Eight Is Enough is an American comedy-drama television series that aired on ABC from March 15, 1977 to May 23, 1981. The show was modeled on the life of syndicated newspaper columnist Tom Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book by the same title. The father, Tom Bradford, is a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register. His wife, Joan, was a homemaker and took care of the children. During filming Diana Hyland's health suddenly deteriorated, and Hyland died on March 27, 1977, having filmed only four episodes.
