Theme Music: "Brand New Life," by Larry Carlton, Robert Kraft, Martin Cohan and Blake Hunter

SYNOPSIS

Along with Charles In Charge, Who's The Boss? featured a macho guy working as a domestic housekeeper for a woman who didn't have time to raise the kids.

Tony was a former second baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals and a widower with a daughter of his own, young Samantha. He sought refuge in suburban Connecticut from a hustle and bustling New York City by working as a housekeeper for high-powered, somewhat disorganized President of the Wallace and McQuade Advertising Agency, Angela Bower. Angela, a divorcee with a rambunctious son named Jonathan, had doubts about the arrangement. Her mother, Mona, however, quickly pointed out that "a man can do meaningless, unproductive work as well as a woman." Tony proved to be very good at his new job, bringing order to Angela's chaotic household and providing a much needed father figure to Jonathan.

1986, Angela was abruptly fired whereupon she opened her own ad agency with Mona pitching in. At about the same time, Geoffrey Wells entered her romantic life which only served to deepen her growing feelings for Tony. Also in 1986, Samantha entered high school where, a year later, she found her boyfriend Jesse. Mona was courted, off and on, by mature, dashing Max Muldoon.

Inspired by Angela's upscale lifestyle, Tony began taking college courses and when Sam graduated from high school, she enrolled at the same college. Among her other boyfriends were Andy and Eric (the latter was played by a different actor each time he appeared). Jonathan, meanwhile, entered high school and Billy, a 10-year-old from Tony's Brooklyn neighborhood, was introduced to the cast. Throughout the series, Tony maintained his ties with Brooklyn, where his pal Al and "second mom" Mrs. Rossini were his chief contacts. The family dog was Grover.

The running theme of the show was always the evolving relationship between Tony and Angela - which had to be the longest courtship in sitcom history! For the first few seasons, it was easy banter and nothing more. Whenever they would start getting close, they would call a halt and start seeing other people. One of Tony's more memorable girlfriends' was Kathleen. By 1991, seven years after they met, the two admitted that they were in love. Sam and her boyfriend Hank got married during the last season and Tony and Angela had several close calls. In the spring when Tony got a job as baseball coach for a small college in Iowa, Angela tried living with him there and then having a long distance relationship - it didn't work. At the end of the last episode, having given up hope and in the market for a new housekeeper, Angela answered the door to find Tony, who had decided their relationship was more important than his coaching job, applying for the job. They still didn't marry - but decided to give the relationship one more try.