After a hiatus, the series returned and continued without Ritter, with the producers deciding to kill off Paul and not replace him.
James Garner and David Spade later joined the main cast as Cate's father and nephew, Jim Egan and C. Barnes, in an attempt to fill the void left by Ritter.
I walked into her room; she was sitting on the floor with her laptop.
After three seasons, ABC cancelled 8 Simple Rules in May 2005 due to low ratings.
The third season (after Ritter's death) took a creative turn, revolving more around cousin C. (David Spade) and grandfather Jim (James Garner), than the immediate Hennessy family, more specifically not revolving around the raising of the Hennessy girls.
The family sitcom easily adhered to a familiar formula: two parents simply attempt to keep their home civilized despite having teenage children under their roof.
It's been seen on shows like "The Brady Bunch", "Family Ties", "Home Improvement", and of course, the ever-popular "Full House." Often, the show will try to depict one point of view: "Home Improvement" centered on paterfamilias Tim Taylor, while "Malcolm in the Middle" focused on its titular kid.
Early in the series, "8 Simple Rules" took this route as well, as the first several episodes were mainly about father Paul Hennessy's (Ritter) efforts to understand his teenaged children's behavior.
Usually, he'll falter due to his own shortcomings and ends up learning a lesson about himself or his children. 1-27 13 May 03 Sort of an Officer and a Gentleman: Part 1 28. 2-9 23 Dec 03 The Story of Anne Frank and Skeevy 38. Mort Goldman, the pharmacist, offers to open a tab for him; Peter quickly begins spending unnecessarily. no.: 4ACX11 First Aired: July 10, 2005 Guest Starring: Joanna Garcia Featuring: Peter Griffin, Meg Griffin, Mort Goldman, Neil Goldman Also Appearing: Stewie, Lois, Chris, Brian, Ray Romano, Patricia Heaton, Colin Farrell, Rupert, La Dawn, Jeremy, Santos & Pasquel, Paula Poundstone, Cicillia, Jake Tucker, Dustin Hoffman, Predator, Tundro & Gloop, Therapist Joe Director: Greg Colton Assistant Director: Steve Fonti Writers: Patrick Meighan Storyboarders: Young Lee Plot: When Peter goes to the pharmacy to buy condoms, he realizes he has forgotten his wallet.He buys eight cases of syrup of ipecac so he can hold a vomiting contest with Brian, Chris and Stewie; however, it was a complete failure, although Chris technically wins. In desperation, Peter seizes upon a picture of Mort’s son Neil, who is infatuated with Meg.