8 Simple Rules (originally known as 8 Simple Rules for Dating My Teenage Daughter) is an American television sitcom that originally aired on ABC from September 17, 2002, to April 15, 2005, with 76 episodes in three seasons. It was loosely based on humor columnist W. Bruce Cameron's self-improvement book of the same name. The show starred John Ritter until his death on September 11, 2003. Katey Sagal took over the show's starring position for the rest of the series's run. Veteran actor James Garner and David Spade also joined the show.