History Series / EightSimpleRules

* NoBisexuals: During the gay episode, Kerry and her prom date are immediately assumed to be lesbians, and Rory's date [[SuddenlySexuality discovers]] that she's not attracted to men at all.

Based on a popular W. Bruce Cameron column, ''8 Simple Rules'' is your basic DomCom where Paul and Cate Hennessy (played by Creator/JohnRitter and Creator/KateySagal) attempt to ride herd on the burgeoning love life of their teenage daughters, bookish Kerry (Amy Davidson) and promiscuous Bridget (Creator/KaleyCuoco). Rounding out the family is son Rory (Martin Spanjers), who is Paul's only other source of testosterone, and thus they bond often.

* EveryoneLovesBlondes: Bridget of course. She gets voted Class President, is able to make men do anything she wants and even is still loved when she has to walk around with a facial mask on. Everyone loves her so much that when she announces herself on the intercom, a faint standing ovation is heard.

* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Cate's parents 'appear' in the first season Thanksgiving episode but aren't seen. They do feature for real after Paul's death in Season 2.

** Kyle cheating on Bridget with Kerry.

The premise was good and it worked well... until the show was [[RealLifeWritesThePlot derailed]] by the death of John Ritter. The resultant ReTool brought in Cate's cantankerous father Jim (James Garner) and slacker nephew C.J. (Creator/DavidSpade). Because of Ritter's death, [[OfficiallyShortenedTitle the show's name was changed from the quirky]] ''[[OfficiallyShortenedTitle Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter]]'' [[OfficiallyShortenedTitle to simply]] ''[[OfficiallyShortenedTitle Eight Simple Rules]]''. The rating also took a plunge shortly after episodes dealing with [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim Paul's death]] and it was cancelled within two years.

The premise was good and it worked well... until the show was [[RealLifeWritesThePlot derailed]] by the death of John Ritter. The resultant ReTool brought in Cate's cantankerous father Jim (James Garner) and slacker nephew C.J. (Creator/DavidSpade). Because of Ritter's death,
[[OfficiallyShortenedTitle the show's name was changed from the quirky]] ''[[OfficiallyShortenedTitle Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter]]'' [[OfficiallyShortenedTitle to simply]] ''[[OfficiallyShortenedTitle Eight Simple Rules]]''. The rating also took a plunge shortly after episodes dealing with [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim Paul's death]] and it was cancelled within two years.

The premise was good and it worked well... until the show was [[RealLifeWritesThePlot derailed]] by the death of John Ritter. The resultant ReTool brought in Cate's cantankerous father Jim (James Garner) and slacker nephew C.J. (Creator/DavidSpade). Because of Ritter's death, the show's name was changed from the quirky ''Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter'' to simply ''Eight Simple Rules''. The rating also took a plunge shortly after episodes dealing with [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim Paul's death]] and it was cancelled within two years.

Based on a popular W. Bruce Cameron column, ''8 Simple Rules'' is your basic DomCom where Paul and Cate Hennessy (played by Creator/JohnRitter and [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Katey]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Sagal]]) attempt to ride herd on the burgeoning love life of their teenage daughters, bookish Kerry (Amy Davidson) and promiscuous Bridget (Kaley Cuoco). Rounding out the family is son Rory (Martin Spanjers), who is Paul's only other source of testosterone, and thus they bond often.

** Also Kaley Cuoco injured her leg during filming of the 3rd season and her injury was subsequently written into several episodes.

** Aafter John Ritter's untimely demise, the main premise was gone.

[[quoteright:275:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Eight_Simple_Rules_334.jpg]]

The premise was good and it worked well... until the show was [[RealLifeWritesThePlot derailed]] by the death of John Ritter. The resultant ReTool brought in Cate's cantankerous father Jim (James Garner) and slacker nephew C.J. (David Spade). Because of Ritter's death, the show's name was changed from the quirky ''Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter'' to simply ''Eight Simple Rules''. The rating also took a plunge shortly after episodes dealing with [[TheCharacterDiedWithHim Paul's death]] and it was cancelled within two years.

** Fans still argue if the show [[JumpingTheShark jumped the shark]] or [[GrowingTheBeard grew the beard]] after John Ritter's untimely demise. On one hand, the main premise was gone. On the other hand, the characters gained a lot more depth.

The premise was good and it worked well... until the show was [[RealitySubtext derailed]] by the death of John Ritter. The resultant ReTool brought in Cate's cantankerous father Jim (James Garner) and slacker nephew C.J. (David Spade). Because of Ritter's death, the show's name was changed from the quirky ''Eight Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter'' to simply ''Eight Simple Rules''. The rating also took a plunge shortly after episodes dealing with [[RealLifeWritesThePlot Paul's death]] and it was cancelled within two years.

* ArgumentOfContradictions: Paul having a phone conversation with Bridget. We only get to hear Paul's side:

* AscendedExtra: Cate and Rory were really just there in the first season but became more developed characters after Paul's death.
** Which is sort of sad, because a big subplot of the first season is that Rory is Paul's other source of testosterone in the house.

* BrattyTeenageDaughter: Bridget and Kerry.

* GetOut: Paul to Rory after he finds him hiding in Kerry's closet in the pilot. And later, as Kerry needles Bridget after she lied about going to the library. "Kerry! Out!" [[RunningGag And a third time]] after Rory comes up Paul mocking his sisters - "Dad? Do you think I'm pretty?" "'''''Get out!'''''"
** In fact, this is something of a running gag with Rory throughout the series.

* GilliganCut: An episode contains Kerry thinking of working at some food joint at the mall irksome... followed by her doing what she hated thinking about in the next scene.

* TheGloriousWarOfSisterlyRivalry

* HappilyMarried: Paul and Cate, before Ritter's death obviously.
* HeWhoMustNotBeSeen: Grandpa Jim in the first Thanksgiving episode (pre-Ritter-death).

* {{Homage}}: One ep pre-Ritter-death contains a dream sequence that mimics ''ThreesCompany'' with the kids in the main roles.
** And Paul in the role of the landlord. He noticed something odd about the situation.
** Kyle's older brother's bachelor pad even resembles the set.
* {{Irony}}

* [[spoiler:{{Jerkass}}: The guy Kerry lost her virginity to. She's been trying to call him back, but he doesn't answer. She asked C.J. to drive her to him. But when C.J. parked just outside the house, Kerry cries and wants to go home.]]
* LaughTrack: Used in every episode, except for the one where Paul dies.
** Although a laugh track WAS later added to that episode in syndicated airings. It was kept out of the DVD release, though.

* MarshmallowHell: Rory with his aunt.
* MiddleChildSyndrome: Kerry

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: "Dorky" Donny Doyle, a clean-cut Naval Academy student who Bridget dates briefly.

Based on a popular W. Bruce Cameron column, '''''8 Simple Rules''''' is your basic DomCom where Paul and Cate Hennessy (played by Creator/JohnRitter and [[Series/MarriedWithChildren Katey]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Sagal]]) attempt to ride herd on the burgeoning love life of their teenage daughters, bookish Kerry (Amy Davidson) and promiscuous Bridget (Kaley Cuoco). Rounding out the family is son Rory (Martin Spanjers), who is Paul's only other source of testosterone, and thus they bond often.

* ClosetKey: Rory is this for his date. He goes to great lengths to make her fall for him, but fails. However, even ''she'' thinks it should have worked, and thus concludes that she must not be into guys at all.

Based on a popular W. Bruce Cameron column, '''''8 Simple Rules''''' is your basic DomCom where Paul and Cate Hennessy (played by [[Creator/JohnRitter John Ritter]] and [[MarriedWithChildren Katey]] [[WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}} Sagal]]) attempt to ride herd on the burgeoning love life of their teenage daughters, bookish Kerry (Amy Davidson) and promiscuous Bridget (Kaley Cuoco). Rounding out the family is son Rory (Martin Spanjers), who is Paul's only other source of testosterone, and thus they bond often.

The series aired on Creator/{{ABC}} from September 2002 to April,2005, a total of 76 episodes in 3 seasons.

* ActorAllusion: Paul in the ''Series/ThreesCompany'' dream sequences (though he was Mr.Roper).

* TheCastShowoff: Katey Sagal got to show her singing talent twice in the show. Kaley Cuoco, a former tennis player, got to play tennis twice on the show as well.

* TheCharacterDiedWithHim: Paul Hennessy, played by John Ritter.

* DawsonCasting[=/=]PlayingGertrude: the older daughter was played by Kaley Cuoco, b. 1985; the younger daughter was played by Amy Davidson, b. 1979.
** TeensAreShort: Justification for why Amy plays the younger daughter rather than the older.

* SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan: "Dorky" Donny Doyle, a clean-cut Naval Academy student that Bridget dates shortly. They didn't last long together.

** Several did made a few appearances.

* BeautyIsNeverTarnished: Bridget uses this trope as her social image. When a boy calls for her and Rory tells him she can't come to the phone because she's in the bathroom, she flips out.

* BlondeBrunetteRedhead: Bridget (Blonde), Rory (Brunette) and Kerry (Redhead)

* MistakenForGay: Both Kerry and her female prom date are straight, assume the other to be gay, and are only going to the prom together to support gay rights.

* NoodleIncident: The water bottle scene.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Fans still argue if the show [[JumpingTheShark jumped the shark]] or [[GrowingTheBeard grew the beard]] after John Ritter's untimely demise. On one hand, the main premise was gone. On the other hand, the characters gained a lot more depth.

* TheUnfairSex: Averted: [[spoiler: Kerry cheats on Kyle while in France]] mostly out of lust, and is clearly portrayed as being the faulty party of the two.
** Although after its broadcast over the school intercom that she's had sex, he [[spoiler: (Kyle)]] remarks he can't be ''too'' mad at her for cheating on him, since everyone thinks ''he'' was the one she lost her virginity to.