Harry and the Hendersons (TV series)
A sitcom about a family who adopts a Bigfoot.
Harry and the Hendersons is an American sitcom that ran in syndication from January 13, 1991, to June 18, 1993, with 72 half-hour episodes. Produced by Amblin Television for Universal Television, it is based on the film of the same name and centers on a family that takes in a Bigfoot named Harry.
In the series, Bruce Davison and Molly Cheek play parents George and Nancy Henderson, while Carol-Ann Plante and Zachary Bostrom portray their children Sarah and Ernie. Kevin Peter Hall, who played Harry in the film, also performed the role in the TV series until his death after completing only 13 episodes of the first season. He was succeeded first by Dawan Scott, then by Brian Steele in the third season. Harry’s vocal effects were provided by Patrick Pinney, replacing Fred Newman from the film.
George and Nancy are an upwardly mobile two-career couple; George works for a sporting goods company and later launches his own magazine, *The Better Life*, late in the second season. Early episodes feature Walter Potter, a biologist with the Department of Animal Control who helps the Hendersons care for Harry and conduct Sasquatch research. Also introduced early on are the Glicks—Samantha, a pretty young single mother and reporter, and her precocious daughter Tiffany, a classmate of Ernie’s who has a crush on him. Samantha, Tiffany, and Walter are all written out after the first season. The concept of a girl next door chasing Ernie is retained through Darcy Payne in the 1991–92 season; Darcy is more annoying and constantly tries to win Ernie over, comes close to discovering Harry, but disappears before exposing the secret. In the second season, Nancy’s younger brother Brett, a photographer, moves in and is sworn to secrecy. When George starts *The Better Life* in spring 1992, Brett becomes its chief photographer and a financial beneficiary.
The third season brings major changes: in the premiere, Harry’s existence is accidentally exposed. Instead of being captured or killed by the government, he is embraced by the public and gains overnight regional fame. Harry adjusts to a high-profile life of exhibitions and scientific studies, while the family no longer has to hide him. Hilton, a friend of Ernie’s and the son of a local police chief, joins the cast.
The series credits feature an artistic representation of key scenes from the
- Genre
- Sitcom
- Based on
- Film of the same name
- Production companies
- Amblin Television, Universal Television
- Original run
- January 13, 1991 – June 18, 1993
- Number of episodes
- 72
- Theme song
- Your Feet's Too Big, performed by Leon Redbone
Lore & Background
Bruce Davison and Molly Cheek played the parents George and Nancy, with Carol-Ann Plante and Zachary Bostrom as the children Sarah and Ernie. Kevin Peter Hall played Harry in both the film and TV series until his death after completing only 13 episodes of the first season. He was replaced first by Dawan Scott and then by Brian Steele in the third season. Harry's vocal effects were provided by Patrick Pinney, replacing Fred Newman from the film.
In the series, George and Nancy were an upwardly mobile two-career couple, with George working for a sporting goods company before launching his own magazine, The Better Life, late in the second season. Early episodes featured Walter Potter, a biologist from
Reader's Guide
Harry and the Hendersons extended the film's premise into a syndicated sitcom, notable for being one of the few television adaptations of a feature film to maintain the same creature performer initially. The series underwent significant cast changes, including three different actors portraying Harry due to Kevin Peter Hall's death. The show's tone shifted across seasons, from a secret-keeping family comedy to a story about public acceptance of a cryptid. Reruns aired on Retro Television Network from August 2008 until June 2011, and the series became available for streaming on Tubi in December 2025. Its legacy lies in its attempt to blend family sitcom conventions with a fantastical premise, and in the behind-the-scenes challenges of maintaining a non-human lead character.
Did You Know?
- Kevin Peter Hall played Harry in both the film and TV series until his death late in the production of the first season.
- Harry's vocal effects were provided by Patrick Pinney, replacing Fred Newman from the film.
- The series' theme song was 'Your Feet's Too Big', performed by Leon Redbone.
- In December 2025, the show became available for streaming on Tubi.
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