November 5 (1988-11-05) – December 31, 1988 (1988-12-31)
Royana Black and James Naughton in a publicity photo for Raising Miranda.
Raising Miranda is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in 1988 as part of its fall lineup. Starring James Naughton and Royana Black, it depicted the struggles of a father and his teenage daughter to adjust to their circumstances after their wife and mother abandons their family.[1][2]
Premise
Donald Marshak, a building contractor in Racine, Wisconsin, suddenly finds himself a single parent when his wife Bonnie attends a self-improvement class and abruptly abandons him and their smart, sensitive 15-year-old daughter Miranda, in order to go "find herself."[1][2] The un-domestic Donald is forced to serve as both father and mother to a distressed teenage girl.[1][2][3]
Marcine Lundquist is Miranda's lifelong best friend and confidante[1][2] and Jack Miller is a new transfer student Miranda has befriended at school.[1][2] Joan and Bob Hoodenpyle are the Marshaks' noodly neighbors and friends.[1][2][3] Miranda's wacky, unemployed Uncle Russell is Donald's brother-in-law and buddy and lives in a van permanently parked in the Marshaks' driveway.[1][2][3]
Despite its rather grim premise — a wife and mother abandoning her family — the show was billed as a situation comedy, the humor being derived from Donald Marshak's challenges in parenting after the departure of his wife.
Portraying Donald's brother-in-law and Miranda's uncle Russell, Bryan Cranston appeared in his first regular primetime television role in Raising Miranda.[3]
Reception
Raising Miranda received generally poor reviews from critics.[3]
Broadcast history
Raising Miranda aired on CBS on Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time,[1][2] up against NBC's hit sitcom Amen. It premiered on November 5, 1988.[1][2] After seven episodes averaged a poor 6.0 rating, CBS cancelled the series. Its last episode was broadcast on December 31, 1988,[1][2] leaving two of its nine episodes unaired.
After Bonnie abandons the family to "find herself," Donald and Miranda are left to make it on their own — and are besieged by well-meaning friends and co-workers offering comfort and casseroles.
After Miranda goes on a road trip without his permission, Donald grounds her for the first time — but neither of them is sure what being "grounded" means or how it works.
A boy from another school asks Miranda out on her first date. She accepts, but is terrified. Marcine tries to help by giving advice she has gleaned from teen romance novels, while Donald, who is happy that Miranda is beginning to date, tries to balance his excitement with the requisite parental concern for Miranda's well-being. Donald and the boy's father — a rude man who wants to make a business deal with Donald — agree to let the young couple go to a movie together, and the date ends on Miranda's front porch with her first big kiss.
Miranda and Donald try to spend Christmas away from home to avoid painful memories of spending the holidays with Bonnie, but a snowstorm changes their plans. They do their best to have a merry Christmas at home with the Hoodenpyles, but memories of Bonnie interfere.
Marcine gets caught shoplifting after an argument with her mother — and gets Miranda in trouble too.
8
"Russell's Broken Heart"
James Widdoes
Martha Williamson
Unaired (Unaired)
N/A
N/A
Russell announces his engagement, thrilling Miranda and stunning Donald.
9
"One Night Stand"
James Widdoes
Martha Williamson
Unaired (Unaired)
N/A
N/A
References
^ abcdefghijMcNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 683.
^ abcdefghijBrooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, Sixth Edition, New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN0-345-39736-3, pp. 852–853.
