Who's the Boss? (1984–1992)

Tony Micelli a retired baseball player becomes the housekeeper of Angela Bower, an NY advertising executive. Together they raise their kids Samantha Micelli and Jonathon Bower, with help from Mona Robinson, Angela's man-crazy mother.

Creators:

Martin Cohan, Blake Hunter

Stars:

Tony Danza, Judith Light, Alyssa Milano

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 16 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Tony Danza	...	Tony Micelli (196 episodes, 1984-1992)
Judith Light	...	Angela Bower (196 episodes, 1984-1992)
Alyssa Milano	...	Samantha Micelli (196 episodes, 1984-1992)
Danny Pintauro	...	Jonathan Bower (196 episodes, 1984-1992)
Katherine Helmond	...	Mona Robinson (196 episodes, 1984-1992)

Storyline

Former major-leaguer Tony Micelli and his daughter Samantha arrive at the Connecticut household of executive Angela Bower, where Tony has taken a job as live-in housekeeper. The Bowers are an interesting family, to say the least. Angela is uptight and obsessed with her work. Her son Jonathan is shy and lacks self-esteem, and her mother, Mona, is a man-hungry vixen. Tony soon wins them over with his laid-back style, and the Bowers soon begin to loosen up. Over time, romantic tensions begin to surface between Angela and Tony, and we see the children grow up.

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Plot Keywords:

housekeeper | children | advertising | advertising executive | connecticut | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Family | Romance

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 September 1984 (USA)

Also Known As:

Quién manda a quién?

Filming Locations:

13 Onandaga Street, Rye, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Embassy Television, Columbia Pictures Television, ELP Communications

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

4:3

Did You Know?

Trivia

Premiered on the same night as The Cosby Show, and ended on the same night as Growing Pains and MacGyver.

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Quotes

Mona Robinson: [when Frankie Fitzgerald tries to out bid her daughter to purchase Tony as part of a neighbourhood auction] Angela, I know what's good for you... Buy him!

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Connections

Referenced in The Nanny: The Boca Story (1997)

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Soundtracks

"Brand New Life"
Music by Blake Hunter and Robert Kraft
Lyrics by Larry Carlton
Performed by Steve Wariner (Seasons 1 and 2), Larry Weiss (Seasons 3 - 5), Jonathan Wolff (Seasons 6 - 8)

User Reviews

Never given the credit deserved

I know that Who's The Boss? is a fondly remembered show of the 80s, yet I don't think it ever got the credit it deserved. Although it blends in as a sitcom just like the many others of its decade, I believe it stands alone in other ways. The cast is highly talented and the chemistry was amazing. Especially between Tony Danza and Judith Light's characters. No one can beat the quick wit of Katherine Helmond's Mona, and it takes a heck of a good actress to make the character what it was. The sexual tension between Angela and Tony is what everyone seems to remember when they discuss this show, and the writers kept it going for seven years before the characters finally confessed their love. I think this long running courtship makes the show stand out because it was done so well and so believably when in reality the concept is quite farfetched. Throw in a couple of cute and funny kids who developed into great actors themselves, and I think you have one of the BEST sitcoms of the 80s. Long live the reruns in cable!