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Mr. Sunshine aired from March until September 1986 on ABC.
One of tv's rare attempts to deal with the subject of blindness in a series setting. Paul Stark ( Jeffrey Tambor) was a tall, balding, and very acerbic English professor who had suffered 2 recent blows: he had been blinded in an accident, and divorced by his wife. He coped with his handicap fairly well, physically at least, continuing to teach and even reentering the singles scene ( Janice played by Cecilia Hart was his chief romantic interest, though by their relationship you might not know it). Mrs. June Swinford ( Barbara Babcock) was his flighty landlady, Grace ( Nan Martin) his caustic personal secretary, and Leon ( Leonard Frey) a drama professor. Warren ( David Knell) was one of his students. Paul neither asked for nor got pity; sometimes he helped his friends, in his domineering way, and sometimes they helped him.
The Executive Producers of this series were John Rich and Henry ( The Fonz) Winkler.
A Review From The New York Times
By JOHN J. O'CONNOR
Published: April 17, 1986
The hero of ''Mr. Sunshine,'' a situation comedy that can be seen on Fridays at 9 P.M., is blind. This is not a first for sitcoms. Several years ago, there was a rather unfortunate pilot featuring a blind college student. In this instance, the central character is a college professor and, bucking the odds, he can be genuinely funny. Portrayed wonderfully well by Jeffrey Tambor, Paul Stark is a demanding, acerbic and unquestionably bright fellow who lost his sight, and subsequently his fretful wife, as a result of an auto accident several years ago. The ''Mr. Sunshine'' label is ironic. Paul's wit tends to be caustic. As Grace (Nan Martin), his personal secretary, warns him: ''You can't afford to be bitter; you're not that pleasant to begin with.''
In addition to sarcastic Grace, Paul's sitcom mix includes his dizzy landlady (Barbara Babcock), a no-nonsense female friend (Cecilia Hart) and a haughty but bumbling teacher colleague (Leonard Frey). Adroitly, the series makes clear that it is not about being blind. ''Mr. Sunshine'' is about an interesting, intelligent man who happens to be blind. When asked if he is really blind, Paul assures the doubter that ''bats use me as a role model.'' It is, undeniably, a tricky situation for standard television comedy, but the people in charge, clearly sensitive to the pitfalls, have good track records. John Rich, veteran director for Norman Lear and MTM Enterprises, and Henry Winkler, once of ''Happy Days,'' are the executive producers. Gene Reynolds, instrumental in the success of TV's ''M*A*S*H,'' also had a hand in developing ''Mr. Sunshine.'' Add Mr. Tambor's thoroughly disarming performance, and there is good reason for Paul Stark to be one of the brightest presences on the new-series landscape.
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