I don't know. I think there is something incredible about identical twins. Since twins don't run in my family, I doubt that I will ever have twins myself. The Sagal twins (Liz and Jean) are also sisters to Katey Sagal. The first season had them together in the Midwest. The second season moved them to New York City to live with an aunt played by the wonderful Barbara Barrie. Now remember that the show has not been seen in about 20 years so I'm going by memory, I remember it aired briefly on NBC and then it got cancelled. Back then, sitcoms had the time to develop. It might have surfaced in syndication but it never did. I think it would have prospered and remain popular.
5 Reviews
NYC 400 - #382 - "Double Trouble" (Season Two)
DeanNYC25 April 2024
This series might have done a little better, ratings wise, if it was set in NYC for the entirety of its run. But, in its first season, it was the story of a couple of identical twin sisters, one fun loving and free, while the other was studious and serious, living with their dad in Des Moines. Those episodes were mostly twin swapping storylines, with the girls taking each other's places for various things. Not incredibly inspired.
Things slightly improved for the series when they shifted it to Manhattan (which is my point in reviewing 400 shows set in NYC in honor of the 400th Anniversary of the founding of New York).
In the first season, the girls, unfortunately named Kate and Allison (as there was already a "Kate & Allie" on TV, a month before this series began) were aspiring dancers and were constantly seen in their dad's studio, wearing typical 80's workout apparel. But that wasn't enough to interest viewers, so the network waited until the mid-season replacement to retool and bring the show back.
The dance storyline was as good an excuse as any to send the twins to NYC to live with their Aunt Margo, played by Barbara Barrie, and to explore and pursue the world of entertainment they seemingly sought.
Two guys, played by James Vallely and Jonathan Schmock, were living in the same building and were continually taking the oddest of odd jobs, usually something that required some sort of outrageous costuming, which provided them with a lot of sight-gag style humor.
And another source of laughs was Anne-Marie Johnson, who was a heavily accented West Indian worker who turned up frequently to provide even more ridiculousness.
New York played a part as a game board that the girls would negotiate, either auditioning for roles, exploring the city, and doing all of the typical things everyone has to do while trying to make their dreams come true. There were also the requisite unusual people they would meet, difficult characters that gave them a hard time and the challenges of getting work in their chosen field.
Finally, their dad came to town, and having seen how his daughters were living in such a decadent and worldly way, wanted to drag them back to Iowa! We never found out for sure if they stayed or left because the program was canceled after that episode.
Jean and Liz are still active in the business, only now, mostly behind the camera. Jean has been a director of episodic TV, most recently directing eps of the reboot of the Paramount+ series "iCarly," Apple TV's "Amber Brown" and the Bounce TV comedy "Act Your Age." And Liz has been working as a writer and story editor; she served as a producer for the award-winning Max series, "The Flight Attendant."
And many people know that the Sagal twins have a big sister, Katey, who has appeared in numerous films and TV series, but is probably best remembered for her portrayal of Peg Bundy in "Married... With Children" and for voicing the character Leela in the animated comedy "Futurama."
Things slightly improved for the series when they shifted it to Manhattan (which is my point in reviewing 400 shows set in NYC in honor of the 400th Anniversary of the founding of New York).
In the first season, the girls, unfortunately named Kate and Allison (as there was already a "Kate & Allie" on TV, a month before this series began) were aspiring dancers and were constantly seen in their dad's studio, wearing typical 80's workout apparel. But that wasn't enough to interest viewers, so the network waited until the mid-season replacement to retool and bring the show back.
The dance storyline was as good an excuse as any to send the twins to NYC to live with their Aunt Margo, played by Barbara Barrie, and to explore and pursue the world of entertainment they seemingly sought.
Two guys, played by James Vallely and Jonathan Schmock, were living in the same building and were continually taking the oddest of odd jobs, usually something that required some sort of outrageous costuming, which provided them with a lot of sight-gag style humor.
And another source of laughs was Anne-Marie Johnson, who was a heavily accented West Indian worker who turned up frequently to provide even more ridiculousness.
New York played a part as a game board that the girls would negotiate, either auditioning for roles, exploring the city, and doing all of the typical things everyone has to do while trying to make their dreams come true. There were also the requisite unusual people they would meet, difficult characters that gave them a hard time and the challenges of getting work in their chosen field.
Finally, their dad came to town, and having seen how his daughters were living in such a decadent and worldly way, wanted to drag them back to Iowa! We never found out for sure if they stayed or left because the program was canceled after that episode.
Jean and Liz are still active in the business, only now, mostly behind the camera. Jean has been a director of episodic TV, most recently directing eps of the reboot of the Paramount+ series "iCarly," Apple TV's "Amber Brown" and the Bounce TV comedy "Act Your Age." And Liz has been working as a writer and story editor; she served as a producer for the award-winning Max series, "The Flight Attendant."
And many people know that the Sagal twins have a big sister, Katey, who has appeared in numerous films and TV series, but is probably best remembered for her portrayal of Peg Bundy in "Married... With Children" and for voicing the character Leela in the animated comedy "Futurama."
Great TV show that ended so sadly
nataliemcebula21 August 2010
I loved this show! i watched it all the time it was on. i must have been about 8 years old,and from then watched it as it went on to cable as a rerun. I got the chance to tape a few episodes on my VHS,but since it was so long ago i can't find em. can anybody help with getting the complete shows on DVD or video. really that was a AWESOME show!I named my 2nd daughter Allison just like the character..ha ha so funny.and me too also wanted a twin sister. mainly because i was an only child.and when they went off to New York it was even more fun with Bongo Bear and the 2 funny guys! hahahaha! not to mention the aunt who always had her words of wisdom...that Kate hardley ever followed! please contact me if anybody has info on getting the tapes.
The 80's Parent Trap
AppleAsylum8 January 2002
We have the plain-jane conservative smart girl & her twin sister who is the outlandish crazy fashion obsessed fun one! The girls who were best known as the preppy cheerleaders in Grease & Grease 2 moved to television. The 1st season started off with them living in a tiny apartment doing the "trick your boyfriend by switching places to see what kind of looser he really is" kind of thing! Many of the episodes included that "type" of craziness. The show was cute, but maybe to cute. When the 2nd season rolled around, it was clear that the writers said we can't go far here, so, lets move the girls into their calm aunts house to stir up trouble. In homage to Patty Duke, the girls did just that. Every episode was an "I Love Lucy" disaster with a "Facts Of Life" message at the end. I think with changes along with the new characters added to the show it was hard to pull off. Everyone tuned in for the 1st season which wasn't that great...& because of that, they really didn't get a chane to experience the 2nd. So the show was canceled. Thats to bad to. It could have had at least a 4 to 5 year run. 1-10 (8)
not sure if i saw this, but i liked something like it
mimser130 June 2006
i am not sure whether i had ever watched "double trouble" or not; and I am not sure whether it was a television series or a movie, but if it was a television series in 1984, then I would have to say "yes, i have seen it." i can remember watching something that had twins on it, but i am not sure if this is the show that i am thinking of. of course, for a 28 year old to remember that far back, which seems like a long time ago, is very strange that i can remember something like that. i have to say, though, that if it was the television series that i am thinking of, i enjoyed watching it very much as a 6 year old. it makes me very sad when you fall in love with a show, then they suddenly decide to take it off the air.
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