Raising Miranda
CreatorJane Anderson
StarringJames Naughton
Royana Black
Steve Vinovich
Miriam Flynn
Bryan Cranston
GenreSitcom
Runtime30 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Num seasons1
Num episodes9 (2 unaired)
NetworkCBS
CompanyGTG Entertainment
First airedNovember 5, 1988
Last airedDecember 31, 1988

Raising Miranda is an American sitcom that aired on CBS in 1988 as part of its fall lineup. Starring James Naughton and Royana Black, it depicted the struggles of a father and his teenage daughter to adjust to their circumstances after their wife and mother abandons their family.[1][2]

Premise

Donald Marshak, a building contractor in Racine, Wisconsin, suddenly finds himself a single parent when his wife Bonnie attends a self-improvement class and abruptly abandons him and their smart, sensitive 15-year-old daughter Miranda, in order to go "find herself."[1][2] The un-domestic Donald is forced to serve as both father and mother to a distressed teenage girl.[1][2][3]

Marcine Lundquist is Miranda's lifelong best friend and confidante[1][2] and Jack Miller is a new transfer student Miranda has befriended at school.[1][2] Joan and Bob Hoodenpyle are the Marshaks' noodly neighbors and friends.[1][2][3] Miranda's wacky, unemployed Uncle Russell is Donald's brother-in-law and buddy and lives in a van permanently parked in the Marshaks' driveway.[1][2][3]

Cast

Production

Despite its rather grim premise — a wife and mother abandoning her family — the show was billed as a situation comedy, the humor being derived from Donald Marshak's challenges in parenting after the departure of his wife.

Portraying Donald's brother-in-law and Miranda's uncle Russell, Bryan Cranston appeared in his first regular primetime television role in Raising Miranda.[3]

Reception

Raising Miranda received generally poor reviews from critics.[3]

Broadcast history

Raising Miranda aired on CBS on Saturday nights at 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time,[1][2] up against NBC's hit sitcom Amen. It premiered on November 5, 1988.[1][2] After seven episodes averaged a poor 6.0 rating, CBS cancelled the series. Its last episode was broadcast on December 31, 1988,[1][2] leaving two of its nine episodes unaired.

Black never starred in another TV series, although she did guest spots in shows such as The Cosby Show and Touched by an Angel later in her career. She died in July 2020 of leukaemia aged 47.[4]

Episodes

SOURCES [5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

References

  1. ^ McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 683.
  2. ^ Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). "Raising Miranda (Situation Comedy)". The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present. 9 ed. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 1129. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2026-04-14.
  3. ^ Nostalgia Central RAISING MIRANDA
  4. ^ Evans, Greg (July 27, 2020). "Royana Black Dies: ‘Raising Miranda’, Broadway’s ‘Brighton Beach Memoirs’ Actress Was 47". deadline.com. Retrieved April 14, 2026.
  5. ^ IMDB Raising Miranda (1988) Episode List
  6. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 1 Black Monday
  7. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 2 Grounded
  8. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 3 Man in the Middle
  9. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 4 Miranda's Date
  10. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 5 All Through the Night
  11. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 6 Home for the Holidays
  12. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 7 Marcine Shoplifts
  13. ^ tv.com Raising Miranda Season 1 Episode 8 Russell's Broken Heart

Bibliography