A Fond Farewell to Dick Van Patten

I donamp8217t think of Van Patten pictured at top with his TV sons Grant Goodeve Adam Rich and Willie Aamesamp160as one of the giant stars of my longago youth but as is often the case these days when I hear of the passing of an actor from a series I never missed back when broadcast ruled the world I nevertheless felt a sense of loss this week with the news of his passingVan Patten wasnamp8217t in the same league of outsize popculture greatness as Henry Winkler Ron Howard Farrah Fawcett Kate Jackson Jacklyn Smith Penny Marshall Cindy Williams John Ritter Suzanne Somers Robin Williams Lindsay Wagner Lee Majors Billy Crystal Hal Lindenamp160Kristy McNichol Donnie Osmond and Marie Osmond but he certainly belonged in the company of thoseamp160stars and the many others who made ABC the place to be in the mid toamp160late Seventies Geez just pulling those names from memory and writing them in the same paragraph has me feeling instantly nostalgic for a time when most things in life were far less complicated than they are today with the exceptions of television and the media which grow maddeningly more complex with every passing yearMaybe his character of Tom Bradford theamp160loving husband and father of eight on ABCamp8217s amp8220Eight is Enoughamp8221 which ran from 197781 is not exactly iconic in the way of the Fonz or Richie Cunningham Van Patten neverthelessamp160played a crucial and unforgettable role in creating and sustaining the dazzling environment that defined ABC during those years one that fully took shape when the legendary programming executive Fred Silverman moved over from CBS in 1975ABC hadnamp8217t exactly been languishing during the first half of that decade not with such classics in the making as amp8220The Brady Bunchamp8221 amp8220The Partridge Familyamp8221 amp8220Room 222amp8221 amp8220The Odd Coupleamp8221 and amp8220Love American Styleamp8221 powering what would be one of the most enduring and unforgettable nightly lineups in the history of television Those were the shows that gave ABC a formidable Friday which was formed at the same time as CBSamp8217 legendary Saturday amp8220All in the Familyamp8221 amp8220MASHamp8221 amp8220The Mary Tyler Moore Showamp8221 amp8220The Bob Newhart Showamp8221 and amp8220The Carol Burnett Showamp8221 Geez just typing those titles gives me chills but I guess you had to be there Significantly that splendid Saturday lineup came together under the auspices of Silverman during his tenure at the Tiffany Network along with so many other strong shows and nightly schedulesBut then ABCamp8217s fortunes began to fade and Silverman moved on over very quickly turning his new network into one with programs including the miniseries amp8220Rich Man Poor Manamp8221 and amp8220Rootsamp8221 as powerful and popular and influential as his shows had been at CBS There was a significant difference Overall the ABC lineup became essential viewing throughout the week for kids teens young adults and families This lasted for years and there hasnamp8217t been anything like it since not even during NBCamp8217s rebirth in the Eighties built largely around its Thursday night MustSee TV showsThose mighty ABC shows included amp8220Happy Daysamp8221 amp8220Laverne ampamp Shirleyamp8221 amp8220Soapamp8221 amp8220Charlieamp8217s Angelsamp8221 amp8220Starsky ampamp Hutchamp8221 amp8220Familyamp8221 amp8220Donnie ampamp Marieamp8221 amp8220Barney Milleramp8221 amp8220Threeamp8217s Companyamp8221 amp8220The Six Million Dollar Manamp8221 amp8220The Bionic Womanamp8221 amp8220The Love Boatquot and amp8220Fantasy Islandamp8221 among others Van Patten was right there in the middle of it all amp8211 literally in the middle with amp8220Eight is Enoughamp8221 running on Wednesday nightWhile almost every show on ABC at the time was considered family friendly except perhaps for amp8220Charlieamp8217s Angelsamp8221 the show that along with amp8220Threeamp8217s Companyamp8221 inspired the unfortunate and unforgettable phrase amp8220Jiggle Televisionamp8221 amp8220Eight is Enoughamp8221 was one of two on the network that was literally about a family in every way amp8220Eightamp8221 had its serious moments but it was relatively light and lessondriven when compared to the seriously dramatic narrative of the other in its genre literally named amp8220Familyamp8221 which explored all manner of serious issues Geez just thinking about amp8220Familyamp8221 makes me realize how much I would enjoy bingeing my way through its four seasons That show was ahead of its time in so many ways Does anyone remember that the legendary Mike Nichols was one of its executive producers along with Aaron Spelling and Leonard GoldbergIn hindsight I think it is only right to include Van Patten39s warm and wise Tom Bradford in the company of such alltime great TV dads as Ozzie Nelson played by Ozzie Nelson on amp8220The Adventures of Ozzie ampamp Harrietamp8221 Jim Anderson Robert Young on amp8220Father Knows Bestamp8221 Ward Cleaver Hugh Beaumont on amp8220Leave It to Beaveramp8221 Andy Taylor Andy Griffith on amp8220The Andy Griffith Showamp8221 Steve Douglas Fred MacMurray on amp8220My Three Sonsamp8221 Alex Stone Carl Betz on amp8220The Donna Reed Showamp8221 John Walton Ralph Waite on amp8220The Waltonsamp8221 Mike Brady Robert Reed on amp8220The Brady Bunchamp8221 Tom Corbett Bill Bixby on amp8220The Courtship of Eddieamp8217s Fatheramp8221 Charles Ingalls Michael Landon on amp8220Little House on the Prairieamp8221 and Cliff Huxtable Bill Cosby on amp8220The Cosby Showamp8221It is interesting to note that Van Patten was a household name in the Seventies not only because of Dickamp8217s work on his show but because his son actor and tennis pro Vincent Van Patten was a young heartthrob of the day Today Vincent is married to Eileen Davidson one of the stars of amp8220The Real Housewives of Beverly Hillsamp8221The opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillage management or associated bloggers

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A Fond Farewell to Dick Van Patten

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Ed Martin

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A Fond Farewell to Dick Van Patten

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