sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
that aired on
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster
** Disney–ABC Television ...
from September 30 to December 9, 1982. The show featured
Brian Dennehy
Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...
as fire chief Leslie "Buddy" Krebs and
Katherine Saltzberg
Katherine Saltzberg (née Maisnik) is an American actress, singer, and comic. She is best known for starring as the showbiz-talented 16-year-old daughter of Brian Dennehy's character in the ABC sitcom, '' Star of the Family''.
Theater
In 2009 ...
, then Maisnik, as his singer daughter, Jennie Lee Krebs. The show was developed by
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
, then an ABC star in ''
Mork & Mindy
''Mork & Mindy'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from September 14, 1978, to May 27, 1982. A spin-off after a highly successful episode of ''Happy Days'', "My Favorite Orkan", it starred Robin Williams as Mork, an extraterrest ...
''.
The series debuted on September 30, 1982 on Thursdays after ''
Joanie Loves Chachi
''Joanie Loves Chachi'' is an American sitcom television series and a spin-off of ''Happy Days'' that aired on ABC from March 23, 1982, to May 24, 1983. It stars Erin Moran and Scott Baio as the characters Joanie Cunningham and Chachi Arcola, re ...
'', and was canceled after ten episodes.
Synopsis
Fire Captain Buddy Krebs' (Dennehy) 16-year-old daughter Jennie Lee (Saltzberg) begins getting show-business offers because of her singing talents in the country/pop genre. This scares Buddy because he does not want his daughter to grow up too fast. Adding to his troubles, his wife runs off with a bellhop, and his 17-year-old son (
Michael Dudikoff
Michael Joseph Stephen Dudikoff Jr. (born October 8, 1954) is an American actor and martial artist. Born in New York City, his family later moved to Los Angeles. Dudikoff did different jobs to pay for his education, during this time he became a mo ...
) has more muscles than brains. Additionally, his crew at the firehouse are "strange": Leo Feldman (
Todd Susman
Todd Susman (born January 17, 1947) is an American actor.
Early life
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Susman graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1965.
Career
Susman has appeared in over one hundred different television series and ...
) tells his mother he is a doctor instead of a fireman; Frank Rosetti (
George Deloy
George DelHoyo (born November 23, 1953), also known as George Deloy, is a Uruguayan-born American actor.
Theatre
DelHoyo, who was also raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, began performing in the theatre in New York City during the 1970s. Working und ...
) has only sex on the brain; and Max Hernandez (Danny Mora), a Hispanic, speaks fractured English. Finally, his daughter signs with a manager named Judy "Moose" Wells (Judy Pioli): the name fits the description of the woman. Another character on the series was named Tiffany (played by
Amanda Wyss
Amanda Louise Wyss (born November 24, 1960) is an American actress. She began her career in the early 1980s in teen-oriented roles such as Lisa in the coming-of-age comedy film ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'' (1982), Tina Gray in the slasher fi ...
).
Casting
Kathy Maisnik was 19 years old when she was cast as Jennie Lee; ''Star of the Family'' was her first professional acting role. Executive producer Larry Brezner said, "The determination to cast her came from
Brian Dennehy
Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...
more than anyone else. We were down to three girls, and each of them had to come in and play the role with 20 network executives looking on. She was the only one who you believed could have stood up to Brian."
Reception
Barbara Holsopple of ''
The Pittsburgh Press
''The Pittsburgh Press'' (formerly ''The Pittsburg Press'' and originally ''The Evening Penny Press'') was a major afternoon daily newspaper published in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, from 1884 to 1992. At one time, the ''Press'' was the second larg ...
'' said that the show is "great family fun and boasts two gems... Just watching their faces as they react to each other makes your mouth smile as something tugs at your heart."
Bill Hayden of the
Gannett News Service
Gannett Co., Inc. () is an American mass media holding company headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area.
Cast
*
Brian Dennehy
Brian Manion Dennehy (; July 9, 1938 – April 15, 2020) was an American actor of stage, television, and film. He won two Tony Awards, an Olivier Award, and a Golden Globe, and received six Primetime Emmy Award nominations. Dennehy had roles in ...
as Leslie "Buddy" Krebs
* Kathy Maisnik as Jennie Lee Krebs
*
Michael Dudikoff
Michael Joseph Stephen Dudikoff Jr. (born October 8, 1954) is an American actor and martial artist. Born in New York City, his family later moved to Los Angeles. Dudikoff did different jobs to pay for his education, during this time he became a mo ...
as Dougie Krebs
*
George DelHoyo
George DelHoyo (born November 23, 1953), also known as George Deloy, is a Uruguayan-born American actor.
Theatre
DelHoyo, who was also raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, began performing in the theatre in New York City during the 1970s. Working und ...
as Frank Rosetti
*
Todd Susman
Todd Susman (born January 17, 1947) is an American actor.
Early life
A native of St. Louis, Missouri, Susman graduated from Ladue Horton Watkins High School in 1965.
Career
Susman has appeared in over one hundred different television series and ...
as Leo Feldman
*
Robert Clotworthy
Robert Clotworthy is an American narrator and voice actor. He may be best known as the narrator for the History Channel series ''Ancient Aliens'' and ''The Curse of Oak Island'' and his role as the voice of Jim Raynor in the ''StarCraft'' video ...