Published by Nattyb at 9:00 am under Television

I’m guessing it’s tough to grow up being a single child. I mean all you have is your parents? That’s gotta suck. I know that God willing when I have children that I hope I can provide the first child with a brother or a sister. And that also translates onto television.

I mean how often do you see single child families? Not too often. Which is why it’s great that TV shows insert a bunch of kids who have funny dynamics just like in real life.

Some shows do it better than others. Here are the 10 best casted siblings in TV sitcom history….

Niles and Frasier Crane – Frasier

For the sheer fact that these two actually look and talk like brothers in real life. Honestly it never got better than this on television. To this day I’m still in awe about how much these guys are alike.

Kevin and Wayne Arnold – The Wonder Years

No better display of big brother/little brother took place than on The Wonder Years. Wayne was such a ***** that it was awesome. It got worse when they became older and got along better. I’m not counting the sister here.

Kelly and Bud Bundy – Married with Children

These two managed to jab at each other for the entire run of the show. A feat that will not be matched. It all went to **** once that Seven kid showed up.

The Huxtable Kids (Except Sandra) – The Cosby Show

Like I said, except for Sandra, this was a flawless family.

Ross and Monica – Friends

I never really liked the show but it’s not often that you just see a brother/sister pair on a sitcom. Also, it’s nice to see a kids dynamic in adults which Ross and Monica definitely had.

Michael, Lindsay, Gob, Buster, Bluth – Arrested Development

Jesus Christ I could write an entire article about this clan but let’s just say you guys agree here Good.

Alex, Mallory, Jennifer – Family Ties

It was really Alex that made this crew but Mallory was pretty awesome. Jennifer was useless but still fun in her younger days. But I have to say the combo of Fox and Bateman really kicked as on this show. And no I’m not including Brian Bonsall.

The Bradford Clan – Eight is Enough

Too old for my time but too many people have told me I had to add them.

The Brady Bunch – The Brady Bunch

Come on. You think I’d leave them out?

Raymond and Robert Barone – Everyone Loves Raymond

When you put a giant cop next to his little brother who he’s completely jealous of you have a good formula. And it definitely worked with these guys. I don’t put this show up there with the likes of other greats but I did love watching these guys jab back and forth.

*P.S. I refuse to add Two and a Half Men.

Other notables: Wally and the Beaver, Full House Girls, My Three Sons, Happy Days, Charles in Charge

http://unrealitymag.com/index.php/2010/09/16/the-best-casted-siblings/

can't believe they left out j.j and thelma evans of good times

What about J.R. and Bobby Ewing??

Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce had fantastic chemistry on Frasier. The best cast sisters were Faith Ford and Kelly Ripa on Hope & Faith.

And how about the "Bryant Park Boys"-Mike,Robbie,Chip (and later Ernie)on "My Three Sons"?

And how about the "Bryant Park Boys"-Mike,Robbie,Chip (and later Ernie)on "My Three Sons"?

I'll go along with that, plus add the siblings from 'The Donna Reed Show' and 'Father Knows Best', because they act and look like they could be brothers and sisters in real life.

That's a good list. Another that wasn't a regular but perfectly casted were Reese Witherspoon and (especially) Christina Applegate as Rachel's sisters on Friends

Also how about Rhoda and Brenda?

I always thought Step by Step had some great kids and teenagers that each provided a different aspect to the show. You could really imagine them being a family the way they all interacted.

The Partridge kids (particularly Keith, Danny and Laurie) had great casting and chemistry IMHO.

Joe and Brian Hackett (played by Tim Daly & Steven Weber) from "Wings."

Carol and Mike Seaver from "Growing Pains" were a great sibling pair to watch.. They both hated each other; but when push came to shove had each other's backs. Add Ben into the mix and it was even more fun. Let's not talk about Chrissy.


Brenda and Brandon Walsh on the original, Beverly Hills 90210 was a well matched pair. Brenda the over dramatic one, Brandon the down to earth practical one.

Kelsey Grammer and David Hyde Pierce had fantastic chemistry on Frasier.
Casting DHP as Niles Crane was brilliant beyond brilliant! And how cool that they mainly picked him because of his similar mannerisms and likeness to Kelsey Grammer! They are just awesome! Best sibling team ever, IMO!

"I mean how often do you see single child families? Not too often."

I was an only child, and I can think of a number of TV series that had only
one child, including:

I Love Lucy, Bachelor Father, Dennis the Menace, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Punky Brewster


And that's not even counting dramas (e.g., Circus Boy, Fury, Lassie, Gentle Ben).

There were quite a few sibling relationships on The Golden Girls, but the casting of Nancy Walker as Angela (Sophia's sister) was genious!

"I mean how often do you see single child families? Not too often."

I was an only child, and I can think of a number of TV series that had only
one child, including:

I Love Lucy, Bachelor Father, Dennis the Menace, The Andy Griffith Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Courtship of Eddie's Father, Punky Brewster


And that's not even counting dramas (e.g., Circus Boy, Fury, Lassie, Gentle Ben).
Actually, when you think about it there's lots.

I think I'll start a separate thread for this.

I thought Casietta and Amelia Hetebrink on Amen were pefectly cast by Barbara Montgomery and Roz Ryan.

Buffy,Jody, and Cissy Davis(Family Affair) Mary, Laura, and Carrie Ingalls(Little House on the Prairie) 1-most of 4 Grace was born twards the end of season 4, but by that time Mary went Blind and was living at the Blind school., Lynn and Brian Tanner(Alf)

I was going to say Buffy, Jody and Cissy but I will add Jarrod, Nick and Heath Barkley

Hoss, Adam, and Joe Cartwright on "BONANZA".

David and Ricky Nelson, there's a great pair or brothers.

Wally and The Beav.

there's more,After Mary went to live at the Winoka Academy For the Blind,The Ingalls Adopted Albert,then When Mary Married Adam Kendall and Laura Married Almanzo Wilder,Charles and Caroline Adopted 2 orphans,James and Cassandra Cooper,who were Orpahaned when their parents didn't jump when their Wagon had trouble on a hill.

Hank and Evan Royal Pains
Dr Lexy Grey and Dr Meredith Grey-Shepherd Greys Anatomy
Frazier and Niles Frazier
Ross and Monica Friends

Published by Nattyb at 9:00 am under Television

I’m guessing it’s tough to grow up being a single child. I mean all you have is your parents? That’s gotta suck. I know that God willing when I have children that I hope I can provide the first child with a brother or a sister. And that also translates onto television.

I mean how often do you see single child families? Not too often. Which is why it’s great that TV shows insert a bunch of kids who have funny dynamics just like in real life.

Well, you guessed wrong. Being a single child does not suck. And why would it be "tough?" I'm a single child, and I love it. :D

However, there are some people who feel that having siblings suck. I know way too many sisters and brothers who dislike each other and haven't seen each other in years, due to bullying and sibling rivalry. Now, that's gotta suck.

I also disagree with you about not often seeing single child families. Actually, there are several shows with single child families:

227
Punky Brewster
Dennis The Menace
Julia
Sanford and Son
Bachelor Father
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Munsters
The Dick Van Dyke Show
I Love Lucy
Gidget - (I know that Gidget had an older sister, but her sister was grown and a married woman. Gidget lived with her father and mostly hung out with her friends.)
The Rifleman
Andy Griffith
All of Us
One on One
Benson
Silver Spoons
Love Sidney
All In The Family
Amen
House of Payne
Webster
Alice
The Jeffersons
Good Times (Penny)
Bewitched

DHP and Kelsey Grammer was probably the best sibling casting ever! Joe and Brian Hackett on Wings were good too, I also enjoyed the dynamic between the Chappel sisters Helen and Casey. Ray Romano and Brad Garrett also had good sibling chemistry on Everybody Loves Raymond.

The Anderson kids from Father Knows Best
The Robinson kids from Lost In Space
The Evans kids from Good Times
Brady Kids on The Brady Bunch
The Ingals girls from Little House On the Praire
The Bradford kids on Eight Is Enough
The Conner clan from Roseanne
Kelly and Bud on Married With Children
The Heck kids on The Middle

Some of my favorites:

Sitcoms:
The kids on The Brady Bunch
Arnold and Willis Jackson (Diff'rent Strokes)
Earl and Randy Hickey (My Name is Earl)
Parker and Shelly Lewis (Parker Lewis Can't Lose)
Lynn and Brian Tanner (ALF)

Dramas/Dramadies
Simon and River Tam (Firefly)
Lindsay and Sam Weir (Freaks and Geeks)
Vince and Johnny "Drama" Chase (Entourage)
The kids on The Waltons
James, Sandy and Kathy Hunter (James at 15)

Well, you guessed wrong. Being a single child does not suck. And why would it be "tough?" I'm a single child, and I love it. :D

However, there are some people who feel that having siblings suck. I know way too many sisters and brothers who dislike each other and haven't seen each other in years, due to bullying and sibling rivalry. Now, that's gotta suck.

I also disagree with you about not often seeing single child families. Actually, there are several shows with single child families:

227
Punky Brewster
Dennis The Menace
Julia
Sanford and Son
Bachelor Father
The Courtship of Eddie's Father
The Munsters
The Dick Van Dyke Show
I Love Lucy
Gidget - (I know that Gidget had an older sister, but her sister was grown and a married woman. Gidget lived with her father and mostly hung out with her friends.)
The Rifleman
Andy Griffith
All of Us
One on One
Benson
Silver Spoons
Love Sidney
All In The Family
Amen
House of Payne
Webster
Alice
The Jeffersons
Good Times (Penny)
Bewitched


Excellent examples (although Bewitched added a useless brother - Adam - to the family, after which Tabitha was no longer an only child).

An example of a sitcom of fairly recent vintage with an only child, there's "The New Adventures of Old Christine", in which JLD and her ex husband had one son.

Excellent examples (although Bewitched added a useless brother - Adam - to the family, after which Tabitha was no longer an only child).

An example of a sitcom of fairly recent vintage with an only child, there's "The New Adventures of Old Christine", in which JLD and her ex husband had one son.

Thanks, Tweety. :)

I'll go along with that, plus add the siblings from 'The Donna Reed Show' and 'Father Knows Best', because they act and look like they could be brothers and sisters in real life.


Very true.

It might be the case that more thought was put into casting siblings before than is the case now.

In shows such as Father Knows Best, Leave it to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show, The Brady Bunch, My Three Sons, the kids on all of those shows looked like they could be siblings in real life.

It's also different casting kids as siblings vs. adults as grown siblings. I can see "Rhoda" and "Brenda" as sisters, but I don't see Ray Romano and Brad Garret as brothers (although I already knew them as stand up comics before the show, maybe that has something to do with it).

Also, no one will ever convince me that Richie & Joanie Cunningham had the same parents.

Well, you guessed wrong. Being a single child does not suck. And why would it be "tough?" I'm a single child, and I love it. :D



i think being the only child is pretty cool, because that means you don't have to argue with siblings or have a falling out with them.

i think being the only child is pretty cool, because that means you don't have to argue with siblings or have a falling out with them.

Thank you, waichingliu81. It's nice to hear something positive about being an only child. :)

Thank you, waichingliu81. It's nice to hear something positive about being an only child. :)

you're welcome :) . being the eldest of 4 kids myself, me and my 2 brothers and younger sister would have arguments and fights, and that annoyed me. but i'm glad that when we got older, it all stopped.

there's nothing to be ashamed of as the only child. and besides, it means your parents didn't have to favour other kids in the family, seeing as they just focused on you.

Only one episode, but Mary Tyler Moore Show had Jack Cassidy guest as Ted Baxter's brother.
No Rob and Stacey Petrie or Alan Brady and Brother-in-law Mel Cooley?
tsk tsk ;)