Mr. Belvedere - Premise

Premise

A middle-class family in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh, takes in an English Housekeeper who has emigrated to the United States. According to Frank Dungan & Jeff Stein, the co-creators of the show, Pittsburgh was chosen as the setting because they have the Penguins, because it was a city with seasons and sporting activities, and because it was a city going through a resurgence. At the time the series premiered, Pittsburgh was named by Rand-McNally as the most liveable city in America, even though both Dungan & Stein admitted to never having been to Pittsburgh before. In fact, none of the scenes on the show was ever shot in Pittsburgh.

The posh housekeeper, Lynn Belvedere, struggles to adapt to the Owens household. The breadwinner, George (Bob Uecker), is a sportswriter. His wife Marsha (Ilene Graff) is attending law school. At the show's start, oldest son Kevin (Rob Stone) is a senior in high school, daughter Heather (Tracy Wells) is a freshman, and Wesley (Brice Beckham) is in elementary school. Over the course of the series, George becomes a sportscaster, Marsha graduates from law school and starts a career as a lawyer, Kevin leaves for college and gets his own apartment, and Heather moves up in high school.

Several episodes deal with Wesley and Mr. Belvedere, who are always at odds with one another, with Wesley constantly antagonizing Mr. Belvedere. Deep down, however, they really love each other. In one of many very special episodes, one of Wesley's classmates contracts HIV via Factor VIII, like Ryan White. The friend is taken out of school due to the ignorance and uncertainty that many of the other children's parents share. This leads Wesley to shun his friend in fear of getting the disease himself. Mr. Belvedere is there for him and the child, and he helps Wesley to shed his fear of the boy and publicly accept him as his friend.

Throughout the series, Mr. Belvedere serves as a mentor of sorts to Wesley as well as to the other children. Being a cultured man with many skills and achievements, he also comes to serve as some sort of a "counselor" to the Owens clan, helping them solve their dilemmas and stay out of mischief.

Each episode ends with Mr. Belvedere writing in his journal, recounting the events of the day with the Owens family and what he got out of it in terms of a lesson.

A frequent gag on the show involves Heather's best friend Angela (Michele Matheson), who always (except for in one episode) mispronounces Mr. Belvedere's name - such as calling him "Mr. Bumpersticker", "Mr. Bellpepper" or "Mr. Butterfinger". Another frequent gag involves George and Mr. Belvedere butting heads, with George being annoyed with his "nosy English housekeeper" always interfering. Yet another recurring gag features George always trying to be initiated into the "Happy Guys of Pittsburgh" - a local charity club. Wesley's highly acrimonious relationship with the never-seen next door neighbors, the Hufnagels, and the shenanigans he pulls on them was another recurring plot element.

In the two-part series finale, Mr. Belvedere marries and moves to Africa, thus leaving the Owens clan.