The Torkelsons (1991–1992)

As a single mother of five, Mrs. Millicent Torkelson is a do-it-yourselfer with a flair for finding ingenious ways to make ends meet. Her oldest daughter Dorothy is a sensitive dreamer who ... See full summary »

Creator:

Lynn Montgomery

Stars:

Connie Ray, Olivia Burnette, Lee Norris

6 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Connie Ray	...	Millicent Torkelson (20 episodes, 1991-1992)
Olivia Burnette	...	Dorothy Jane Torkelson (20 episodes, 1991-1992)
Lee Norris	...	Chuckie Lee Torkelson (20 episodes, 1991-1992)
Rachel Duncan	...	Mary Sue Torkelson (20 episodes, 1991-1992)
William Schallert	...	Wesley Hodges (20 episodes, 1991-1992)
Aaron Michael Metchik	...	Steven Floyd Torkelson (19 episodes, 1991-1992)
Anna Slotky	...	Ruth Ann Torkelson (19 episodes, 1991-1992)
Paige Gosney	...	Kirby Scroggins (11 episodes, 1991-1992)

Storyline

As a single mother of five, Mrs. Millicent Torkelson is a do-it-yourselfer with a flair for finding ingenious ways to make ends meet. Her oldest daughter Dorothy is a sensitive dreamer who finds solace by talking to the "man in the moon". The rest of the clan includes Steven, Chuckie, Mary Sue and Ruth Ann, all of whom easily get themselves in and out of trouble. Making the best of bad times.

---

Plot Keywords:

sitcom | character name in title

---

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Family

---

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 September 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

La familia Tórkelson

Company Credits

Production Co:

Walt Disney Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

30 min 30 min (33 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Sword and the Dragon (1994)

User Reviews

Shafted by the networks

Although The Torkelsons was an ensemble comedy, Connie Ray and Olivia Burnette were the obvious stars. They took characters who could have been caricatures (the frazzled, whacky southern mama and her precocious wannabe-poet daughter) and gave rich, realistic and complex performances. Dorothy Jane's crush on Riley was realistically poignant, exciting and angsty as only unrequited teen love can be. The jokes were cute, the lessons learned didn't clobber watchers over the head, and the Torkelsons had a moral-center much more admirable and realistic than most "family values" programming. Networks didn't know what to do with this show. It was so unique that it was difficult to fit smoothly into programming blocks. It was bounced around in the schedule so much that devoted fans set up calling networks to alert each other when they happened to find an episode on the air.

Almost Home tried to put The Torkelsons' heart and wit into a more marketable package, but the sarcastic city kids' reaction to the earnest Oklahomans mirrored the condescension shown by network executives.