This was one of the more enjoyable family-oriented shows of the 1980's,and for good reason. This was one of ABC-TV's successful line-up of family shows that gave the network an very successful track record on shows from the mid-1980's all the way to the early 1990's. And this were all family oriented shows. With such shows as "Full House","Head Of The Class","Growing Pains","Perfect Strangers",as well as "Who's The Boss","Family Matters",and "America's Funniest Home Videos",the cult comedy "Mister Belvedere",which ran on ABC-TV from the premiere episode on March 15,1985 until the final episode of the series on July 8,1990,is still revered by many as a cult classic in the utmost sense of the word.
It is still a huge favorite within the college circuit who to this day still has a loyal following to the show. The series stars Rob Stone,Brice Beckham,and Tracy Wells as the Owens' children whom Mr.Belvedere looks after while in charge of the house. Clifton Webb's memorably eccentric character from the 1940's films was revived for the 1980's with the late Christopher Hewitt as everybody's favorite British butler,who somehow finds himself in Pittsburgh who gets a job with his latest bosses,the Owens family. The show by the way worked because the chemistry between actors Bob Uecker and Christopher Hewitt was as something as a fish-out-of-water story;a frumpy sportswriter for a major newspaper and a uptight British butler and his three rambunctious kids,including the relationship with Belvedere and the rest of the family,including the friendship with the youngest one-Wesley,who comes to him for needed support and guidance and it shows throughout the entire part of the show's six-year run. The best episode from this series came during the final episode of the show's fifth season. Belvedere in a coma after a devastating car crash,set in motion by Wesley,lies motionless as one of the best performances from a child actor(Brice Beckham)delivers a brilliant passage of dialogue in this emotional episode.
Basically this was a show that relied on dry British humor with family sitcom situations. In each episode,Belvedere would solve the family crisis around the house,when the father figure couldn't do it himself. There was also the wife,Marsha Owens(Ilene Graff) of the house,who was a law student(who received her degree during the 1987-1988 season and begun her first job as a lawyer a major firm),and the youngest daughter Heather,played by Tracy Wells. Each episode dealt with growing up along the way and getting along with each other. Not only was Belvedere the butler but everything else while the father figure constantly whined all the time. The family dog was Spot. At the end of the each episode,Belvedere would begin writing the lessons in his diary for the day. One notable guest star was Robert Goulet,who turned up among other things as well. However,the series produced over a 100 episodes and have a respectable farewell,when the final episode of this series ended on July 8,1990. In the final episode of the show, Mister Belvedere finally gets married and says farewell to the Owens'. This was a show that was underrated for years and when will we see this show finally on DVD?
