You Take the Kids is an American sitcom

Situation comedy

A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...

 that aired 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...

 from December 1990 to January 1991. The series stars Nell Carter

Nell Carter

Nell Carter was an American singer, and film, stage, and television actress. She won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway musical Ain't Misbehavin, as well as an Emmy Award for her reprisal of the role on television...

 who also performed the theme song "Nobody's Got It Easy".

Synopsis

Carter stars as Nell Kirkland, the opinionated matriarch of a blue collar

Blue collar

Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...

 African American family living in Pittsburgh. Nell's husband Michael (Roger E. Mosley

Roger E. Mosley

Roger Earl Mosley is an American actor best known for his role as the helicopter pilot Theodore "T.C." Calvin on the long running television series, Magnum, P.I., which starred Tom Selleck as the title character.-Early life:...

) worked as a bus driver while Nell gave piano lessons at the family home for extra money. The Kirklands had four children: the oldest, Raymond (Dante Beze

Mos Def

Dante Terrell Smith is an American actor and Emcee known by the stage names Mos Def and Yasiin Bey. He started his hip hop career in a group called Urban Thermo Dynamics, after which he appeared on albums by Da Bush Babees and De La Soul. With Talib Kweli, he formed the duo Black Star, which...

), boy crazy daughter Lorette (Caryn Ward

Caryn Ward

Caryn Ward is an American actress, dancer and choreographer. She is perhaps best known for her recurring role as Erica Harrison on the sitcom The Game.-Early life and career:...

), 12-year-old Peter (Marlon Taylor

Marlon Taylor

Marlon Taylor is an American actor. He is perhaps best known for his role as the young Mike Hanlon in the television movie It.-Filmography:-External links:...

), and 10 year-old Nate (Trent Cameron

Trent Cameron

Trent Joseph Cameron is an American actor best known for his role as John Lee Malvo in D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear and as Young Roland in The Wood.- Filmography :...

). In addition to the kids, Nell and Michael also had to contend with Nell's equally opinionated mother Helen (Leila Danette

Leila Danette

Leila Danette is an American stage, film and television actress. She is noted for her stage work and for her role as Helen on the short-lived sitcom You Take the Kids.-Early life and career:...

), who lived in the couple's basement.

The series was scheduled on Saturdays at 8pm (EST). It was canceled after six episodes (five were aired, but the sixth was pre-empted by CBS' special coverage of the Gulf War

Gulf War

The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...

).

Production notes

You Take the Kids was executive produced by Paul Haggis

Paul Haggis

Paul Edward Haggis is a Canadian screenwriter, producer, and director. He spent his early career producing and directing various American and Canadian television network series.-Early life and education:...

. The series was produced by MTM Enterprises

MTM Enterprises

MTM Enterprises was an American independent production company established in 1969 by Mary Tyler Moore and her then-husband Grant Tinker to produce The Mary Tyler Moore Show for CBS...

 and Paul Haggis Productions, and distributed by 20th Century Fox Television

20th Century Fox Television

20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...

.

Episodes

Series #	Title	Notes	Original air date
1	Pilot	Nell and Michael's plans for a romantic getaway are complicated by Nate's new job which is delivering stolen audio equipment.	December 15, 1990
2	"Merry Christmas to All and a Pointy Hat to You"	The Christmas tree and presents are stolen by a homeless family.	December 22, 1990
3	"The Eggs & I"	Lorette's folks misunderstand when she teams with a cute boy in a school parenting project to care for eggs.	December 29, 1990
4	"Fishes Are Like Sisters... You Can't Flush Them Without Feeling Guilty"	Lorette asks out Raymond's cool—and sexually active—friend spunk; Nate has plans to assassinate an unwanted goldfish.	January 5, 1991
5	"What I Did For Love"	Raymond borrows from high school loan shark Dewayne to take out the most materialistic girl in school, then steals to repay his debt.	January 12, 1991
6	"Bad Boy"	Peter steals the family car in hopes of finally getting his parents' attention.	Unaired