Aired: 1996-2007 (The WB)
DAD: Wilson West (Andrew Keegan) / Unmarried school kid
KID: Billy West (Dylan & Casey Boersma) (3)
WHERE’S MOM?: Died in childbirth
STAND-IN “MOM”: Mary Camden (Jessica Biel) / Faithful Non-Pregnant Girlfriend
Okay, this TV Single Dad was the occasional guest-star boyfriend of Main Supporting Character Mary Camden on this very-very wholesome show. Here’s the best I can do in piecing together the details: In a 1997 episode, “Dangerous Liaisons, Part I“, Mary met Wilson at a park. Wilson introduced Billy as his brother, setting the stage for Mary to find out the truth right at the end of the first of a two-part episode.
Mary runs out of her father’s church service and smack into an oncoming car. Don’t worry, it all got tidied up by the second half of a Very Special Episode.
Series creator/producer Brenda Hampton told me that Andrew Keegan’s agent wanted him out of the show to pursue a movie career, and the character moved away from the Camdens. No signs of major star-ness for Mr. Keegan yet, so Wilson West may someday reappear on their doorstep.
Update 23 April 2001 – The return of Wilson! Andrew Keegan reprises his TV Single Dad role and re-fires the ol’ Mary romance flame. In one episode, Andrew rekindles his character and extends the Mike Brady Clause for the show by at least 4 years.