Jason Seaver

• Alan Thicke played Jason Seaver, the father who was a professional psychiatrist. Dr. Seaver always tried to teach profound moral lessons to his children. The character could be seen struggling to separate the psychiatrist from the father.
  
  

Maggie Malone-Seaver

• Joanna Kerns was the lovable Maggie-Malone Seaver. The matriarch of the family, Maggie was a working mom who juggled her career and family responsibilities.
  
  

Mike Seaver

• Kirk Cameron was arguably the star of the show. His portrayal of Mike Seaver made him into a cult icon. Mike was a rebellious young man who always seemed to learn the hard lessons of life through his juvenile and often irresponsible actions.
  In real life, Kirk was a born-again Christian. Many incidents were reported of his clashes with the producers over themes that he thought were too offensive.
  
  

Carol Seaver

• Tracy Gold was the too-smart-for-her-own-good Carol Seaver. Always being teased by her brother for being fat, Carol was the more serious, responsible sibling. Her character touched on more of the show's serious topics like teens' self images and relationships.
  In real life, Tracy suffered severely from eating disorders that magnified during her time on the show.
  
  

Ben Seaver

• Jeremy Miller was the younger brother Ben Seaver. Ben was always either getting into trouble with his older brother Mike, or causing trouble for his siblings. Jeremy's character grew up--literally--during the show's run. He went from being a sly little kid to being a confused teenager.
  
  

Other Children

• In the last few seasons, the writers added two more children to the family. Chrissy was the little baby girl that Jason and Maggie had later in life. Her character truly tested the limits of working parents trying to care for an infant.
  Lastly, nobody can forget the adopted Seaver son Luke Brower. Luke was played by Lionardo DiCaprio. Luke was a homeless boy brought to the home by Mike. The Seavers got over their initial reluctance and welcomed him into the family.
  
  

Theme Song

• One of the most recognizable TV theme songs, "As Long As We Got Each Other," was written by John Bettis and Steve Dorff. The most widely accepted version of the theme song was performed by BJ Thomas and Jennifer Warnes in seasons 2, 3, 5 and 7.