''The Torkelsons'' is an American

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 ...

television series which aired on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

television network from September 21, 1991, to June 6, 1993. Produced by

Walt Disney Television Disney General Entertainment Content, doing business as Walt Disney Television, is an American entertainment company that oversees television content and assets owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. Forming the company's General Enterta ...

in season 1 and

Touchstone Television The second incarnation of Touchstone Television (formerly known as Fox 21 Television Studios) was an American television production company that is a subsidiary of Disney Media Networks' Walt Disney Television owned by The Walt Disney Company. It ...

in season 2, the series starred

Connie Ray Constance Ray (born July 10, 1956) is an American actress and playwright. Among her highest-profile appearances are ''Thank You for Smoking'' (2006) and ''Stuart Little'' (1999), and the television drama '' ER'' (1997). She also appeared in '' ...

Olivia Burnette Olivia Burnette (born March 24, 1977) is an American actress who began her career as a child actress at the age of six. She is perhaps best known for her role in the NBC sitcom ''The Torkelsons'' (1991–1993), Homeless Woman in ''Sons of Anarc ...

, and

William Schallert William Joseph Schallert (July 6, 1922 – May 8, 2016) was an American character actor who appeared in dozens of television shows and films over a career spanning more than 60 years. He is known for his roles on ''Richard Diamond, Private ...

. For the second and final season, the series was retooled and renamed ''Almost Home''. The series lasted a total of two seasons, consisting of 33 episodes.

Synopsis

Living in Pyramid Corners, a community near

Vinita, Oklahoma Vinita is a city and county seat of Craig County, Oklahoma, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,743, a decline of 11.22 percent from the figure of 6,469 recorded in 2000. History Vinita was founded in 1870 by Elias C ...

, Millicent Torkelson (Connie Ray) did what she could to survive financially after her husband Randy (Gregg Henry) left the family. Randy later returned and was seen in 2 episodes, and the couple ended up divorcing. The pilot episode deals with Millicent being so far in debt that she even has her home appliances repossessed. To support her family, Millicent gets a boarder named Wesley Hodges (William Schallert) who ends up living with them for the year in the house basement. Millicent's children were 14-year-old Dorothy Jane (

), sweet and exceptionally articulate for her age, who also served running commentary throughout the show by having talks with the "Man in the Moon" by her bedroom window; 12-year-old Steven Floyd (Aaron Michael Metchik), the athletic second-oldest; 10-year-old Ruth Ann (Anna Slotky), who was musically inclined; 8-year-old Chuckie Lee (Lee Norris), the bug collector, always recognizable with his thick-rimmed glasses; and the youngest, 6-year-old Mary Sue (Rachel Duncan), who acted as if nothing was ever wrong. In the first episode, Dorothy Jane meets 18-year-old new neighbor Riley Roberts (Michael Landes) for the first time and becomes infatuated with him. Throughout the first season Riley remains oblivious to this, mainly because of her being a high-school freshman while he was a senior, but they do develop a strong connection. Meanwhile, pesky but well-meaning Kirby Scroggins, a plaid-clad nerd, was forever chasing an uninterested Dorothy Jane. Although her family embarrasses her, Dorothy never let anyone else make fun of them. The pilot also featured

Ernie Lively Ernie Lively (born Ernest Wilson Brown Jr.; January 29, 1947 – June 3, 2021) was an American actor and acting coach, and the father of actors Lori Lively, Jason Lively, Robyn Lively, Eric Lively, and Blake Lively. Life and career Lively was b ...

as Jacob "J.W." Presley, a butcher who is smitten with Millicent. In the pilot episode, Benj Thall and Elizabeth Poyer played Steven Floyd and Ruth Ann Torkelson. All these actors were originally to be permanent parts of the show so were credited in the pilot's opening sequence, but the children were subsequently recast, and the character of J.W. was dropped entirely.

''Almost Home''

After ending its first season on June 16, 1992, the series was retooled and renamed ''Almost Home''. Premiering on February 6, 1993, the second incarnation features the Torkelsons relocating to

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

after Millicent accepts a job as a nanny, following the foreclosure of the Torkelson family home. In this series, Steven Floyd and Ruth Ann were now considered to have never existed as Millicent refers to Chuckie Lee in ''Almost Home'' as her ''only'' son and Chuckie Lee refers to himself as the ''middle child''. Millicent took the remaining three children to live with Brian Morgan (Perry King) and his two kids; Gregory (Jason Marsden) and Molly (Brittany Murphy). Brian ran a successful clothing catalog/magazine titled ''Molly Gregory'', a business started by his late wife and named after both their children. There was some initial resistance from Molly and Gregory to warm up to the Torkelson clan moving in, as they felt somewhat alienated by their down-home ways and devotion to cheerful southern hospitality. Slowly but surely they adjusted, with Gregory becoming a trusted ally to all the kids, and Molly helping Dorothy Jane to fit into her world of shallow, status-conscious people, albeit feebly. Brian and Millicent often clashed over parenting methods, but would usually learn a valuable lesson from each other in the end. The novel practice of having Dorothy Jane talk to the "Man in the Moon" about her issues and dreams from her bedroom window remained. This incarnation of the show ended on June 6, 1993. With the retooling of the show's format and the title change, the revamped ''Almost Home'' also transitioned from being shot on

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

to being recorded on

videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videocassett ...

Cast

Main

as Millicent Torkelson *

as Dorothy Jane Torkelson, Millicent's daughter * Elizabeth Poyer (pilot) & Anna Slotky as Ruth Ann Torkelson, Millicent's daughter (season 1) *

Benj Thall Benjamin Thall is an American actor and is most well known for his role in the movie '' Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'' as Peter Burnford. Life and career Benj Thall was born in New York. His career kicked off in the 1990 comedy '' Repo ...

(pilot) &

Aaron Michael Metchik Aaron Michael Metchik (born April 22, 1980), also credited as Aaron Metchik, is an American actor, writer, and director, known for his role as Steven Floyd Torkelson on ''The Torkelsons'' and as Jeremy in '' Trading Mom''. Biography Metchik's a ...

as Steven Floyd Torkelson, Millicent's son (season 1) *

Lee Norris Lee Michael Norris (born September 25, 1981) is an American actor, best known for his roles as Stuart Minkus on ''Boy Meets World'' and its spin-off '' Girl Meets World'', as well as Marvin "Mouth" McFadden on ''One Tree Hill One Tree Hill ma ...

as Chuckie Lee Torkelson, Millicent's son * Rachel Duncan as Mary Sue Torkelson, Millicent's daughter *

(pilot) as Jacob Presley (season 1) *

as Wesley Hodges (season 1) *

Brittany Murphy Brittany Anne Murphy-Monjack (; November 10, 1977 – December 20, 2009) was an American actress and singer. Born in Atlanta, Murphy moved to Los Angeles as a teenager and pursued a career in acting. Her breakthrough role was as Tai Fras ...

as Molly Morgan, Brian's daughter (season 2) *

Jason Marsden Jason Christopher Marsden (born January 3, 1975) is an American actor, director, producer and YouTuber, who has done numerous voice roles in animated films, as well as various television series and video games. He has been the official voice of ...

as Gregory Morgan, Brian's son (season 2) *

Perry King Perry Firestone King (born April 30, 1948) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles on television and in films. King received a Golden Globe nomination for his role in the television film ''The Hasty Heart'' (1983), which is a rema ...

as Brian Morgan (season 2)

Recurring

* Paige Gosney as Kirby Scroggins (season 1) *

Michael Landes Michael Christopher Landes (born September 18, 1972) is an American actor of television and film. Personal life Michael Christopher Landes was born to Patricia and Bernard Landes on September 18, 1972 in The Bronx, New York. Landes studied pe ...

as Riley Roberts (season 1) *

Ronnie Claire Edwards Ronnie Claire Edwards (February 9, 1933 – June 14, 2016) was an American actress, best known for playing Corabeth Walton Godsey on the TV series ''The Waltons''. Early life Edwards was born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Acting caree ...

as Bootsie Torkelson (season 1) *

Alyson Kiperman ''Power Rangers Wild Force'' is a television series and the tenth season of Power Rangers. It is also the anniversary season of the ''Power Rangers'' franchise, based on the 25th Super Sentai series ''Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger'', which itself w ...

as Dreama (season 1) * Mother Love as Kitty Drysdale (season 1) * Peter Van Norden as Mel (season 2) *

Alyson Hannigan Alyson Lee Hannigan (born March 24, 1974) is an American actress. After starting her career at age four with appearances in commercials, she moved to Hollywood at age 11 and soon got an agent. Hannigan began her film career with supporting r ...

as Samantha (season 2)

Notable guest stars

Drew Carey Drew Allison Carey (born May 23, 1958) is an American comedian, actor and game show host. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps and making a name for himself in stand-up comedy, he gained stardom in his own sitcom, ''The Drew Carey Show'', an ...

in the season 1 episode "Say Uncle" (his first appearance in a TV sitcom) *

Patty Duke Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016) was an American actress and mental health advocate. Over the course of her acting career, she was the recipient of an Academy Award, two Golden Globe Awards, three Primetime Emmy Aw ...

in the season 1 episode "Return to Sender" (reuniting with William Schallert, who played her father in ''

The Patty Duke Show ''The Patty Duke Show'' is an American television sitcom created by Sidney Sheldon and William Asher. The series ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, to April 27, 1966. The series was developed as a vehicle for teenage star Patty Duke, who h ...

'') *

Kevin Clash Kevin Jeffrey Clash (born September 17, 1960) is an American puppeteer, director and producer known for puppeteering Elmo on ''Sesame Street'' from 1984 to 2012. He also performed puppets for ''Labyrinth'', '' Dinosaurs'', '' Oobi'', and various ...

Elmo Elmo is a red Muppet monster character on the long-running PBS/ HBO children's television show ''Sesame Street''. A furry red monster who has a falsetto voice and illeism, he hosts the last full five-minute segment (fifteen minutes prio ...

in the season 1 episode "Educating Millicent" * Joey Lawrence as Dorothy Jane and Molly's boss in the season 2 episode "Girls and Boy" *

Erin Gray Erin Gray (born January 7, 1950) is an American model, casting agent, and actress whose roles include Colonel Wilma Deering in the science fiction television series '' Buck Rogers in the 25th Century'' and Kate Summers-Stratton in the situat ...

in the season 2 episode "Sleeping with the Enemy" as Mr. Morgan's love interest *

Ben Affleck Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, three Golden Globe Awards and a Volpi Cup. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educationa ...

in the season 2 episode "Is That All There Is?" as a basketball player who falls in love with Dorothy Jane *

Jared Leto Jared Joseph Leto ( ; born December 26, 1971) is an American actor and musician. Known for his method acting in a variety of roles, he has received numerous accolades over a career spanning three decades, including an Academy Award and a Golde ...

in the season 2 episode "The Fox and the Hound" as a football player at a party that Molly throws, whom Dorothy Jane thinks is cute *

Donal Logue Donal Francis Logue (born February 27, 1966) is a Canadian actor. He starred in the film '' The Tao of Steve'' and has had roles in the TV series ''Sons of Anarchy'', ''Vikings'', ''Grounded for Life'', ''Copper'', '' Terriers'', and, as Detecti ...

in the season 2 episode "Hot Ticket" as a musician named "Tommy Tom"

Production notes

Series creator Lynn Montgomery claims to have gotten the name "Torkelson" from a real-life Steven Floyd Torkelson, who had showed her his bug collection, and shared his first kiss with her thirty years earlier.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (1991–92)

Season 2 (1993)

Syndication

The

Disney Channel Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...

aired reruns of ''The Torkelsons'' and ''Almost Home'' on their weekday and weekend lineups from January 1994 to late 1999. All Disney Channel advertising for the shows packaged both seasons under ''The Torkelsons'' name; however, when the ''Almost Home'' episodes aired in circulation, the title was never altered in the opening credits. The Disney Channel also aired the series' episodes in production order.

Accolades

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Torkelsons, The 1990s American sitcoms 1991 American television series debuts 1993 American television series endings English-language television shows Fictional families NBC original programming Television series by Disney Television shows set in Oklahoma Television shows set in Seattle Television series about families Television series by ABC Studios