Mr. Belvedere is a popular 1980s sitcom based on the Gwen Davenport novel "Belvedere," which was adapted to the big screen three times.
Like its predecessors, "Mr. Belvedere" features British butler Lynn Belvedere, who becomes a live-in nanny for an American family and records their daily experiences in his diary for future use in writing a novel.
In the 1985 small-screen version, the Owens family serves as the "typical American family" for Belvedere, who previously worked for Winston Churchill and had connections to British royalty.
The Owens family consists of patriarch George (played by sportscaster Bob Uecker), a sportswriter, and matriarch Marsha, a law student. They live in suburban Pittsburgh with their three children: awkward teenager Kevin, precocious Heather, and mischievous Wesley.
Initially uncomfortable with hiring Belvedere, George eventually appreciates his friendship and culinary skills. Even Wesley, who initially clashes with Belvedere, comes to value his advice.
Each episode ends with Belvedere writing in his journal, providing the show's moral and putting everything into perspective.
As the series progresses, Marsha graduates from law school, Kevin and Heather graduate from high school and enter college.
The 1985 small-screen adaptation of "Mr. Belvedere" marked the end of several unsuccessful attempts to bring Davenport's novel to television, with three earlier pilots made in the 1950s and 1960s.