No-Longer-Hidden Gems Shine on Tubi

The platform currently boasts some 50000 movies and TV shows in its curated content plus 200 local live news and sports channels Via its partnership with over 400 entertainment companies that now includes Warner Bros Discovery Tubi features content from every major Hollywood studioAs an avid Tubi user one of its major draws remains the element of surprise It would take hours to scour its library for everything so I turn to the quotRecently Addedquot feature or specific genre dropdown menus to see what grabs me amp8230 and I never know what unexpected treats I might come acrossSuch was the case recently when I discovered that Tubi had added all five seasons of the 1970s family dramedy Eight Is Enough The show originally ran for five seasons on ABC 7781 and followed the adventures of the likable Bradford brood which included eight children of varying ages Even though Enough dealt with some of the serious issues of its time and how they impacted everyday life it suffered from an illadvised laugh track Otherwise it was all goodThe Eight Is Enough pilot episode is especially interesting in that it stars Mark Hamill as eldest son David Hamill had committed to the series after filming the pilot but while awaiting news of an official pickup he did another little project called Star Wars Just as ABC finally decided to greenlight the series Hamill was involved in a terrible car accident that landed him in the hospital where he underwent reconstructive facial surgery With Hamill unable to continue on the show the role of David went to actor Grant Goodeve As we all know things worked out rather well for Hamill once he recovered Two other cast members in the pilot were also replaced at the directive of the network Betty Buckley joined the cast in season two following the passing of Diana Hyland who played wife and mom Joan BradfordPart of the fun for this viewer in revisiting a show like Enough is seeing who39ll pop up as a guest star Future big names to appear included Kin Shriner General Hospital Charlene Tilton Dallas Don Johnson Miami Vice Jennifer Darling The Bionic Woman Abe Vigoda Fish Ralph Macchio The Karate Kid and Robin Williams Mork ampamp MindyIn addition to Eight Is Enough the list of television classics now available on TUBI is exhaustive and includes Family Affair Here39s Lucy That Girl The Jeffersons 227 Dark Shadows and many more Here are a few more I found that might spike your interest I39m making my way through all of themThe MothersinLaw 196769Set in the swinging late3960s and produced by Desi Arnaz this series stars Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as outspoken inlaws and neighbors who love nothing more than meddling in the lives of their married kids It39s silly and fun and definitely worth a look for the groovy clothes aloneToo Close for Comfort 198087This sitcom is based on the British series Keep It in the Family and stars Ted Knight the lovable buffoon Ted Baxter on The Mary Tyler Moore Show He plays Henry a conservative cartoonist who along with his freelance photographer wife Muriel Nancy Dussault and their two daughters Sara Lydia Cornell and Jackie Deborah Van Valkenburgh own a twofamily house in San Francisco Jim J Bullock provides much of the series comedic energy as Monroe a sexually ambiguous character originally intended as a oneoffScarecrow and Mrs King 198387Charlie39s Angels wasn39t Kate Jackson39s only successful television gig Before Angels she had a role on the gothic daytime drama Dark Shadows followed by a fourseason stint as Jill Danko on The Rookies Four years after retiring her halo in 1979 Jackson teamed with Bruce Boxleitner for this True Lieslike dramedy portraying a single suburban Washington DC mom who finds herself working with a debonair spyThree39s a Crowd 198485Three39s Company has been relegated to permanent syndication rotation but this John Ritter led spinoff one of a few spawned by Company doesn39t show up as often In it Ritter reprises his role of Jack Tripper and while he39s not playing gay anymore he39s still living in sin this time with his flight attendant girlfriend Vicky Mary Cadorette He39s also still dealing with a landlord from hell in James Bradford Robert Mandan who owns the apartment above his restaurant where they reside The show lasted only one season but nevertheless stands as a testament to the comedic genius of Ritter in his heydayWomen of the House 1995Designing Women remains another rerun staple with its topical storylines and witty dialogue that stand the test of time House chronicles the further comedic exploits of the muchloved Suzanne Sugarbaker Delta Burke who has left the design business and slipped into the White House filling a seat in Congress following the death of her congressman husband The show came from Designing Women39s creative team of Linda BloodworthThomason and Harry Thomason and features a preEverybody Loves Raymond Patricia Heaton plus Teri Garr and the wonderful Valerie MahaffeyMrs Columbo 197980On his own longrunning show the iconic Detective Columbo Peter Falk often referred to his wife but viewers never saw her until a preStar Trek Voyager Kate Mulgrew brought the character to life for two seasons in this spinoff Working as a smalltown reporter for the Weekly Advertiser there was no shortage of nefarious activity to keep her occupied and an impressive list of guest stars to keep things interesting Also who knew Mr and Mrs C had a son The recent Peacock hit Poker Face is frequently compared to Columbo By extension that makes the littleknown Mrs Columbo even more intriguingThe Doris Day Show 196873Watching all five seasons of this oftendelightful sitcom starring Doris Day as Doris Martin a widowed fortysomething single mother raising two young sons is a viewing experience unlike any other because so many things change year by year some without any explanation at all In fact by season four Doris39 two adorable young sons and her wise and wonderful father played by Denver Pyle have simply disappeared from her life never to be seen or heard from again On the plus side the 3970sera fashions and damp233cor are fabGrady 197576Sanford and Son fans will get a kick out of this littleseen spinoff that follows Fred Sanford39s friend Grady Wilson Whitman Mayo after he moves from Watts to a racially mixed middleclass Los Angeles neighborhood All 10 episodes of the shortlived series are availableCheck It Out 198588This Canadian workplace sitcom ran for three seasons and starred Don Adams as Howard Bannister a grocery store manager with a lessthanperfect array of employees Think Get Smart meets Superstore as Adams injects a lot of his trademark Maxwell Smart mannerisms into Bannister He made this series just five years after reprising his iconic role for the movie The Nude Bomb aka The Return of Maxwell SmartFamily 197680You may remember that we have championed the virtues of this classic drama before Family ran for five seasons on ABC and year after year proved its worth with perpetual Emmy recognition For my money it remains one of the most compelling dramas in television history With a cast led by Sada Thompson and James Broderick the series follows the middleclass Lawrence clan and never shies away from topical issues of its time many of which still resonate today With Kristy McNichol Meredith Baxter Birney Gary Frank and in later seasons Quinn Cummings rounding out the cast Family proves great performances and great writing never get oldClick the social buttons above or below to share this content with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Steve Gidlow

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