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.