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Reviews5
jmwpublic's rating
Once Becker found its footing with Becker, Margaret, Linda, Reggie, Jake & Bob, every episode had great LOL moments. It was perfectly cast, with strong scripts, storylines, comedic timing & guest roles. Even some of the recurring patients were a hoot (remember Mrs. Recinos).
Most surprising for me... the comedic chops of Shawnee Smith & Terry Farrell. Before Becker, I'd only ever seen Shawnee Smith in dramatic roles, and had a fleeting remembrance of Terry Farrell in the Star Trek franchise. Both gave funny heartwarming performances as Linda and Reggie, respectively, especially Shawnee Smith.
Ted Danson as Becker was fantastic... not a trace of Sam Malone to be found. Not many actors are given the chance to play such varied characters, so vividly and successfully. Most continue to play some form of the same character over and over. Not Danson. Every sitcom ensemble he's a part of - as lead or otherwise - his performance bares little resemblance to past characters he's played. He was perfectly cast as John Becker.
I recall seeing Hattie Winston (Margaret) in small roles through the years and her flare for comedy was a pleasant surprise. Rounding out the cast with Alex Désert as Jake and Saverio Guerra as Bob - a late entrant to the ensemble - was the cherry on top. (I was surprised to learn Alex Désert isn't really blind).
For some behind the scenes reason, Terry Farrell left the show and was replaced with Nancy Travis. Travis has always been a favorite of mine, but once cast in Becker, the show lost its mojo... that intangible something that made it work and had it firing on all cylinders. It lost its chemistry!
It's hard to find all episodes of Becker streaming somewhere. When you do find it, some of the best episodes aren't included (i.e., the Princess Cruise aftermath episode springs to mind 🤣🤣😂🤣😂....). Happy I now own the full series on DVD.
Most surprising for me... the comedic chops of Shawnee Smith & Terry Farrell. Before Becker, I'd only ever seen Shawnee Smith in dramatic roles, and had a fleeting remembrance of Terry Farrell in the Star Trek franchise. Both gave funny heartwarming performances as Linda and Reggie, respectively, especially Shawnee Smith.
Ted Danson as Becker was fantastic... not a trace of Sam Malone to be found. Not many actors are given the chance to play such varied characters, so vividly and successfully. Most continue to play some form of the same character over and over. Not Danson. Every sitcom ensemble he's a part of - as lead or otherwise - his performance bares little resemblance to past characters he's played. He was perfectly cast as John Becker.
I recall seeing Hattie Winston (Margaret) in small roles through the years and her flare for comedy was a pleasant surprise. Rounding out the cast with Alex Désert as Jake and Saverio Guerra as Bob - a late entrant to the ensemble - was the cherry on top. (I was surprised to learn Alex Désert isn't really blind).
For some behind the scenes reason, Terry Farrell left the show and was replaced with Nancy Travis. Travis has always been a favorite of mine, but once cast in Becker, the show lost its mojo... that intangible something that made it work and had it firing on all cylinders. It lost its chemistry!
It's hard to find all episodes of Becker streaming somewhere. When you do find it, some of the best episodes aren't included (i.e., the Princess Cruise aftermath episode springs to mind 🤣🤣😂🤣😂....). Happy I now own the full series on DVD.
Stroll down memory lane and rewatching series 1-3 to remind myself what I found so appealing before I watch the more recent incarnation without Caroline Quentin. While the series holds up in story telling and baffling mysteries, I now find Maddy to be extremely annoying and not in the least bit funny. She lacks any modicum of self-awareness and blames Jonathan for everything that's her fault. She's selfish, manipulative, and conniving and if I didn't like Caroline Quentin as an actress I would not have watched this series if her antics annoyed me the first time. Looking forward to finally watching series without her character in it.
I have fond memories of this show and have looked for it to stream for quite awhile. It was a favorite of mine when it originally aired for reasons I can't specifically recall other than it resonated with me since I was in the age group of the Bradford sisters. Finally found it on Tubi (along with the TV series 'Family' - another fond favorite) and am rewatching every episode from all 5 seasons.
Hate to say it, but there's a reason behind the old adage - "you can't go back"! While I still prefer Eight is Enough to today's over sexualized 'family' shows, violent fantasy shows, unflinching crime dramas, silly reality series that are orchestrated instead of scripted, and otherworldly serials... the acting by most of the cast is really, really bad. I find myself fast forwarding through Tom Bradford's dialogue and some predictable plot lines - not because it's predictable but because the acting is cringe worthy.
Adam Rich as the youngest Bradford, Nicholas, is a bright spot. I've seen better child actors but he was pretty good for a kid. Willie Ames as Tommy is decent but his repetitive plot lines are tiresome. Connie Needham (as Elizabeth), Grant Goodeve (as David), Betty Buckley (as Abby) and Susan Richardson (as Susan) are all quite good, but Lani O'Grady (as Mary), Laurie Walters (as Joanie), Dianne Kay (as Nancy) and especially Dick Van Patten (as patriarch Tom Bradford) are really hard to watch in 80% of their scenes.
One bright spot is seeing guest stars who eventually had great acting careers (Rosanna Arquette, Ralph Macchio, Peter Horton, Robin Williams, Don Johnson, Gerald McRaney, Corey Feldman) and other character actors from the era (Abe Vigoda, Frank Cady, James Sikking, Charlene Tilton, Noah Berry, David Wayne, Will Geer and Jack Elam).
I still have fond memories of enjoyment from watching in my youth, but seeing it again is a bit of a let down. Luckily, rewatching episodes of "Family" (1976-1980) is the complete opposite. Only wish I could have found it sooner on Tubi; before its run was over.
Hate to say it, but there's a reason behind the old adage - "you can't go back"! While I still prefer Eight is Enough to today's over sexualized 'family' shows, violent fantasy shows, unflinching crime dramas, silly reality series that are orchestrated instead of scripted, and otherworldly serials... the acting by most of the cast is really, really bad. I find myself fast forwarding through Tom Bradford's dialogue and some predictable plot lines - not because it's predictable but because the acting is cringe worthy.
Adam Rich as the youngest Bradford, Nicholas, is a bright spot. I've seen better child actors but he was pretty good for a kid. Willie Ames as Tommy is decent but his repetitive plot lines are tiresome. Connie Needham (as Elizabeth), Grant Goodeve (as David), Betty Buckley (as Abby) and Susan Richardson (as Susan) are all quite good, but Lani O'Grady (as Mary), Laurie Walters (as Joanie), Dianne Kay (as Nancy) and especially Dick Van Patten (as patriarch Tom Bradford) are really hard to watch in 80% of their scenes.
One bright spot is seeing guest stars who eventually had great acting careers (Rosanna Arquette, Ralph Macchio, Peter Horton, Robin Williams, Don Johnson, Gerald McRaney, Corey Feldman) and other character actors from the era (Abe Vigoda, Frank Cady, James Sikking, Charlene Tilton, Noah Berry, David Wayne, Will Geer and Jack Elam).
I still have fond memories of enjoyment from watching in my youth, but seeing it again is a bit of a let down. Luckily, rewatching episodes of "Family" (1976-1980) is the complete opposite. Only wish I could have found it sooner on Tubi; before its run was over.