25 TV Dads we wish were ours
By Sundi Rose
Photo: ABC
Paul Hennessy – 8 Simple Rules
8 Simple Rules For Dating My Teenage Daughter, also known as 8 Simple Rules is among the absolute most underwatched family sitcoms of all time. John Ritter played Paul, dad to three teenaged children, one of which was actually a boy.
John Ritter played Paul with his infamous cheeky humor and exasperation. The premise was meant to pit Paul against the woes of female adolescence, and Paul juggled everything from dating to self-esteem, lovingly embarrassing his daughters the whole way. Half the fun was watching Paul squirm under the scrutiny of his daughter’s eyes, and the other half was watching him live up to the “psycho dad” reputation.
Some of rules he forced the kids to live by were, “Use your hands on my daughter and you’ll lose them after,” “You make her cry, I make you cry,” and, “Safe sex is a myth. Anything you try will be hazardous to your health.” The premise of the show was built around these rules, and Paul was adamant about enforcing them, even when it posed an incredible double standard.
Ritter died in season 2 of the show, and it never quite recovered, despite the additions of James Garner and David Spade. Neither had the on-screen chemistry with the young actresses, one of which was a pre-Big Bang Theory Kaley Cuoco.