God, I'm getting old because I can recall this show being shown on Friday nights on ABC when it was really family viewing. Of course, it spun off of Growing Pains which was superior but it still worked with Coach Lubbock and his over-sized family including the devoutly Catholic wife played wonderfully by Deborah Harmon. The kids were also wonderfully played by Heather Langenkamp who played the equally religious Marie. Jamie Luner played one of the twins and I forget Brooke's last name who played the other twin. They were the only girls in an all-boy Catholic school in Eureka, California. The show only lasted two seasons but I bet it could have thrived in syndication. It's a pity that we don't have family oriented shows anymore like this.
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RavenGlamDVDCollector17 March 2014I wasn't that big a fan of this when I first saw it, and watched mostly to see Brooke Theiss. Years later I thoroughly enjoyed SAVANNAH, and until recently became involved in a five- and-a- half year search for it, during which I learned that the show's main protagonist Jamie Luner was in MELROSE PLACE and JUST THE TEN OF US. Which meant searching was on for this one as well. I have since then only managed to see one episode I could download. My provider doesn't allow streaming so I can forget about YouTube, how cruel life is. I'd have been only too thankful to see some more episodes, but I don't suppose there is any kind-hearted souls out there who'd download me some onto a cellphone memory card, no hope there, this being the bad old 21st Century. But I'd hope and hope here on this side at my gmail.com address. Unfortunately, I remember too little to do a proper review, I was just always freaked out by the Coach dancing about in his striped pajamas. Arghh! Now everything with Jamie Luner in it is a worthy collectible to me, and I am offering a reward for any except the episode that starts off with Brooke climbing through the kitchen window and landing in the sink, because I got that one. A lesson here: Some things get more valuable with the passage of time. Come back JUST THE TEN OF US, striped pajamas and all!
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safenoe7 February 2023Just the Ten of Us was a show worthy of the times, and I have fond memories of the episodes I watched. It was kind of a more light-hearted version of Eight is Enough, which was quite dramatic for the times for sure. Just the Ten of Us was really fun and probably more so than its parent series Growing Pains.
I'd love to see a reboot of Just the Ten of Us that deals with societal ills and issues such as social media, body image, self-esteem, cyber-bullying and Supreme Court decisions that are very controversial and could impact on future generations of Just the Ten of Us.
Someone bring back Just the Ten of Us! -
hddu10-819-3745810 November 2013I'm one of the many previous posters that was never a fan of "Growing Pains". This show's back-bone was the "hot" range of female actresses, playing on their "coming of age" (they conveniently managed to fit in every stereotype to meet the "preference" of nearly every heterosexual, white middle-class kid in High School). Yet, for some reason, "Just the 10 of Us" also seemed to capture the spirit of the age (late 80's humor, kitsch, and even social problems if you dig deep enough). The show was canceled without warning, although we kind of felt it coming as the character expositions were getting very deep; too deep to keep a shallow ADD audience. An example was when the Heather Langenkamp character was going into a convent-- her supposed lifelong ambition, which then progresses to a realization by both her and her mother that this was not really the case. Not saying this show should ever be "re-made", but I think it is definitely an overlooked slice of Americana that should be given more credit and respect.
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stevenackerman6910 November 2009I loved this spin off from Growing Pains, where the character of Coach Graham T. Lubbock from Dewey High School got his own show after the stupid principal Detwit fired him. Most of the episodes were pretty good and I did like the fact that some of the characters evolved a little bit, like Wendy near the end (the nature scout episode). Coach was also an all around teacher, teaching not only phys. ed, but regular classes and even directed plays for the school. Yes, he could be protective, but what father isn't? In fact, I think most parents today aren't like him. I'm glad to see some of the episodes on youtube, although I'd love to see the final season, that had some really great moments, like when the girls go to the Virgin Islands and the smoking episode. I'd love to see the show back in reruns on USA or somewhere. Maybe on DVD. Again, it is too bad they canceled this show since it was popular, but I guess sometimes decisions are made by network execs that we don't like.
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Fedaykin_Sadako16 August 2003I love this show... I only started watching because Heather Langenkamp was in it and I was (and am) a fan of hers from the Nightmare days, but then I realized that I truly enjoyed every episode.
I miss the show a lot...it was the only funny thing on that insipid TGIF line-up and once it was gone, ABC couldn't find a replacement that would stay for longer than a season...should have tipped them off to not bow to Miller-Boyette.
The humour was right on, if you were not too uptight to catch it or to laugh at yourself if you found it too close to home, and every episode was endearing and fun.
"Car in the Pool" is my favourite with "Highway to Heaven" coming in next, and "Heartbreaker" and "Radio Days"...*etc, etc, etc* -
the_heartbreak_kid2 August 2005What can I say about this show? This show is what got me interested in network television shows albeit I was very young when this show aired originally ( around 7 or 8) I still got hooked. And now when I get lucky enough to find one of my old VHS tapes that still is watchable I find that the show ages well. It is just as funny now as it was then, well I mean some of the jokes are a little cornier now but thats cool. The show, to me at least, defined what TGIF was to young people of my generation. Growing up in the early 90s and late 80s its what you did. On Friday night you watched TGIF and this show was a great addition to that line up. Too bad ABC canceled the show in its prime.
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mfloyd-315 November 2004I saw this show when it aired on TV Land on Christmas in 2001. I thought it was amazing. The one thing I liked most about the show is Heather Langenkamp who played the character Marie. I remember her best playing the tough, fearless, and strong Nancy Thompson from Wes Craven's 1984 horror hit A Nightmare On Elm Street. She really turned heads when she co-starred in that film. I was surprised to see that she co-starred in this sitcom. However, she was totally different when playing in this show. I've written to the TBS, KSMO WB 62, Hallmark Channel, USA, and KCWE 29 Network and requested that they bring this hit sitcom back on the air. Other viewers want this show to air on the Nick at Nite, and the TV Land Network and so do I.
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hellraiser727 November 2018This is another under the radar gem, I'm normally not a sitcom fan but some of them are childhood relics of mine in which I hold a special place for, this show is one of them as it's another of my personal favorites. It's true it didn't last long and never really gained the same popularity as certain other 80's sitcoms but it came pretty close and as time went on has became a cult classic.
This show is basically a spin off "Growing Pains" as Graham Lubbock was a supporting character on the show as Mike Ceiver's high school coach. Sadly, the guy got fired no thanks to the dumb ass principal (whose last name sounds like dimwit ironically). But that's beside the point that moment pretty much set up the spin off we have and I really like this spin off, it's one of those ones that are done right as it does it's own thing and isn't trying to imitate it's predecessor which is a fundamental mistake most spin offs make, and I almost like this show a bit more than "Growing Pains" not to say I like that show any less but I personally don't love that show that much, that's just me.
Really like the theme song which is an honorable mention in favorite theme songs, it perfectly signifies the family and their struggles. The comedy is soild, really like some of the dialog there are some memorable lines and scenes and really like the family and characters whom are all well rounded and feel like any regular family with their imperfections, disagreements and befuddlements. But what makes this family stand out a little is they all do grow and develop a little which is something most sitcoms/comedy shows at the time did very little of as if the characters we're on arrested development.
The daughters better known as "The Lubbock Babes" are solid characters, as each of them have unique personas and it's funny whenever they either work with each other or against one another depending on the scheme or pursuit. Most of the time they would always fail not just because of one undermining the other but mainly due to their own petty follies they don't always swallow. But they all have a strong bond together which works to their advantage as it helps in actually prevailing in certain sittuations but most importantly living life they way they all want to.
My favorite of the daughters and character is Marie played by Heather Langenkamp. Believe it or not, I honestly never knew about her as the lead in the "A Nightmare on Elm Street" film since I wasn't even old enough to see the movie at the time. It wasn't until my adolescence I saw the film and it surprised me seeing Heather from the sitcom I watched fighting Freddy Kruger that was cool. But learning the fact that she did "Just the Ten of Us" after "Nightmare on Elm Street 1 and 3" made it even better. I'll admit is really is surreal seeing a horror alumni in this show but same can be said about a lot of others out there.
Despite those spectacles she still looks good, kind of like with Rachel Leah Cook on "She's All That" just can't hide it. Heather Langenkamp is a capable actress, she surprising can-do comedy and in one episode could actually sing, just seeing those things this makes me wonder why she didn't get more. I really like how most of the time she is really uptight as she is trying hard to stay true to the teachings of Christianity, in her mind she is the only good daughter in the room which is almost true due to the nature of the others. But by her nature she is just a power keg waiting to explode and her sisters are the match. It's just funny how at time we see cracks form when some of her sisters or certain circumstances give her lots of grief that she just loses her cool, which makes her really attractive what can I say I love girls with fire. But what also makes her stand out is despite her uptight nature she slowly but surely learns to loosen up a bit and experience more of what life has to offer which is what she really wants deep down inside.
Graham Lubbock is loveable and funny as the dad that is trying to keep things together in not just his family but even the school itself. Love the fact that he's not just a coach but he's also a health teacher and on occasion drama, I just thought that was cool showing how multifaceted and intellectually he is and not just the stereotypical one note sports coach. But what's really funny about his is how insecure and overprotective he can be, whenever he's give grief or thrown into circumstances produced most of the time by his daughters that he didn't ask for, I think a lot of parents can emphasize with that as they've sometimes faced certain things like that and had trouble dealing or sometimes deal with it incorrectly, but at least they try.
One of my favorite moments with him is in one of my favorite episodes of the show Graham is nauseated from the horror film he saw with his son Graham Jr which involved giant exploding eyeballs, it just cracks me up how sensitive he is at seeing one imaging of an eye being a reminder of the movie and making him upchuck.
My third favorite character is Graham Lubbock Jr, his character is awesome not just the fact that he's a mischief maker that sometimes gives the sisters and even his father some grief sometimes when it suits him, in that one episode where Graham saw the eyeball horror film he went out of his way to prank him by making it seem like his eyeballs were exploding, that was comic silver.
Really loves peanut butter but what I really love about this character is the fact he's a horror movie fan which is awesome since I'm one myself, from some of the elaborate props and makeup he sometimes uses and carries around, make me think he could be an make up and effects artist in the future. But I also love his room which is just decorated with horror memorabilia like his walls which have some cut outs of images from horror films wall papered. It's kind of ironic he would be a horror fan, since Heather Langenkamp playing one of his sisters is a horror alumni but also two of the other sisters were in the "Elm Street " films also from Brooke Theiss in the fourth film and Jo Ann Willentte the second film; so in a horror fan perspective it's kind of a dream come true having horror alumni living within the same roof as you.
The only bad thing is that he's not really in the show that much nor focused on very much. Maybe if we did have another season, we could of seen a few more episodes focused on him, and even some development on his character like seeing him have a girlfriend, but this never happened which I'll explain latter.
What also makes the show stick out is it's a bit of a Christian sitcom but in the best possible sense. In some episodes they do take on some Christian themes and issues but with subtlety, yeah, the Lubbock's are Christians and work in a Christian school but they don't let the whole thing get to there head, which I like because it shows how any family associated with the faith can and are the every day people we pass by. Yeah, they're not perfect but they admit it, and they do their best to abide by some of the lessons their faith teaches, though I said some not all their not always successful at it but at least they try.
The only other bad thing was this show didn't go on longer which was too bad, personally I felt there could have been two or three more seasons. The show I know was a hit if not as big of one as certain others but all the same it was one, when they didn't renew the show they replaced it with some crappy forgettable sitcom which was stupid I honestly don't know what they we're thinking, they had the ball but stupidly dropped it blowing the game. Sadly, the only way we'll know more of what happened to the Lubbock's is in the world of Fanfiction. Though if all possible you could make a sequel where we would see one of the Lubbock daughters (Marie most likely in my book) married and have either the same amount or a slightly higher sum of children (11 or 12 are good numbers) and we would see the next gen of Lubbock babes attending St. Augestine's and get into shinangans, while Marie and her significant other are parienting them all doing the best they can. Well it's a thought to consider but I see no reason why not as there are a lot of shows with sequels these days, this show getting a sequel would be a nice break from shows that get the most attention but also draw in another generation of fans, as I said a thought to consider.
This vintage family sitcom scores.
Rating: 3 and a half stars. -
dweilermg-126 July 2018The ongoing joke about Coach Lubbock screening his daughters' potential dates/boyfriends with "the dinner test" was always hilarious especially when a lad messed up and we'd then see him flying out of the front door.
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painthorsesteve8 June 2007The show could be a little over the top at times but overall it was a great show. We would watch it every Friday night. What I can't figure out is why they aren't putting it out on DVD. It's not even on cable in reruns anymore. Just the Ten of Us had such high ratings, it seems like it would probably sell pretty well on DVD. People love those old sitcoms.
Too bad they took it off the air to replace it with a show that got cut after one season. They just don't make shows like this anymore. It was a great show to watch after a tough week of work and school.
If anyone hears anything about it coming to DVD please spread the word. -
Just the Ten of Us was a wonderful show. It had that thing that makes shows and movies so special. It was way better than Growing Pains, the show that spun Just the Ten of Us off. Bill Kirchenbauer was the funniest of all the cast. I recall he was going into one of his classes and was coming from track practice. He had the starting pistol and when the class wouldn't be quiet, he fired it into the air and everyone rushed to their desks. So funny.
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Caramon9411 August 2007The show was great. I think they should start showing re-runs or something. I mean there's no reason they can't. They should at least put it out on DVD or something. Maybe even put the episodes up on youtube. Heather Langenkamp did a great job. It was a pretty major shift in roles. From A Nightmare on Elm Street to Just the Ten of Us. All of the actors were great. There wasn't really anything I didn't like about the show. Anyway there should be a petition to bring the re-runs back on the air. Well there really isn't that much more to say about it. it was a great show that was canceled to quickly. The actors were great and like I said they should do something to bring it back.
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fuzzyfacefreak24 July 2003This was a very funny & kooky show from the late 1980's. It was a spin off from the show "Growing Pains". The four beautiful girls on the show were the main attraction, Heather Langenkamp as Marie, Jamie Luner as Cindy, Brooke Theiss as Wendy & JoAnn Willette as Connie. With four sexy girls at an all boy school, it made for many wacky adventures! Unfortunately it lasted only 47 episodes but remains one of my favorite series of all time. I'll never understand why such series as 'Just the 10 of us', 'The George Carlin Show', 'Platypus Man' & 'Pig Sty' get canceled while so many other shows go on!!?? I can't wait for the show to be on DVD!!
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jhcmrc8 March 2022This show was so had so much potential, it's a shame they canceled!! The cast played off each other so well with exceptional comedic timing. The writing was superb and it truly is a one of a kind gem.
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severe_td11 October 2003I was never a Growing Pains fan. I found that show to be pandering, simplistic, and downright stupid. I would never have given even a second though to a Growing Pains spin off, had Brooke Thies not been in it. Brooke attended the same school that I did, and a big deal was made about her appearance in this new weekly series.
I was surprised to find that the show became an instant favorite of mine. Unlike Growing Pains, the show didn't take itself seriously, didn't obsess over providing a "moral lesson" in each episode, and was actually willing to insult its own characters. Now THIS is the type of comedy which can actually be funny!
Sadly, Just the Ten of Us never achieved the popularity that Growing Pains did, and it only survived for two seasons. The final episodes, where the girls were turned into the "Lubbock Babes" signing group, were embarrassing to watch, and were a clear indication that all was not well with the show's future.
I really liked the "Connie" character, played by JoAnn Willette. Even though this actress was far too old for the role, I found her character -- the smart, down-to-earth daughter who is "forgotten" amidst her attention grabbing sisters -- to be interesting.
Hopefully we'll see it on cable sometime soon. -
lundymorissette1 May 2021Ilove it so much. And i wish that they can bring it back these days my fav people was conne.
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jimmysand-394612 November 2022A spinoff of Growing Pains that, after watching every episode, surpassed it's parent show in almost every way and seemed to be well on it's way to greatness.
But after two full seasons, and it's initial four-episode trial run, it was cancelled in what was, in my opinion, one of the most bewildering decisions I've ever seen a network make. 99% of cancelled shows, even the ones considered to be cancelled unfairly, have viewership numbers too low to considered viable. Such was not the case here; they got good ratings. ABC stated reason was they wanted to make TGIF an all-Miller/Boyett affair; partly for fears that if they didn't, M/B would take shows like Full House and Perfect Strangers and shop them elsewhere. That's what they did with The Hogan Family when NBC didn't renew it fast enough for their liking, they moved it to CBS. So they gave the 9:30 Friday slot to a new M/B show called Going Places. It went nowhere, nor did any other show they put there . Unfortunately, neither did Just The Ten Of Us. ABC claimed at the time that there was no other place on the schedule for it; but that was a cop-out because they also couldn't fill 9:30 Wednesday to save their lives. I think either Bob Iger or ABC president Tom Murphy just didn't like the show, and were looking for an excuse to cancel it. Iger would later admit, in a stunning mea culpa, that cancelling 'Ten' had been a mistake; which leads me to believe it was Tom Murphy, specifically, who ordered the hit on the hit show, but that's just conjecture. And I guess Brandon Tartikoff and Howard Stringer and Barry Diller didn't like it either, as no other network rescued it in spite of it's growing fan base and it's marketability.
Marketability? Well, if I explained that part, I'd be spoiling the show for you. Let's just say it deceives you into thinking it's a generic 80s family sitcom, but then it hits you in the face with some of the sharpest, most clever writing of the era. Imagine "The Golden Girls if they were teenagers". Plus, each character is as important as the last, nobody feels like a waste of space; remarkable for a show with eight main characters. Definitely worth checking out; just remember, like most shows, it takes a few episodes to "grow the beard". -
sendmemail-5666624 September 2018I always loved this show. It was mostly because of the girls, obviously, but I don't think any sitcom has been as good since. They are probably tired of me harping about how sexy they are and how they're my dream women, but thirty years on and I'd still like to be with a couple of them. Just another bunch of women I'll be fantasizing about but could never have.
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StreetAngel15 July 2001I absolutely loved this show. My favorite characters were Wendy and Cindy. I wanted to be just like them(I was about 7 at the time) A couple months ago, I was serching thru a old box of mine and found a tape full of J.T.10.O.U on it. While I was watching it, I felt like a kid again. It is a little ridiculous, but thats what made the show so great. they didn't take themselfs to seriously, like most Sitcoms do today. It's a shame that this show went off the air. I loved the Lubbock Babes!
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ashleycsa28 November 2023I started watching this show during the reruns on USA. I spent the summer as a child watching this show. I have never forgotten the episodes and each character names. I have also followed each actor through their careers. I wish we could get at least one more season of this show. We were robbed of an amazing TV Show. Three of the show's leading ladies were in the Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Each episode featured a new story of at least one major character. The family based show had some of the best lines that I can remember to this day.
If you have a chance to watch this series, please do. -
I Can remember being eight and nine years old and waiting for Friday nights to come around to watch the whole ABC line up which included Mr Belvedere and this show. I remember this show very fondly. Brings back great memories of an increasingly dissapearing era in Television
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Betty-394 October 1999Just the ten of Us was one of those shows that when you asked someone if they ever watched it they give you a puzzled look. No-one seems to remember this show, but it was great. Or maybe it was bad and I was a kid so of course it seemed good, but....that's not the point. I loved it when the girls had "a singing career" if you count playing to a bunch of beer-swilling trailer trash men in a pizza place or something a career. As a kid, I liked Connie the best, but now I find her just frightening. Cindy and Wendy were much too cool to be on that show. That's why Wendy and Cindy were the only ones to go on to other things. Except for Marie..she was in Nightmare on Elm street, which is a far cry from the nunery. Oh well. They should put this show back on cause it was cool. That is all.
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jbdx249 July 2000This show bring back memories for me, when i saw this show back in 1988 i fell in love with jamie luner, she the reason why i love this show, plus the other cast was great too, my favorite episode was the lubbock babes starting their singing career,it sad this show didn't last long, and also jamie luner was so nice that she sign a personal autograph for me free, now that is a star
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Paul-30824 May 2003My favorite was Wendy,I was impressed with the energy and verve that Brooke Theiss put into this character.You could see her obvious excitement over the role come across on the screen.With the exception of maybe Coach Lubbock,none of the other characters (I believe) gave as much as she did.However,they were all good,and near-perfect for the characters they portrayed.Today,when I hear the name "Wendy",I dont think of Peter Pan or Wendy's restaraunts,I think of Wendy Lubbock and the rest from this "fun" comedy whose time passed by so quickly in the annals of television history.