| Here we have a 1980s TV sitcom featuring Tony Micelli, typical tough guy, and his daughter Samantha. Tony takes a job as advertising phenom Angela Bower's housekeeper (with sexy results). Angela's son Jonathan and lecherous mother Mona round out the household. There was lots of loving and learning and morals and stuff, making this show one of the staple 80s family sitcoms.
Developed as a midseason replacement, the show was bumped to the fall schedule after being so well loved by the management. The series ran on ABC from 1984-1992 and continued the proud tradition of Tony Danza playing characters named Tony. The show began with former baseball player Tony looking for a job outside of the tough side of town. He happens to meet Mona who convinces him to apply for a job as housekeeper at her daughter's home. That's right, the entire plot hinges on this matchmaking, meddling mother. The pilot was filmed in October 1983, but wasn't actually put on the schedule until a year later (which is also when production began). This explains why the cast suddenly aged a year between episodes #1 and #2.
The sexual tension on the show began to build right away. In episode #2 Tony accidentally saw Angela stepping out of the shower (with Tony's reaction being totally authentic - costar Judith Light flashed him on camera to draw out Tony's jaw-dropping reaction). The awkwardness and will-they-won't-they flip-flopping drove many of the series' plots. Mona and the kids were constantly trying to shoehorn Tony and Angela together, but the two would-be lovers always resisted. Episodes that didn't focus on Tony and Angela usually revolved around either Samantha or Jonathan getting into some trouble at school, home, etc. and Tony and/or Angela would come and bail them out, and everyone would learn a lesson and cry and hug.
Who's The Boss? also acts as an unusual type of Before They Were Stars showcase. Over the years soon-to-be-celebrities such as Nicole Eggert, Fran Drescher, Liz Sheridan, and Candace Cameron (who would later go on to star in Baywatch, The Nanny, ALF/Seinfeld, and Full House, respectively). I never said they were big celebrities.
At the beginning of Season 8 Angela and Tony finally professed their love for each other. A wedding soon followed... as Samantha married her boyfriend Hank. As for Tony and Angela, the series ended with the couple living together in Iowa debating whether or not to remain a couple.
Who's The Boss? is one of the shows that will live on forever in reruns. It currently airs on the ABC Family channel whenever they have a hole in the schedule to fill.
Main Cast
Tony Danza .... Tony Micelli
Judith Light .... Angela Bower
Alyssa Milano .... Samantha Micelli
Danny Pintauro .... Jonathan Bower
Katherine Helmond .... Mona Robinson
For more than you ever wanted to know about Who's The Boss? check out http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/ShowMainServlet/showid-443/ and TV Tales on E!. | 
