A Family for Joe
Encyclopedia
A Family for Joe is an American television movie
and subsequent series
, both starring Robert Mitchum
in the title role. The half-hour show premiered on NBC
on March 24, 1990. Nine episodes of the series were filmed.
), Nick (David Lascher
& Chris Furrh
), Chris (Ben Savage
), and Mary (Jessica Player
) who have been recently orphan
ed. Rather than have themselves split up into foster care
, they find a homeless man, Joe (Robert Mitchum
), to live with them and act as their grandfather.
rated the series a D, stating that "the kids are leering little creeps, the jokes are moronic, and Joe's homelessness is already absent from the show's current scripts".
In the DVD series, "The Write Environment", writer Philip Rosenthal
(who would go on to create Everybody Loves Raymond
) talks about being a staff writer on the series.
Television movie
A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to...
and subsequent series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
, both starring Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
in the title role. The half-hour show premiered on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on March 24, 1990. Nine episodes of the series were filmed.
Plot
A Family for Joe is about the Bankston children, Holly (Juliette LewisJuliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
), Nick (David Lascher
David Lascher
David Scott Lascher is an American actor best known for his roles in Blossom, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, and the Nickelodeon show Hey Dude, in which he starred with Christine Taylor.- Life and career :...
& Chris Furrh
Chris Furrh
Chris Furrh is an American actor, most famous for starring as Jack in the 1990 film adaptation of Lord of the Flies...
), Chris (Ben Savage
Ben Savage
Bennett Joseph "Ben" Savage is an American film and TV actor and child star of late 1980s and 1990s. Savage is best known for his role as lead character Cory Matthews on the TV sitcom Boy Meets World from 1993 to 2000....
), and Mary (Jessica Player
Jessica Player
Jessica Player who currently resides in Fredericksburg, Virginia is an American child actress, best known for playing the role of Krystina Carrington, the young daughter of Krystle Carrington and Blake Carrington from 1987–1989 in the hit ABC 1980s television drama...
) who have been recently orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
ed. Rather than have themselves split up into foster care
Foster care
Foster care is the term used for a system in which a minor who has been made a ward is placed in the private home of a state certified caregiver referred to as a "foster parent"....
, they find a homeless man, Joe (Robert Mitchum
Robert Mitchum
Robert Charles Durman Mitchum was an American film actor, author, composer and singer and is #23 on the American Film Institute's list of the greatest male American screen legends of all time...
), to live with them and act as their grandfather.
Response
Ken Tucker of Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
rated the series a D, stating that "the kids are leering little creeps, the jokes are moronic, and Joe's homelessness is already absent from the show's current scripts".
In the DVD series, "The Write Environment", writer Philip Rosenthal
Philip Rosenthal
Philip Rosenthal is an American television writer and producer who is best known as the creator, writer and executive producer for the sitcom Everybody Loves Raymond . The show was co-produced by Ray Romano, and based in part on Romano's comedy material...
(who would go on to create Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond
Everybody Loves Raymond is an American television sitcom that originally ran on CBS from September 13, 1996, to May 16, 2005. Many of the situations from the show are based on the real-life experiences of lead actor Ray Romano, creator/producer Phil Rosenthal and the show's writing staff...
) talks about being a staff writer on the series.