from M*A*S*H.
Larry Alder
McLean Stevenson
Diane Alder
Donna Wilkes (1)
Krista Errickson (2)
Ruthie Alder
Kim Richards
Morgan Winslow
Joanna Gleason
Earl
George Memmoli
Meadowlark Lemon
Himself
Tommy Roscini
John Femia
Henry Alder
Fred Stuthman
Leona Wilson
Ruth Brown