Shark Bytes

Kristy McNichol continued the fine tradition of making short-shorts and nylons fashionable clothing, having followed the likes of Joyce DeWitt, Penny Marshall and Catherine Bach. When Ms. McNichol left Empty Nest because of bipolar disorder, the show should have been cancelled at that point instead of dragging on for another couple seasons. Though Dinah Manoff and Park Overall were fine actresses in their own right, it wasn't the same without Kristy McNichol.

Where is McNichol?Still at "Looney's R' Us?"It was a good show and I was sad when Mulligan died.He was a funny man and a fine actor.I remember the well written crossovers to the wonderful "Golden Girls" but also that horrible spinoff attempt with Rita Moreno(Love her.)and her goofy hubby who was I believe was also a doc.Terrible.

This show was great...sure, it ran out of gas a little near the end but the talented cast more than made up for any deficiencies in the plot lines. Lifetime should start rerunning this show...do we really need the Golden Gargoyles on two, three times a day?!

Jump the Shark Law #2: Anything with Richard Mulligan in it can never jump the shark. He can just stand there doing nothing and he cracks me up.

The second to last person to post a message here mentioned Carol having a "big rack". Even though I would not write with that type of termonology, I agree that she had some characteristics that were phycially attraction. In the first place, I liked her red hair. I have a rather vivid memory of the episode where we first learn that she was pregnant. At this point, Barbara was history and Emily had come, staryed a "very" brief moment and then disappeared. In any event, I remember the little black dress that Carol wore during that episode. I thought that she looked "lovely" in it! I thought that the skirt of this dress was short enough so that we could get a real nice look at her legs! In addition to wearing pretty cloths like this, I also thought that she had a rather nice collection of purses.

Empty Nest jumped the shark when Harry moved his practice into the Canal Street Clinic.

Barbara was there to balance the screen time with Carol (played by Dinah Manoff). With no Barbara, more of the focus was shifted to Carol, and she was just so annoying. At least she had a big rack, so it wasn't all bad.

Empty Nest was an underrated show. I guess because NBC only cared about Thursday nights. Saturdays were the best back in the day. We had Golden Girls, Empty Nest, Nurses then Saturday Night Live after the news. This show never jts. It came close to jts with Charlie. He came over ever day to grope Dr. Weston's daughters. He worked on a cruise ship shouldn't he be gone for long periods of time. Anyway he still had funny lines. When Marsha Warfield shows up and Sophia joined I felt they tried to patch up Kristy McNichol leaving when they didn't need to. The show did fine when Kristy left. Ah they don't make sitcoms like this anymore. NBC recently got beat by FOX and are now 4th in primetime. Maybe they should go back to their glory days from the 80's and 90's and get a hint on how tv shows are suppose to be made.

EMPTY NEST was one of the better offerings from NBC in its later years. I really loved this sitcom initially for two reasons: The late Richard Mulligan (RIP, Richard), so memorable as Burt on SOAP, proved to be a sensitive and charming actor in a role completely removed from Burt. This character was a quiet, modest dedicated physician who loved children, his own and his patients. I also loved the fact that the character never fell out of love with his departed wife. She was almost like another character on the show Mulligan made his love for her so apparent. The other reason I loved this show as the brilliant and highly underrated Dianah Manoff as Carol. This actress had impeccable comic timing and made Carol one of the most interesting of TV characters, even if she was a total basket case. I finally figured out that it must be in her genes when I learned that her mother is the brilliant Oscar and Emmy winner Lee Grant. Manoff made Carol endearing and very difficult to dislike. Park Overall had her moments as Laverne as did David Leisure as Charlie. Sadly, this show jumped the shark with the on-again off again appearances of Kristy McNichol. McNichol is a great actress and never looked more beautiful than when she was on this show but it was frustrating to never know from week to week whether or not she was going to be there. Apparently, McNichol was going through some serious emotional problems during production which seriously affected the status of the show but I found it aggravating when she there one week and then gone for three and there another week and gone for six. It was the Mackenzie Phillips syndrome all over again. Once a core character is let go, that should be it. The rest of the cast was strong enough to carry on without her and they did.

For all those who remember only the later seasons, I'd suggest you watch re-runs of the first 4. Seasons 1 to 4 contained some of the best writing I've ever seen in a sitcom; eg Carol sleeps with the 19 yr old kid, Carol dates Harry's friend, Charlie loses his sex drive (the bit at the end where he's rubbing the daughter's shoulders and gets it back!). Also, for bondage fans, Carol and Barbara get tied up, by home invaders!? and at the end the crim says he likes one of them and they try to find out which one. I felt that way about the daughters myself - having a strong preference for Carol. It's a shame Kristy left bc once she departed the whole voyeurism of watching and lusting after the doctors zany daughters was replaced by a scramble to fill the void. I mean Patrick and Emily were just dreadful. But, you've got to give the show credit, it did manage to find some stability for seasons 6 and 7, but it just wasn't the same. Most of these shows are just about checking out the actresses and a pregnant Carol just wasn't sexy. (Still liked her though).

Empty Nest never ever jumped. NBC never gave its Saturday line up that much credit. You know Golden Girls,Empty Nest,Nurses. They got a lot of ratings. EN almost jumped with Charlie Dr. Westons annoying neighbor. He bugged Harry about his problems. He had no reason really to go over to his house. Also I'm curious. Can someone clear this up for me. Was Dr.Weston's clinic where he work at the same place the show Nurses was. They seem to be all in Miami. Does anyone know? The shark was paralyzed when this show aired in 88' and he couldn't jump.

Yes, When Kristy McNicol left the show went down hill. Marsha Warfield was bad enough for Night Court, but when she came there in order to get a new career, she took that show to hell too--damn, that is a disease--become the person to bring hope to 2 shows and kill them both--too bad Kristy decided she was def a Lez--she would have been fun to bone--remember The Pirate Movie--damn!!

Does anyone remember when Garth Brooks made a guest appearance on this show? I can remember a conversation between the doctor and Laverne that went something like this: Dr. Weston: "Garth Brooks...Oh, right! That country singer" Laverne: (something to the effect of)" 'that country singer'?" That's like calling Arnold Schwarzenegger 'that guy with the nice build'..." Later, somehow Garth Brooks somehow ends up in Dr. Weston's home, and the Doc asks Garth if he knows Vic Damone. Makes you wonder who jumped the shark first - Empty Nest or Garth Brooks?

I was always off and on and finally OFF with this show. Mulligan was a good actor but way over the top, his hillbilly nurse made the folks on Hee Haw look like sophisticates, Dinah Manoff has one of the most whiny, grating voices in the world (ironic, as her mom, actress Lee Grant has a sexy voice). When my girl Kristy left (the only person I liked on the show) I was out. I came back with the addition of Estelle (Sophia) Getty and Marsha Warfield. Two very funny ladies, but I think it was too late--the Jaws theme just got LOUDER and LOUDER and LOUDER.

This was a case where I never realized how important one person was to a show's stability until she left. Kristy's more low-key comedy skills and her relatively stable character were the perfect contrast to high-strung Carol and mugging Richard Mulligan. Then she suddenly vanished. Even worse, she was replaced by unsympathetic, bratty, untalented Emily. I quit within 3 episodes of this twit (something about her convincing a painter that he was gay?). When I heard she'd been fired, I tuned back in eventually, and saw a free clinic where Laverne worked for no apparent reason, and Marsha Warfield playing her "Night Court" character with an MD. Maybe this wasn't too bad. I wouldn't know, because I couldn't sit through the episode. The show was never as tolerable without Kristy. She was the heart of this series, she truly was.