Empty Nest

Harry Weston is a widowed pediatrician who’s great with kids but has less control over his home life. He lives with his daughters Barbara and Carol, copes with a wisecracking nurse, LaVerne Todd, and endures Charley Dietz, a freeloading neighbor who pushes into every situation. At work Harry is calm and professional, but at home he’s often exasperated, relying on friends and his enormous dog Dreyfuss for comfort. The show balances clinic scenes and household scenes, using misunderstandings, affectionate bickering, and workplace banter to fuel the comedy while keeping a warm tone about family, aging, and the odd comforts of community. Episodes pair quick jokes with quieter moments about single parenthood and middle-age change.

Premiering in 1988, Empty Nest was created by Susan Harris and starred Richard Mulligan, Dinah Manoff, David Leisure, Park Overall, and Marsha Warfield. The sitcom ran for multiple seasons, becoming a familiar late-80s staple on network television.

Empty Nest fit into the era's TV mix but left some lasting impressions, like Charley Dietz's freeloading routines and Harry's dog Dreyfuss as a comic companion. It reinforced sitcom templates that combined workplace settings with family dynamics and helped normalize stories about single parenting later in life, too.

Critical response was mixed to modest; a small sample gives the series a 5.8/10 from 25 votes. Viewers tended to appreciate its blend of light humor and sincerity, with recurring themes of family responsibility, aging, friendship, professional identity, and how ordinary mishaps produce comic payoff. That mix sometimes divided viewers.

The series drew attention from television industry voters, earning some nominations for cast and guest performers. Richard Mulligan's work as Harry was singled out often, receiving praise and recognition from peers and critics during the show's early seasons. Writers and guest stars received occasional nods, and crew occasionally earned recognition.