Many television shows over the years have became so well established with viewers that they inevitably end up being made into a feature film. 'Uncle Buck', however, was the opposite. It began life in 1989 as a feature film written by John Hughes and starred the irreplaceable John Candy as Buck Russell, a work-shy, chain-smoking but big-hearted buffoon. With the film a hit, CBS created a series in 1990 following the further exploits of the bone-idle Buck, with Kevin Meaney inheriting the role. Tim O'Donnell, who wrote and created the series, must have thought there would have been tremendous viewer interest in 'Uncle Buck'. Sadly, he was wrong. The series was slated by the critics and viewers gave up on it in droves after only 16 episodes.
In the film, Buck was called up by his brother Bob ( Garret M. Brown ) to take care of their kids Miles ( Macaulay Culkin ), Maisie ( Gaby Hoffman ) and Tia ( Jean Louisa Kelly ) while he and his wife Cindy ( Elaine Bromka ) leave home briefly to take care of an ill relative. In order to sustain a series, O'Donnell eliminated the characters of Bob and Cindy by saying they were killed in a car accident and that Buck has became the kids' full time guardian. For the child roles, Dah-ve Chodan played the rebellious Tia, whilst Jacob Gelman and Sarah Martineck played the mischievous Miles and Maisie. Dennis Cockrum ( who played Pal in the movie ) appeared here as Buck's uncouth friend Skank.
Kevin Meaney certainly did his best with the role but Candy had made the part his own to such an extent that it was way too hard an act to follow. Gelman and Martineck were particularly irritating as the younger members of the family, though the gorgeous Dah-ve Chodan provided some humour, particularly when in one episode she tried to hook up Buck with her schoolteacher in order to flaunt her away through her studies. All in all, unfortunately 'Uncle Buck' missed the target more often than it hit.
Viewers did not find the show funny and as a result the network decided not to show all of the 22 episodes. To this day, six episodes have yet to be screened. It has never been screened in Britain and is unlikely to ever be released on DVD. If you should come across the series, I will not try to dissuade you from watching it but don't expect to be laughing out loud, that's all.
In the film, Buck was called up by his brother Bob ( Garret M. Brown ) to take care of their kids Miles ( Macaulay Culkin ), Maisie ( Gaby Hoffman ) and Tia ( Jean Louisa Kelly ) while he and his wife Cindy ( Elaine Bromka ) leave home briefly to take care of an ill relative. In order to sustain a series, O'Donnell eliminated the characters of Bob and Cindy by saying they were killed in a car accident and that Buck has became the kids' full time guardian. For the child roles, Dah-ve Chodan played the rebellious Tia, whilst Jacob Gelman and Sarah Martineck played the mischievous Miles and Maisie. Dennis Cockrum ( who played Pal in the movie ) appeared here as Buck's uncouth friend Skank.
Kevin Meaney certainly did his best with the role but Candy had made the part his own to such an extent that it was way too hard an act to follow. Gelman and Martineck were particularly irritating as the younger members of the family, though the gorgeous Dah-ve Chodan provided some humour, particularly when in one episode she tried to hook up Buck with her schoolteacher in order to flaunt her away through her studies. All in all, unfortunately 'Uncle Buck' missed the target more often than it hit.
Viewers did not find the show funny and as a result the network decided not to show all of the 22 episodes. To this day, six episodes have yet to be screened. It has never been screened in Britain and is unlikely to ever be released on DVD. If you should come across the series, I will not try to dissuade you from watching it but don't expect to be laughing out loud, that's all.
