Return to the Nest

Return to the Nest

Catching up with the cast and crew of Empty Nest

It’s been more than 20 years since Empty Nest aired its final episode in 1995. Take a walk down memory lane as we “Return to the Nest” with cast and crew to hear what it was like working on the show and what they’re up to today.

 

Dinah Manoff (Carol Weston)

Dinah Manoff reflects on playing the “comically screwed up” Carol, the time her Oscar-winning mother, Lee Grant, guest starred on an episode, and why things were never the same for her after Kristy McNichol left the series.

David Leisure (Charley Dietz)

David Leisure tells us about surviving the ill-fated original Empty Nest pilot, why playing Charley was the perfect gig, what he reallythought of his costars…and about the time he made out with Dinah Manoff! He even talks Joe Isuzu!

Park Overall (Laverne Todd)

From actress to activist, Park Overall candidly shares some of her favorite stories from the set of Empty Nest, how she fought to ensure Southerners were accurately depicted on screen and her return to her Tennessee roots to work for a better environment.

Marsha Warfield (Dr. Maxine Douglas)

Marsha tells us what it was like to join the Empty Nest cast in season six; dishes on Richard Mulligan, Park Overall and Estelle Getty; and confesses what was really in Maxine’s coffee cup. Plus, she’s returning to the stand-up stage!

Joel Silverman, Dog Trainer

Joel Silverman has referred to his time on Empty Nest as the best years of his life. In this interview, he tells us how Bear’s trademark “eyebrow thing” came to be and definitively answers that ever-popular question, “What breed of dog was Dreyfuss?”

Doug Smart, Associate Director

Doug Smart worked on both The Golden Girls and Empty Nest, and describes the show’s production process, what it was like working with the cast and which of the show’s stars gave him the occasional haircut between takes.

 


Additional interviews will be added as we connect with cast and crew members. If you were involved in the production of the show and would like to “Return to the Nest,” send an email.