La famille Torkelson

Eh, what can I say? This was a sitcom dedicated exclusively for the family. As a teenager I watched it but I thought it was too kitsch and naive but for a younger audience and parents, I think it's a great show.

The situations and jokes were very, very naive but that doesn't means not funny.

I remember with tenderness this show because I grew with it until my pre-pubert phase.

Olivia Burnette was sexy and now more! Please Disney give it a new chance.

By the way, the chapter I remember the most was Drew Carey's guest appearance as the uncle of a loser fat boy.

I now watch this show on the Disney channel where they show The Torkelson's and Almost Home It's spin-off. The Torkelson's was an excellent show that was very original. Each episode has a original plot and is mixed with comedy and drama which makes up a show. Unfortunately the show only survived two seasons and was picked up for a third with almost home. Unfortunately that show got the axe. Why are good shows deep sixed?

This sitcom was great. And the spin-off, Almost Home, was as well. This one had something. But, after a few episodes, we saw re-runs. Oh, why are the good things so short? Maybe it would have helped if ABC, CBS, NBC, or FOX had partnered up with Disney to produce the sitcom.

The Torkelsons and its spin-off Almost Home, were, in my opinion, 2 of the funniest sitcoms I have ever seen. The writing is original and creative. Unlike many other shows on the Disney Channel, I can actually stand to watch this one and laugh at the same time. They should start showing the reruns of both of these shows again. Then there would actually be something worth watching on that channel.

In the small town of Pyramid Corners, Oklahoma, Millicent Torkelson (Connie Ray) is struggling to raise her five children with no money after her husband abandoned the family. She needs to rent out a room to elderly loner Wesley Hodges (William Schallert). Dorothy Jane Torkelson (Olivia Burnette) is the oldest child at 14. She is often embarrassed by her family and their poverty. She's been longtime pursued by goofy boy Kirby and has a crush on the new neighbor boy despite him being 4 years older.

This is a sincere family friendly sitcom fare first on NBC and later on the Family Channel. Sometimes, it almost gets to be an afternoon school special movie of the week. Other episodes remind me of other better shows. I do like Dorothy Jane, even her monologues. I thought that they could do more with Riley Roberts although his character was probably always one season and done. He's a senior after all. The high number of kids do keep them from having their own stories other than a couple of episodes. After one season, the show gets rebranded as Almost Home and lose two of the kids.