Who's the Boss?: Working Girls

Sam and Bonnie on a different episode

Who's the Boss?: Working Girls
ABC
April 11, 1989
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Three years after "Junior Executive," Sam again has the chance to work with Angela, as part of a week-long program PTA President Tony has worked out.  But Sam chooses learning "domestic engineering" with him, thinking it'll be easier.  Bonnie works with Angela, and has a great time.  Sam gets jealous and makes Bonnie switch.  I would've gone with a C+, since Sam's behavior here is still problematic, but one, she is called on it, including by Bonnie, and two, there's a genuinely touching moment where Sam compares her relationship with Angela to that of her friends with their mothers.

This was written by Mike Weinberger, who did an early episode of Welcome Back, Kotter and three late Three's Company episodes; I'm assuming that Jake Weinberger, who didn't work on any other of my shows, is his brother, son, or father.  This is the only WtB episode directed by Frank Bonner, who at the time was a semi-regular (and sometime director) on Just the Ten of Us.

Just the Ten of Us: Zorro en el Gallinero

Just the Ten of Us: Zorro en el Gallinero
ABC
February 17, 1989
Sitcom
VHS
B-

This Growing Pains spin-off had a more likable cast, an offbeat (for its sub-genre) sense of humor, and of course more extreme late '80s fashions.  The title of the series seems like a misnomer, but it was about Coach Graham and Elizabeth Lubbock (Kirchenbauer and Harmon) and their eight children, the youngest two only babies and not often seen.  It aired on Fridays as what became, in the fall of 1989, ABC's TGIF line-up, although I doubt it's as well remembered as, for instance, Full House or Perfect Strangers.

The show focused mostly on the oldest four kids, the teenaged daughters: devout eldest Marie (Langenkamp), airheaded Cindy (Luner), her slutty twin Wendy (Brooke Theiss), and intellectual Connie (Willette).  In this episode, from Season Two, they're all in pursuit of Spanish exchange student Carlos, "the fox in the henhouse" of the title.  Brother J.R. (Shakman) as usual has little to do, but kid sister Sherry (Zeigler) serves as interpreter some of the time, even using the word "sluts"!  And this may well be the episode with the most double or pretty much single entendres.  Keep an eye out for the adorkable Gavin Doosler (Evan Arnold), who contributes accidentally gay entendres.  Also, yes, that's Frank "Herb Tarlek" Bonner in the unlikely but recurring role of a priest, Father Hargis.

This is one of seven episodes that Jonathan Weiss directed, and we'll later look at one he did for the third and final season.  It's also the 600th show I've reviewed for the '80s.  I doubt we'll make it to 700, but we will pass double the output for the '60s.