I Married Dora

Synopsis of TV Show

This ABC sitcom did not last long but had a memorably unusual premise: it told the story of Peter Farrell, an architect and single father who relied on Dora, his Latin American maid, to take care of his home and his children Kate and Will. Unfortunately, Dora was an illegal alien and was in danger of being deported by the federal authorities. Peter saved Dora from this fate by entering into a marriage of convenience with her.

Life in the Farrell home got a little awkward, to say the least, as Peter and Dora started to wonder whether the whole husband and wife thing might mean more than just a way to keep a good housekeeper/surrogate mom in the country. That touch of possible romance kept viewers in teased suspense, while the laughs were aided by supporting characters like Hughes Whitney Lennox, Peter’s boss, and Dolf Menninger, one of Peter’s co-workers. Rosa's sister Marisol occasionally appeared as well.

The show was also memorable for its often-bizarre sense of humor. For instance, when it was pointed out to the producers that Peter’s marriage scheme broke a federal law, they put a disclaimer on the front of the debut episode, admitting what Peter did was illegal and telling viewers “You should not try this in your own home.” I Married Dora is also probably the only show to ever to have a character announce the show’s cancellation on the air (something that happened during the final episode).

Release History of Prime Time Show

9/22/87 - 1/8/88 ABC
5/27/88 - 8/19/88 ABC

TV Sub Categories

comedy

Television Network

ABC

TV Cast

Peter Farrell Daniel Hugh-Kelly
Dora Calderon Elizabeth Pena
Will Farrell Jason Horst
Kate Farrell Juliette Lewis
Hughes Whitney Lennox Henry Jones
Dolf Menninger Sanford Jensen
Marisol Calderon Evelyn Guerrero

Other Prime Time Links