The Fitzpatricks was a short lived drama series which ran on CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

 during the 1977–78 season.

The focus was on the Fitzpatricks, an Irish Catholic family of six who lived in Flint, Michigan

Flint, Michigan

Flint is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit. The U.S. Census Bureau reports the 2010 population to be placed at 102,434, making Flint the seventh largest city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Genesee County which lies in the...

. The father, blue collar, Mike Fitzpatrick (Bert Kramer

Bert Kramer

Bert Kramer was an American actor, who was born in San Diego. He appeared in many different television shows including Kojak, The Bionic Woman, The Rockford Files, Dallas, Dynasty and Matlock. He is probably best known for playing Alex Wheeler on the soap opera Texas, a role he played from 1980 to...

) worked overtime as a steelworker to provide a life for the family; while his pregnant wife, Maggie (Mariclare Costello

Mariclare Costello

Mariclare Costello is a television, stage, and movie actress. Her most notable role was Rosemary Hunter Fordwick on the television series The Waltons from 1972 to 1977. In 1977, after her role on the Waltons, she played matriarch Maggie Fitzpatrick on the short lived drama show, The Fitzpatricks...

) also worked part time at a diner as a waitress to help support the family's income. They had four children, eldest son, Sean (Clark Brandon); introspective second son, Jack (Jimmy McNichol); only daughter Maureen (nicknamed Mo) (Michele Tobin) and youngest son, Max (Sean Marshall). The family also owned a dog, aptly named Detroit. Also involved in the family was R.J. (Derek Wells), who was Max Fitzpatrick's African-American best friend. A young Helen Hunt

Helen Hunt

Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...

 played neighbor, Kerry Gerardi, supposedly a friend of Mo's, who was interested in the older Fitzpatrick brothers, Sean and Jack, which sparked a bit of a rivalry between the two. Much of the stories deal with moralistic lessons and also with growing up. One episode, The Sacrament, focused on the youngest, Max's indecision of taking his first communion as a Catholic. This episode clearly shows the devoutness of the Fitzpatrick family's Catholic religion.

This show lasted only thirteen episodes, and was cancelled in 1978. However, in 1979, Jimmy McNichol and Michele Tobin (they played siblings, Jack and Maureen Fitzpatrick) would be cast in the equally short lived show California Fever

California Fever

California Fever is an American teen drama series that ran on CBS in 1979. The show featured a group of Los Angeles teenagers living an exotic life of disco, the beach, the opposite sex and music. The series was short-lived, lasting only 10 episodes....

. Clark Brandon (Sean) went on to other shows, but was perhaps best known for his recurring role of Eddie Brennan, Jo Polniaczek's (Nancy McKeon

Nancy McKeon

Nancy Justine McKeon is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Jo Polniaczek on the NBC sitcom The Facts of Life.-Early life & career:...

) boyfriend, and briefly, fiance, on The Facts of Life

The Facts of Life (TV series)

The Facts of Life is an American sitcom that originally ran on the NBC television network from August 24, 1979 to May 7, 1988. A spin-off of the sitcom Diff'rent Strokes, the series' premise focused on Edna Garrett as she becomes a housemother at the fictional Eastland School, a prestigious...

, while Helen Hunt (Kerry) became best known for her role of Jamie Buchman, Paul Reiser

Paul Reiser

Paul Reiser is an American stand-up comedian, actor, television personality, author, screenwriter and musician. He is most widely known for his role on the long-running television sitcom Mad About You.-Early life:...

's on-screen wife on Mad About You

Mad About You

Mad About You is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 23, 1992 to May 24, 1999. The show starred Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt as a newly married couple in New York City. Reiser played Paul Buchman, a documentary film maker. Hunt played Jamie Stemple Buchman, a public relations specialist...

. Bert Kramer (Mike Fitzpatrick) would later become known to soap viewers as Alex Wheeler on the soap opera, Texas

Texas (TV series)

Texas is an American daytime soap opera which aired on NBC from August 4, 1980 until December 31, 1982. Created by John William Corrington, Joyce Hooper Corrington, and Paul Rauch, the show was a spinoff of Another World...

.

Cast

• Bert Kramer
  Bert Kramer
  Bert Kramer was an American actor, who was born in San Diego. He appeared in many different television shows including Kojak, The Bionic Woman, The Rockford Files, Dallas, Dynasty and Matlock. He is probably best known for playing Alex Wheeler on the soap opera Texas, a role he played from 1980 to...
  
   as Michael Fitzpatrick, a steelworker, and the patriarch of the family.
• Mariclare Costello
  Mariclare Costello
  Mariclare Costello is a television, stage, and movie actress. Her most notable role was Rosemary Hunter Fordwick on the television series The Waltons from 1972 to 1977. In 1977, after her role on the Waltons, she played matriarch Maggie Fitzpatrick on the short lived drama show, The Fitzpatricks...
  
   as Margaret "Maggie" Fitzpatrick, the matriarch, works part time at a diner to supplement the family income.
• Clark Brandon
  Clark Brandon
  Clark Brandon is an American actor. His most notable roles were as Max Merlin's apprentice Zachary Rogers in the CBS series Mr. Merlin and as Sean Fitzpatrick in the CBS series The Fitzpatricks. He also starred with Jim Varney in the 1989 comedy film, Fast Food.- Filmography :Fast Food .......
  
   as Sean Fitzpatrick, the oldest son (16)
• Jimmy McNichol as Jack Fitzpatrick, the second oldest (15)
• Michele Tobin as Maureen "Mo" Fitzpatrick the only daughter (14)
• Sean Marshall as Max Fitzpatrick, the youngest at 10, delivers newspapers.
• Helen Hunt
  Helen Hunt
  Helen Elizabeth Hunt is an American actress, film director, and screenwriter. She starred in the sitcom Mad About You for seven years, before being cast in the romantic comedy As Good as It Gets...
  
  as Kerry Gerardi, the girl next door, who intensified the rivalry between Jack and Sean.
• Derek Wells as R.J., Max Fitzpatrick's best friend.

Episodes

• The Fitzpatricks
• FitzLo Co.
• The Shark
• Superman
• Halloween
• Cheerleader
• A Love Story
• Marijuana
• The Sacrament
• Say Goodbye to Buddy Bonkers
• Runaway
• A Living Wage
• The New Fitzpatrick