Harry and the Hendersons!

Here’s the first episode of Harry and the Hendersons, from 1991:

Yes, they really did make a weekly sitcom out of the movie.

In the television series, Harry (essentially Bigfoot, in case you didn’t know) keeps on living with the Hendersons, in a house that looks unsettlingly similar to Hayden Fox’s.

The characters are the same but the actors are all different. Most notable is Bruce Davison taking John Lithgow’s place and doing a pretty good job of it.

My strongest memories of this show:

1) At least where I lived, the series aired on Saturday afternoons. I was happy to have something to watch during those bleak hours, but the fact that I was watching TV on a Saturday afternoon at all meant that I was also absurdly bored. Check my old article, Saturday Television of a Misspent Youth, for more about that.

2) The series somehow lasted for three seasons. As I recall, Harry often became a footnote in his own show near the end of it. I can’t remember any episodes where he didn’t appear, but I distinctly recall a few where his appearances were hilariously quick and inconsequential.