Reviews

Stroll down memory lane and rewatching series 1-3 to remind myself what I found so appealing before I watch the more recent incarnation without Caroline Quentin. While the series holds up in story telling and baffling mysteries, I now find Maddy to be extremely annoying and not in the least bit funny. She lacks any modicum of self-awareness and blames Jonathan for everything that's her fault. She's selfish, manipulative, and conniving and if I didn't like Caroline Quentin as an actress I would not have watched this series if her antics annoyed me the first time. Looking forward to finally watching series without her character in it.

I have fond memories of this show and have looked for it to stream for quite awhile. It was a favorite of mine when it originally aired for reasons I can't specifically recall other than it resonated with me since I was in the age group of the Bradford sisters. Finally found it on Tubi (along with the TV series 'Family' - another fond favorite) and am rewatching every episode from all 5 seasons.

Hate to say it, but there's a reason behind the old adage - "you can't go back"! While I still prefer Eight is Enough to today's over sexualized 'family' shows, violent fantasy shows, unflinching crime dramas, silly reality series that are orchestrated instead of scripted, and otherworldly serials... the acting by most of the cast is really, really bad. I find myself fast forwarding through Tom Bradford's dialogue and some predictable plot lines - not because it's predictable but because the acting is cringe worthy.

Adam Rich as the youngest Bradford, Nicholas, is a bright spot. I've seen better child actors but he was pretty good for a kid. Willie Ames as Tommy is decent but his repetitive plot lines are tiresome. Connie Needham (as Elizabeth), Grant Goodeve (as David), Betty Buckley (as Abby) and Susan Richardson (as Susan) are all quite good, but Lani O'Grady (as Mary), Laurie Walters (as Joanie), Dianne Kay (as Nancy) and especially Dick Van Patten (as patriarch Tom Bradford) are really hard to watch in 80% of their scenes.

One bright spot is seeing guest stars who eventually had great acting careers (Rosanna Arquette, Ralph Macchio, Peter Horton, Robin Williams, Don Johnson, Gerald McRaney, Corey Feldman) and other character actors from the era (Abe Vigoda, Frank Cady, James Sikking, Charlene Tilton, Noah Berry, David Wayne, Will Geer and Jack Elam).

I still have fond memories of enjoyment from watching in my youth, but seeing it again is a bit of a let down. Luckily, rewatching episodes of "Family" (1976-1980) is the complete opposite. Only wish I could have found it sooner on Tubi; before its run was over.

Martin-Green's breathy delivery with every line spoken is ANNOYING. She has one note for EVERYTHING. Each season is one long story with convoluted storyline that's hard to engage in. It rambles in so much trek-speak you can skip episodes and be as informed as if you watched every episode. Special effects are stellar, multi-cultural/ethnic cast is a welcome sight, but please re-cast Martin-Green or send her to a drama school diction class to learn to modulate her delivery.