If you are after a comedy that actually makes you laugh out loud, Eight Is Enough is available on streaming right now. The 5-season run is exactly the right length for what it is doing. A 6/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Watch it for Dick Van Patten — stay for everyone else around them. Put it on tonight and see for yourself.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Eight Is Enough is worth clearing space for. Eight Is Enough gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. Eight Is Enough is an American television comedy-drama series that ran on ABC from March 15, 1977, until August 29, 1981. The show was modeled after syndicated newspaper columnist Thomas Braden, a real-life parent with eight children, who wrote a book with the same name. The chemistry Dick Van Patten and Betty Buckley bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. The series ran for 5 seasons (1977–1981), building a story that gave its audience time to invest properly. The real test of any comedy is whether it is still funny once you know all the jokes, and Eight Is Enough holds up on rewatch in a way that separates it from one-off curiosities. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

For viewers who want something light without wanting something stupid, Eight Is Enough respects your intelligence. The tonal similarities to And Just Like That… are real, though Eight Is Enough carves out its own identity quickly. Short enough to finish in a weekend, substantial enough to feel satisfying. Dick Van Patten sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.

Eight Is Enough wrapped up in 1981, created by Lee Mendelson — and 5 seasons are available to watch from start to finish. Find exactly where it's streaming below, and TV Butler Pro makes it effortless to track your progress as you go. Just search the name, and Butler finds it instantly, tells you which service has it, and remembers exactly where you left off.