Saturday 9: Who's the Boss?

Saturday 9: Brand New Life (The Theme from Who's the Boss) (1984)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) Who's the Boss? is a sitcom that ran from 1984 to 1992. Were you a fan? No.

2) This week's song was composed by the show's producers, two men not known as songwriters. Have you ever tried your hand at songwriting? No, I’ve written a few poems, but didn’t try to sing them.

3) The lyrics tell us that, as we go through life, it's not uncommon to "lose a dream or two." Do you agree? Yes, I agree. Have you ever had to give up on a dream? Yes.

4) Who's the Boss? was about a highly-paid executive who hires a housekeeper. In the 1980s, it was unusual because the exec was a woman and the housekeeper was a man. Do you believe a man can be as good at housework as a woman? Our son certainly can get the job done well. For a guy whose room was always a mess, he is very good at cleaning house now. You know what they say about paybacks? Both his kids’ rooms are very messy! Haha!!

5) Though the show's star, Tony Danza, graduated from University of Dubuque and was prepared to be a teacher, he got sidetracked. Back in New York, he boxed and tended bar and fell into acting. He finally did teach in 2010, taking over a 10th grade English class. How many different occupations have you held? I was a secretary in an insurance company, assistant to a PR man at a university, legal assistant in a law firm for many years, and assistant/researcher/scheduler/jack of all trades for a Christian author/speaker/radio program. In all these jobs, my occupation was pretty much basically the same.

6) On the show, his daughter was played by Alyssa Milano. When she was a teenager, she rebelled against the show's producers by cutting off her long hair and wearing a pixie style. Were you a rebellious teen? In a few minor ways.

7) "The Boss" was Judith Light, who had been known to TV audiences from her work on One Life to Live. She met Robert Desiderio on the set of the soap opera and they have been married more than 34 years. Tell us where one of your romances got started. I met my husband in a country/western dance place called No Whar But Texas.

8) The show -- rebroadcast with subtitles -- was a hit in Italy, where it was known as Casalingo Superpiù (Super Housekeeper). Say something to us in Italian. Buongiorno, Come stai.

9) Random question -- Have you more recently watched the sun rise or set? I watch the sun set almost every single day. I enjoy taking pictures of the sunsets, and sometimes watching the sun rise.