If Dolph Sweet hadn't gotten sick and died, do you think that GAB would have lasted past season 6?

I think that if Dolph Sweet hadn't died, I think that there would have been a season 7, but I think that season 7 would definately have been the last. IMHO, from about 1985-1986 on, the decade had progressed so much and so many things happened during that time that I think it would have been much harder for the writers of GAB to keep the show fresh and relevent, especially with the addition of shows such as "The Cosby Show" and "Cheers", and "A Different World".

What do you think?

Becky

It probably would've lasted the same amount of time, but would've been better quality.

:crazy:

I say if Dolph Sweet has not passed Away imme A Break would have lasred a few more season then it did

I think 8 or 9 seasons it would have had, as a lot of long running shows at that time did, like Diff'rent Strokes and Facts of Life. It became lame once the Chief died, and things weren't the same, so it get shortened to 6 years. It wasn't as big as Facts of Life or Diff'rent Strokes, but 1987-1988 and 1988-1989 I think would have definitely happened had the Chief lived.

If Dolph Sweet hadn't died, it would have lasted about two more seasons. Even when he was on there, I saw it slipping. He would have helped extended it, but the show would have needed more than him. The story lines shifted and that's what killed it.

I think it would have lasted between 7-9 years, but definitely not end in season 5 or 6. I bet the show would have turned into Roseanne or Full House if the Chief never died. The cast just kept getting bigger, but the same amount of people lived in the house. Just Jonathan would be living there.

I know there would be no Matthew added. Or would there have been? Maybe Tim would show up with a surprise and just drop him off in season 6. All that New York stuff, nor the stuff that happened in season 6 would have happened. Sam would have never went away to college, and Katie would have never taken the job in San Fransisco. I think because of the Chief's death, they had to move the girls away, because the family wasn't the same without the Chief there.

I bet if they kept the baby idea in season 5, season 6 would be baby Nell and then season 7/8/9 she would be like 4 years old, the way they did to baby Nikki and Alex on Full House. However, if the Chief was still alive, I doubt they would have gotten Julie pregnant so fast.

I think Katie would have finally met a man if the Chief was still alive, and Addy would have never moved to New York.

Thelma would have never joined Family matters, but Maybe Rosetta would have. Rosetta was only in 2 episodes in season 4 of GAB before the Chief died, and made several guest appearances in season 5 before getting cast to appear in a dozen or so episodes in season 6. They didn't need Mama Maybelle on the cast. I think they did it because they lost so many cast members from the cut at the beginning of season 6.

I would love to see writers ideas of what they had in store for following seasons. What they had in store for season 5, had the Chief not died, and what they had in store for season 7, had the show been still on the air. If it continued one last season in NY, I know that's as far as they would have gone. It was over at that time.

So is the consesnus that GAM! wasn't as good once it became more focused on Nell & Addy? Personally, these were some of my favorite episodes, probably because I grew up watching them. I'm just a little surprised that people didn't like the show as the seasons progressed. It was different but I didn't think it got worse. I actually liked it just as much.

I think after Chief died, the show drifted far from the original premise. I agree that had the Chief lived, they would not have made Julie pregnant so quickly. But if they did, it could have been some good comedy with the family and the new baby in the house. Maybe a baby boy instead of girl for Julie and Jonathan. A young family growing under the eys of both Nell and the Chief. I also prefer early episodes to the later ones. Mostly because the NY episodes were too far removed from the original premise. Almost like watching two different shows.

I think after Chief died, the show drifted far from the original premise. I agree that had the Chief lived, they would not have made Julie pregnant so quickly. But if they did, it could have been some good comedy with the family and the new baby in the house. Maybe a baby boy instead of girl for Julie and Jonathan. A young family growing under the eys of both Nell and the Chief. I also prefer early episodes to the later ones. Mostly because the NY episodes were too far removed from the original premise. Almost like watching two different shows.

It did drift from the original premise after Dolph Sweet passed away. It was hard watching him in his final episodes knowing he was ill with the gaunt look he had. Him and Nell provided great comedy for us but the show was somewhat slipping especially with the girls growing up. What would had made great comedy if he had lived was for him to meet someone and Nell dealing with her and being threatened by her. Remember the storyline was a housekeeper helping a widower raising his three young daughers after his wife passed away. Nell and the wife were best friends. The episode unfolded how they got together and the request made to Nell to help raise her girls given that the Chief did not have a clue about girls.

I think in season 5 the Chief would have definitely met someone, and now that Samatha was getting older, she would be happy for her father getting married again. All the girls would be happy. I think they would marry him off the way they married off Mr. Dummond at the end of season 6 on Diff'rent Strokes in 1984.


The first few episodes of season 5 would be about Jonathan and Julie being married, then the next few would be regular episodes revolving around a certrain family member, then halfway through the season the Chief could meet a woman, and finally propose to her toward the end of the season. Then Julie would get pregnant and that would be her wedding gift to the Chief and that's how they'd end season 5.

Season 6 could be The Chief and his new wife, as well as Julie and Jonathan's plans for the baby, and Sam going to college in town. Julie would have the baby mid season, and by the end of the season, Katie would probably elope with some guy, the way Julie did. Then the Chief would get upset at her.


Season 7, Julie's kid would be probably like 4 years old or something, as they aged kids fast on series' back then, and the entire season would suck, but everyone would still be there. That's when the show would be mostly about Nell, and how she was in the New York episodes with little Matty. However, it would be more fun watching the action in the Kanisky house rather than in the NY apartment. I think Nell would be dismissed by the end of the season, as the girls would be finally grown up, the new kid would be going to pre-school during the day, and the Chief's wife tells Nell "Don't worry, if I die, you can always come home to raise my little baby!" I think Nell would have gotten a job in singing before or at the conclusion of the series, and then she'd be dismissed. With a show like Gimme A Break! The last line would be something of that, or close to it, spoken by Nell.

There are so many possibilities that could have happened with the show if the Chief hadn't died.


I think 1987-1988 and that would be as far as it would have gone. If I were in charge of storyboard/plots...Oh, it's fun to dream, isn't it...Well, if I was in charge of them, I would revolve the series this way for seasons 5-7, had the Chief lived. Sure, Nell would still be the main star, but in the show summary, it would mostly revolve around the Chief and Julie in the final few seasons, as being the main stars who got more airtime, alongside of Nell, Joey, and Telma.

The show never should of "moved to New York".

If Dolph Sweet Hadn't Died, He's Still Be Alive Today!

I Used To Love This Show. It Was A Shock When He Died. I Remember Being Sad. But I've Learned To Cope With My Sadness By Being Sarcastic. Seriously, It's True!

What Did He Die From Anyway? He Had A Heart Attack, Right? Reminds Me Of John Ritter:(

If Dolph Sweet Hadn't Died, He's Still Be Alive Today!

I Used To Love This Show. It Was A Shock When He Died. I Remember Being Sad. But I've Learned To Cope With My Sadness By Being Sarcastic. Seriously, It's True!

What Did He Die From Anyway? He Had A Heart Attack, Right? Reminds Me Of John Ritter:(

He die from cancer. I think it was stomach or pancreas cancer. Some later episodes that he was in show him getting sicker, more thin and less healthy. Very sad.:(

I actually don't think the show would have lasted any shorter or longer had the Chief not died. If anything, the show may have lasted shorter.

The girls were growing into ladies regardless. They were practically grown while the Chief was still alive. It would have been very tough to write scripts about the girls, as adults, in the house, with the Chief still in the house ranting at the girls. After he passed, it was basically easy to set the girls free into the world...which is what the show did.

Nell's character had some versalitiy and depth, with or without the Kaniski family dymanic, especially after they brought Addy into the fold. I believe Nell Carter insisted upon that after the first couple of episodes. That was smart on her part.

However, the girls roles were diminished after the chief passed, because their roles were hinged on a widower father coping with raising three daughters.

Certainly, the show wouldn't have made sense with Nell and the Chief alone in the house. The show would have made little sense with Nell, the Chief and a new wife. And I don't think the show would have made sense with everything in tact, but all the girls living in the Kaniski home with no life outside the home.

I think the show had no choice but to focus on Nell after the chief died. And they squeezed that as much as they could.

He die from cancer. I think it was stomach or pancreas cancer. Some later episodes that he was in show him getting sicker, more thin and less healthy. Very sad.:(
It was sad to watch and his role on the show was diminishing due to his health declining. The final episode he was in the producers offered to write him out or a telephone scene. He insisted on working. You can tell he was very ill.

It was sad to watch and his role on the show was diminishing due to his health declining. The final episode he was in the producers offered to write him out or a telephone scene. He insisted on working. You can tell he was very ill.

I agree that it was sad and a bit painful watching Dolph Sweet in the 4th season of GAB, being as his health had deteriorated so quickly as the season progressed. However, I was glad that God (and the producers) let him ride out the season. I think that Mr. Sweet would have passed away much sooner had the producers and the network not allowed him to continue working on the show. Dolph Sweet insisted on working because it gave him something to focus on besides the pain from his illness; while the producers wanted and needed him for as long as they could have him, knowing that once Mr. Sweet was gone, the ratings for the show would decline, which is exactly what happened after he died.