My_Sister_Sam

My Sister Sam

My Sister Sam is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1986 to 1988.

Plot

Pam Dawber played a San Francisco photographer whose life is disrupted when her teenage sister, played by Rebecca Schaeffer, comes to live with her. The series' original title, prior to the premiere, was Taking the Town (in reference to Sam Russell's career as a photographer).

Series run and cancellation

The series premiered in 1986 and, after considerable success on Monday nights, CBS changed its schedule and moved it to Saturday nights opposite NBC's successful comedy lineup. The show's audience then dwindled to one of the lowest on network TV and CBS cancelled it in mid-1988 after only half of the second season had aired. Contrary to popular belief, My Sister Sam was not cancelled as a direct result of Rebecca Schaeffer's murder as this happened a year after the show's end.

Cast

Pam Dawber as Samantha "Sam" Russell
Rebecca Schaeffer as Patti Russell
Joel Brooks as J.D. Lucas
Jenny O'Hara as Dixie Randazzo
David Naughton as Jack Kincaid

Guest stars

Notable guest stars over the course of the series' short run included Scott Bakula (episode 1.7), Ed Marinaro (episode 2.19), and Cristine Rose (episode 2.20).

Theme song and nominations

The theme song, "Room Enough for Two", was performed by Kim Carnes and written by Steve Dorff, who won a BMI TV Music Award in 1987 for his work on the series. The show was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Costume Design. Pam Dawber won a People's Choice Award for her role.

Rebecca Schaeffer's murder and syndication

On July 18, 1989, Schaeffer, then a promising movie star in Scenes from the Class Struggle in Beverly Hills, was shot and killed in her Los Angeles home by Robert John Bardo, who had a fixation on her as the young, energetic character she played on the series. The USA Network picked up syndication rights to the series, eventually running all 44 episodes (including those never shown on CBS).