SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: 24:00 Min.
Premiering on NBC-TV on September 20, 1987, the pilot episode for “My Two Dads” was scripted by series producer-creator Michael Jacobs and directed by John Tracy. Thirteen years after a Key West getaway from college and their friendship broken up over their rivalry for beautiful Marcy Bradford, high-strung, yuppie financial advisor Michael Taylor (Reiser) and free-spirited artist Joey Harris (Evigan) are reunited in Judge Margaret Wilbur’s (Stanley) office.
At stake is the late Marcy Bradford’s last wishes, which bequeaths custody of her twelve-year-old daughter, Nicole (Keanan) to Nicole’s biologically indeterminate father(s). Hence, Michael and Joey, as much as they dislike one another, now find themselves as co-parents of a pre-teen Nicole.
Initially living with free-spirited Joey, a grieving Nicole realizes she needs both her fathers in her suddenly upside-down life. Despite her own doubts, a compassionate Judge Wilbur is willing to take a chance on it.
Michael Taylor: Paul Reiser
Joey Harris: Greg Evigan
Nicole Bradford: Staci Keanan
Judge Margaret W. Wilbur: Florence Stanley
Kathryn: Amanda Horan Kennedy (aka Barbara Horan)
Pizza Boy: Max Perlich
Notes: Prior to Greg Evigan’s theme song, “You Can Count on Me,” for the TV series, the pilot utilized a generic instrumental theme. Series regular Florence Stanley is credited as a guest star.
REVIEW:
Among the ultra-contrived TV sitcom premises of the mid-to-late 80’s, “My Two Dads” likely ranks near the top of that dubious list. Aside from the ‘biologically indeterminate’ nonsense that a paternity test could easily resolve, how well does this pilot episode hold up thirty-six years later? One ought to consider the answer a matter of degrees – not to mention, the show pitches more risqué humor than one might expect for a supposedly kid-friendly program.
Landing a few acerbic innuendos, sitcom veteran Florence Stanley steals her scenes as a no-nonsense family court judge. Also brightening the episode is newcomer Staci Keanan, who makes the best of the eye-rolling storyline, as written. Guest star Amanda Horan Kennedy’s charm helps carry the opening sequence, making it a shame that her character (as Michael’s an attorney) never appeared again.
Note: Emma Samms subsequently played Nicole’s late mother in a ‘dream’ episode. In retrospect, Horan Kennedy would have been an ideal casting choice as ‘Marcy.’ Her coincidental resemblance to Keanan is frankly closer than Reiser, Evigan, or Samms – making the storyline’s who’s-the-father? concept a much easier sell to viewers.
The flip side, ironically, would be the efforts from co-leads Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. Evidently too eager to land his heavily-scripted retorts (a pause or two would have been helpful), Reiser should have dialed back his performance a notch. Still, at least his tightly-wound yuppie comes off more believable than Evigan’s urban artist. Beyond the ultra-implausible loft apartment ‘Joey’ somehow magically affords, it’s not Evigan’s fault that his impulsive character is such a grating and thinly-written cliché. While Evigan enjoys good chemistry with Reiser and Keanan, his one-dimensional ‘Joey’ is this pilot’s biggest misstep.
All things considered, the first “My Two Dads” episode actually isn’t half-bad. Suffice to say, the 80’s had some far more nauseating dreck posing as sitcoms – Small Wonder, anyone?
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 5 Stars
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