Gimme a Break 1981 1987 Carl Kanisky is chief of police in Glenlawn, California After the death of his wife, Margaret, he asks her friend, Nell Harper, to come in to keep house and take care of his children, Katie, Julie, and Samantha, in short, be like a mother to them Later, Carls father, Stanley, moves in Around the same time, Nell takes in young Joey Donovan as her foster son