Alan Thicke: Son Robin’s Split With Paula Patton Not Part Of New Reality Show

Alan Thicke, these days best-known as the father of controversial pop singer Robin Thicke, returns to television Wednesday night, April 16, with a new show that’s part sitcom, part reality show. And though he says that his famous son, who had the biggest-selling single of 2013, will likely turn up on Unusually Thicke, the recent domestic drama between Robin and wife Paula Patton will be off limits.

“Of course, I’m happy to exploit him as much as possible,” joked the former Growing Pains star. “He’s clearly an important part of the family and good enough to participate a little bit.”

But as far as the Robin Thicke-Paula Patton split goes, “you won’t see his drama,” said Alan Thicke. “You’ll see a couple of appearances, cameos by Robin checking up on me.”

But Alan Thicke, who has been married three times himself, offers no further comment on the current domestic crisis in the household of the younger Thicke.

“From my perspective, I always let Robin speak through his music,” Thicke said. “He’s in the middle of a great album right now. A lot of power in the album.”

The new Alan Thicke show runs on the cable TVGN Network. The Thicke family depicted in the show will be the 67-year-old Alan Thicke himself, of course, as well as his current wife Tanya Callau — who is 28 year younger than Alan Thicke, which makes her just two years older than Robin Thicke.

The third main character is the couple’s 16-year-old son Carter.

The show, says Alan Thicke, is a “reality” show in the sense that the dialogue is unscripted. But Unusually Thicke also has elements of a traditional sitcom, because unlike many other such “family” reality shows they make no effort to pretend that the various storylines are not made up.

“It’s real with a nudge and a wink,” Thicke explained “It’s part-reality, part-sitcom. I never was so presumptuous to think that we’re interesting enough to be followed around with cameras with no plan and have it at all be entertaining. My insecurity about that was, ‘Let’s have a story.’ We tell our stories, but we’ll do it in an embellished kind of way. We’re not scripted, but we are plotted.”

Alan Thicke says the series premiere features guest appearance by comedian Bob Saget, but even though Thicke acts surprised to see Saget, he knew that the comic would show up.