My Sister Sam (1986)
William Jenkins 
"My Sister Sam" was similar to a lot of other sitcoms at the time, but stood apart with its charismatic cast. It could easily have been released in the 90s, and was copied by Caroline in the City, Suddenly Susan, Spin City, NewsRadio, Just Shoot Me, Grace Under Fire.
Did you watch "My Sister Sam"?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 55 | April 21, 2020 1:54 AM |
Not funny R1.
It's very underrated and it was a big hit the first season. The problem was the network went and fucked it up by moving it to NBC ratings juggernaut Saturday night, and it got destroyed.
Similar to what ABC did to Angie. And I'm still fucking pissed over that one!
| by Anonymous | reply 3 | February 2, 2020 1:07 AM |
Angie would still be on the air today if they hadn't moved it!
| by Anonymous | reply 4 | February 2, 2020 1:10 AM |
Only celebrity death that affected me. His description of how she died didn't help. She was waiting for a delivery guy with the script to Godfather 3 that she was auditioning for.
| by Anonymous | reply 5 | February 2, 2020 1:39 AM |
"Scenes From the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills" was released a month before Rebecca Shaeffer was murdered.
It was one of first independent movies to crossover to mainstream audiences, along with sex, lies and videotape.
It was also the movie Robert Bardo saw in the theatre and decided that she needed to die after she appeared in bed with another actor.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 6 | February 2, 2020 2:19 AM |
Loved the Kim Carnes theme song and David Naughton. Was Joel Brooks' character openly gay on the show or did I just read that into the character?
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 8 | February 2, 2020 2:42 AM |
oh please, I remember watching this show when it came out and it was no funnier than a million other forgettable sitcoms over the years. There's no reason to romanticize old television shows. It's just product.
| by Anonymous | reply 9 | February 2, 2020 2:43 AM |
David Naughton handing out balloons naked in American Werewolf in London
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 10 | February 2, 2020 2:50 AM |
I watched just for David Naughton...sexy daddy!
r8, Joel Brooks was married to a woman on the show. He was also Mrs. Garrett's son Raymond on "The Facts of Life" and married to a woman.
God, casting directors sucked in the 1980s.
| by Anonymous | reply 11 | February 2, 2020 3:16 AM |
OP How could you leave off What I Like About You and the genius comic stylings of Miss Amanda Bynes and Miss Jennie Garth? If any show was a direct descendent of My Sister Sam this was it!
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 12 | February 2, 2020 3:18 AM |
Most Compatible Hollywood Couple Ever
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 13 | February 2, 2020 3:29 AM |
R13 Compatible or combustible? Didn’t he hit her?
| by Anonymous | reply 14 | February 2, 2020 3:32 AM |
Really? Has the Paley Center done a reunion? Or at least GMA!
| by Anonymous | reply 15 | February 2, 2020 3:47 AM |
Bitch was shot. She was lucky she got off easy.
| by Anonymous | reply 16 | February 2, 2020 3:48 AM |
Marcia Clark was the lead prosecutor in the case against Robert Bardo, and is responsible for anti-stalking laws put into place soon afterwards.
She enacted privacy laws eliminating the option of going into any DMV and requesting home addresses for free, which is how Bardo knew where Rebecca Schaeffer lived.
| by Anonymous | reply 17 | February 2, 2020 3:53 AM |
David Naughton was such a hunk.
| by Anonymous | reply 18 | February 2, 2020 4:01 AM |
R14 I don't they've had any scandals
| by Anonymous | reply 19 | February 2, 2020 4:09 AM |
[quote]She enacted privacy laws eliminating the option of going into any DMV and requesting home addresses for free, which is how Bardo knew where Rebecca Schaeffer lived.
I'm pretty sure that prosecutors don't have the ability to "enact" laws.
| by Anonymous | reply 20 | February 2, 2020 4:11 AM |
Pam Dawber isn’t much of an actress and she’s not charismatic enough to lead her own show. Shaeffer was cute and likable but not enough to generate anything interesting. The show is deservedly forgotten.
| by Anonymous | reply 21 | February 2, 2020 4:24 AM |
R21 you seem to have a clear memory of it
| by Anonymous | reply 22 | February 2, 2020 4:26 AM |
Do we think Robin Williams basically ruined Pam Dawber? With all his antics all she could really do was react and just got stuck in that loop.
| by Anonymous | reply 23 | February 2, 2020 4:30 AM |
Pam Dawber didn't have much to do on M&M -It was Robin Williams' show. I saw her onstage in Pirates of Penzance and not only did she sing well (she studied opera in college) she was also charming. Met her later and found her to be very down-to-earth and friendly. She's been raising the kids for so long -It's time for a comeback.
| by Anonymous | reply 24 | February 2, 2020 4:36 AM |
Robin Williams went to Country Day School in Birmingham, Michigan ten miles away from where Pam Dawber grew up in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
| by Anonymous | reply 25 | February 2, 2020 4:43 AM |
R11 he was also Dr. Prescott on There’s Company!
| by Anonymous | reply 26 | February 2, 2020 8:26 AM |
Casting was the best ever in the 80s
| by Anonymous | reply 27 | February 2, 2020 8:31 PM |
For some reason I associate Joel Brooks with gay. Maybe he played a gay character on another show around the same time? Or was there an episode where people thought he was gay? I was in my teens then and even though I hadn’t admitted to myself I was gay I definitely took note of gay characters and content on TV.
| by Anonymous | reply 28 | February 5, 2020 4:39 AM |
Sorry meant to sign my post above
| by Anonymous | reply 29 | February 5, 2020 4:42 AM |
Whatever happened to the proposed spin-off “Son of Sam”?
| by Anonymous | reply 30 | February 5, 2020 4:47 AM |
All the “Sam” vehicles got gunned down.
| by Anonymous | reply 31 | February 5, 2020 5:07 AM |
They just should have done a Weekend at Bernies thing with her for a season or two.
| by Anonymous | reply 32 | February 5, 2020 5:10 AM |
didn’t Pam Dawber make a shitload of money on real estate after her acting roles dried up?
| by Anonymous | reply 33 | February 5, 2020 5:14 AM |
Bardo imitating her screaming “Why? Why?”... just awful.
| by Anonymous | reply 34 | February 5, 2020 5:18 AM |
[quote]For some reason I associate Joel Brooks with gay.
So do I.
Maybe it is because of the money he paid me 20 years ago to blow him.
| by Anonymous | reply 35 | February 5, 2020 6:37 AM |
He's just your average everyday confirmed bachelor.
| by Anonymous | reply 36 | February 5, 2020 9:52 AM |
Didn’t Joel Brooks play a gay character in a Patty Duke sitcom where she was president?
| by Anonymous | reply 37 | February 5, 2020 10:36 AM |
R35 Are you sure that wasn’t Joesph Bologna. They look alike.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 38 | February 5, 2020 12:33 PM |
I don’t know why, but I see this thread and because I can’t remember a theme song, or even if there was one, I imagine it as a variation of the Charles in Charge theme. “Sister Sam was in charge of our days and our nights.”
| by Anonymous | reply 39 | February 5, 2020 12:52 PM |
I want a MY SON OF SAM sitcom.
Pam Dawber continues her photography career with this assistance of her odd but hilarious brother, David Berkowitz!
Co-starring Jenny O'Hara as The Dog Whisperer!
| by Anonymous | reply 40 | February 5, 2020 1:41 PM |
With SJP as Stacy Moscowitz.
| by Anonymous | reply 41 | February 5, 2020 2:09 PM |
I totally forgot Jenny O’Hara was in this.
For R39.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 42 | February 5, 2020 3:09 PM |
R42 Thanks, is that Kim Carnes screetching or a sound a like?
| by Anonymous | reply 43 | February 5, 2020 5:59 PM |
Joel Brooks did come off as gay to me. He was hot in that Three’s Company episode where he played a counselor who the roommates went to see because a sudden windfall of money was causing friction between them. He was wearing a open shirt exposing the chest hair and super tight pants.
| by Anonymous | reply 44 | February 5, 2020 6:25 PM |
This is an extended version of the opening credits, with an extra shot of hottie David Naughton and some cool vocals by Ms. Kim Carnes.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 45 | February 9, 2020 2:06 AM |
R13, Prior to Mark Harmon, Pam got to enjoy Rex Smith's huge cock for a while.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 46 | February 9, 2020 2:21 AM |
Joel Brooks, the Richard Deacon of his generation.
| by Anonymous | reply 47 | February 9, 2020 2:23 AM |
I thought that Rebecca was one of the prettiest girls on television.
| by Anonymous | reply 48 | February 9, 2020 2:41 AM |
r47 He was more like a young Gale Gordon (the Mr. Mooney years).
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 49 | February 9, 2020 3:00 AM |
I used to beg my parents to let me stay up and watch it!
| by Anonymous | reply 50 | February 9, 2020 6:08 AM |
I believe Joel Brooks play a gay man in the Goldie Hawn film “Protocol.” Quite a sexy one, too.
Offsite Link| by Anonymous | reply 51 | February 9, 2020 6:40 AM |
R50, Wasn't it an 8:00 PM show?
| by Anonymous | reply 52 | February 9, 2020 10:00 AM |
Series finale aired 32 years ago tonight, April 12, 1988
| by Anonymous | reply 53 | April 13, 2020 4:34 AM |
It was well done for the time. Not Cheers caliber, but reliably funny with a good cast of characters.
As someone mentioned, it was a top-25 hit in its first year, and CBS killed it by moving it to Saturday night for season 2.
It was a Diane English show, and she couldn't have been too broken up about the cancellation, because Murphy Brown was on the very next CBS fall schedule and ran for 10 years.
| by Anonymous | reply 54 | April 13, 2020 5:11 AM |
The apartment where she lived and was killed in the lobby is a popular stop on Hollywood tour vans.
| by Anonymous | reply 55 | April 21, 2020 1:54 AM |
