Empty Nest Online

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the real name of the dog who played Dreyfuss?

Dreyfuss was mostly played by a dog named Bear. However, Bear's brother Julio occasionally stood in as Dreyfuss.

What breed of dog is Dreyfuss?

"Bear's mother was a purebred St. Bernard," says Joel Silverman, who worked on the show as Bear's trainer from 1988 to 1992, "and his father was a Golden Retriever/Shepherd cross." Bear closely resembled the Leonberger breed as well, notes Silverman.

How did Empty Nest do in the ratings over the years?

The show was in the Top 10 for its first three seasons. It came it at #9 during seasons one (17.35 million households) and two (17.40 million households) then jumped to #7 during the third season (15.54M). The show began drawing more viewers than sister series The Golden Girls during the third season, a trend that continued throughout season four as well. Empty Nest finished its fourth season in the #23 spot (14.17M), the fifth season at #45 (10.96M), season six at #62 (9.46M) and season seven at a disappointing #118 (6.90M).

What hospital was used in the establishing shots of the show?

Community Medical Center was actually Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, CA, an acute care, not-for-profit hospital located on California's Orange County coastline between Los Angeles and San Diego.

Why did Kristy McNichol leave the show?

Kristy was battling a chemical imbalance akin to bipolar disorder and left the show to better care for her health. The departure was originally supposed to be temporary but Kristy was afraid her health would suffer if she returned to the show. Her brief return for the series finale in 1995 marks her last on-screen appearance as an actress to date. 

Why would the producers suddenly create a third sister after Kristy McNichol left? 

Emily wasn't actually a "sudden" creation. Despite having never appeared onscreen prior to season five, the character existed from the first episode. In fact, the opening scene of the pilot featured Harry talking on the phone to Emily. As the series progressed and the Carol/Barbara relationship became more prominent, mentions of Emily became less frequent. However, when Kristy left, producers decided to introduce the youngest Weston sibling when her absence looked to be longterm.

Is Empty Nest available on video or DVD?

So far Empty Nest has not officially been released in any format. Read on for details on an unofficial release.

What can you tell me about this "complete series DVD set" that I saw for sale online?

A DVD set of the show does circulate on auction sites like eBay and iOffer from various sellers. It is often advertised as being the complete series, but in actuality there are about 24 episodes missing from various seasons (at least on the set we obtained, which seems to be the same set everyone is selling). This is a bootleg set of old VHS transfers to DVD. The quality of the DVDs isn't terrific, although the episodes are certainly watchable. The good news is that the episodes are from the original NBC airings, not the edited versions that have appeared in syndication. We have nothing to do with the selling of these sets, and they are not official releases in any way, so purchase at your own risk. 

Is the show currently airing in syndication? 

Not at the moment. Empty Nest debuted on Hallmark Channel in February 2011 with a 24 hour marathon. With solid ratings and a surge of fan support online, Hallmark immediately added the show to its daily lineup the following week. It was then shuffled around the network's lineup before being pulled altogether in July of that year. Hallmark Channel retains the rights to the show, however, and will let us know when it gets put back into rotation. Watch our Schedule page for updates. Prior to its Hallmark run, the show hadn't aired in over a decade. It was shown on TBS briefly in 1996 and on WGN for a three-year run that ended in 1999.

What are the lyrics to the Empty Nest theme song?

"Life Goes On"

Life goes on and so do we.
Just how we do it is no mystery.
One by one we fill the days.
We find a thousand different ways.

Sometimes the answer can be hard to find.
That's something I will never be.
I'm always here for anything you need.

Rain or shine, I'll be the one
To share it all as life goes on.
We share it all as life goes on

"Life Goes On" was written by George Aliceson Tipton and John Bettis and performed by Billy Vera, who had a #1 hit with the song "Without Us" after it was used in an episode of Family Ties.

I saw an episode of The Golden Girls about the empty nest syndrome. Was it the original pilot for Empty Nest?

Yes. The "Empty Nest" episode of The Golden Girls aired May 16, 1987, and starred Rita Moreno, Paul Dooley, Geoffrey Lewis, David Leisure, and Jane Harnick. For more information about the original pilot, visit the Series History section of the website.

 What was Sophia's explanation for moving back into Shady Pines during season six, and were the whereabouts of the other Golden Girls characters ever mentioned?

When Sophia showed up on the Weston doorstep at the start of the '93 season, she simply said she missed the old neighborhood and decided to move back, adding that "now that I see all of you, I can't imagine why." After The Golden Girls ended in 1992, Estelle Getty, Betty White and Rue McClanahan starred in the spinoff series The Golden Palace, in which Sophia, Rose and Blanche operated and lived in a Miami hotel. Neither the hotel nor Blanche and Rose were mentioned on Empty Nest; however, Sophia's daughter Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur's character) was mentioned occassionally. None of the characters made appearances on the show during Estelle's time there.