# Soul Man (TV series)

Soul Man is an American sitcom starring Dan Aykroyd that aired on ABC from April 15, 1997, to May 26, 1998. A total of 25 half-hour episodes were produced over two seasons.
The series premiered on April 15, 1997, and was picked up for a second season of 22 half-hour episodes after only three episodes aired for the first season. Despite ranking 29th in its 2nd and final season, it ended on May 26, 1998, with 25 half-hour episodes produced in total. A four-year-old Spencer Breslin made his TV debut and was a series regular for the three-episode-long 1997 first season, in which he played the youngest child of Aykroyd.
The theme song was "Soul Man" written by Isaac Hayes and David Porter. Aykroyd was closely associated with the song, having released a cover of it in 1979 with his band The Blues Brothers.

## Premise

Mike Weber (played by Aykroyd) is a widowed Episcopal priest who must deal with his four children, his quirky parishioners in Royal Oak, Michigan, and a wet-behind-the-ears curate who happens to be the nephew of his bishop.

## Cast

* Dan Aykroyd as Rev. Mike Weber
* Anthony Clark as Rev. Todd Tucker
* Kevin Sheridan as Kenny Weber, Mike's first son
* Brendon Ryan Barrett as Andy Weber, Mike's second son
* Courtney Chase as Meredith Weber, Mike's daughter
* Spencer Breslin (season 1) & Michael Finiguerra (season 2) as Fred Weber, Mike's third son
* Dakin Matthews as Bishop Peter Jerome

## Home Improvement connection

Tim Allen appeared as Tim Taylor in the second episode, "Communion Wine and Convicts ", who ended up cutting the hole too big, causing the basin to fall through the floor.
In the Season 1 finale episode "Cinderella and the Funeral", Richrd Karn appeared as Al Borland who came to fix the church's furnace. Reference was made to Tim and the holy water basin falling through the hole he cut.
In the second season, Zachary Ty Bryan appeared in the episode "Public Embarrassment and Todd's First Sermon" playing Brad Taylor.
Mike Weber later appeared on Home Improvement as the priest of Al Borland. He was hired to put in a new stand for a holy water basin in the season seven episode "Losing My Religion".

## Episodes
### Series overview

| Season | Episodes | Episodes | Originally released | Originally released |
| Season | Episodes | Episodes | First released | Last released |
| 1 | 3 | 3 | April 15, 1997 (1997-4-15) | April 29, 1997 (1997-4-29) |
| 2 | 22 | 22 | September 30, 1997 (1997-9-30) | May 26, 1998 (1998-5-26) |

### Season 1 (1997)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Viewers (millions) |
| 1 | 1 | "Urges and Lies" | Andrew Tsao | Carmen Finestra & David McFadzean & Matt Williams | April 15, 1997 (1997-4-15) | 18.33 |
| 2 | 2 | "Communion Wine and Convicts" | Unknown | Unknown | April 22, 1997 (1997-4-22) | 17.69 |
| 3 | 3 | "Cinderella and the Funeral" | Unknown | Unknown | April 29, 1997 (1997-4-29) | 14.00 |

### Season 2 (1997–98)

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | Viewers (millions) |
| 4 | 1 | "Mike's Awakening" | Andrew Tsao | Tom Leopold | September 30, 1997 (1997-9-30) | 17.11 |
| 5 | 2 | "Hello Todd, Hello Nancy, Goodbye Harley" | Andrew Tsao | David Richardson | October 7, 1997 (1997-10-7) | 17.44 |
| 6 | 3 | "The Lost Sheep Squadron" | John Pasquin | Danny Smith | October 21, 1997 (1997-10-21) | 14.19 |
| 7 | 4 | "Trick and Treat" | John Pasquin | Jon Pollack | October 28, 1997 (1997-10-28) | 12.97 |
| 8 | 5 | "Public Embarrassment and Todd's First Sermon" | John Pasquin | Pat Dougherty | November 4, 1997 (1997-11-4) | 11.16 |
| 9 | 6 | "Camping and Housekeepers" | John Pasquin | Steve Paymer | November 18, 1997 (1997-11-18) | 16.40 |
| 10 | 7 | "Three Priests and a Baby" | John Pasquin | Sarit Catz & Gloria Ketterer | November 25, 1997 (1997-11-25) | 12.95 |
| 11 | 8 | "Attic Box Blues" | John Pasquin | Sarit Catz & Gloria Ketterer | December 2, 1997 (1997-12-2) | 13.52 |
| 12 | 9 | "Christmas Ruined My Life" | Gil Junger | Pat Dougherty | December 16, 1997 (1997-12-16) | 14.00 |
| 13 | 10 | "Yes Sir, That's My Baby" | Don Scardino | Carmen Finestra & David McFadzean | January 6, 1998 (1998-1-6) | 13.72 |
| 14 | 11 | "Holy Rollers" | Ted Wass | Jon Pollack | January 13, 1998 (1998-1-13) | 13.35 |
| 15 | 12 | "A Kiss Is Just a Kiss" | Don Scardino | Danny Smith | January 20, 1998 (1998-1-20) | 13.85 |
| 16 | 13 | "The Stan Plan" | Ted Wass | Pat Dougherty & Danny Smith | February 10, 1998 (1998-2-10) | 12.30 |
| 17 | 14 | "The Choir Boys" | Gil Junger | Steve Paymer | February 17, 1998 (1998-2-17) | 12.19 |
| 18 | 15 | "Todd and the Bod" | Gil Junger | Sarit Catz & Gloria Ketterer | February 24, 1998 (1998-2-24) | 15.60 |
| 19 | 16 | "Grabbed by an Angel" | Will Mackenzie | Karin Kelly | April 14, 1998 (1998-4-14) | 12.62 |
| 20 | 17 | "Just the Three of Us" | Peter Bonerz | Jon Pollack | April 21, 1998 (1998-4-21) | 11.76 |
| 21 | 18 | "Raising Heck" | Ted Wass | Sarit Catz & Gloria Ketterer | April 28, 1998 (1998-4-28) | 10.91 |
| 22 | 19 | "The Good Shepard" | Ted Wass | Danny Smith | May 5, 1998 (1998-5-5) | 10.49 |
| 23 | 20 | "Who Killed St. Shepherd?" | Ted Wass | Jon Pollack | May 12, 1998 (1998-5-12) | 9.38 |
| 24 | 21 | "Play Ball" | Unknown | Unknown | May 19, 1998 (1998-5-19) | 9.88 |
| 25 | 22 | "Little Black Dress" | Unknown | Unknown | May 26, 1998 (1998-5-26) | 8.69 |