Nearly Departed is an American sitcom that aired on NBC on Monday nights from April 10, 1989 to May 1, 1989.[1] It was an updated version of Topper.[2]

Premise [ edit ]

The series focused on English professor Grant Pritchard and his wife Claire who are killed in a rockslide. They return to their home as ghosts to find plumbing contractor Mike Dooley and his wife Liz, son Derek, and his father, Jack, living there. Grandpa Jack was the only one who could see and hear the Pritchards. In exchange for continuing to live in the house as ghosts, the Pritchards would mediate through Grandpa Jack and try to help the Dooleys with their problems. In one such instance, Derek was doing poorly in school because he was intimidated by bullies; Grant and Claire use their abilities to scare off the bullies.

Cast [ edit ]

Eric Idle as Grant Pritchard

Caroline McWilliams as Claire Pritchard

Stuart Pankin as Mike Dooley

Wendy Schaal as Liz Dooley

Jay Lambert as Derek Dooley

Henderson Forsythe as Grandpa Jack Garrett

Episodes [ edit ]

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date 1 "Grant Meets Grandpa" John Rich Roger Shulman & John Baskin April 10, 1989 ( ) 2 "Adventures in Babysitting" John Rich Roger Shulman & John Baskin April 17, 1989 ( ) 3 "Altared States" John Rich Daniel Palladino April 24, 1989 ( ) 4 "TV or Not TV" John Rich Neil Alan Levy May 1, 1989 ( ) 5 "Grandpa's Date" John Rich Dale McRaven UNAIRED 6 "Grant's Aunt" John Rich Sy Dukane & Denise Moss UNAIRED