Okay, what do Ben Cartwright, Batman, and Fred Sanford have in common?

In real life, we're a rarity. There's me, there's George Lucas, and (until recently) there was Prince Charles. Okay, there's probably a few others, too.

TV is different. The norm appears to be a bunch of single guys raising kids by themselves or with kind and thoughtful housekeepers.

Welcome to the site! What follows is so much more than just a list of Single Dads on TV: the shows, the stars, the years; how the dads earned a living, who took care of the kids, and the circumstances in which they became single fathers.

There's more: people who watched these shows, who acted in these shows, who wrote these shows, write and tell details about the productions, the broadcasts, and the cancellations of these hundred-odd series. There's arguments on what killed a show, on whether or not this or that character should be called a TV Single Dad, interviews and emails countering and re-examining arguments about the genre itself.

A note at the beginning: being a Single Dad myself, I am often too busy to keep up with the modern choices of cable TV, and I am certain I have missed many shows featuring Single Dads. If you know of a show I missed, send me the information you have about the show, and I will add it to the list.

Thanks!

Jim
jim@tvdads.com

Google	TVDads

Update 14 June 2006: Fathers' Day is NOT Fathers' Day unless you're kicking it off bright and early (well it won't be bright outside at the time but it will be awfully early) with long-time Friend of the Site Jordan Rich hosting a special show at 2 AM. If you're in the Northeast US, join us on WBZ NewsRadio AM 1030 Sunday, June 15th.

If you want to be all modern and stuff you can listen in by clicking on the WBZ logo above!

Click here to visit Jordan's site.

Update 1 June 2008: Argh, Ugh, and so on - - I had to do a MAJOR re-write of the Upfronts section, so it's offline until late Monday night. Thanks for your patience. Check back about midnight ET on Monday, June 2nd!

Update 13 April 2008: Just finishing up some work on the Upfronts info - - should have it in the Previews section later this week.

Update 12 February 2008: The WGA Writers' strike is over, officially. Now let's see what portions of the 2008 season can be saved.

Update 21 January 2008: Reuters is reporting that NBC may cancel its annual Upfronts presentation for spring. The event, typically held at Radio City Music Hall, annually heralds the coming of the new Fall Season. Due to the writers' strike, though, it looks like there isn't going to *be* a Fall Season. NBC's president Jeff Zucker, said that NBC would still hold meetings with advertisers for their fall reality shows, but forget the party. Sounds like tough times ahead.

Update 27 December 2007: Sorry I've been remiss in updating the site content lately. I'm building a new database engine to serve up the content a lot better, so things here are the online equivalent of painting cloths and taped-over windows. Excuse the mess, thanks.

Update 1 October 2007: Huzzah! This Friday, run out and grab a crisp new copy of TIME Magazine and flip it open to a feature article on "Today's Dads" - with a quote from That Guy From TVDads.com! The article has been floating in Time Warner limbo for several months, awaiting a slow news cycle - and apparently this is the week! In the meantime, go catch up with the blog of the article's author (the charming Lisa Cullen) and glean valuable insights on work and parenting!

Update 15 September 2007: A gentle reminder: "Reality" shows do *not* count for TV Single Dad status, just as news stories do not count. Apparently there was an Extreme Makeover show featuring a single father, but that's just a whole kettle of fish I don't want to try to work into this site. Sorry!

Update 3 September 2007: There was a question from two different sources about NBC's Heroes show as to whether or not Hiro's father would be considered as a TV Single Dad. We haven't seen Hiro's mother, although we've seen Hiro in flashbacks with his father. I'm keeping them on the "debateable" list until (hopefully) there's more information this season.

Update 26 July 2007: Holy smokes! The return of a TV Single Dad - - ABC's has re-signed Lost's Michael (Harold Perrineau) for a return in the fourth season. Click here for details.

Update 1 July 2007: I'm doing quite a bit of work on the back-end side of the Comments section, so it's going to be offline for a week or two. Sorry about the inconvenience! If you have comments you'd like to post in the meantime, please please email me. Thanks.

Update 17 June 2007: Florence, Alabama's Times-Daily website has a Fathers' Day article about the differences between TV and real-life Single Dads. Click here for a read.

Update 14 June 2007:Fathers' Day is upon us - and so, we'll follow a long-established tradition - - Northeast US surfers should join us on WBZ NewsRadio AM 1030 starting at 10pm Eastern Time Fathers' Day, Sunday, June 17th.
We'll be talking TV Dads, new shows, and more!

Click here to visit Jordan's site.

Update 10 May 2007: It's that time of the year - - the Television industry's Upfronts will be announced later this month. Here's the schedule for 2007:

May 14: NBC

May 15: ABC

May 16: CBS

May 17: The CW and FOX

Once again, we'll go over the Fall season and see which new series will introduce new TV Single Dads. Stay tuned!

Update 6 May 2007: Finally! The first TV Dads Podcast is now available. We start with Part One of the 2003 interview with Bonino star Van Dyke Parks, talking about the production of that pioneer television series. Note: there is a slight problem with the sound, as it's a telephone interview. Watch for Part Two shortly.

Update 6 April 2007: Being the Last Website on the Planet not to offer podcasts, I've decided to man up and start hanging out downloadable .mp3s of all these great interviews over the years. Currently working on getting the 2000 interview with Christopher Titus, from the day his show first premiered on FOX. Watch for it the last week of April.

Update 16 March 2007: Cancellation City - - E!Online reports that The CW Network has decided not to renew TV Single Dad show Veronica Mars for next season. Bye, Mars Family!

Update 6 March 2007: Friend of the Site Christopher Titus has a new stand-up special "Christopher Titus: The 5th Annual End of the World Tour" debuting on Comedy Central Sunday, March 18 at 10:00 p.m.

SITE UPDATE 5 March 2007: The move to the new server went okay, except the FORUMS section is still offline. Working on it! Thanks for your patience.

SITE UPDATE 3 March 2007: If you're seeing this post, it means the TVDads.com website has been moved successfully to its new server farm. Hooray! The new server, combined with a big fat data pipe, should provide a *lot* more traffic room during the annual Fathers' Day swamping of the site. Thanks for your patience during the switchover.

Update 1 February 2007: A major player in early television history has passed away - - Gian Carlo Menotti died today at 95. Menotti's link to the early history of TV Single Dads shows was in the creation of the opera Amahl and the Night Visitors - a television production bringing together some of the early stars of the series Bonino. We'll be talking more about those days soon in the Interviews section.

Update 1 January 2007: Happy New Year! Lots of fascinating new items coming up this year, including an interview with another star of the *first* created-for-TV series about a Single Dad - Bonino. More about this soon - stay tuned!

Update 3 December 2006: Long-time Friend of the Site Royana Black is starring in the play Westward Expansion at the Alliance Repertory Theatre - - 3204 West Magnolia Blvd. in Burbank, California, December 11th - 17th. The show starts at 8:00 PM, with a special bonus of the groundbreaking Suzan-Lori Parks' series "365 Plays/365 Days"- - check it out!

Update 29 November 2006: Long-time Friend of the Site Jordan Rich has published a new collection of stories, poems, and games. As always, every penny from the sale of these collections goes to Boston Children's Hospital. Check it out at Jordan's website.

Update 21 November 2006: Work continues on the Interviews section. Pardon the appearance as some of the older pages are going to have a strange format while they're being conformed to the new look. Thanks for your patience.

Update 19 November 2006: I'm changing out the navigation menu on most of the pages for ease in getting around. Please let me know if you experience difficulties. Thanks!

Update 4 November 2006: Variety says The CW just signed for a script commitment on a new comedy series called Beta Males, produced by Lionsgate Television. The script is by Sean and Bryan Furst. The story is about a group of three men, who are all stay-at-home dads. Just a pre-emptive note: if they're married and/or living with the mothers of their children, they're *not* TV Single Dads! (Thanks for the tip from Alert Viewer Claire)

Update 20 October 2006: Looks like the first breakout TV Single Dad hit show this season is CBS's Shark, which has dominated the Thursday night ratings in the 10pm ET hour.

Update 22 September 2006: As has been pointed out by many Alert Viewers, the NBC show Heroes is not a TV Single Dads show. Milo Ventimiglia isn't in a single dad relationship in this series (at least, not as shown so far). Sorry Milo!

Update 20 September 2006: Slightly off-topic, but fascinating nonetheless - - Friend of the Site Donna Chiacchia has a great book for those of us without a Mr. French or a Fran Drescher to organize our day. Check out Let's Get Organized on the web, or at a Barnes & Noble near you.

Update 31 August 2006: Actor Glenn Ford has passed away at the age of 90. One of Mr. Ford's roles was starring as the original "Eddie's Father" in the movie The Courtship of Eddie's Father.

Update 28 August 2006: Be sure to check out Friend of the Site Wallace Langham's new film, "Little Miss Sunshine" at a theatre near you. Funny stuff!

Update 27 August 2006: Server moves are causing a problem with the Forums section. Please be patient while Tech Support hunts down the problem. Thanks!

Update 3 August 2006: Alert Viewer Jon Spillers checks in with this report about Psych: "I have watched a single episode of Pysch and don't really care to repeat the experience but I doubt Corbin Bernson makes the grade as a Single Dad. Single he is, Dad he is to the unpleasantly written main character, but based on limited exposure to the show, Dad and Son do not appear to live together. "
I'm still interested in finding out how much of this is flashback, which could qualify Berensen for the title. More research is needed, certainly.

Update 17 July 2006: My VCR Jedi skills are failing me, so I haven't been able to screen an episode of Pysche yet. If you've watched the show and can confirm the Single-Dadness of Corbin Berensen, please let me know. Thanks!

Update 6 June 2006: It simply wouldn't be Fathers' Day without long-time Friend of the Site Jordan Rich hosting a special show first thing Fathers' Day morning. If you're in the Northeast US, join us on WBZ NewsRadio AM 1030 starting at Midnight Eastern Time, June 18th. Click here to visit Jordan's site.

Update 5 June 2006: It's up! As promised, there's a full rundown of upcoming TV Single Dad shows in the Fall Preview section. Check it out!

Update 3 June 2006: Positively *boatloads* of new TV Single Dad shows coming this fall! Check back here on MONDAY the 5th of June for the low-down in the Fall Preview section!

Update 15 May 2006: Booming right on through 33 million hits last night - - thanks for visiting the site!

Update 12 May 2006: If you're noticing any weirdness in some of the web page layouts, it's just me, messing with a few CSS conversions. Thanks for your patience!

Update 6 April 2006: Picture the entire population of California. That's just about the same number of hits on this little site: 32 Million!. Thanks for your continued fascination with this topic.

Update 3 April 2006: Reports from several sources say ABC is currently trying to get Sean Astin for the lead role in the comedy pilot The Guys. It's about five fathers raising their kids. No details on marital status yet, but it could be a TV Single Dad mini-boom.

Update 1 April 2006: No April Fool here - - Cartoon Network's Adult Swim announces a new series for the Fall: Lucy, the Daughter of the Devil. Since Lucy's dad is Satan, he constantly meddles in her life, especially when she might be dating Dad's um, arch-nemesis?

Update 23 March 2006: Long-Time Friend of the Site Royana Black checks in with a career note: "I just found out that a feature I did got into the Silver Lake Film Festival and is playing at.....THE ARCLIGHT!!!!!! How cool is that!!!!????" Show times are this Friday, 3/24 @ 5:30 and then again, Tuesday, 3/28 @ 10:00 PM. Details are on http://silverlakefilmfestival.org/

Update 22 March 2006: On the fence a bit about George Wendt's character in The WB's new series Modern Men. Does the daughter live with him? I'll let you know as soon as there's an answer.

Update 23 February 2006: Alert Viewer ThatWoman notes the return of a TV Single Dad's son: The April 11 episode of "Gilmore Girls" will see Luke accompany April and some of her classmates to a math contest in Philadelphia. He will seize the opportunity and visit Jess.

Update 21 February 2006: We're back - - sorry about the outage, but Network Solutions apparently thought the TVDads.com domain name was up for sale. All better now!

Update 14 February 2006: A big Happy Valentine's Day as the site reaches the 30 Million Hits level. Wow! Thanks for stopping by!

Update 12 February 2006: NY Post is reporting that four-time TV Single Dad (and long-time interview avoider of this site) Tony Danza is having his talk show cancelled in March. Sorry, Tony!

Update 5 February 2006: Famous disqualified TV Single Dad Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis has passed away at age 82 (not age 95, according to his son, Ted Lewis).

Update 1 December 2005: A great way to start off the month of December - - 28 million hits as of tonight! Thanks again for surfing the site.

Update 14 November 2005: Cross-TV Single Dad Show-threading news - - right after the posting of the John Glover interview, Director John Woo announces the casting of Skeletor in the new He-Man movie remake -- John Glover!

Update 25 October 2005: As of this morning, the number of hits on this site has reached 27 million - - that's roughly the population of Nepal! Thanks for your continued interest in this little topic.

Update 18 October 2005: A Halloween special catch-up interview coming soon - - we're talking with creator, writer, star Christopher Titus. Topics include the new release of Titus on DVD, life after FOX, the perils of Tae Kwon Do, and more! Watch for the interview coming soon! Click here for the original 2000 interview.

Update 2 October 2005: Sorry about the delay on the John Glover interview - a slight mechanical problem with the transcription. Enjoy the fabulous interview with Smallville's Lionel Luthor, and learn how an Evil Genius owes the very core of his existence to... Doris Day? Click here for a message from John Glover, and Click here for the interview!

Update 22 September 2005: Just finished a *wonderful* interview with John Glover, the villainous TV Single Dad of Lex Luthor on The WB's Smallville. Watch for the interview next week, right here!

Update 18 September 2005: ***THE CONTEST!*** As promised, we've got a hot new chance for you to win a copy of TVT Records' All Time Top 100 TV Themes.

Click here for details on how to win.

Update 15 September 2005: The population of Venezuela is 26 million... which is the exact number of hits this site has received as of this morning! Thanks for your continued interest in this website.

Update 14 September 2005: ***Important Announcement*** In the nine years of TVDads.com, we've never had a CONTEST... until now! Thanks to the nice folks at TVT Records, we've got not one, but *five* copies of their All Time Top 100 TV Themes CDs to give away. The contest starts Monday, September 19th, so check back on Monday for details!

Update 9 September 2005: Another TV Single Dad interview coming soon! If you've got questions for Lex Luthor's TV Single Dad on Smallville, please send me your questions, and I'll ask John Glover directly next week! Stay tuned..

Update 30 August 2005: More confirmations (actually deletions) of potential TV Single Dads in the Fall season: ABC's Invasion and NBC's My Name is Earl are definitely *not* TV Single Dad shows as the season begins. Of course, story arcs and new characters can change these situations. Stay tuned!

Update 20 August 2004: Permanent Friend of the Site, Raising Miranda's Royana Black is currently appearing in Power in the Blood with the Alliance Reperatory Company. If you're in greater Los Angeles, go check out Royana onstage in Burbank next weekend! Click here for details.

Update 9 August 2005: The nice folks at Bonanza Gold are having a convention at Lake Tahoe September 9th-11th. If you'd like to meet with a posse of stars and writers of one of the most famous of TV Single Dad shows, check out their website for reservations.

Update 6 August 2005: Here's something to ponder - - the CSI season finale this year on CBS had 25 million viewers. That's *exactly* where the number of site hits stands this morning. Thanks for your continued interest in this odd little topic!

Update 2 August 2005: Before you start writing in to make a case about "extenuating circumstances," NBC's Mister Mom is NOT a TV Single Dad show. Reality shows are off-limits, Dad isn't single, and *don't* get me started about the show premise...

Update 1 August 2005: As promised, the new Forums section makes its debut tonight. This week, the Forums get direct links to individual series listed in the Decades section. Join up, and join in the discussion!

Update 1 August 2005: Happy Ninth Anniversary! The TV Single Dads Hall of Fame began back on the 1st of August, 1996. Since then, it's grown to over 230 shows and has been viewed almost 25 million times! Join us tonight for a Very Special Update to the site!

Update 26 July 2005: It's hard to believe, but the TV Single Dads Hall of Fame starts its TENTH YEAR on Monday, 1 August 2005. So, to kick off the new year, we're going to open a MAJOR NEW SECTION of the site. Be here this coming Monday for an AMAZING addition!

Update 23 July 2005: Finally! The Katie Sweet interview is online! Still having some uploading problems with the pictures, but they'll be up shortly. Enjoy!

Update 22 July 2005: Still working a few kinks out of the new server - - the Katie Sweet Interview will be up tonight, though. Stay tuned!

Update 21 July 2005: Hey - we're up and running on the new server. If you see anything strange or missing (apart from the usual stuff) let me know, okay? Thanks!

Update 20 July 2005: An administrative note - - switching out servers this week for faster response and more *new* features. You may experience downtime in some of the pages. Hang tight - - it should be all better by the 22nd.

Update 14 July 2005: Yowza! Wait until you read the brand-spankin' new interview with Hank star Katie Sweet. "One-take Kate" talks about her Elvis movie, playing film-can Frisbee with Pernell Roberts, smashing into one of the Brady brothers, and getting irked by Kurt Russell. All this and more in the Interviews section on July 22. Check it out!

Oh, and click here for a message from Katie Sweet!

Update 10 July 2005: Coming up later this month, an interview with a website mystery: "what ever happened to Katie Sweet?" The co-star of Hank and frequent guest star on everything from Bonanza to My Favorite Martian drops by to talk about her amazing early career. If you've got questions for Katie Sweet, email them by Wednesday, July 13th to mailbag@tvdads.com. Check back soon!

Update 1 July 2005: The population of Australia is 24 million - - which is the same number of site surfers we've had as of 28 June 2005! Thanks for your continued interest in this fun little topic.

Update 30 June 2005: A long-time site mystery is resolved, as the "What ever happened to Katie Sweet?" question is answered... by Katie Sweet! Check it out on the 50's-60's page, under the Hank entry.

Update 19 June 2005: Happy Fathers' Day! A big welcome to the 1.8 million new readers visiting this week. Enjoy the site!

Update 16 June 2005: Friday in beautiful Portland, Oregon - - what better topic to talk about on the way home Fathers' Day weekend than TV Single Dads? Join us on The Mark and Dave Show on KEX AM 1190. See ya!

Update 16 June 2005: Boise, Idaho is no small potatoes. We're talking TV Single Dads with The Spud Brothers on KTIK AM-1350. Be there Friday at 8:00 am!

Update 16 June 2005: Santa Barbara, California Alert Viewers need to flip the dial over to 99.9 FM KTYD and check out the TV Single Dad buzz on The Early Show! It's all happening at 8:30am PT.

Update 16 June 2005: Only *2* shopping days left 'til Fathers' Day, so DC listeners should tune into the TV Single Dads chat on Bisnow LIVE! - 1160 WMET at 8:50am Friday

Update 15 June 2005: The march across Canada continues. Manitoba surfers should tune into the Charles Adler Show on Winnipeg's CJOB AM Radio 68 on Friday morning at 9:05 local time. We'll be talking TV Single Dads BIG TIME!

Update 15 June 2005: Greetings to our northern Alert Viewers in Canada! If you're bopping about in Alberta, give a listen to The Morning News with Mike Wilson as we talk about TV Single Dads on Friday! Show's on at 6:15am MT so wake up early!

Update 15 June 2005: Dallas / Ft. Worth folks - - tune in Thursday at 6:40 am or 5:40pm for a TV Single Dads talk with Mike Rogers of KRLD AM 1080. Fun stuff!

Update 14 June 2005: You can tell it's Father's Day week because the phone is ringing off the hook with folks wanting to talk about TV Single Dads. Here's a big one: check out Thursday's USA TODAY Life section for a discussion of TV's Single Dads!

Update 14 June 2005: Fathers' Day articles popping up everywhere this weekend. Alert Viewers in Ohio can check out the discussion about TV Dads in the Cleveland Plain Dealer this Sunday!

Update 13 June 2005: Radio Producers: if you're trying to book me for Fathers' Day content on your morning show, please contact me at jim@tvdads.com. Time slots are filling up for the week of June 13-18, so write in pronto!

Update 19 May 2005: What a nightmare! My laptop decided to be busted, and I was incommunicado for quite some time. Back now with the FALL UPFRONTS! Check out the Fall Preview page for details!

Update 14 May 2005: Here's something to ponder while you're eating your Cheerios: this site has FIVE TIMES as many readers as XM Radio has LISTENERS! Twenty Million Hits as of today. Thanks!

Update 14 January 2005: Friend of the Site and former TV Single Dad Tony Plana is now playing one of the head Bad Guys in the new season of Fox's 24. Check it out Mondays at 9pm Eastern.

Update 15 December 2004: The answer is NO. Fox's January 3 TV special Who's Your Daddy? is (barely) "reality" TV and *doesn't* count. So, stop asking. Thanks.

Update 17 November 2004: Permanent Friend of the Site, Raising Miranda's Royana Black is currently appearing in The Conquest of the South Pole in West Los Angeles. If you're in SoCal for Thanksgiving, it's a great night out! Click here for details.

Update 11 October 2004: Mid-semester and I'm getting lecture calls. If you're teaching a college course between Philly and Boston and you'd like a guest lecture about TV Single Dads, check out the Lectures page. Thanks!

Update 13 July 2004: Title change for ABC's fall TV Single Dad show, directed by Mel Gibson. It's now Complete Savages, instead of merely Savages.

Update 20 June 2004: A Happy Fathers' Day to y'all - - especially all the new visitors from Comcast! We're one of the featured sites on comcast.net's home page today. Welcome aboard!

Update 15 June 2004: If you're cruising Baltimore at lunchtime Wednesday, check out the Out to Lunch with Miles and Thrill show on 105.7 FM. We'll be talking TV Single Dads *live* Wednesday, June 16th, starting at 12:20pm ET. Be there! Click here for their website.

Update 18 May 2004: As reported here back in November, Mel Gibson has produced a series for ABC Television called Savages, about a TV Single Dad raising a family of boys. Check out the details (and all the other new TV Single Dad series) in the Fall Preview section.

Update 8 May 2004: From Royana Black -- "The episode of "Touching Evil" I recently shot is airing May 17th! I play Homicide Detective Michelle Gilchrist, hot on the trail of a serial killer loose in Boston. Find out if we catch the murderer... " That's the USA Network at 10pm ET/PT.

Update 6 May 2004: TV Single Dad and Friend of the Site Tony Plana is the Event Chair of a benefit concert for East L.A. Classic Theatre and its Literacy Intervention Programs at the Century Club in Century City on May 27, 2004. The concert features 12-time Grammy nominee Arturo Sandoval, and will be hosted by Paul Rodriguez. Click here for details and tickets.

Update 18 April 2004: Wow - imagine if the entire population of Norway AND the entire population of Sweden visited this site. That's still about 100,000 short of 14 MILLION visitors, as measured on the website odometer this morning.

Many thanks to you surfers for your continued interest in my absurd topic.

Update 14 April 2003: 80's TV Single Dad show celeb and Absolute Friend of the Site Royana Black just finished shooting a guest star role on Touching Evil, the new USA Networks show, Fridays at 10 PM ET/PT. It's produced by Bruce Willis/Arnold Rifkin and stars Jeff Donovan, Vera Farmiga, Zach Grenier and Brian Markinson. Tune in and watch for "Detective Michelle Gilchrist."

Update 16 March 2004: This is an annual off-topic post -- I get quite a few requests for the Official TV Dads Irish Soda Bread recipe. Here it is:


You'll need the following -

• 3 tbs butter
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup regular raisins
• 1/2 cup yellow raisins
• 2 cups unsifted flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tps sugar

Sift together everything but the butter, the buttermilk, and the raisins.
Cut in the butter and mix until crumbly.
Add in the raisins.
Add in the buttermilk
This is going to be sticky, so pour flour on your hands and on your cutting board
Knead the mix, and shape it into a slightly-rounded disc
Cut a criss-cross into the top of the disc
Place on a greased cookie sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes at 375 degrees.
After it's done, brush some melted butter on top and let the loaf cool for about 15 minutes.
Store the loaf in a Ziplock bag and don't expose it to air unless you're cutting it.
Enjoy!

Update 4 February 2004: Is Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane working on an animated TV Single Dad show? An article in Film Jerk hints as much. It's only pilot season, so don't get your hopes up on seeing it this fall. Still...

Update 10 January 2004: Alert Viewer carter_jh@yahoo.com points out an interesting sighting of TV Single Dads - this one in 1993:

"I don't know if you've heard of this before, but the characters on Mystery Science Theater 3000 once discussed the phenomenon of single TV dads, during an episode called Eegah."

Click here to view a transcript of that episode.

A big thanks to carter_jh for that item - possibly the earliest aired discussion of TV Single Dads!

Update 1 January 2004: Happy New Year! I've got the long-awaited Van Dyke Parks discussion now posted in the Interviews section. Note: I'm still typing up the complete interview, so this will be Part One of *TWO*. Thanks for your patience!

Update 31 December 2003: Imagine if everyone in Pennsylvania took a look at this site. That's 12 million hits, which the site counter just clocked this morning. Thank you for your continued interest in my absurd topic!

Update 5 November 2003: Single Dad Mel Gibson show? ABC is reported to be developing a sitcom about a TV Single Dad and six sons, produced by Mel Gibson. More news soon, hopefully!

Update 4 November 2003: Long-time Friend of the Site Lori from California has a website of her multimedia artwork. Check out this talented artist here.

Update 20 October 2003: Apologies to those waiting on the Van Dyke Parks interview -- I'm having a mini-problem with my minidisc player. As soon as it's fixed, I'll have the interview posted. Thanks for your patience!

Update 17 October 2003: Sad news: long-time Friend of the Site Ben "Cooter" Jones is closing his "Cooter's Place" Restaurant in Sperryville, Virginia. The final weekend at Cooter's is scheduled for November 29th. Click here for details.

Update 17 September 2003: It's that time of the year again - with schools back in session, the ever-popular Lecture Series is available again. For scheduling, please contact me with the information on the lecture page. Thanks!

Update 16 September 2003: First up on the 50th Anniversary series of interviews is a talk with Van Dyke Parks, one of the child stars of the 1953 NBC show Bonino. Watch for the interview soon!

Update 1 September 2003: As we roll into the fall season, stay tuned for a series of interviews with the cast members of early TV Single Dad shows, beginning with a series celebrating the 50th anniversary of its premiere. Coming soon!

Update 7 July 2003: TV Single Dad Buddy Ebsen (of The Beverly Hillbillies) passed away Sunday, July 6th, at the Torrance Memorial Medical Center in Torrance, California. He was 95.

Update 3 July 2003: BIG NEWS - The untitled Gilmore Girls spinoff is dead before it started. According to The WB, production costs in the very-expensive town of Venice, CA proved to be a budget-buster. Will Jess head back to his first TV Single Dad, or get wiped completely out of the Gilmore Universe? We'll see in the fall!

Update 27 June 2003: A couple of Alert Viewers questioned whether the Sci-Fi Channel's miniseries remake of Battlestar Galactica would count as a TV Single Dad show. Answer: miniseries (just like soap operas and 'reality' shows) don't count. Sorry!

Update 11 June 2003: Folks in Hartford, Connecticut can listen in to WTIC 1080-AM on Friday, June 13th, where we'll be gassing on about -guess what?- TV Single Dads. Join the fun in the 10am hour!

Update 6 June 2003: Ask and ye shall receive - Alert Viewer Veronica Glover (an Alert Listener of the Out to Lunch Show on Baltimore's 105.7) just emailed in an answer about whether or not Angel is a TV Single Dad show.

Veronica writes: Yes, he is a single dad. A freak incident/prophecy made him able to make a baby with Darla (former Vampire lover). In a dramatic episode, she killed herself (they turn to dust) when she was having problems having the baby and poof there was Connor. The baby was then stolen by a bad guy who took him to a hell dimension and poof the next season Connor was all grown up and had a big attitude towards his dad. Probably more than you wanted to know.

Veronica, there is no such thing as knowing "too much" about television. Thanks for the update!

Update 3 June 2003: Baltimore-iners(?) -- Spin the dial over to 105.7FM at 1pm Friday, June 6th, where we'll be having a D-Day TV Single Dad chat on the Out to Lunch Show with Thrill and Bill. This is one of those rare mid-day appearences, so make sure you take a late lunch and tune in!

Update 3 June 2003: Delaware folks, listen up -- we'll be talking all about TV Single Dads with Steve & Dana on The Eagle 97.7's Morning Mess Thursday June 12 in the 8am hour. Be there, or bring a note to school explaining why you missed it!

Update 3 June 2002: Alert Viewer Request -- Trying to confirm that the title character on The WB's Angel is a TV Single Dad. If you can confirm this with details, please contact me. Thanks!

Attention Kansas Citizens - We're talking TV Single Dads on the Rocket & Teresa Morning Show (MIX 93.3 FM) during the week of June 9th. I'll update this info as soon as I have a more-definite time, so keep checking back!

Update 14 May 2003: The WB Network wimps out by not greenlighting the remake of The Courtship of Eddie's Father for the fall season. More info in the Fall Preview Section!

Update 29 April 2003: Boatloads. Bushels. Scads. Hogsheads. The number of new TV Single Dads for this fall is staggering. Check it all out, in the Fall Preview Section!

Update 16 April 2003: First of the TV Single Dads for the fall of 2003: Rob Estes has been added to the cast of The WB's Gilmore Girls spin-off. No title for the series yet. Estes will be playing dad to Milo Ventimiglia's character of Jess. Looks like former Twin Peaks hottie Sherilyn Fenn will play the stand-in mom/girlfriend. More in the Fall Preview section as I get it...

Update 30 March 2003: Viewers of The WB's Black Sash - NO NO NO. Tom Chang is *not* a TV Single Dad because he flunks the Mindy McConnell Occupancy Rule. Sorry!

Update 27 February 2003: Farewell to the remake of a classic: for the next five Thursdays, the burn-off episodes of Family Affair are airing at 8:30 ET/ 7:30 CT on The WB.

Update 28 January 2003: Finally! The long-awaited Royana Black interview is online! In the Interviews section.

Update 23 January 2003: Ever wonder what a live-action version of Jonny Quest would look like? Check out ABC this Monday (27 January) at 8/7 pm ET/CT for the premiere of Veritas: The Quest. Read more about the show in the 00's section. Sorry, no Hadji or Bandit, though.

Update 19 January 2003: Slight delay on the Royana Black interview - - I'm a bit under the weather with the flu, and since typing involves remaining somewhat upright, it's a little beyond my capabilities right now. Thanks for your patience, and watch for the Royana Black conversation later this week, in the Interviews section.

In the meantime, here's a message from Royana.

Update 16 January 2003: Just posted - - a charming interview with Everwood's Vivien Cardone. You'll learn about Treat Williams's catch-phrase, crunchy-style M&M's, and whether Russell Crowe is taller than Treat. In the Interviews section.

Update 13 January 2003: TV Single Dad spinoff of a TV Single Dad / TV Single Mom show? Zap2it.com is reporting that the TV nephew of Scott Patterson's character on Gilmore Girls will be spun off to his own show, where he will be teamed up with his never-before-seen TV Single Dad (as yet uncast). This will be a new one-hour series for The WB. Hey, it worked for Angel. More details as soon as I can spray some starter fluid in The WB's publicity engine...
Update: Confirmed by The WB - the show (untitled) is set for the fall, and focuses on Jess and his dad. No cast, no pilot, no script, and no shooting dates as of yet. Stay tuned!

Update 9 January 2003: Watch for a scintillating interview with the title star of CBS's 80's series Raising Miranda, Royana Black. You'll learn about hanging with Bryan Cranston, hobnobbing with Grant Tinker, and going to school with one too many Mirandas. Late next week, in the Interviews section.

Update 7 January 2003: Tangential TV Single Dad Story - CBS seems to have stepped in a cowflop with their latest idea for a "real-life" Beverly Hillbillies. The series would feature an actual rural family, transported to the thin air of 90210-land. Maybe Jed Clampett is funny as fiction, but this whole "make-fun-of-the-hicks" reality show strategy is a dog that won't hunt. Check out www.ruralstrategies.org for details.

Update 30 November 2002: Finally got the Scott Patterson (he of Gilmore Girls' fame) interview posted. Check it out in the Interviews section!

Update 24 November 2002: Grim news for Family Affair fans - - apparently The WB network has cut back the number of shows ordered to 15, down from 22. This is usually the death-knell for series about to be dropped into the volcano known as "hiatus" - - sorry, Uncle Bill!

Update 4 September 2002: Check out the interview with Everwood's Tom Amandes for discussions of the Olsen Twins, wearing snowsuits in the summertime, and finding out if "it's still orange!" In the Interviews section.

Update 16 June 2002: Happy Fathers' Day to y'all! It's a busy day, but don't forget to take time out for your Dad today.

50 years of TV Single Dads today.

My Little Margie premiered 16 June 1952.

Attention Tampa / St. Pete Alert Viewers: Eric Deggans has a Fathers' Day article about TV Dads in the St. Petersburg Times. It's all about how TV Dads are getting stupider as the years go by. Ozzy Osbourne aside, I don't agree with the thesis, but it's an interesting read.

New York City-area Alert Viewers take note: long-time Friend of the Site Diane Werts wrote a great TV Dads piece in Newsday today. It's a Sunday cover story.

Update 8 May 2002: Okay, this is COMPLETELY off-topic, but I just got back from a press screening for Star Wars II: Attack of the Clones in Manhattan! Click here for my review.

Update 16 April 2002: Four-time TV Single Dad Robert Urich lost his battle with a rare cancer of the joints today. More about this record-setting actor's life in the Interviews section.

Click here for a final message from Mr. Urich.

Update 16 September 2001: This isn't about television, it's about real life. The horrific events of 11 September have changed many moms and dads into single moms and single dads. Please keep them in your prayers. Thanks.

 

Update 15 June 2001: Quite a spate of mail about a new Tide laundry commercial with a single dad featured in it. The answer is: no, he doesn't qualify because he flunks the Mindy McConnell Occupancy Rule. He's not the custodial parent. Sorry!

 

Update 25 May 2001: A Moment of Silence as what was the longest-running TV Single Dad series currently on the air ceases production - farewell, Baywatch!

Update 6 March 2001: Stacy Keach talked about the passing of the real Ken Titus in an update to Stacy's recent interview. He writes: "I attended Ken's funeral in January and had an opportunity to meet many more family members, and a few of Ken's old girlfriends and wives... he was loved by lots of people, and I suspect his love for people and his sense of humour had something to do with it."

You can read Stacy's eulogy for Ken Titus at Stacy's website by clicking here.

Update 1 March 2001: Funny - apple.com gave this site a 4-out-of-5 rating, then folded their entire rating site. Judge not, I guess...

 

Author's Note November 8, 1998: Things aren't always fun and games being a single dad.