Aired: 1998-1999 (ABC)
DAD: Kevin Burke (Christopher Sieber) / Widower
DAD’S JOB: Science Professor
KIDS: Mary-Kate and Ashley Burke (12^2) (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen)
WHERE’S MOM?: Dead since the girls were in the third grade.
STAND-IN “MOM”: Carrie (Sally Wheeler) / 28-year-old Freshman
The Olsen Twins — veterans of that great TV Single Dad show, Full House. Only this time they appeared on the show at the same time!
ABC presents it thusly:
The Olsen Twins return to ABC in a new family comedy with a romantic twist. Kevin Burke (Christopher Sieber) is a science professor and single father who believes there is a scientific explanation for everything — except how to control his scheming pre-teen daughters!
Mary-Kate and Ashley are identical twin sisters who are complete opposites. Mary-Kate is a tomboy whose biggest interest is perfecting her curve ball; and Ashley is a straight-A student starting a boy-crazy phase. Enter Carrie (Sally Wheeler), a 28-year-old freshman in Kevin’s seminar who has come late to college after exploring the world.
Carrie is quirky, difficult, beautiful and quick to speak her mind, so when she answers Kevin’s ad for a part-time nanny, he is convinced she’s nothing but trouble. The girls think she is a dream-sitter come true and agree to put their differences aside and join forces to make a little chemistry between their by-the-book dad and the beautiful woman who seems to drive him crazy in all the right ways.
From Griffard/Adler Productions, Dualstar Productions, Miller/Boyett/Warren Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Tom Miller, Bob Boyett, Michael Warren, Howard Adler and Bob Griffard are executive producers. Also starring Orlando Brown.
Update May 19, 1999: ABC announced the show’s been renamed “ZERO of a Kind” … apparently the Olsens didn’t pull in the required demographics to stay on the air. Bye, Burke family!
Update: Alert Viewer Maurice Valmont notes that the late Mrs. Burke died when the girls were in the third grade, per a re-run on the Fox Family Channel. Mail is peaking on this show, since it’s currently aired twice-a-day on cable. Funny, it wasn’t this popular on first-run TV!
A tip of the Sebastian Cabot Memorial Bowler to Maurice Valmont for the Dead Mom tip. Thanks, Maurice!