ABC AFTERSCHOOL SPECIALS: DADDY, I'M THEIR MAMA NOW (TV)
Summary
One in this series of dramas intended for young audiences.
Shorty Rollins, a country music singer, has a trio of children, Retta, Johnny, and Roy, who are largely left to their own devices. While he is out doing a show, the three of them sneak into a pool at night to go swimming; the two boys are watched by Retta. Their mother was killed in a tragic plane crash, and Shorty still remembers her fondly, commemorating a song in her memory. The children are caught and are forced to run away, and when they get home Retta sends the boys to bed. The next morning, Retta takes Roy out into town to go on a pony ride, although Johnny declines to join them. Later, Retta asks about Johnny’s whereabouts that day, and claims that he was hanging out with a kid at the park shooting off model rockets. Retta expresses her concern about Johnny’s activities to Shorty, who seems unconcerned about it. Retta is frustrated, feeling unappreciated by her brothers and father. Brenadelle, one of Shorty’s band members, speaks to him during a show intermission and expresses concern about Retta’s responsibilities caring for Johnny and Roy, although Shorty believes that Retta is satisfied with the arrangement.
Johnny heads out to see his new friend again, and forbids Roy from coming along. However, Retta convinces Johnny to change his mind and allow Roy to come with him. Retta secretly follows both of them as they meet with Johnny’s friend, named Arthur. She watches them fly the plane until realizing that she left a casserole in the oven and rushing back to the house. Roy sees her running away and Johnny orders Roy not to let on that they saw her there. Shorty tries to compliment Retta’s cooking, although she is upset that the casserole is burnt and dumps the whole thing out. Shorty leaves for work, and the children plan to go swimming again that night. While swimming, Roy believes that he sees someone spying on them. Johnny heads out to investigate and finds Arthur hiding in the bushes; he has been expecting him. Arthur dares Johnny to jump off of the diving board and he does so, making quite a ruckus in the process. This alerts the owner of the house, and all of the children flee.
A few days later Roy accidentally indicates to Retta that he knows who was spying on them that night in the pool. She tries coerces him into revealing that it was Arthur, and that Johnny asked him to come. Retta is furious that Johnny brought someone else in, but Roy reveals that he knows that Retta was spying on them earlier that same day. She defends her actions by explaining that she was looking after them, although Roy doesn’t believe her. Later, Brenadelle visits Retta and they talk about how Retta can no longer keep track of the boys as she once did, especially since they befriended Arthur. They return and Brenadelle enthusiastically greets them. Johnny and Arthur discuss something in private which Johnny refuses to tell the others about. He accuses Retta of being jealous of his new friendship, claiming that she no longer has any friends. The tensions between the children increase, although Shorty does not seem to notice, and leaves for his singing job.
That night, Johnny sneaks out of bed and leaves the house, although Retta anticipates this and follows him out. Roy awakens to find Johnny and Retta missing, and he looks around the house for him. Roy becomes convinced that Johnny and Retta went to the pool without him, and while looking for them there he accidentally falls in the pool and struggles to stay afloat. Retta spies on Johnny and Arthur as they shoot off a large model rocket. Retta emerges and confronts the two of them, furious that the two of them could have potentially started a fire. She drags Johnny away, although Arthur accuses Retta of treating her brothers like “prisoners” in spite of all the chores and tasks she does for them. Johnny accuses her of bossing him and Roy around merely to appease her sense of self-worth, and Retta leaves with Johnny.
They return home to find that Roy has been brought home by “the Colonel,” the owner of the house they have been infiltrating, who rescued from drowning. The Colonel explains what happened and is furious at this turn of events. Shorty and Brenadelle arrive and learn about what happened; Shorty is surprised to learn that his children have been sneaking out every night. Roy blames Retta for what happened, and Retta says she is doing the best she can. She becomes emotional, claiming that her efforts to take care of the boys have not been recognized. Brenadelle tries to offer her reassurance, hoping that this incident will show Shorty that he has to take better care of his children. She recounts an incident from her youth which has some similarities to what Retta went through. Retta echoes Johnny’s assertion that she is keeping a tight rein over the boys since she has no friends of her own, and Brenadelle tries to offer her comfort, explaining that she has had similar experiences. Retta apologizes to Shorty about what happened to Roy, and Shorty seems to realize that the task of looking out for Johnny and Roy is too great for her to carry out alone. He says that one of his songs is going to be recorded by a producer in Nashville, and that the family is going to move out there. Shorty starts to accept his parental responsibility. They children reconcile their differences and Shorty implies that he and Brenadelle are going to get married, thus providing the children with a real mother. Commercials deleted.
(This program contains some audiovisual imperfections. It represents the best quality available at this time).
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: March 3, 1982 4:30 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:46:28
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:04094
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1972-1997
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Martin Tahse … Producer
- Paul Deason … Associate Producer
- Jeff Bleckner … Director
- Durrell Royce Crays … Writer, Music by
- Betsy Byars … Based on the novel "The Night Swimmers" by
- Misha Segal … Music by
- Jacques D. Nosco … Music by
- Jeff Hodge … Music by
- Douglas P. Gunsch … Music by
- Mallie Jackson … Cast, Retta Rollins
- Trey Wilson … Cast, Shorty Rollins
- Betty Beaird … Cast, Brenadelle
- Jason Lively … Cast, Johnny Rollins
- Jason Hervey … Cast, Roy Rollins
- Eric Taslitz … Cast, Arthur
- Ted Gehring … Cast, The Colonel
- Daryn Sipes … Cast, Girl