1st Episode of 8 simple Rules without John Ritter airs

[Colin]

I watched mainly the end of it..very sad. It really stinks with him not around anymore.

[GalvestonDuck]

Colin, you missed the beginning? It was sooooo hard to watch and so real. I know we were supposed to believe we were watching Kate Hennessey and the kids talking about Paul, but the tears were so pained and the grief was so real, you couldn't help but feel the loss of John Ritter, not the character Paul Hennessey.

[PerficktGurl]

I broke down in tears several times during the tribute show last night...so did my mom (she's a big fan of John Ritter from his days on Three's Company).

[Miss Mary]

Somone mentioned the similarities to the sudden shock of losing John Ritter and his character, John Hennessey. I don't think that was accidental. Perhaps it was written that way to pay tribute to John's real life family. They are reeling from his loss too. I never thought of it from that viewpoint until someone pointed it out here. There were many reactions and comments that I'm sure his real family feels. As does his TV family. This show just didn't feel like fiction but you knew it was.

Mary

[GalvestonDuck]

And they even described his death in the same way ("He collapsed..."). Although they never gave a cause of death for Paul (after his collapse in the store), we all know from the news about how John collapsed on the set and then died later from his heart problem. I'm sure when Kate got the call about Paul, Katey Sagal must have relived the moment when whoever (John's wife, a producer, or a friend) called her to give her the sad news about John.

Did anyone who watched happen to notice when James Garner's character called her Katey instead of Kate? I heard it and thought about it for a moment and I don't recall Paul ever calling her Katey. She was always Kate. So I'm not sure if that was a slip because sometimes actors have been known to use a real name accidentally instead of a character's name or if it was meant as a term of endearment since they were portraying father and daughter. Obviously, it works since her name is basically the same as her character.

[Stormsfury]

Did anyone who watched happen to notice when James Garner's character called her Katey instead of Kate? I heard it and thought about it for a moment and I don't recall Paul ever calling her Katey. She was always Kate. So I'm not sure if that was a slip because sometimes actors have been known to use a real name instead of a character's name or if it was meant as a term of endearment since they were portraying father and daughter. Obviously, it works since her name is basically the same as her character.

I did ... it could have a significant hidden meaning behind it, or shown a father/daughter relationship (you know how parents have nicknames for their children) ... or it was a inadvertant slip that was left in because of her name. But it's a good point you noticed.

SF

[StormCrazyIowan]

You did Duck? Is there any way in the world you could make me a copy of it? I would love to watch it....

[GalvestonDuck]

I'd be happy to! PM me privately and we'll work out the arrangements.

[Lindaloo]

Did anyone watch that show with Diane Sawyer and John's wife was on there. Anyway, she said her and their daughter were watching the last episode of the show when their 5 year old stood up on the bed, looked up to to the sky with her arms held out and said "Drop him!!" Her Mom said, "What are you doing" The 5 year old said, "I am talking to Heaven, DROP HIM!!" I broke down in tears at that. I saw home movies with his kids and he was great with them.