Aired: 1997-1998 (ABC)
DAD: Rev. Mike Weber (Dan Aykroyd) / Widower
DAD’S JOB: Minister
KIDS: Kenny (Kevin Sheridan), Meredith (Courtney Chase), Andy (Brendon Ryan Barrett), Fred (Spencer Breslin)
WHERE’S MOM?: Dead.
STAND-IN “MOM”: Bridgette Collins (Melinda McGraw), reporter
Watched it only a few times: Predictable as the North Star. But that’s a GOOD thing sometimes. The comedy flows easier when you don’t have to concentrate on the circumstances. For example, wouldn’t a full-time pastor have a LOT more interactions with his congregation? I mean, I watched four episodes and I never saw a direct reference to Rev. Weber’s customers.
Here’s TV Guide’s take on the whole thing:
Dan Aykroyd stars in a sitcom from the creators of Home Improvement. “I’ve always believed that comedy is best delivered from a structured platform,” Aykroyd explained on the set of the show, where his “platform” is a pulpit. He plays Mike Weber, a widowed, motorcycle-riding minister with four unruly youngsters. In the opener, Mike makes an off-the-cuff remark to a reporter about his personal life, which, to his embarrassment, winds up in print.
Update July 11, 1998: Looks like Soul Man went to its eternal reward. ABC dumped the show in June, and the producers, Wind Dancer Production Group, tried to find another home for the show. UPN looked like a promising candidate, but industry sources report that negotiations broke down over a money issue. Apparently Wind Dancer wanted close to three quarters of a million dollars per episode. Forget that, said UPN.
TV Guide reported that the problem was Aykroyd, not money. Seems that Mr. A didn’t want his show on UPN. Oh well, it’s over now. Goodbye, Weber family!