本剧主要讲述住在纽约长岛的西佛一家的日常生活故事，是中国大陆较早引进的国外情景喜剧，在中国从1990年一直播出至1994年。1990年代初期一经播出就引发了收视高潮，片中迈克开朗调皮的形象为广大观众所喜爱。而剧中西佛医生对子女采取启发式教育的方式，也让观众得到启示。

Prisoner: What are you in for kid?

Mike: I killed a man, just to watch him die. You?

prisoner: Unpaid parking tickets.

Mike: Oh no it's my mom!

Jason: Come on Maggie, we don't even know the facts yet. I mean it's not so unusual for a teenage boy to have a minor run-in with the police. Some of these guys can be real macho headbangers.

policeman: Hiya! You folks care for some hot cocoa? I just made a fresh pot.

Jason: look, we're the Seavers. You've locked up our son. An officer claimed he was driving a car.

policeman: Ah yes sir, we...er...picked him up in the "House of Sweat" parking lot. He was driving in circles for approximately twelve minutes.

Jason: Ok, so a fifteen year old boy drives his friends car around the lot a few times.

policeman: Oh did I mention, he side swerved a police car on the way out?

Jason: he what?

policeman: He tore that bumber off like he was peeling an orange. A three hundred and fifty dollar orange.