I Married Dora
Encyclopedia
I Married Dora is an American sitcom
which appeared on the ABC
television network. It premiered on September 22, 1987, and its final first-run episode aired on December 18, 1987. The series was created by Michael J. Leeson
, who was one of the creators of the long running TV series The Cosby Show
.
) was dependent upon his housekeeper Dora Calderon (Elizabeth Peña
). However, she was an illegal alien
from El Salvador
and the United States government's Immigration and Naturalization Service
was about to deport
her. To prevent her from being arrested upon her return home, and to be able to continue to employ her services as a housekeeper, the two married. As marriages under false pretenses were violations of federal law, the first episode included a disclaimer notifying viewers of this fact and adding, "You should not try this in your own home."
Two important aspects of the stories were the threat of their sham marriage being discovered by authorities and the possibility that they might fall in love, normalizing and legitimizing their marriage. Farrell's children were 13-year-old Kate (Juliette Lewis
) and 11-year-old Will (Jason Horst).
", that ranked number 49 on TVLand's list of The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments. Farrell received a two year job offer in Bahrain
and the final scene featured him leaving Calderon and his children despite their pleas and boarding a plane headed overseas. Then, Farrell (speaking more as Kelly himself) reappeared:
The cameras pulled back to show the entire stage as the cast and crew waved goodbye and performed curtain call
s.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
which appeared on the ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television network. It premiered on September 22, 1987, and its final first-run episode aired on December 18, 1987. The series was created by Michael J. Leeson
Michael J. Leeson
Michael J. Leeson is an American screenwriter.-Filmography:*Love, American Style *All in the Family *The Partridge Family *The Odd Couple *Happy Days...
, who was one of the creators of the long running TV series The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
.
The synopsis
Los Angeles architect and single father Peter Farrell (Daniel Hugh KellyDaniel Hugh Kelly
Daniel Hugh Kelly is an American stage, film and television actor. He may be best known for his role on the 1980s ABC TV series Hardcastle and McCormick from 1983-1986 for which he also wrote and directed...
) was dependent upon his housekeeper Dora Calderon (Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña
Elizabeth Peña is an American actress and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right.-Early life:...
). However, she was an illegal alien
Alien (law)
In law, an alien is a person in a country who is not a citizen of that country.-Categorization:Types of "alien" persons are:*An alien who is legally permitted to remain in a country which is foreign to him or her. On specified terms, this kind of alien may be called a legal alien of that country...
from El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
and the United States government's Immigration and Naturalization Service
Immigration and Naturalization Service
The United States Immigration and Naturalization Service , now referred to as Legacy INS, ceased to exist under that name on March 1, 2003, when most of its functions were transferred from the Department of Justice to three new components within the newly created Department of Homeland Security, as...
was about to deport
Deportation
Deportation means the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. Today it often refers to the expulsion of foreign nationals whereas the expulsion of nationals is called banishment, exile, or penal transportation...
her. To prevent her from being arrested upon her return home, and to be able to continue to employ her services as a housekeeper, the two married. As marriages under false pretenses were violations of federal law, the first episode included a disclaimer notifying viewers of this fact and adding, "You should not try this in your own home."
Two important aspects of the stories were the threat of their sham marriage being discovered by authorities and the possibility that they might fall in love, normalizing and legitimizing their marriage. Farrell's children were 13-year-old Kate (Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis
Juliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
) and 11-year-old Will (Jason Horst).
Series finale
The show had low ratings and was canceled halfway into the first season. The final episode ended with an incident, known as "breaking the fourth wallFourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
", that ranked number 49 on TVLand's list of The 100 Most Unexpected TV Moments. Farrell received a two year job offer in Bahrain
Bahrain
' , officially the Kingdom of Bahrain , is a small island state near the western shores of the Persian Gulf. It is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family. The population in 2010 stood at 1,214,705, including 235,108 non-nationals. Formerly an emirate, Bahrain was declared a kingdom in 2002.Bahrain is...
and the final scene featured him leaving Calderon and his children despite their pleas and boarding a plane headed overseas. Then, Farrell (speaking more as Kelly himself) reappeared:
Farrell: It's been canceled.
Calderon: The flight?
Farrell: No--our SERIES!!!
The cameras pulled back to show the entire stage as the cast and crew waved goodbye and performed curtain call
Curtain call
A curtain call occurs at the end of a performance when individuals return to the stage to be recognized by the audience for their performance. In musical theater, the performers typically recognize the orchestra and its conductor at the end of the curtain call...
s.
Cast
- Daniel Hugh KellyDaniel Hugh KellyDaniel Hugh Kelly is an American stage, film and television actor. He may be best known for his role on the 1980s ABC TV series Hardcastle and McCormick from 1983-1986 for which he also wrote and directed...
.....Peter Farrell - Elizabeth PeñaElizabeth PeñaElizabeth Peña is an American actress and the daughter of a theater-company co-founder, who has also compiled experience as a television director in her own right.-Early life:...
.....Dora Calderon - Juliette LewisJuliette LewisJuliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
.....Kate Farrell - Jason Horst.....Will Farrell
- Sanford Jensen.....Dolf Menninger
- Evelyn GuerreroEvelyn GuerreroEvelyn Guerrero is an American actress. She was married to actor Pat Morita.- Filmography :* Inferno ... as Bertie Early...
.....Marisol Calderon - Henry JonesHenry Jones (actor)Henry Burk Jones was an American actor of stage, film and television.Jones was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Helen and John Francis Xavier Jones. He was the grandson of Pennsylvania Representative Henry Burk...
.....Hughes Whitney Lennox
Episode list
| Episode # | Production Code | Episode Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 101 | "I Married Dora" | September 22, 1987 |
| 2 | 102 | "My Parents are Coming" | September 25, 1987 |
| 3 | 103 | "Where There's a Will, There's No Way" | October 2, 1987 |
| 4 | 104 | "Our Little Girl's Growing Up" | October 9, 1987 |
| 5 | 105 | "God's Waiting Room" | October 16, 1987 |
| 6 | 106 | "Happy, Happy Birthday, Dora" | October 30, 1987 |
| 7 | 107 | "A Matter of Moulding" | November 6, 1987 |
| 8 | 108 | "Club Montez" | November 13, 1987 |
| 9 | 109 | "Dora Steps Out" | November 20, 1987 |
| 10 | 110 | "West Coast Story" | November 27, 1987 |
| 11 | 111 | "The Thirty-Five Year Itch" | December 4, 1987 |
| 12 | 112 | "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner Forever?" | December 11, 1987 |
| 13 | 113 | "The Millionaire's Club" | December 18, 1987 |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Young Artist Award Young Artist Award The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist... |
Nominated | Best Young Actress Starring in a New Television Comedy Series | Juliette Lewis |
| Nominated | Best Young Actor Starring in a New Television Comedy Series | Jason Horst | ||