The show centers on a Sacramento, California family with eight children (from oldest to youngest: David, Mary, Joanie, Susan, Nancy, Elizabeth, Tommy, and Nicholas). The father, Tom Bradford (Dick Van Patten), was a newspaper columnist for the fictional Sacramento Register. His wife Joan (Diana Hyland) was a homemaker and took care of the children. Hyland was only in four episodes before falling ill. She died soon after, and her character 's death was written into the script.
who was the mom on 8 is enough
Joan (Diana Hyland)