Who's the Boss?: Life with Father

A father who's less self-doubting than Tony Micelli

Who's the Boss?: Life with Father
ABC
December 13, 1988
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This isn't bad for a clip show, and I suppose they were somewhat excused, seeing as they'd recently passed the 100 mark.  (Unlike Family Ties, which did so many clip shows that Saturday Night Live parodied that weakness when Justine Bateman hosted earlier in '88.)  Sam defies Tony and drives off to Vermont with Bonnie, but along the way she remembers her life with her father.  Meanwhile, he worries about her and has flashbacks of his own.  Note that Bonnie is both in Sam's car and in a flashback.  Cinnamon, Wengrod, and Kallis are credited with the writing, although there must've been more if you count the older material.

Who's the Boss?: Yellow Submarine

Who's the Boss?: Yellow Submarine
ABC
December 15, 1987
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This episode doesn't quite work.  Both Tony and Sam get jobs at the popular teen hang-out the Yellow Submarine, and the '60s references are too overdone and self-conscious.  Worse than that though is that when Tony kicks out some popular but obnoxious teens, the other kids desert the place, so the boss wants Sam to fire her father!  I do like how Angela uses reverse psychology on Sam.  Note that Tony can now finish his housework by 10:30 in the morning, despite all his other activities, like coaching Little League and running the PTA.

Meg Wyllie, who was Mrs. Fleming on The Bob Newhart Show, plays Betty here.  Bill Erwin's third and final role on this show is Leon.

Who's the Boss?: Big Girl on Campus

Who's the Boss?: Big Girl on Campus
ABC
September 29, 1987
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is one of the few scripts written by Robert Walden (of Lou Grant) and it introduces the character of Mason Peters (Adam Carl in his first of three appearances).  He's 15 and Sam is 14 going on 15, but while she just started high school, he's in college.  She goes out with him to find out more about the campus life and to impress her friends.  Again, I'm not crazy with the direction they're taking teenage Sam, although she does realize it's wrong to use people, especially a nice guy like Mason who likes her.

Oddly enough, Todd Jeffries, who's Skeeter Barnes the jock here, had been the young Minister at Michael and Heather's wedding.

Who's the Boss?: Hit the Road, Chad

Who's the Boss?: Hit the Road, Chad
ABC
February 3, 1987
Sitcom
DVD
B+

Howard Meyers wrote this episode that both uses its special guest star well and sheds new light on Angela and Sam's relationship.  Sam's boyfriend
Chad McCann* (Scott Grimes understandably in his last appearance on the show) writes a song about her called "Always a Friend."  Both Tony and Mona like it, the latter playing it at work, where none other than Ray Charles drops in to listen.  Unfortunately, Sam catches Chad kissing another girl at school.  When Angela wants to use Ray's version of the song in a commercial, Sam gets upset, thinking that Angela's business is more important to her than Sam is.  She tells Jonathan to shut up so Angela, after trying to reason with her, orders her to her room.  She exclaims, "You're not my mother!"  Tony comes in and upholds Angela.

Angela goes ahead with the plan, but she feels guilty when Sam cries over Ray's rendition (on a rented piano in the house).  Sam reveals that the song reminds her of her friendship with Angela.  It's a genuinely moving moment, well played by the entire cast.  And I like Mr. Charles's playful demeanor in the show, and how he's not just there to be gushed over.  (As Sinatra arguably is in a later episode.)  As I said in my review of his Midnight Special appearance, I'm not a fan, but I really enjoy his acting and singing here.

Beau Billingslea, who plays Dave, would return later in the season as a Chef.  This is the 1000th show I've reviewed for ABC, which will continue to be a major factor, even as we move into a more cable-dominant era.


*Sam's love life remains confusing.  What happened to Todd?  Does she have multiple boyfriends?  Admittedly, it won't be till Jesse comes along that she goes steady.  And yet she gets upset about him "cheating on her."

Who's the Boss?: The Hickey

Who's the Boss?: The Hickey
ABC
November 4, 1986
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is another episode where Sam has to choose between the values of her friends and those of her father.  I understand that she's attracted to "coolest boy in school" Todd Phillips (Katisse Buckingham in his only acting credit, which is odd because Todd definitely comes back, maybe with another actor in the role).*  What actually bothers me about the episode is that the shallow worship of popularity isn't really questioned, with Tony and Angela relieved in the tag that Jonathan didn't make the audio-visual squad.  The stuff with Sam learning that her father was right about Todd using lines on her is well done in comparison.  Her being better at pool than Todd also sets up a future episode, because she does for some reason go out with him again.  (And Tony lets her!)

Dale Raoul, who had recently played Miss Olive, provides the offscreen voice of Todd's mother.

*Yes, we learn that Chad is merely the "cutest boy in school," despite what's said elsewhere.

Who's the Boss?: The Babysitter

Who's the Boss?: The Babysitter
ABC
January 28, 1986
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is the episode where we finally see "the coolest boy in school," Chad McCann (Scott Grimes).  Angela and Tony are going to a PTA meeting and Angela reluctantly agrees to let Sam babysit Jonathan when Mona has a date.  Jonathan accidentally throws his grandmother's earrings down the sink.  So when Chad comes over, even though Sam isn't supposed to have any kids in the house, she lets him in when he says he can get the earrings.  Sam calls Marci to bring over her father's tools (I forget why Tony doesn't have any they can use), but of course all four of Sam's best friends show up, including Robin for the last time.  Sam gets in trouble when Tony catches everyone leaving, but when she covers for Jonathan, he uses an onion to cry and get both adults' sympathy.

Some notable things here:

• Angela says, when Tony approves of her outfit, something like "That takes care of the P.  Now how about the T & A?"  She means Parent, Teachers, Association, but he scolds her for the Mona-like raciness.
• None of the PTA members from "Tony for President" a few weeks later are present, so perhaps either Joanne Parker hasn't been elected yet or she was home sick or otherwise unavailable and the VP took over.
• Sam's friends aren't as annoying here, and at least Julia's stupidity does some good when she pours a pound of melted butter down the sink and frees Chad's trapped hand.
• It's unclear if Sam and Chad have yet gone out, but her friends awww when the two hug.
• When Angela and Tony discuss Sam sitting, they say, "Kitchen?"/"Kitchen," followed by "Eavesdrop?"/"Eavesdrop" from the kids, showing that this is becoming routine for the blended family.
• Sam tells Jonathan he's probably the closest she'll ever have to a brother.  Implying she doesn't think her dad will ever remarry and have more kids?  Or does she figure he'll marry Angela someday but not have more kids?  Anyway, she and Jonathan have a nice, sibling-like bond here, a contrast to their stormier friendship in later seasons.
• Tony and Angela figure out about the onion, but they're happy to see their kids act like siblings, so they let it go.
• This is the beginning of the end of Mona as the fun babysitter, such a feature of the first season or so.
• Tony makes a One Life to Live reference, Light's most notable TV experience to that point.

Michael Keys Hall, who plays Chad's father Mike, would return as a Prosecuting Attorney.  Bud Wiser wrote this episode.

Who's the Boss?: Junior Executive

Who's the Boss?: Junior Executive
ABC
January 7, 1986
Sitcom
DVD
C+

In this Eichen & Steinkellner story, Sam is now a cheerleader and she has to buy at least five uniforms.  Angela offers her a Saturday job as "Girl Friday."  At first, Angela and Sam enjoy working together, but then Sam's shallow friends-- Bonnie (Shana Lane-Block), Julia (Angela Lee), Marci Ferguson (Nicole Eggert), and Robin Fraser (Tonya Crowe)-- point out that she's missing all the fun Saturday activities, including seeing popular boy Chad McCann.  (A character often referred to from this point out, but not often seen.)  They encourage her to screw up so Angela can fire her, which Angela reluctantly does.  Sam feels guilty, especially when her dad is mad at Angela.  With prodding from Mona, she tries to explain, but Angela misunderstands and rehires her.  Sam realizes that being responsible is more important than the dubious lessons her friends offer, but the friends still bug me.  (Not to mention, if she can't work for Angela, how will she pay for her cheerleading uniforms?)  Note that this is one of the episodes where Tony's identity merges with Sam's, as when he's happy "we made the squad," and how personally he takes Angela firing her.

Howard Stevens returns as Howie Mendelson and does a little Groucho impression.  As with the previous episode, a cast member, this time Danza, co-directs with Bergmann.  This is the 400th program from the '80s I've reviewed.

Who's the Boss?: Ad Man Micelli

Bonnie, Robin, and Julia befriend Marci and Sam.

Who's the Boss?: Ad Man Micelli
ABC
October 8, 1985
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Although this has some good farcical moments, I have to mark this episode down because it begins the transformation of Sam from feisty but sweet tomboy to, as her friends sing here, "Material Girl."  She's in junior high now, seventh grade, and yet somehow turning thirteen.  (Was she held back or started late because of the timing of her birthday?  And what happened to her winter birthday?  This confusion about Sam's age and birthday will last through the rest of the series.)

She and Marci want to get in with the popular crowd, but when her father arranges a surprise sleepover birthday party (presumably through Marci, since he hasn't met her three new friends yet), she lies and says that he is the president of Wallace & McQuade.  Tony wants her to tell her friends the truth, but then he ends up playing along with it, as does Mona, who is "one of the girls" at the slumber party, as we learned in an earlier episode she was at Angela's parties.

Then Angela comes home with a date.  (Tony expresses jealousy earlier when he hears she'll be going out, something he did not do in the first season, and I think this episode following after the two-part opener has something to do with this change.)  He takes her into the kitchen to discuss things, while Mona explains and then gets rid of "Cousin Andrew."  Tony proposes to Angela for the first time, although of course it's just to get through the evening.  (Like the popular girls won't figure things out eventually?)

The lie is revealed when Sam gets a locket with her mother's picture in it.  She knows her mother would want her to be proud of her background, so she admits the truth.  Her new friends accept her, but considering the effect they'll have on her, I wish they hadn't.

Robin Fraser (Tonya Crowe), despite being the alpha female and the snobby one, would be back only twice more.  Julia (Angela Lee), the airheaded redhead, would return six more times.  You'd never guess it from this episode, but Bonnie (Shana Lane-Block), the little brunette, would end up having the most staying power as Sam's friend, still around six years and twenty-one more appearances later.  (She'd also eventually be taller than Milano.)