Dear Aunt Agnes
Created in 1985, Dear Aunt Agnes was a children's show that aired on TV Ontario. The show debuted on Tuesday, Jan 7, 1986. The show's premise was that a divorced mother called her Aunt Agnes to come and take care of her children so that she could take a job in another country. Agnes Peabody was a lovable 65-year-old eccentric who moved in with her pre-teen nephew and teenage niece. Agnes was not fond of, nor understood the seemingly modern amenities of her new home. Agnes was also very fond of Elvis Presley.
The show was designed for eight- to twelve-year-olds with a conscious effort to create a non-traditional family situation in which children are given the responsibility for a lot of their decisions.
Dear Aunt Agnes was canceled after two 13-episode seasons which aired that same year. It aired in reruns for a couple of years before returning in 1989 with new batch of episodes in which Andrew and Alex were all grown up. In this last season, the problems the kids encountered reflected their age, tending to deal with issues that affect teens.
Another character, a twenty something, single male named Gary, lived in the upstairs apartment.
The exterior of the house was filmed at 121 Crescent Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cast
- Heather Conkie as Aunt Agnes
- Victor Erdos as Joel
- Bradley Phillips as Andrew Stefanidos
- Mya Rimon as Alex Stefanidos
- Elijah Siegler as Eddie
- Bruce Tubbe as Gary
- Elias Zarou as Mr. Stefanidos
Song lyrics
Listen by clicking on the link in the "Dear Aunt Agnes" section here
"Dear Aunt Agnes, remember
You said you'd help me out if you could
Well my job is taking me far away
To move the children just wouldn't be good
If you would say you would come and stay
You'd be the best aunt a girl ever had
Dear Aunt Agnes, Dear Aunt Agnes
Won't you come and stay?"
Episode guide
Complete list of episodes, in no order. Original airdates are listed where known.
| Crossed Signals | 7 January 1986 | Debut. Alex and Andrew are resentful when their great-aunt arrives to look after them. |
| Battlezone | 25 February 1986 | Agnes and Gary back opposing candidates in a local election. Their living room is transformed into a battle camp as they engage in a round of childish oneupmanship. It is Alex, the 13-year-old, who finally brings them to their senses. Shelley Peterson is a guest. |
| The Date | 4 November 1986 | Alex's first date causes a household uproar. |
| Body Beautiful | 9 December 1986 | Aunt Agnes receives a beauty salon trip as a birthday present. |
| The New Neighbour | Andrew uses detective powers to solve the stolen bike mysteries. | |
| Trouble With Travino | The issue of fair and unfair. | |
| Standing on Ceremonies | Alex and Andrew's father is married; Gary graduates. | |
| Popularity Game | Everyone responds to peer pressure in different ways. | |
| Home, Sweet Homeless | Schultz runs away from home and his father's problem. | |
| Tam Lin | A Vietnamese girl arrives for heart surgery and lives with the gang. | |
| Nobody's Fault | Andrew has a serious accident while camping. | |
| Opportunity Knocks | Alex and Gary have job interviews. | |
| A Question of Vanity | A formal dance tries Aunt Agnes' patience. | |
| Wrong Route | Agnes befriends Old Man Taylor, a dying hermit. | |
| Getting Even | A bigger boy challenges Andrew to a fight. | |
| The Homecoming | Alex acts snobbish when she returns from France. | |
| The Crush | Alex believes her director shares feelings with her. | |
| In a Fog | Alex and Andrew spend a scary night alone. | |
| Burnout | Alex and Andrew's mother comes home for a visit. | |
| A Matter of Honour | Gary falls in love with his friend's girlfriend. | |
| Cover-Up | Andrew gets into trouble at school and Alex covers it up. | |
| Fair Play | Agnes must face a defiant Alex, Gary's attempt at cheating and a burglar. | |
| Schultz's Dad | Alex worries about a change in Schultz. | |
| Future Plans | Alex, Andrew and Aunt Agnes plan to go separate ways. | |
| Andrew in Love | Gary interferes with Andrew's attempts to know Samantha better. | |
| Money Matters | Alex and Gary's financial habits cause trouble; Andrew believes Agnes is broke. | |
| Moon Motel | Chagrined Andrew pairs with a boy from special-education class for a science project. | |
| Doing Good | Alex becomes a candy striper for a school project. | |
| Wrong Route | Andrew gets help to complete his paper route. | |
| Fallen Idol | Andrew accepts money for doing his friend's homework. | |
| The Visit | Alex and Andrew are dismayed to learn their father may remarry. | |
| Gary's Driving School | Gary gives Alex driving lessons. | |
| Bazaar Situation | Alex hides her employment from Aunt Agnes. | |
| The Best of Friends | Martha's behaviour puts a strain on her and Alex's friendship. | |
| Be Real | Alex refuses to participate in planning a birthday party for her father, claiming he won't show up. As the day passes, her hopes rise and she buys him a present. But he doesn't show up, and the children try to deal with their disappointment and love for him. | |
| Job Hunting | Gary can't find degree-related work and it affects Alex's outlook on school. | |
| Sisters in Spirit | After colliding with a young girl on the street, Alex finds her wallet is gone. | |
| Dancing on Thin Ice | 25 October 1989 | Alex thinks her ballerina friend has bulimia. |
| Christmas at Loon Lake | 20 December 1989 | Aunt Agnes is all revved up over the possibility of spending an old-fashioned Christmas with Alex and Andrew at a cottage in Muskoka. But the teen-agers miss TV and their friends back in civilization and Aunt Agnes herself is deflated because things are no longer as she remembered them as a young girl. But surprises are in store. |