Overview: Thicker than Water is an American short-lived 1973 sitcom that aired on ABC from July 3, 1973 to August 8, 1973, based on the UK sitcom Nearest and Dearest. It starred Julie Harris and Richard Long, telling the story of a brother and sister who run "Paine's Pure Pickels", a pickle factory, in order to claim a 75,000-dollar inheritance from their father Jonas.