The Fitzpatricks

The Fitzpatricks is an American drama series which ran on CBS during the 1977–78 season.[1] The series premiered on September 5, 1977; it lasted thirteen episodes, and was cancelled on January 10, 1978, failing in the faces of established ABC competitors Happy Days (in its first 30 minutes) and Laverne & Shirley (in its last 30 minutes), which both aired in the show's time-slot of 8:00-9:00 PM Eastern/Pacific on Tuesday nights.

The Fitzpatricks
GenreDrama
StarringBert Kramer
Mariclare Costello
Clark Brandon
Jimmy McNichol
ComposerJohn Rubinstein
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Production locationsWarner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California
Running time60 minutes
Production companyWarner Bros. Television
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 5, 1977 (1977-09-05) –
January 10, 1978 (1978-01-10)
L-R: Clark Brandon, Bert Kramer, and Jimmy McNichol (1977)

Plot

The focus was on the Fitzpatricks, an Irish Catholic family of six who lived in Flint, Michigan. The father, blue collar Mike Fitzpatrick, (Bert Kramer) worked overtime as a steelworker to provide a life for the family; while his pregnant wife, Maggie (Mariclare Costello) also worked part-time at a diner as a waitress to help support the family's income. They had four children, eldest son Sean (Clark Brandon); introspective second son, Jack (Jimmy McNichol); only daughter Maureen (nicknamed Mo) (Michele Tobin) and youngest son, Max (Sean Marshall). At various times, all of the Fitzpatrick children had held down part-time jobs to help the often cash-strapped family. They also owned a dog, aptly named Detroit. Also involved in the family was R.J. (Derek Wells), who was Max Fitzpatrick's African-American best friend. A young Helen Hunt played neighbor Kerry Gerardi, supposedly a friend of Mo's, who was interested in the older Fitzpatrick brothers, Sean and Jack, which sparked a bit of a rivalry between the two. Much of the stories deal with moral lessons and also with growing up.

Cast
  • Bert Kramer as Michael Fitzpatrick, a steelworker, and the patriarch of the family.
  • Mariclare Costello as Margaret "Maggie" Fitzpatrick, the matriarch, works part-time at a diner to supplement the family income.
  • Clark Brandon as Sean Fitzpatrick, the oldest son (16)
  • Jimmy McNichol as Jack Fitzpatrick, the second oldest (15)
  • Michele Tobin as Maureen "Mo" Fitzpatrick, the only daughter (14)
  • Sean Marshall as Max Fitzpatrick, the youngest at 10, delivers newspapers.
  • Helen Hunt as Kerry Gerardi, the girl next door, who intensified the rivalry between Jack and Sean.
  • Derek Wells as R.J., Max Fitzpatrick's best friend.

Episodes
Nº Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Pilot"Gene ReynoldsUnknownSeptember 5, 1977 (1977-09-05)
2"FitzJo Co."Harvey S. LaidmanUnknownSeptember 20, 1977 (1977-09-20)
3"The Shark"Marc DanielsRod Peterson & Katharyn Powers & Claire WhittakerSeptember 27, 1977 (1977-09-27)
4"Superman"Harvey S. LaidmanDana Reno Andrews & Katharyn PowersOctober 4, 1977 (1977-10-04)
5"Halloween"UnknownDana Reno Andrews & Katharyn PowersOctober 11, 1977 (1977-10-11)
6"The Cheerleader"Harvey S. LaidmanRod Peterson & Claire WhittakerOctober 25, 1977 (1977-10-25)
7"A Love Story"Peter TewksburyJohnny BonaduceNovember 8, 1977 (1977-11-08)
8"Marijuana"Stuart MargolinDana Reno Andrews & Katharyn PowersNovember 22, 1977 (1977-11-22)
9"The Sacrament"Lawrence DobkinHerman Groves & Kathryn PowersNovember 29, 1977 (1977-11-29)
10"Say Goodbye to Buddy Bonkers"Robert TottenMichael A. Hoey & Bruce BellandDecember 6, 1977 (1977-12-06)
11"Runaway"Peter TewksburyDennis LandaDecember 20, 1977 (1977-12-20)
12"A Living Wage"Joseph MandukeCarmen CulverJanuary 3, 1978 (1978-01-03)
13"The New Fitzpatrick"Georg Stanford BrownDana Reno Andrews & Katharyn PowersJanuary 10, 1978 (1978-01-10)

References
  1. Tim Brooks; Earle Marsh. The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present. 8th ed. Random House Digital; October 14, 2003 [cited September 27, 2011]. ISBN 978-0-345-45542-0. pp. 414–415.
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