Dear John

Dear John centers on John Lacey, an easygoing Drake Prep teacher whose marriage ends when his wife leaves him a terse "Dear John" letter. Stripped of the house and custody of his son, John moves into a modest apartment in Ozone Park, Queens and has to rethink his routine and relationships. To fill the void he joins the One-2-One Club, a support group for divorced, widowed or lonely people, where he encounters an oddball but affectionate cast of characters. Louise runs the meetings with brazen humor, while Kate, Kirk, Ralph, Bonnie and Tom create romantic misfires, awkward confessions and regular comic friction. Episodes focus on dating mishaps, office life, and the slow work of rebuilding a social life without hiding the show's lighter frustrations.

The American Dear John premiered in 1988 and is credited to creator John Sullivan, who adapted his British sitcom concept for U.S. television. The series assembled an ensemble led by Judd Hirsch and reshaped the original premise for a network sitcom audience.

The show did not win major awards like Emmys or Golden Globes. It also wasn't a big awards presence, though reviewers and viewers often pointed to Hirsch's steady lead performance and the group's chemistry as strengths that kept the series watchable during its run.

Dear John helped push sitcoms to address divorce and single life with more frankness, especially from a male viewpoint. The One-2-One Club became a shorthand for gatherings of misfit support characters, and the premise, along with the show's tone, has stuck in the memories of fans who recall its blend of blunt humor and small, human moments.

Critical reception was mixed and viewer ratings were moderate, reflected in its average user score. The series balances sitcom setups and workplace scenes with themes of loss, resilience, shifting masculinity and friendship, relying on character interaction and awkward, often gentle humor rather than broad punchlines.