SYNOPSIS

This comedy-drama focused on a family with eight very independent children, aged 8 to 23. When the series began, Tom, the father, was a newspaper columnist for the Sacramento, California Register, and Joan was his wife of 25 years. The death of actress Diana Hyland during production of the spring of 1977 episodes of Eight Is Enough forced major changes, however. Hyland had completed only four shows and was written out of the remainder as being "away." When the series returned with new episodes that fall, Tom Bradford had become a widower, his wife having died, at least in the story line, about "a year ago." With the help of his best friend, Doc Maxwell, Tom set about keeping order among his large brood while re-entering, in middle-age, the singles world. He soon found romance in the person of Abby, a pretty schoolteacher who came to the Bradford home to tutor one of the youngsters. Their romance blossomed, and on a special two-hour telecast on November 9, 1977, Tom and Abby were married.

As the series continued, Abby pursued and got her Ph.D. in education and began counseling work at Memorial High (as well as at home!). The Bradford kids all became involved with various friends and romances as they grew, and in a special episode in September 1979, David and Susan each got married, in a double wedding - David to attorney Janet, and Susan to pro baseball pitcher Merle "The Pearl" Stockwell (who later signed with the New York Mets). David then went to work for a construction firm, while Susan set about producing the first Bradford grandchild - Sandra Sue, born in October 1980. Meanwhile, Joannie got a job at a television station, and became engaged to Jeffrey Trout (played by Nicholas Pryor).

The series was based on the book Eight Is Enough by Thomas Braden.