8 Simple Rules Casting News

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

I heard on the radio today that ABC has announced that James Garner will be joining the cast of 8 Simples Rules as Katy Seagal's father. An hour special will be airing in a couple months explaining the death of Ritter's character and introducing Garner. I'm a huge James Garner mark and it's nice to see him get a high profile role, but do they really want to put a 75 year old legend on a show that just had such a big death? They might have to change the title to 8 Simple Rules for Staying Alive. Here's a brief story from Yahoo on it.

 

The producers of ABC's "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter" have recruited one of television's most enduring stars, James Garner (news), to help shore up the series after the death of its lead actor, John Ritter (news), a network source said on Thursday.

 

Vowing to continue the series despite Ritter's shock death in September, ABC has asked Garner -- the former star of such hit series as "Maverick" and "The Rockford Files" -- to step in as father of newly widowed Cate Hennessy (played By Katey Sagal (news)) and grandfather to her teenage children.

 

Ritter played sports writer Paul Hennessy, whose death will set off the new turn in the show.

 

The series will return to production next week and plans to return in an hour-long show introducing Garner on Nov. 4. Millions tuned in for the final episodes that Ritter filmed which were shown after his death.

 

ABC, owned by Walt Disney Co., decided to continue the show without Ritter after the actor's sudden death at 54 of arterial failure while filming the series.

 

Garner's character will come to comfort his daughter and remain in the house.

 

The family comedy "8 Simple Rules" has been one of the networks best-watched shows as it tries to recover from its No. 4 position in the ratings battle with rivals.

 

Garner has been in scores of television shows and movies such as 1963 classic "The Great Escape."

 

He also starred in the 1950s television series "Maverick" and as private investigator Jim Rockford in the 1970s television series "The Rockford Files."

Edited October 17, 2003 by WrestlingDeacon

[Guest Choken One]

That's a TOTAL shock.

 

Maybe it's me, but can he do sitcom comedy?

 

I could see it working but how long would it take before it's not serious anymore...

 

better then Winkler though.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

Garner has done comedy. Both Maverick and The Rockford Files had comedic elements and are often considered spoofs of their genres. He's also done comedic films, like Support Your Local Sheriff, Barbarians at the Gate and My Fellow Americans. His only pure sitcom was the short lived Man of the People on NBC in 1991, which I thought was funny.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Somewhere...silently...Tony Danza weeps

 

Anyway...I give the show to the end of the year.

[Guest Putty]

What about Balki?

 

[Vyce 0]

I'd prefer Danza, actually.

 

I LOATHE sitcoms, but this was one I actually didn't mind watching from time to time. But I'm not tuning in to see this old fart.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Plus...casting a man in his 70s on a show they obviously hopes runs for many more years...to replace the death of a character...is...risky?

[Guest El Satanico]

Well I'd say it's fairly obvious Garner isn't meant to be the long term solution.

 

If it survives past this season, I doubt Garner will return next year outside of a cameo or two.

[Guest JMA]

Ritter's death will always hang over this show from now on. I sometimes can't even believe he's really gone. I don't really know why. I was never a huge Ritter fan or anything, but I did enjoy most of his television and movie roles. The whole thing STILL seems surreal to me. Even moreso when I saw the trailer for "Bad Santa" when I went to see "Kill Bill."

[Guest NaturalBornThriller4:20]

He's only going to be around for 4 episodes, not for good.

[1234-5678 0]

They should just cancel the show.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I agree.

 

I have no interest in watching a comedy about a family dealing with the loss of their patriarch

[Guest El Satanico]

Why cancel it...that wouldn't have accomplished anything.

[razazteca 0]

I would prefer Stacy Keach or Dennis Faria or Chuck Norris.

[Guest El Satanico]

Farina is the only one of those three that looks old enough to have a Fourtysomething daughter.

 

Yes, I'm aware that Keach and Norris are old enough age wise.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

Why don't they do what everybody wants to see and bring in Ed O'Neil? 8 Simple Rules To Being Married...With Children

 

Then they can get Bud to play a horny next door neighbor trying to score with the daughters

[Guest Choken One]

So should we expect the lame Mom starts dating again route?

[Guest Boo_Bradley]

Chuck Norris?

 

That would be awkward.

 

Walker was a bit of a preachy superhero...

 

Plus Chuck's pushing 60 himself....

 

He's doing infomercials now..........

[BifEverchad 0]

Well, this show is gonna bomb now.

[Gert T 0]

Isn't the sad but ironic part of all this, is that if this were a toally differnent show, this could easily be pitched as a new show.

 

Ed, will double dip from Dragnet to be the first date.

[Guest Choken One]

The show didnt have much long to go because well, weren't the kids already like 16-17 and it's not like sabrina because i doubt the show would work with them in college.

[Vern Gagne 0]

Chuck Norris could always kick the kids asses if they get out of line.

[LivingLegendGaryColeman 0]

I never watched this show, but I say it ends up going the way "Newsradio" did when Phil Hartman died. As much as I like Jon Lovitz, it just wasn't the same, and it will hold on for its last breaths, but not for very long.

[WrestlingDeacon 0]

I think there will be some initial interest, but unless it's completely retooled and Garner can catch on, then it will probably last just another season. I don't think ABC in good conscious would cancel it after this year and would let it limp on for another season.

 

Bringing in Ed O'Neil would just spin the whole thing off into another realm and I don't think would be good for either him or Seagal. I love Farina and Stacey Keach. I think Keach is looking his age now and he was the dad on Titus. Norris would be very unique, but as said above, he certainly doesn't look his age and doesn't have the acting chops for this type of show. How about Andy Griffith? Although, I think he's older than Garner.

[Guest Just J]

Ed O'Neill as John Ritters brother would be great, but it won't happen.

[dubq 0]

Why cancel it...that wouldn't have accomplished anything.

Honestly? Ritter carried the show. The rest of the cast is funny, granted, but only really when they had Ritter to work off of. Without him or his character, there's no real point to continuing...

 

Ed O'Neill would be cool though.. if only for the interaction between him and Seagal.

[Guest Choken One]

But the feeling would be off...This time Seagal is a intelligent caring parent...and the chemistry would be different.

[Damaramu 0]

I dunno...it just feels wrong.

I mean yeah there's been sitcoms where a character was killed off but they still lived on in real life.

I mean John Ritter is DEAD. It doesn't feel right continuing the series.

[Guest El Satanico]

There's only been 4 or 5 shows where a major star died and none of the shows were cancelled due to the deaths.

 

I believe Chico and The Man was the only one that lasted longer than a season after the death and it was cancelled during the second season.

 

The history of other failures after a major death isn't enough of a reason to cancell it. I'm sure Ritter and every other actor is comfortable with the mentality of "the show must go on".

 

Honestly, I don't see how cancelling the show would've paid more respect to Ritter. I doubt Ritter would want his friends and co-stars to be out of a job, just because of his death.

 

At worst the show will be cancelled at the end of the season. Despite what history says, there's still a chance the show could survive, so why not try.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

There's only been 4 or 5 shows where a major star died and none of the shows were cancelled due to the deaths.

 

I believe Chico and The Man was the only one that lasted longer than a season after the death and it was cancelled during the second season.

What about when Coach died during Cheers? He was a major character...of course they just found a younger, stupider bartender to replace him...so maybe with this show they need to find a younger more caring father figure...Bob Saget's phone will be ringing anytime now!