The Torkelsons is an American sitcom television series that aired on the NBC television network from September 21, 1991, to June 6, 1993. Produced by Michael Jacobs Productions, Walt Disney Television in season 1 and Touchstone Television in season 2, the series starred Connie Ray, Olivia Burnette, and William Schallert. Connie Ray plays a single mother, Millicent Torkelson, and her five children living in the small town of Pyramid Corners, Oklahoma. The show focuses on their struggles to make ends meet after Millicent's husband leaves, forcing her to take in a boarder and confront financial hardship. For the second season, the series was retooled and renamed Almost Home. The series only aired for two seasons and consisted of 33 episodes.
Contents
Cast
Main
Connie Ray as Millicent Torkelson
Olivia Burnette as Dorothy Jane Torkelson, Millicent's first daughter
Elizabeth Poyer (pilot) & Anna Slotky as Ruth Ann Torkelson, Millicent's second daughter (season 1)
Benj Thall (pilot) & Aaron Michael Metchik as Steven Floyd Torkelson, Millicent's first son (season 1)
Lee Norris as Chuckie Lee Torkelson, Millicent's second son
Rachel Duncan as Mary Sue Torkelson, Millicent's third daughter
Ernie Lively (pilot) as Jacob Presley (season 1)
William Schallert as Wesley Hodges (season 1)
Brittany Murphy as Molly Morgan, Brian's daughter (season 2)
Jason Marsden as Gregory Morgan, Brian's son (season 2)
Perry King as Brian Morgan (season 2)
Recurring
Paige Gosney as Kirby Scroggins (season 1)
Michael Landes as Riley Roberts (season 1)
Ronnie Claire Edwards as Bootsie Torkelson (season 1)
Alyson Kiperman as Dreama (season 1)
Mother Love as Kitty Drysdale (season 1)
Peter Van Norden as Mel (season 2)
Alyson Hannigan as Samantha (season 2)
Notable guest stars
Drew Carey in the season 1 episode "Say Uncle" (his first appearance in a TV sitcom)
Patty Duke in the season 1 episode "Return to Sender" (reuniting with William Schallert, who played her father on The Patty Duke Show)
Kevin Clash as Elmo in the season 1 episode "Educating Millicent"
Joey Lawrence as Dorothy Jane and Molly's boss in the season 2 episode "Girls and Boy"
Erin Gray in the season 2 episode "Sleeping with the Enemy" as Mr. Morgan's love interest
Ben Affleck in the season 2 episode "Is That All There Is?" as a basketball player who falls in love with Dorothy Jane
Jared Leto in the season 2 episode "The Fox and the Hound" as a football player at a party that Molly throws, whom Dorothy Jane thinks is cute
Donal Logue in the season 2 episode "Hot Ticket" as a musician named "Tommy Tom"
Gregg Henry as Randall Torkelson as Millenect Separated Ex Husband
Christopher Rich as Jim Brian's Wealthy Attorney Brother Season 2 ep 6
Alanna Ubach as Willie season 1 ep 19 It's My Party
Production notes
Series creator Lynn Montgomery claims to have gotten the name "Torkelson" from a real life Steven Floyd Torkelson, who had shown her his bug collection, and shared his first kiss with her thirty years earlier.
Episodes
Syndication
The Disney Channel aired reruns of The Torkelsons and Almost Home on their weekday and weekend lineups from January 1994 to June 2000. All Disney Channel advertising for the shows packaged both seasons under The Torkelsons name, but when the Almost Home episodes aired in circulation, the title was never altered in the opening credits. The Disney Channel also aired the series' episodes in production order.