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1986 - 1989 5.0 (1 votes) 2 Seasons
Genres
Comedy
Networks
CBS
Created By
Robert Moloney

The Cavanaughs

Overview

The Cavanaughs is an American television situation comedy, broadcast on CBS from 1986 to 1989. The series revolved around Francis "Pop" Cavanaugh, a 71-year-old, blue-collar Irish Catholic man living in South Boston with his daughter Kit and son Chuck, as well as Chuck's sons and daughter. Much of the show's humor stemmed from conflicts between the cantankerous, opinionated Pop and his grown children.

Top Cast

Danny Cooksey
Danny Cooksey

Peter Michael Goetz
Peter Michael Goetz

Barnard Hughes
Barnard Hughes

Christine Ebersole
Christine Ebersole

Parker Jacobs
Parker Jacobs

Seasons

Season 1 (1986)

No overview available.

13 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Member of the Wake-ing
1986-12-01

Pop's old chum, Tim, passes away, Pop throws a wake for him, and the occasion brings Kit back to Boston.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Not So Gently Into the Night
1986-12-08

A woman wants to make a film about Pop.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: Home
1986-12-15

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Yes, Virginia, There Is a Pop
1986-12-22

It's not a very merry Christmas when Pop picks the holiday season to attempt to stop a shopping center from being built.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: The Bishop's Back
1986-12-29

Father Chuck, Jr.'s plans to climb the ladder aren't helped by his father's bitter feud with a clergyman in their church, nor by his own untruthfulness.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: Angst a Lot
1987-01-12

Kit gets sick of living with her family again, and decides to return to show biz.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 7: Strike Too
1987-01-19

Pop and Chuck find themselves on opposite sides of a strike at the Cavanaugh Bros. Construction Company.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 8: Not So Gently
1987-01-26

Neither Pop nor Chuck like that Kit has taken it upon herself to allow Mary Margaret to start dating.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 9: The Eyes Have Had It
1987-02-02

Pop is humiliated when he loses his driver's license due to his failing eyesight. As if that's not bad enough, Kit is trying to sell his car out from under him. Pop discovers Kit's plans when Maureen Brennan, an elderly, outspoken widow just like him, drops by the house asking to see it. Although Pop refuses to give up his '41 Plymouth -- which he courted his wife in -- without a fight, he falls for Mrs. Brennan and agrees to take her for a spin, license troubles and all. Officer Dennis ends up escorting him home, because, as Pop claims, he crashed the car into a tree. But when Mrs. Brennan comes by the house a second time, Chuck and Kit learn that she asked Pop if she could drive, and the accident was all her fault. As it turns out, she still wants to buy the car, as her dead, Irish husband Robert courted her in a '41 Plymouth. A smitten Pop finally agrees to sell it, and Mrs. Brennan repays him with a little backseat nookie.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 10: A Chorus Malign
1987-02-09

Two of Kit's fast and loose showgirl friends from the '70s, ""Legs"" Lawler and Crystal Line, plan a trip to Southie to stay with Kit for a night, before the three of them head out to Atlantic City together the next day for a ten-year reunion of former showgirls. But even that short amount of time is too long for Pop, who doesn't want Kit's trashy friends in his house, because he assumes they'll be a bad influence on Mary Margaret. Although Kit gets her way, that night after she goes to bed early, ""Legs"" and Crystal drink champagne with the awestruck Mary Margaret present, leave the bottle there, and Mary Margaret helps herself and gets smashed. Pop catches the aftermath of this, alerts Chuck, and they both demand that Kit throw the diabolical duo out. With Mary Margaret suffering a bad hangover, Kit does just that, and tells the girls she's not going to the reunion -- not because Pop said she couldn't, but because she realizes she's changed since coming home.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 11: Banned in Boston
1987-02-16

When the church sets up Father Chuck, Jr. rating videos for family consumption, he discovers something about Kit he didn't know.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 12: He Ain't Heavy, Father...
1987-02-23

All hell breaks loose when Pop's wealthy, estranged brother, owner of Cavanaugh Bros. Construction and Chuck's boss, James ""The Weasel,"" pays a visit to the Cavanaugh house, against Pop's wishes. James wants Pop to know that an old basement office they once shared is going to be demolished. Inside the office is a locked safe, each of them has only half of the combination, and Pop stubbornly refuses to hand over his half. The two brothers are forced to work out their 30-year-old differences when they both arrive at their former office. But their bickering causes the staircase out of the building to collapse, leaving them trapped inside just hours before the demolition. While looking for a way out, Pop finally agrees to share and share alike, and his seeing the prized family memories that James saved in the safe leads the pair to have a reconciliation right before Chuck and Kit rescue them.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 13: Aunt Mom
1987-03-09

Kit has trouble dealing with Kevin's attempts to pass her off as his mother for an upcoming parish talent show.

Runtime: 30 min
Season 2 (1988)

No overview available.

14 episodes

Episodes
Episode 1: Weasel Waltz
1988-08-08

James returns, and he and Pop dig up the past concerning their childhood rivalry over the affections of a girl.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 2: Coastal Disturbance
1988-08-15

When Kit's ex comes to town, Kit realizes she still has feelings for him.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 3: Careers
1988-08-22

Chuck can't swallow his pride when Kit outdoes his efforts at the construction company.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 4: Monk's the Word
1988-08-29

The Cavanaughs think a week in a monastery is just the thing that will teach them to get along.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 5: Suggestive Dancing
1988-09-05

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 6: Many Happy Returns
1988-09-12

Pop's plan to help Kit fight a tax audit gets him in hot water with the I.R.S.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 7: Smoke Gets in Your Eyes... and Up Your Nose
1988-09-19

When Kit struggles to quit smoking, the rest of the clan agree to give up something of their own to support her.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 8: Strange Bedfellows
1988-09-26

A politician rejects Pop's offer to handle his campaign, because he's too busy setting his sights on Kit.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 9: Gimme Shelter
1988-10-03

Father Chuck, Jr. is in a bit of a bind when the homeless shelter where he was helping out is forced to closed down suddenly. He's managed to find a new home for everyone, save for one person, and asks Pop if they could stay with him temporarily. Pop reluctantly says yes, only to learn that there's two people: a Hispanic woman, Rosa, and her infant son, Bob. But when Rosa (who barely speaks any English) overstays her welcome, Pop and Kit begin to suspect that the Father's motives aren't entirely pure, and Rosa is a scam artist. They get one right -- Father Chuck, Jr. goes on to announce that he's resigning from the priesthood, so that he can marry Rosa and be the other kind of father. Although everyone takes the news hard, only Pop is so angry about it that he nearly disowns his grandson. Pop's increasing feelings towards the baby cause him to eventually have a change of heart... at the same time that Junior has his own about the marriage thing.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 10: Fair Weather Friend
1989-06-29

The family think Mary Margaret has been bitten by the acting bug, but she's actually been bitten by the love bug after gaining a crush on a boy who's choreographing her school play.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 11: The Last Temptation of Chuck
1989-07-06

Deciding Chuck has had enough time to grieve over Nora's death, Pop gallantly sets him up on a blind date. Since Chuck doesn't have the backbone to do so, Kit tells Pop that he has no right to play matchmaker for his son, especially since Chuck is too shy to be fixed up. Despite Kit's protests and Chuck's desire to remain a one-woman guy, Chuck ends up going through with the affair... albeit with a toupee. Although his date, Bonnie, is better-looking than he is, and a good ten years younger, the two of them have a couple things in common -- her mother fixed her up, and she's no more confident on the dating scene than he is. But he comes home from their dinner date feeling like he did everything wrong, starting with his failing to admit to her that he's balding. When Pop apologizes to Chuck for meddling, claiming that he didn't want to see him end up alone like he is, Chuck nervously sees Bonnie a second time, sans the hairpiece -- after which he learns that she knew all along, and like

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 12: The Cavanaugh Curse
1989-07-20

It's Pop's 72nd birthday.

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 13: Just Weaseled
1989-07-27

James tells the family that he is getting married. But is he?

Runtime: 30 min
Episode 14: The Arrangement

Runtime: 30 min

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