New Fan -> Question about AIDS episode(s)

[dpx]

Hey Everyone,

I used to be a fan of the show when I was a kid in the 80's but had forgotten about it totally until a local station started airing Reruns here in Toronto.

The first thing I remembered about the show was when I had this really bad throat infection when I was a kid and was watching an episode. It was the episode where Sandy goes on the blind date with the Elvis guy (one of the best eps!).

Anyhow all I remember was that it hurt when I laughed, since my throat was ripped apart, and after the show I could hardly breathe!

I almost choked to death when she put the fake sideburns on and said "Thank you! thank you very much!" lol, classic.


Anyway, enough of my ramblings, I read in the episode guide that in the next season (the local station is currently airing the 89/90 season I belive) Dave does a docuemntary on Rich cause he gets AIDS.

Is that the same Rich that was in all the other shows? Do they explain how it happened?

I'm asking this cause I'm afraid if the somewhat Religious Station aring the re-runs will not show that episode (they have done so with some episodes of Family Ties re runs).

Anyhow, thanks for any info you may have.

Yours,
Dave

P.s. Thanks sooo much for seting up this website, I loved going through the pics/media/epidode guides!

I really appreicate all the work they have put in on this!

[Madness]

Yep, that's the same Rich. He went to Europe, I think for a few months and "contracted" it. He ends up dying at the end of that episode. You don't see him die but David does a specch about him in an auditorium. It's a very good episode. Then again, all of the tragic ones ends up being good--like the fire episode. I wish it aired in the US still.

Hope that helped,
Adam

[dpx]

Hey thanks for the info!

I have a strong feeling they wont play that episode here, so I wanted to hear about it.

So how do they deal with it? I mean, how does a sitcom family deal with "My best friend has AIDS"?

Its just so hard to think of the Hogan Family that way.

As for the fire episode, it is truly a classic.

My fav line:

(in Ms. Pooles house, after the fire, the family is standing there in shock...)

Sandy: "So Dave, how did the date go?"

lol, I loved her on that show, she is my fav.

[TJ]

Welcome to the board dpx and for your nice comments on the site!

As a bit of additional trivia, the guy who played Rich wrote (or co-wrote) this episode. In my opinion its one of the better episodes of the series, not your traditional sitcom storyline..

[Madness]

Let's just say Rich got more sympathy than Valerie did! http://www.sitcomsonline.com/ubb/smile.gif. Dave was doing a video project where he goes to the hospital and found Rich. He finds out from someone in the hospital that he is a patient in the AIDS wing. Rich told Dave he was in for a check-up. Dave ends up doing his project on Rich--he makes it into a documentary of Rich's life. At the end he tells everyone in the auditorium Rich died. It's handled quite well, I think. That's the great thing about the Hogan Family. They can tackle both comedy and serious issues very well. Other shows are not that flexible.

[dpx]

I have to say, The Hogan Family, must be one of the best sitcoms.

I mean, how could any show from the 80's especially... go from having one of the sitcom "formula friends" (Rich) go from Daves friend to an AIDS patient.

I'm sure they handled it well. Thanks for the details of the episode, I know they won't show it, but I"m gonna email CTS (the channel that is reruning the episodes).

I just think its so cool that this website has been here for a while, and I'm so glad it was up when I became obsessed with the show!!

Oh, the Zombie episode is also a classic, I remember I loved it, but it scared me when I was 8 y/o and saw it for the first time!!

Thanks again guys,
Dave

[Madness]

You're right. It was one of the best shows. And you're welcome for the response. Anytime I can help someone in need, especially on topics I know, I don't mind at all. Keep posting here and enjoy your stay!

[TRACYMARKS]

The Fire episode (Burned Out 10/5/87) and the AIDS story (Best Of Friends, Worst of Times 12/1/90) were probably the best of the series. I taped those like many others when they originally aired. Both seemed to serve a purpose I thought. The fire seemed to wipe out Valerie and any mention of her (saddly), and the AIDS story was the last episode that AIRED here on CBS, closing the series on a sad note. The series did come back in 1991 to air the episodes that were never shown, but not for long.

[Mcfly]

If memory serves, Dave is reluctant to associate with Rich anymore upon finding out. But after talking to Sandy, he realizes Rich is still a friend, and remains with him till the end.

As far as the reference about sitcoms handling the subject, and this is not to say it wasn't a good episode, but the same topic had been dealt with a few years earlier on a "Mr. Belvedere" episode, where Wesley's (the youngest kid) friend contracts AIDS and deals with upset parents and classmates.

[TV Guy]

I remember feeling that the AIDS episode of "The Hogan Family" was particularly effective because it affected a character (Rich), who was a former regular, and whom we knew pretty well. Other shows at the time that dealt with the topic generally gave the disease to a character brought in for that particular episode, and then we never saw that character again.

[Mcfly]

And that's a good point cuz on "Belvedere" the kid with AIDS was supposedly Wesley's best friend, yet had never been seen before, and the show was well into its second season. Us Belvey buffs know that Wes's best friend was Miles, the kid with the headgear. So, generally it is an unknown character dragged forward to play the tragic friend.