Our House (American TV series)

Our House is an American drama television series that aired on NBC for two seasons from September 11, 1986, to May 8, 1988. The series centers on the Witherspoon family and the challenges they face adjusting to life with three generations living in the same house.

Our House
GenreDrama
Created byJames Lee Barrett
Starring
Theme music composerBilly Goldenberg
ComposerJoel McNeely
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes46
Production
ProducerFrank Fischer
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time60 minutes
Production companies
Release
Original networkNBC
Original releaseSeptember 11, 1986 (1986-09-11) 
May 8, 1988 (1988-05-08)

The series was created by James Lee Barrett, who died the year after its cancellation.

Synopsis

After his son John dies, retired widower Gus Witherspoon (Wilford Brimley) invites his daughter-in-law Jessica Witherspoon (Deidre Hall) and her three children to move to Los Angeles and live with him until Jessie gets back on her feet financially.

Despite protests from her children, fifteen year old Kris (Shannen Doherty); twelve year old David (Chad Allen); and eight year old Molly (Keri Houlihan) they, Jessie, and their basset hound Arthur leave Fort Wayne, Indiana, to start a new life in California. As they settle in with Gus, they realize just how difficult he can be to live with. The majority of the plots each week centers on the conflicts which tend to arise when an extended family must live together in the same house. As man of the house, Gus imposes rules on his three grandkids the same way he had raised John (and also John's brother Ben, who is seen in a two part episode); ultimately, however, he learns ways of conveying lessons to the kids without being gruff. Jessie and the kids eventually learn that beneath Gus' stern facade is a wise man, well versed in the ways of the world, who cares about them very much.

Each of the episode's five acts (before the commercial break) ends with a freeze frame shot which then occupies one of several rooms in an abstract rendering of a house figure. As the episode unfolds, more rooms are filled until finally—when the dilemma has been resolved—the final piece is put in place, completing the house.

John Witherspoon (played by Patrick Duffy) is seen in one episode and in the occasional flashback.

Cast

Episodes

Season 1 (1986–1987)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Home Again"Jerry ThorpeJames Lee BarrettSeptember 11, 1986 (1986-09-11)
22"The Money Machine"Harry HarrisJerry McNeelySeptember 14, 1986 (1986-09-14)
33"Families and Friends"Harry HarrisJames Lee BarrettSeptember 21, 1986 (1986-09-21)
44"That Lonesome Old Caboose"William ScheererWilliam BlinnSeptember 28, 1986 (1986-09-28)
55"The Third Question"Robert ScheererJames Lee BarrettOctober 5, 1986 (1986-10-05)
66"See You in Court"Robert ScheererJerry McNeelyOctober 12, 1986 (1986-10-12)
77"Small Steps up a Small Mountain"Ray AustinWilliam BlinnOctober 19, 1986 (1986-10-19)
88"Choices"Robert ScheererScott FinkelsteinOctober 26, 1986 (1986-10-26)
99"First Impressions"Robert ScheererChristopher BeaumontNovember 2, 1986 (1986-11-02)
1010"Different Habits"Ray AustinWilliam ColomboNovember 9, 1986 (1986-11-09)
1111"Off We Go..."Robert ScheererParke PerineNovember 16, 1986 (1986-11-16)
1212"Heart of a Dancer"Ray AustinPeter TauberNovember 23, 1986 (1986-11-23)
1313"Green Christmas"William F. ClaxtonLee H. Grant & Jerry McNeely & Parke PerineDecember 14, 1986 (1986-12-14)
1414"Family Secrets"Ray AustinJoel J. FeigenbaumJanuary 4, 1987 (1987-01-04)
1515"A Point of View"Bruce KesslerJerry McNeelyJanuary 11, 1987 (1987-01-11)
1616"The Best Intentions"Ray AustinWilliam ColomboJanuary 18, 1987 (1987-01-18)
1717"The 100 Year Old Weekend"Noel NosseckWilliam BlinnFebruary 1, 1987 (1987-02-01)
Gus feels progress has spun out of control and challenges his family to spend a weekend using only nothing invented or contrived within "the last 100 years". The family enjoys understanding the quaint ways of their Scottish ancestors, but David and Kris confess to breaking it when in town people crowded around an electronics store where a big screen TV broadcast news of a heightened US/Soviet tensions.
1818"Past Tense, Future Tense: Part 1"Ray AustinWilliam Blinn & Jerry McNeelyFebruary 8, 1987 (1987-02-08)
Kris wins a radio contest and gets a trip to Edwards Air Force base along with Gus as her chaperone. An airman offers to take her flying in a light plane, which turns into a disaster when mechanical failure causes them to crash into the mountains.
1919"Past Tense, Future Tense: Part 2"Ray AustinLee H. Grant & Parke PerineFebruary 15, 1987 (1987-02-15)
Gus and a forest ranger (William Katt) explore the mountain range in search of Kris and the lost airman.
2020"Friends"Nick HavingaLee H. Grant & Parke PerineFebruary 22, 1987 (1987-02-22)
2121"Giving 'em the Business"Roy Campanella IIKim C. FrieseMarch 1, 1987 (1987-03-01)
2222"Growing Up, Growing Old"Nick HavingaLee H. Grant & Parke PerineMarch 15, 1987 (1987-03-15)
2323"The Road out of Briarpatch"Roy Campenella IIKim C. FrieseMarch 22, 1987 (1987-03-22)
2424"The Children's Crusade"Jerry ThorpePeter TauberMay 3, 1987 (1987-05-03)

Season 2 (1987–1988)

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
251"Sounds from a Silent Clock: Part 1"Ray AustinJerry McNeely & William BlinnSeptember 13, 1987 (1987-09-13)
262"Sounds from a Silent Clock: Part 2"Ray AustinWilliam Schwartz & E.F. WallengrenSeptember 20, 1987 (1987-09-20)
273"A Silent, Fallen Tree"Chuck ArnoldWilliam BlinnSeptember 27, 1987 (1987-09-27)
284"Dancing in the Dark"UnknownLee H. GrantOctober 4, 1987 (1987-10-04)
295"The Witherspoon War"Ray AustinJerry McNeelyOctober 18, 1987 (1987-10-18)
306"The Haunting"Win PhelpsE.F. WallengrenOctober 25, 1987 (1987-10-25)
317"Candles and Shadows"Chuck ArnoldWilliam BlinnNovember 1, 1987 (1987-11-01)
328"The Springtown Treasure"Chuck ArnoldE.F. WallengrenNovember 15, 1987 (1987-11-15)
339"They Also Serve"Ray AustinKim C. FrieseNovember 22, 1987 (1987-11-22)
3410"Like Father, Like Son"Chuck ArnoldWilliam SchmidtNovember 29, 1987 (1987-11-29)
3511"Sunday's Hero, Monday's Goat"UnknownUnknownDecember 6, 1987 (1987-12-06)
3612"Balance of Power"UnknownUnknownJanuary 10, 1988 (1988-01-10)
3713"Call It a Draw"Ray AustinMichael MarksJanuary 17, 1988 (1988-01-17)
3814"Finish the Day"UnknownUnknownJanuary 24, 1988 (1988-01-24)
3915"Two-Beat, Four-Beat"Win PhelpsE.F. Wallengren & Jerry McNeelyFebruary 7, 1988 (1988-02-07)
4016"Trouble in Paradise: Part 1"Ray AustinWilliam Blinn & Jerry McNeelyFebruary 14, 1988 (1988-02-14)
4117"Trouble in Paradise: Part 2"Ray AustinLee H. Grant & E.F. WallengrenFebruary 21, 1988 (1988-02-21)
4218"Out of Step"UnknownUnknownFebruary 28, 1988 (1988-02-28)
4319"The Ashton Street Gang"UnknownUnknownMarch 6, 1988 (1988-03-06)
4420"The Fifth Beatle"UnknownUnknownMarch 13, 1988 (1988-03-13)
4521"Neighborhood Watch"UnknownUnknownMay 1, 1988 (1988-05-01)
4622"Artful Dodging"Chuck ArnoldJoel J. FeigenbaumMay 8, 1988 (1988-05-08)

Reception

Upon the show's 1986 premiere, the Associated Press called it "a family show suitable for framing." Despite positive reviews, the series was not a ratings success in spite of a promising start, likely owing to being scheduled Sundays at 7 PM (EST) opposite CBS's powerhouse 60 Minutes and numerous overruns by NFL games on its own network. The series ranked 59th in its first season (12.9 rating) [1] and 71st in its second season (10.9 rating).[2]

The Inspiration Network re-aired the show in the US from October 18, 2010, to December 31, 2011.[3] Prior to that, reruns of the show aired on The Family Channel in the early 1990s and on the Faith & Values Channel, Pax TV and Odyssey Channel later that decade.

References

  1. "The Fifth Estate : Broadcasting" (PDF). Americanradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  2. "List of Season's Top-Rated TV Shows With AM-TV Ratings Bjt". Apnewsarchive.com. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  3. "INSP to Air "The Waltons" and "Our House"" (Press release). INSP – Inspiration. 2010-09-29. Retrieved 2010-11-27.
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