8 simple rules

During this ABC comedy's first season, John Ritter (Hearts Afire, Three's Company) played the father of two teenage girls and a teenage boy. Both Spade and Garner joined the cast as series regulars for season 2.

Now in its third season, (Katey Sagal) Kate finds herself on an emotional journey as not only a single mother, but a single woman. She will take baby steps to regain her life and perhaps enter the dating world. Cate knows that her voyage to her new life will impact her daughters, Bridget (Kaley Cuoco) and Kerry (Amy Davidson), and son Rory (Martin Spanjers)… but life must go on. This year Bridget, Kerry and Rory will all be in high school together. But when Cate is offered the position of school nurse, which frees her from having to work the night shift at the hospital, the kids are mortified. And the new school year finds Bridget fulfilling her duties as Student Body President – a position she was elected to at Kerry's expense. After taking a trip to Washington, D.C. over the summer, Bridget is convinced even further that life is a popularity contest, and she's determined to use that as her office platform. She will also discover that she is a skilled tennis player and will be wooed by the finest colleges across the country to join their teams. However, Bridget being Bridget, she will be more concerned about school colors than higher learning. All of this leads younger daughter Kerry to feel the world is even more unfair than she had ever imagined. But she has other concerns on her mind when, after traveling through Europe over the summer, she meets and has a fling with a boy from her home state of Michigan – which leaves her wondering what to do about boyfriend Kyle. And Rory finds himself going from popular junior high student to the runt of the high school litter. Back at home, Cate has received a little relief around the house and with raising the kids, thanks to her father, Jim (James Garner). After traveling to Florida to try and reconcile with his wife – and failing – Jim has decided to get his life together by losing weight, getting in shape and quitting smoking. He's also become quite the ladies' man, which makes his grandson and Cate's wayward nephew, C.J. (David Spade), extremely jealous. C.J. still finds it hard to resist getting himself into trouble or offering questionable advice to the kids. But being closer to their age, he can relate to their problems and offer solutions – albeit quirky ones. Dating and fitting in with their peers are still top priorities for the girls. But no matter what, Cate will continue to enforce Paul's number one rule – "If you make my daughters cry, I'll make you cry."

During its life-changing second season, the Hennessy family dealt with their father's and husband's death. Cate struggled being a widow, and on top of that raising two daughters who are boy crazy and a son who is entering puberty (without a father). The three kids dealt with losing a parent, and only having one left, on top of the everyday teenage-pressuring issues. Kerry, the normally single teenage, found herself a boyfriend who just happens to be her sister's ex. Rory found himself more attracted to the opposite sex, as his body went through a lot of changes. And Bridget continued to be her usual, ditzy self. To help them along the way, Cate's father, Jim (James Garner, The Rockford Files, First Monday) moved in with them to try to fill Paul's void and help his daughter and grandkids through this difficult time. C.J. (David Spade, Just Shoot Me), Jim's grandson and Cate's nephew, also moved in with the Hennessy family to offer his help by being a pain in Jim's neck and always offering the kids some quirky advice.

In season 1, Paul Hennessy was a writer for a local newspaper and a loving, rational Dad whose darling, pliable daughters, Kerry (Amy Davidson, The Truth About Jane, Christmas in Aspen) and Bridget (Kaley Cuoco, Ladies Man), morphed into hormonally-challenged, incomprehensible teenagers. When he found himself in disturbing situations, like meeting his daughter's boyfriend, he reacted in ways even he finds crazy. Thank goodness he had a 13-year-old son, Rory (Martin Spanjers, Two of a Kind) , who spoke his language, and a loving wife, Cate (Katey Sagal, Married With Children) , to had help him through parenthood.

NOTE: During the show's second season, its name was shortened to just "8 Simple Rules," instead of "8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter."

The series is based on the best-selling book "8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter: and Other Tips from a Beleaguered Father (Not That Any of Them Work)" by W. Bruce Cameron.