My Two Dads
| My Two Dads | |
|---|---|
 Intertitle | |
| Created by | Danielle Alexandra Michael Jacobs |
| Starring | Paul Reiser Greg Evigan Staci Keanan Chad Allen Giovanni Ribisi Florence Stanley Dick Butkus |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 60 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Running time | 22 mins. (approx) |
| Production companies | Michael Jacobs Productions TriStar Television (1987-1988) Columbia Pictures Television (1988-1990) 12 Year Old Productions, Inc. (1989-1992) TeleVentures |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 20, 1987 – April 30, 1990 |
My Two Dads is an American sitcom that starred Staci Keanan, Paul Reiser and Greg Evigan. It aired on NBC from 1987 to 1990 and was produced by Michael Jacobs Productions in association with TriStar Television (later Columbia Pictures Television) and distributed by TeleVentures.
Show synopsis
The show begins when Marcy Bradford (Emma Samms), the mother of twelve year old Nicole Bradford (Keanan), dies. The two men who had competed for the woman's affections before Nicole was born — Michael Taylor (Reiser), a successful financial advisor; and struggling artist Joey Harris (Evigan), former friends who hated one another because of their mutual interest in Marcy — are awarded joint custody of Nicole.
The mix-ups of two single men raising a teenage daughter provided the story each week. Judge Margaret W. Wilbur (Florence Stanley), a family court judge who awarded custody of Nicole to Michael and Joey, would frequently visit the new family and served as Nicole's mentor. This was because she had bought the building in which Joey lived and was now the live-in landlord. Michael had originally had his own condo uptown, but had been evicted from it, due to Joey's painting of the walls, and as such, moved into Joey's artist's loft.
Nicole's actual paternity was never revealed on the show. In the episode "Pop, the Question", Michael and Joey — after a falling out — had a DNA test run to determine which of them was Nicole's biological father. The test was conducted against Nicole's wishes, who destroyed the results before opening them since she was happier not knowing who the father was. Michael and Joey later resolve their differences and reconcile. Judge Wilbur looked at the results, but threw them away without revealing them to the audience.
The series came to an end (in the episode called "See You in September?") when Joey reconnected with a former girlfriend named Sarah and eventually moved to San Francisco to live with her and her daughter, Grace. He keeps in contact with Nicole, Michael and Judge Wilbur, all of whom remained in New York. Nicole made reference to her coming to San Francisco and visiting him, then she ended her letter to Joey by saying that no matter what or where he was or who he was with, he would always be one of her two dads.
Main cast
- Paul Reiser – Michael Taylor
- Greg Evigan – Joey Harris
- Staci Keanan – Nicole Bradford
- Florence Stanley – Judge Margaret W. Wilbur
- Giovanni Ribisi – Cory Kupkus (credited as Vonni Ribisi)
- Chad Allen – Zach Nichols (1989–1990)
- Dick Butkus – Ed Klawicki (1987–1989)
- Amy Hathaway – Shelby Haskell (1989–1990)
- Don Yesso – Julian (1989–1990)
- Peter Brost – Young Michael Taylor (1987–1990)
Supporting characters
The series regularly featured Giovanni Ribisi and Chad Allen as two boys (Cory Kupkus and Zach Nichols, respectively) who competed for Nicole's affections just as her two dads had done for her mother's. Florence Stanley appeared as Judge Margaret Wilbur, who was responsible for assigning Nicole's custody, and who regularly looked over the family; she was also their landlady, being the resident owner of the apartment building where the family lived. Amy Hathaway played Nicole's worldly best friend, Shelby Haskell. The cast was rounded by former football player Dick Butkus, who managed the cafe in the building's first floor. The cafe (Klawicki's) was the second spot in the show where the plot usually revolved; the first being the family's apartment. In the third season, when Dick Butkus left the series, the diner was then run by cook Julian (Don Yesso), but there was no explanation as to what happened to Ed Klawicki. Ownership of the diner was explained to have been taken over by Judge Wilbur at this point, and it was renamed The Judge's Court Cafe.
Night Court connection
My Two Dads had a crossover with another NBC show, Night Court. Judge Margaret W. Wilbur, played by Florence Stanley, appeared on Night Court.
In turn, Richard Moll guest starred as his Night Court character Bull in an episode of My Two Dads, protecting Judge Wilbur from a recently released criminal that she had sent to prison years before.
Episodes
Syndication & DVD release
Reruns of the show aired on the USA Network through the 1990s and again in the early 2000s. The show has not aired since. Minisodes of several episodes from the first season can be streamed for free online on Crackle.
Shout! Factory (under license from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment) has released the first two seasons of My Two Dads on DVD in Region 1. Season 2 was released as a Shout! Factory select title, available exclusively through their online store.[1]
Mill Creek Entertainment released a 10 episode best-of set entitled My Two Dads- You Can Count on Me on March 22, 2011. The single disc release features episodes from the first 2 seasons.[2]
| DVD name | Ep # | Release date | Special Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Complete First Season | 22 | March 3, 2009 | A look back at My Two Dads with Greg Evigan and Staci Keanan. |
| The Complete Second Season♦ | 16 | March 16, 2010 | |
| The Complete Third Season | 22 | TBA |
♦ - Shout! Factory select title, sold exclusively through Shout's online store.
Awards
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Awards | Won | The Most Promising New Fall Television Series | |
| Best Young Actress Featured, Co-starring, Supporting, Recurring Role in a Comedy or Drama Series or Special | Staci Keanan | |||
| 1989 | Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Drama or Comedy Series | Chad Allen | ||
| 1988 | People's Choice Awards | Favorite New TV Comedy Program |