If there is one thing that can corral a bunch of unruly kids in a jiffy, it’s the stern face of a nun. The mere mention of the word “ruler” to a kid who attended Catholic school can bring about an involuntary flinch. And for the seven young orphans in residence at Redemption House, their nemesis was Sister Kate, a short-lived sitcom that debuted on NBC in 1989.

The star of Sister Kate, actress Stephanie Beacham, was previously know for her dramatic work as the diabolical Sable on Dynasty and The Colbys before donning a more wholesome habit for this sitcom. This time around, she got to show her slightly less menacing side as a nun pulled from her work at an archeological dig and sent to look over seven orphans. The unruly group included teens Todd, April and Frederika, pre-teens Hilary and Eugene, and tykes Violet and Neville. The rough-around-the-edges kids were accustomed to pushing around authority figures, but they met their match with Sister Kate, who was anything but a pushover. Eventually, both parties began to develop some mutual respect for each other and Kate was even given the affectionate nickname of “Sister Mary Rambo.” Their weekly escapades together imparted plenty of morality lessons on television viewers.

Well, perhaps not a whole lot of morality, as Sister Kate only made it through 19 episodes before being cancelled the following year. In its short time, however, it managed a few claims to fame. For one thing, it featured a young actor named Jason Priestley, who would achieve bigger notoriaty in Beverly Hills, 90210. Popular Christian singer Amy Grant performed its memorable theme song, “Maybe An Angel.” And it is perhaps the only sitcom that Milli Vanilli ever graced with a guest appearance.  Unknown is whether or not the sin of lip-synching was tackled on that particular episode.