Dear John

Dear John starred Judd Hirsch as easygoing Drake Prep high school teacher John Lacey who is dumped by his wife, Wendy, via a Dear John letter. Wendy ends up with everything in the divorce settlement, including custody of the couple's son, forcing John to move into an apartment in Ozone Park, Queens. John soon joins the One-2-One Club, a self help group for divorced, widowed or lonely people. The group is led by Louise (Jane Carr), a sex-obsessed British woman. Other members of the group include Kate McCarron (Isabella Hofmann), a sweet divorcée; Kirk Morris (Jere Burns), a cocky ladies' man; Ralph Drang (Harry Groener), a shy and neurotic tollbooth collector; Bonnie Philbert (Billie Bird), a feisty senior citizen; and Tom, Mrs. Philbert's quiet boyfriend (Tom Willett).

Creators and Cast

Creators

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John Sullivan

Creator

Cast

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Judd Hirsch

John Lacey

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Jere Burns

Kirk Morris

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Jane Carr

Louise Mercer

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Isabella Hofmann

Kate McCarron

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Billie Bird

Margie Philbert

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Susan Walters

Mary Beth Sutton

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Tom Willett

Tom

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William O'Leary

Ben Conners

Episodes

Season 1

22 episodes

S1 E1 · Pilot

1988-10-06

John reluctantly attends his first meeting of the One-Two-One Club -- only after mistakenly wandering into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting across the hall. (TV Guide)

S1 E2 · Ralph's Curse

1988-10-27

No summary.

S1 E3 · Hello/Goodbye

1988-11-03

A young man claims to be John' son.

S1 E4 · The Younger Girl

1988-11-10

John's beautiful new girlfriend thrills him—until he learns her age.

S1 E5 · Matthew's Dilemma

1988-11-17

John can't understand why his son Matthew won't spend time with him.

S1 E6 · Dear Mike

1988-11-24

No summary.

S1 E7 · Politics as Usual

1988-12-01

No summary.

S1 E8 · Dancing in the Dark

1988-12-15

No summary.

S1 E9 · Was It Good for Me?

1989-01-05

No summary.

S1 E10 · Honest John

1989-01-12

No summary.

S1 E11 · The Return of Ricky

1989-01-19

No summary.

S1 E12 · Dream Babe

1989-01-26

No summary.

S1 E13 · Stand by Your Man

1989-02-16

No summary.

S1 E14 · Love and Marriage

1989-02-23

No summary.

S1 E15 · For a Friend

1989-03-02

No summary.

S1 E16 · The Second Time Around

1989-03-09

No summary.

S1 E17 · The Last Dance

1989-03-16

No summary.

S1 E18 · Sisters

1989-03-30

Kate claims that her sister always steals her boyfriends, no matter how obnoxious, and to prove it Kate dates Kirk. (TV Guide)

S1 E19 · Gone Camping

1989-04-06

On a camping trip, John and Matthew are stranded in a cabin by a snowstorm that ushers in a blizzard of chilling consequences. (TV Guide)

S1 E20 · Margo

1989-04-27

The group tells John that the knockout who's knocking him out is really a new member's transvestite husband. (TV Guide)

S1 E21 · Friends and Lovers

1989-05-04

No summary.

S1 E22 · Bound for Gloria

1989-05-11

No summary.

Season 2

24 episodes

S2 E1 · A New Leash on Life

1989-09-28

No summary.

S2 E2 · The Other Group

1989-10-12

No summary.

S2 E3 · Ralph's Second Chance

1989-10-19

Blomlika, the bride who skipped out on Ralph at their wedding reception, bounds back into his life, eager to pick up where they left off 14 months before.

S2 E4 · John's Blind Date

1989-11-02

After one night with John, a flight attendant is ready to fly with him forever. (TV Guide)

S2 E5 · The Secret of Success

1989-11-09

Ralph peddles a book promoting the power of positivity, which John could use, but won't, to publish his poetry. (TV Guide)

S2 E6 · The British Are Coming

1989-11-16

Unwed mother Louise needs a hubby to present to her strait-laced father---and gets more help than she can handle. (TV Guide)

S2 E7 · Something on the Side (aka Mike's Other Girl)

1989-11-23

No summary.

S2 E8 · Fathers Know Best

1989-11-30

No summary.

S2 E9 · The Dilemma with Emma

1989-12-07

No summary.

S2 E10 · Kate, a Date & Fate

1989-12-21

No summary.

S2 E11 · Honolulu Baby

1990-01-04

It's the second anniversary of the day John's wife left him (DJ Day), and the group is concerned because John is binging on junk food. Mrs. Philbert is preparing to attend her 60th high school anniversary, her first because she was always afraid of meeting her former fiance, Lloyd, and her best friend, Clara, who eloped together. John is deputized to escort her to New Jersey, where Lloyd and Clara show up after all -- so Mrs. Philbert introduces him as her fiance, invites them back to ""their"" place, and sets about seducing Lloyd with her patented technique: playing ""Honolulu Baby"" on the ukelele.

S2 E12 · Breaking Up Is Hard to Do

1990-01-11

John's relationship with his new lady would be just great were it not for her daughter, who thinks all her mother's dates are grown-up dweebs. (TV Guide)

S2 E13 · Kirk's Problem

1990-01-17

Attractive newcomer Mary Beth brings out the worst in Kirk, and it's much worse than even he imagined. (TV Guide)

S2 E14 · John's Friend

1990-01-24

Kirk takes John along for a free ski weekend, but he's left in the cold when John befriends a fellow Sherlock Holmes buff. (TV Guide)

S2 E15 · Unwelcome to the Club

1990-02-07

An ex-con wants to join the group, and no one wants to say no to a killer whose temper is triggered by rejection. (TV Guide)

S2 E16 · Some Nights to Remember

1990-02-12

No summary.

S2 E17 · John's New Job (1)

1990-02-14

John's going to kick himself if he can't find the cash to send Matthew to Europe for a soccer tourney. (TV Guide)

S2 E18 · John's New Job (2)

1990-02-21

John discovers his wonderful new job has a catch: the ex-student who got it for him expects a more intimate form of thanks. (Part 2 of 2)

S2 E19 · Babyface

1990-02-28

John, Kirk and Ralph give new meaning to ""change the baby"" when Louise leaves Nigel in their care. (TV Guide)

S2 E20 · John's Night Out

1990-03-08

Afraid he's becoming a support-group addict, John takes a night off to wing it on his own. (TV Guide)

S2 E21 · True Confessions

1990-03-14

The group throws a surprise birthday party for Kirk, but the surprise is on them. (TV Guide)

S2 E22 · To John with Love

1990-05-02

John basks in the adulation Mary Beth lavishes on him for helping her write an article.

S2 E23 · Aunt Red

1990-05-09

Kate chooses John as her nephew's role model—but the boy prefers Kirk.

S2 E24 · No More Mr. Nice Guy

1990-05-16

No summary.

Season 3

22 episodes

S3 E1 · Pretty Man

1990-09-19

John goes on a blind double-date with Kirk, and finds himself mistaken for a professional escort.

S3 E2 · And Baby Makes Four (1)

1990-09-26

John hopes for a reconciliation whe his ex-wife Wendy says she wants another child—but she only wants her sperm.

S3 E3 · And Baby Makes Four (2)

1990-10-03

Feeling pressured and rushed, John breaks into the insemination clinc to retrieve his sperm.

S3 E4 · A Priest's Story

1990-10-10

John tries to mediate a fight over a woman between Kirk and his amazingly similar brother—a priest.

S3 E5 · That's Big of Me

1990-10-24

A new member proposes to both Kate and Louise.

S3 E6 · Hot Lips Lacey

1990-10-31

John sort of fulfills his dream of playing clarinet at Carnegie Hall.

S3 E7 · Hole in One

1990-11-07

At her aunt's funeral, Kate confronts her ex-husband Blake, a cad nonetheless loved by the rest of her family.

S3 E8 · The Blunder Years

1990-11-14

John seeks a reunion with famous adventure author Jessica Stone, whom he recalls in flashbacks as the great love of his youth.

S3 E9 · Down and Out in Rego Park

1990-11-28

Despite interruptions by a newly svelte woman from Overeaters Anonymous (new recurring guest Olivia Brown), the groups tries to heer up Mary Beth, who's lost her job.

S3 E10 · Homeward Bound

1990-12-12

John wants his aging mother to move in with him.

S3 E11 · Matter of Trust (1)

1990-12-19

John's job is jeopardized and the group disbands after a tabloid links him to a promiscuous movie star. (Part 1 of 2)

S3 E12 · Matter of Trust (2)

1990-12-19

No summary.

S3 E13 · Molly and Me

1991-01-05

Ralph falls for a married fellow toll-taker.

S3 E14 · Love Stories (1)

1991-01-19

John meets a pretty periodontist, Kate a suave South American, and Kirk his fiesty match. (Part 1 of 2)

S3 E15 · Love Stories (2)

1991-01-26

Jackie agrees to live with Kirk, under exacting conditions; Louse gets a date with her IRS auditor. (Part 2 of 2)

S3 E16 · Love Stories (3)

1991-02-02

Everyone gets dumped except Ralph; John's ex-wife Wendy brings news of a new baby. (Part 3 of 3)

S3 E17 · John and Kirk's Excellent Adventure

1991-02-09

Kirk loses John's antique watch to a pretty thief.

S3 E18 · The Poet (1)

1991-02-16

When John's college poetry teacher visits, he steals some of John's poems for a book. Meanwhile, the group preps for a talent show.

S3 E19 · The Poet (2)

1991-03-02

John huddles with the group members over whether to expose the former professor who plagaarized his poems. (Part 2 of 2)

S3 E20 · Louise, the Hero

1991-03-13

After they learn she'd been institutionalized, the groups scoffs at Louise's claim she can save the financiall strapped center.

S3 E21 · Matthew and the Baby

1991-03-20

John tries getting his son Matthew to discuss his hurt feelings about the baby his mom and John are having.

S3 E22 · John's Week Off

1991-05-01

John is stranded in remove Hawaiian airports after buying a discount ticket from Kirk; Alejandro proposes to Kate.

Season 4

22 episodes

S4 E1 · Brothers

1991-09-19

Kirk convinces John they're long-lost brothers, and moves in with him.

S4 E2 · Kirk's Ex-wife

1991-09-20

Kirk goes into hiding when the group discovers his wife left him for another woman.

S4 E3 · Kate's Cop

1991-09-27

Kate faces her fear of intimacy by dating the cop who takes the report when the group is held at gunpoint.

S4 E4 · Whose Soap Opera Is It Anyway?

1991-10-04

No summary.

S4 E5 · Hello, Annie

1991-10-25

No summary.

S4 E6 · Lust & Death

1991-11-08

No summary.

S4 E7 · The Bachelor Shower

1991-11-15

John and Kirk's windfall at an automated bank teller comes to light at a police officer's bachelor party.

S4 E8 · I Do, Baby (1)

1991-12-13

Kirk claims there is good reason to terminate Kate's wedding plans; John has trouble at childbirth class.

S4 E9 · I Do, Baby (2)

1991-12-13

No summary.

S4 E10 · Once I Had a Secret Love

1991-12-20

Louise confesses to an affair with a club member.

S4 E11 · 'Twas the Fight Before Christmas

1991-12-27

John unwittingly hires a Santa Claus with problems for a Christmas party at the day-care center.

S4 E12 · Do the Wrong Thing

1992-01-03

No summary.

S4 E13 · The Big Payday

1992-04-01

No summary.

S4 E14 · John's Divided Heart

1992-04-15

Scriptwriter Mary Beth sees John's problems as soap-opera fodder for her show ""The Divided Heart.""

S4 E15 · Who's Who

1992-06-12

John is suddenly willing to take risks after a near-death experience in an elevator.

S4 E16 · Poor John (1)

1992-07-15

Lack of funds clouds John's ski weekend with a new flame. (Part 1 of 1)

S4 E17 · Poor John (2)

1992-07-22

John overextends his credit to impress his new girlfriend. (Part 2 of 2)

S4 E18 · The Write Stuff

John tries his hand at soap opera scripts.

S4 E19 · Heartburn and Heartache

1992-06-07

A doctor links John's stomach pain to Kirk.

S4 E20 · Adult Education

Kirk finally gets his high school diploma.

S4 E21 · Freddy's Back

John babysits his boss's parrot.

S4 E22 · The Nightmare Continues

Louise encourages the group to tackle their relationship problems through creative visualization.