1970s

Eight Is Enough (1977-1981), was a full hour-long and with a laugh track, making it a tough show to categorize. While often quite funny, almost every episode was "very special," one of TV's first "dramedies." For five seasons—not enough—audiences watched the Bradford family "fill their lives with love." But which Bradford found fame on Broadway? Who struggled with issues after the show? Let's find out. 1. Betty Buckley (Abby Bradford) Then: Buckley had the unenviable task of replacing the Bradfords’ mom, played by Diana Hyland; Hyland passed away due to breast cancer after filming only four episodes. As further evidence of Eight’s quality, the producers actually dealt with Joan Bradford’s passing, making Tom a widower at the start of season 2. Enter Buckley as Sandra Sue “Abby” Abbott, who eventually marries Tom. Buckley said on the Today show in 2010 that the situation was “like being a real stepmother,” but fans agree that she made it work. Now: Buckley, looking fabulous at 64, most recently popped up on TV in 'Pretty Little Liars' and The Chicago Code, but she is probably best known for her work in the theater. Here she is singing “Memory” from Cats, the show that earned her a Tony Award for Best Actress in 1983. Purrrfect. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) 2. Dianne Kay (Nancy Bradford) Then: Dianne Kay played the blonde Bradford bombshell, Nancy. For a refresher course in how cute she was, check out this YouTube video tribute. In between Eight episodes, she managed to find time to appear in the Steven Spielberg film 1941 (1979); she and Spielberg both went to Arizona’s Arcadia High School. Now: Dianne’s post-Eight career found her visiting Fantasy Island and earning recurring roles on the series Reggie (1983) and Glitter (1985). Dianne is now a full-time mom in Los Angeles and continues to be a beautiful blonde. 3. Willie Aames (Tommy Bradford) Then: Willie Aames spent a lot of time strutting around shirtless on Eight Is Enough. He was a teenage bad boy, or at least as bad a boy as TV would allow him to be at the time. Now: Aames costarred with Scott Baio on Charles in Charge (1984-1990), then spent several years kicking Satan’s butt as Bibleman (1996-2004) after kicking a bad habit. He is currently working as a financial adviser in Kansas. 4. Grant Goodeve (David Bradford) Then: Goodeve became a certified Teen Idol playing the eldest of the Bradford children. Beginning with season 3, Goodeve sang the show’s theme song, and girls everywhere swooned. He also plays guitar—here he is doing an acoustic version of the Eight theme, and accompanying Betty Buckley while she croons “So-La”. Not too shabby considering he wasn’t the original David. That honor goes to Mark “Use the Force, Luke” Hamill, who played the role in the pilot. Now: Goodeve is now 59, with children and grandchildren of his own, despite the fact that he looks like he has barely aged since 1981. He has had a respectable post-Eight career, with recurring roles on Dynasty and Northern Exposure, hosting his own travel show, Northwest Backroads, as well as a veritable van full of voice-overs for video games and commercials. Season Three Intro Below! 5. Connie Newton (Elizabeth Bradford) Then: Connie Newton played the youngest Bradford daughter, an aspiring dancer named Elizabeth. This YouTube tribute video proves that she truly was a “Dancing Queen.” Now: Connie Newton got married, became Connie Needham, and had two daughters. She went on to play another dancing character on the TV series Fame (1982-1983). She recently survived a bout with ovarian cancer and looked as lovely as ever on the Today show in 2010. 6. Laurie Walters (Joanie Bradford) Then: Laurie Walters had the honor of being one of Fonzie’s gal pals on Happy Days (1975) before joining the Bradford clan. The middle Bradford daughter wanted to be in showbiz and got her big break in season 5 when she was promoted to sports anchor, despite the fact that she didn’t like sports. Now: Walters’ last screen acting job was in The Common Sense of the Wisdom Tree (1999), playing the voice of the title role. She still performs onstage, and also became active in environmental causes, working with the Los Angeles-based group Tree People, as well as the Iron Weed Film Club. 7. Susan Richardson (Susan Bradford Stockwell) Then: Susan Richardson was in the film American Graffiti and also did an episode of Happy Days before becoming a Bradford. Not only did she have the same name as her character, she gave birth on the show and in real life. In case things weren’t meta enough for you. Now: Susan Richardson was the subject of some controversy in 1987 after claiming that she had been kidnapped and almost murdered by North Korean filmmakers; there are conflicting reports about the accuracy of her story. Susan battled addiction and did not participate in the 2010 Today show cast reunion. This 2010 AOL article says that she now lives in Pennsylvania, working at a nursing home. 8. Lani O’Grady (Mary Bradford) Then: Lanita Rose Agrati changed her name to Lani O’Grady after she landed a part in Eight Is Enough, what would become her defining role. Pre-Eight, she appeared in several TV movies, helped along by her talent-agent family. Now: Post-Eight, O’Grady costarred with Gary Coleman in The Kid with the Broken Halo (1982). After that, she retired from acting, returning to reprise her role as Mary Bradford in Eight Is Enough: A Family Reunion(1987) and An Eight Is Enough Wedding (1989) and to do a spot on Days of Our Lives (1990). She did pass in 2001. Check this Family Feud Mashup Out: "The Love Boat" vs "Eight Is Enough", "Three's Company" vs "Soap", "Three's Company" vs "The Love Boat" 1978 9. Adam Rich (Nicholas Bradford) Then: Playing the youngest of the Bradford clan, Adam Rich was America’s little brother. In the late ’70s and early ’80s, thousands of boys sported a Nicholas-style haircut. Remember Nicholas and his first love, a girl named Lou? Now: Rich had recurring roles on the series Code Red (1981-1982) and reunited with Willie Aames to star in the animated Dungeons & Dragons(1983-1985). Rich has had difficulties with drugs and alcohol and was reportedly once bailed out of jail by Dick Van Patten. On a lighter note, he willingly participated in a prank cooked up by Dave Eggers’ Might magazine in the mid-’90s; they published a story claiming he had died.He didn’t and still hasn’t. 10. Dick Van Patten (Tom Bradford) Then: Young Dickie Van Patten started out on the stage and did indeed call himself Dickie in Eight Is Enough. Eventually, he wisely shortened his name to Dick, making his small-screen debut on the long-running series Mama (1949). Many roles followed, but to this day he is still best known as columnist/patriarch Tom Bradford. Now: Van Patten has acted on numerous TV series, everything from The Love Boat to Arrested Development. He also founded the pet food company Natural Balance and published a memoir, Eighty Is Not Enough. At 83 years young, he was STILL acting, making appearances on TV shows like That 70s Show to Hot in Cleveland in 2012. But we lost our favorite TV dad on June 23, 2015, He will be dearly missed by all. Credits: snakkle.com RELATED: See The Dukes of Hazard Cast Here! [dyr_similar slug“stories”

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