That Girl: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?

That Girl: They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?
ABC
March 12, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is one of the better Turteltaub-Orenstein scripts, although it still feels a little off.  Ann, Donald, and a newly hirsute Jerry (mustache and mutton-chops) come back from seeing an independent film and decide to shoot one of their own.  But when Ann and Don screen footage that he shot of Ann washing the windows, the apartment visible in the background seems to contain Ruthie kissing a strange man.  Ann assumes she's having an affair, and blames Jerry!  It turns out Ruthie is pregnant, and was kissing the tenant across the way, who's promised to move out so she and Jerry can move in.  Kopell does a good job of acting ecstatic over the news of his impending fatherhood, especially considering Borden is the third woman to play his wife on the show.

Bobo Lewis again is Gloria at the answering service.

The Brady Bunch: To Move or Not to Move

The Brady Bunch: To Move or Not to Move
ABC
March 6, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Paul West's middle of three Brady episodes officially retcons the original Brady house (from the pilot) out of the series, with moments like the brothers reminiscing about accidents they've had in this house.  Compared to that, I guess the later attic expansion is minor.  This episode is also notable for being the first one where the kids really team up for a common cause, even if it's counter to the adults, and it is the first time they scare Alice, a theme that would be expanded on in "Fright Night."  Oh, and when Alice says she'll never leave the Bradys, I'm dubious, considering she's already almost left them and will actually quit a few seasons later.  But, yes, she won't permanently leave them until the kids are all grown.

Lindsay Workman makes his first of four Brady appearances, as realtor Bertram Grossman.  (Usually, he would be working at the kids' schools.)  Fran Ryan, perhaps best known as Arnold the Pig's "mother" on Green Acres, plays Mrs. Hunsaker (in a knee-length skirt I found shockingly short as a kid).  We'll see her again.

That Girl: Gone-A-Courtin

That Girl: Gone-A-Courtin
ABC
March 5, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I have to admit that some of the entertainment value for me in this Joseph-Bonaduce-written episode was exclaiming, "That doesn't make any sense."  Ann goes to an audition for a role as "a typical emancipated woman" who's apparently supposed to be emasculating as well, but the producer has a tantrum and scares her.  Then later she's thrilled to be called back to his office at 8 p.m., but the role he wants her to play is that of clumsy secretary to his lawyer, in order to prove that he didn't stab a man with a shish-kabob and the man instead stabbed himself.  By the time Ann is holding a flaming shish-kabob in the courtroom and scaring that man, any realism has pretty much disappeared, not that it hasn't been slipping away from the show in the last two or three years anyway.  Still, um, Ann wears some cute outfits.  Oh, and there's another How Did This Tag Get Past the Censors tag, where Ann spills water in Donald's lap, she tries to help, and he says a line that sounds ad-libbed by Bessell: "Move your hand away."

Associate producer Lew Gallo and creator Sam Denoff are two of the men who go to the hat check stand.  Alan Oppenheimer's third of four roles on the show is as Morgan Jerome.  Allen Davis, who's Lionel Vernon, was the Desk Clerk in the Vegas episodes.  Harvey J. Goldenberg, who plays Jones, would later be an Assistant Chef.  Thirty-one-year-old Hal Williams, later of 227, has his first of three TG roles, as the Court Clerk.

Alan Oppenheimer shares my reaction.

The Brady Bunch: The Possible Dream

The Brady Bunch: The Possible Dream
ABC
February 27, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Al Schwartz co-wrote this episode with his frequent partner Bill Freedman and, while not as classic as the Davey Jones episode, it has its moments.  Maureen McCormick really did have a crush on Desi Arnaz, Jr., and they dated many years later, when the four-year age difference mattered less, and the height difference wasn't as dramatic.  As for Marcia, she'd move on to other crushes, although she'd still be keeping a diary in the fifth season.

Jonathan Hole, who's Thackery here, would later be Willie Witherspoon.  And, yes, 37-year-old Gordon Jump makes his first of two Brady appearances, here as Collins, the man who assumes Mike is having an affair.

That Girl: The Reunion

That Girl: The Reunion
ABC
February 26, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Turteltaub-Orenstein story is another that could've been good with stronger writing.  There's the continuity problem of Ann having her five-year high school reunion, when she's been in New York three or four years.  Did she never graduate from college?  And what was she doing teaching in '63 and working as a meter maid in Fenwick in '64 or '65?  OK, some of that's not the fault of this episode, but it doesn't help.  Even something minor like the school mascot going from the Brewster Roosters to the "Giraffees" (with that spelling) is just odd.  And the episode could be about worrying over offending Lew by not holding the reunion in his restaurant, but that's sort of dropped.  Or it could be about Ann taking stock of her life after five-ish years out of high school, as I suspect it would've been had this aired in the first season or two.  As it is, it's both confusing and forgettable.  Still, the tag scene is one of the more suggestive ones, with Donald and Ann dancing in her apartment in the dark, and she says she could dance all night.  Since the censors usually put pressure on the producers to show Donald leaving Ann's apartment and saying goodnight, I'm not sure how this slipped by.

Harrison Page, who plays Mark, would later be Policeman #2.  Florence Mercer, who's Estelle Webber here, would play an Autograph Fan later.

The Brady Bunch: The Hero

The Brady Bunch: The Hero
ABC
February 20, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Peter is the last of the kids to get an episode centering on him, and it's a motif that would become common: a Brady child does something awesome, receives praise, and gets a swollen ego.  Pitt Herbert returns as Mr. Driscoll and doesn't seem at all worried about a lawsuit or bad publicity.  The Daily Chronicle is still the local newspaper.  And Peter is eleven by this point.  Once again, the Williams-Knight-Olsen commentary is hilarious, but I'm not grading commentaries.

That Girl: The Night They Raided Daddy's

That Girl: The Night They Raided Daddy's
ABC
February 19, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Not only does this episode feel dated, like it should've aired a year or two earlier, but it's not as well structured as it could be.  I can understand that we're not shown any of the "nude scene," not even backs or feet, but why don't we see more of the crowd reaction?  And what about the Chekhov's Gun of the sheriff saying he'll be back later, but we don't see his return?  (The title is misleading.)  Or the fact that Donald changes the band's minds over the phone, with none of their side of the conversation?  Still, it does get Lew into a Nehru jacket and love beads, so I guess that's worth turning in for.

Leonard Bremen, who plays the Sheriff, had earlier appeared as a Baseball Fan, and was also doing Brady guest shots around this time.  Bill Quinn played a Priest before and is Harry this time.  Gene Baylos, who's the Agent, was previously Mort.

The Brady Bunch: Brace Yourself

The Brady Bunch: Brace Yourself
ABC
February 13, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Brad Radnitz, who wrote four Gilligan episodes, offers his first of four for BBunch.  I always think of this one as Marcia's first serious meltdown.  "I HATE YOU, ALAN ANTHONY!  I HATE EVERYBODY!"  We often hear about what a psycho Jan is (especially after the '90s movies), but Marcia was pretty hormonal herself at this point, somewhere before her thirteenth birthday.  This episode is also notable for the first significant Mike/Carol innuendo since their wedding day, when she asks him if he'd still love her if she wore braces, and he says, "Every chance I got."  Then he turns out the light and the tag ends.

Molly Dodd, who plays the Saleslady, would have a more memorable Brady role four years later as bigoted neighbor Mrs. Payne.  The 1970s have already passed the '50s on this blog, because I'm just not that into "the Golden Age of Television."  Or I guess the '70s are my golden age.

That Girl: Stocks & the Single Girl

That Girl: Stocks & the Single Girl
ABC
February 12, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This middle of three Bruce Howard TG scripts has Ann, Lew, and Donald playing the stock market, based on false tips.  I'm pretty sure I've seen this plot on another show, although nothing immediately springs to mind.  In this case, after a bit of worry (more on the part of the audience than on newbie investor Ann's), everything works out just fine, with gains rather than losses.

Jim Connell, who plays Jonas, previously was Harvey Miller, as well as nerdy Norman Crowley on Gidget.  Pitt Herbert, who's the finance writer Ben White, twice played Mr. Driscoll on The Brady Bunch.  This is the only episode that TG co-creator Bill Persky directed.

The Brady Bunch: The Big Sprain

The Brady Bunch: The Big Sprain
ABC
February 6, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is the first of nine BBunch episodes written by Tam Spiva, who only wrote a bit for Gentle Ben, nothing else, but those nine include some very memorable episodes.  This isn't one of them, but it's not a bad start.  With Carol out of town taking care of her sick Aunt Mary, Alice sprains her ankle and not only do the kids have to take over the housework (note, Mike doesn't contribute anything except advice), but Alice is going to miss the Meat-Cutter's Ball.  This is only the second Allan Melvin episode, although there are references to Sam on other episodes, so it feels like Sam is around more, and again his rapport with Alice is good comedically if not amazing romantically.  Greg/Marcia shippers can take heart at his reaction to her calling him a "dazzling basketball star," although this is nothing like the chemistry they'd have in the last two or three seasons.  (I know, I know, step-siblings, but blame Barry & Maureen.)

That Girl: Ugh Wilderness

That Girl: Ugh Wilderness
ABC
February 5, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B

Part two, Joseph Bonaduce's third TG script (his first in three years), turns out to be a sweet, funny episode, mostly set in a cabin that Ann and Donald find after the plane lands and the pilot goes to get help.  This being Donald and Ann, they of course don't do more than cuddle with a bit of kissing, although Lew is skeptical (but not apoplectic) later.  Everyone has mellowed since the episode where Jerry and Ruth got married and D & A shared a room, four years before (one of the episodes that Ann flashed back to in the plane).  My guess is that by this point, D & A are celibate by choice, not because of society or parents.  Well, OK, Standards & Practices probably had a lot to do with it.  Note, Russell Johnson, in his 100th appearance in this blog, mildly flirts with Ann, and Donald doesn't get jealous.

The Brady Bunch: Tiger! Tiger!

The Brady Bunch: Tiger! Tiger!
ABC
January 30, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Tiger, who we're again reminded has been in the family longer than Bobby (where is this sort of continuity when it comes to things like Carol's math and golf skills?), disappears and the family tries to track him down.  Bobby seems to miss him the most.  This episode is definitely before the days of the expectation to spay and neuter pets.

That Girl: Fly by Night

"I see a small island where we can land."

That Girl: Fly by Night
ABC
January 29, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This is a clip show (I counted nine episodes that are flashed back to) with the new material written by Orenstein and Turteltaub, with the latter also directing.  Donald charters a private plane, piloted by a post-Gilligan Russell Johnson (who, like his character here, flew during WW II), and some of the moments of Ann's life pass before her eyes.  Part one of two.  Note, Ann's fear of flying definitely never came up before, not when she was being flown to New Orleans for lunch, and not when she was pretending to be a stewardess.

The Brady Bunch: The Undergraduate

The Brady Bunch: The Undergraduate
ABC
January 23, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This first of six Brady scripts written by David P. Harmon, who did five for Gilligan, these days is probably less notable for the appearances of Wes Parker and Gigi Perreau than that of Teresa Warder, in her only screen credit, as "Linda from See At All."  I also like Jan jumping to the conclusion that Mrs. Brady is pregnant.  Note how Greg indicates infatuation by staring off into space; as the pioneer in the field, Barry Williams had to set a precedence for McCormick and the others to follow, although the soundtrack does not yet feature the Romeo & Juliet theme.  The show isn't as campy as it would get but it's a nice toe-dipping into kitsch.

That Girl: That Metermaid

That Girl: That Metermaid
ABC
January 22, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This episode, directed by Bessell, is mostly told in flashback, to the summer of '64 or '65, when Ann was the title character in Fenwick, before the family moved to Brewster.  The family then had a wisecracking maid, and there's no sign of Helen.  Dennis Weaver guest stars.

Jerry Ross would also write a Welcome Back, Kotter episode.  This is the 200th ABC program I've reviewed.

The Brady Bunch: Mike's Horror-Scope

The Brady Bunch: Mike's Horror-Scope
ABC
January 16, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In a rare episode (written by Ruth Brooks Flippen) more focused on the adults than the kids, Mike meets a "strange woman" at work, she takes up a lot of his time, including on weekends, and he hardly sees his family.  When the kids act up and scare her off, he doesn't worry about losing the account.  It seems like Mike probably should've said something to his boss after the first week or so, but whatever.

Joe Ross, who plays the gay-stereotyped Duane Cartwright, would be on That Girl the following year.  This is the second of two Brady episodes David Alexander directed.

The Brady Bunch: 54-40 and Fight

The Brady Bunch: 54-40 and Fight
ABC
January 9, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B

Burt Styler's Brady script is one of the best of the first season.  It does have more of that boys vs. girls theme, with a lot of stereotypes, but the general plot and its resolution are satisfying.  In fact, I still find that darn card-house-building sequence nerve-racking, even if it never looks quite believable.  (The kids are putting the cards at really bad angles, and yet they get this high-rise, seemingly out of the reach of Bobby and Cindy, that looks pretty substantial, till Tiger comes along.)  Delightfully dated, from the trading stamp mania to the excitement over a new color television.  Oh, and note how they recycle the scene of Alice washing Tiger from the "allergy" episode.

Herb Vigran makes his first of two Brady appearances, as Harry at the stamp redemption center.

That Girl: Opening Night

That Girl: Opening Night
ABC
January 8, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

In this middle of five Arnold Horwitt TG stories, Ann is nervous about opening on Broadway and finds it hard to relax.  Then she gets her finger stuck in, no, not a bowling ball, but the kitchen sink faucet.  She seems to have a dial-phone in the kitchen rather than a push-button like in the living room.  The scene of her trying to dial is cute, but otherwise there's not much to this episode.

Patty Regan makes her last TG appearances, as the Operator.  Vernon Scott is himself here but would be Reporter #1 later, while Army Archerd would go from appearing as himself to appearing as a TV Critic.  Gino Conforti is Nino for the third time.  This time, Bobo Lewis is Gloria at Ann's answering service, a role she'd reprise.  And it's Ted Bessell's 100th episode, since he missed a few of the early ones.

The Brady Bunch: Father of the Year

The Brady Bunch: Father of the Year
ABC
January 2, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C

This story by Skip Webster (who also did the "clubhouse" episode) has always been one of my least favorites in the series.  I can somewhat understand why Mike is so strict in this episode, but I think he crosses the line into vindictiveness when he tells Marcia that the family is all going on a ski trip, which he and Carol only decided on a few minutes earlier and could easily postpone, except for her because she's grounded.  Sure, ground her, but don't rub her face in it.  Also, there are plausibility issues, from Marcia sneaking out in the middle of the night to mail a letter (as if the mailman checks at midnight) to the fact that her essay, the bestest ever in the whole history of the contest, does not seem to follow five-paragraph or any other recognizable form.  It's just sentences jotted down in random order.  I expect more from a bright 12-year-old.

All that said, I do like the scene with Marcia almost confiding in Jan and then changing her mind when Cindy comes in.  (Jan would be Marcia's confidante more often in later seasons.)  Note that Marcia doesn't mind the idea of her siblings spreading false gossip about her and "that creep Felix Brown," although just a short time before the rumor of her being in the balcony at the movies with Felix would've been enough to Gary-Hart her presidential campaign.  And I will admit to crying at the end, when all is revealed, although some of that comes from my own communication issues with a sometimes stern father.

Bill Mullikin, who plays Lance, would be George on That Girl.

That Girl: Ten Percent of Nothing Is Nothing

That Girl: Ten Percent of Nothing Is Nothing
ABC
January 1, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C

Welcome to the '70s, sort of.  (It won't feel very '70s till maybe '72.)  And Morty Gunty turns out to be no funnier as Sandy Stone than as himself in yet another unnecessary Orenstein-Turteltaub story.  As with the episode where the boxer turns out to have a "hilarious" comedy routine, I was generally not amused, although the Nichols & May like routine that Sandy and Ann do (pretending to be on the phone), is probably the best of the bunch, if five or ten years out of date in format.  I also didn't see why Donald insisted on going to every performance and then complaining about the food.  I will say that the episode improved as it went on, mostly because there was less of Sandy.

Producer Sam Denoff does another of his cameos, this time as the Big Guy who punches Donald, while associate producer Lew Gallo makes his first of three, as Man at Table.  Bob Ross (not that Bob Ross) has his first of six TG roles, as a Party Guest.  Alan Oppenheimer makes his second of four TG appearances, this time as Mr. Katz.  Secretary Diana Herbert would appear on Three's Company eight years later.

Gidget Grows Up

Gidget Grows Up
ABC
December 30, 1969
TV-Movie, Dramedy
VHS
C+

Twenty-two-year-old Karen Valentine, around the time she started Room 222, plays the latest but far from the last incarnation of Francie "Gidget" Lawrence.  She has some Sally-Fieldesque mannerisms, like this sort of duck-footed walk when she's in a hurry, but she also makes the part her own.  I wish that the rest of the movie were at her level, but the performances range from pretty good to forgettable.  Bob Cummings is the latest Professor Russell Lawrence, while Donna Reed's Paul Petersen plays Moondoggie, and Irishman Edward Mulhare (the Captain from The Ghost & Mrs. Muir) plays Australian Alex MacLaughlin.  And Paul Lynde is sort of Paul Lynde if he were a grown-up '30s child star.

The main problem is in the writing.  The story is based on the novel Gidget Goes to New York, and John McGreevey had written for the Gidget sitcom, so that would seem to bode well.  But there are too many underdeveloped plot threads, including both of Gidget's romances.  We're supposed to believe Gidget is in love, and the two men are in love with her, but we never really get any sense of it.  She's apparently going to a New York college while working at the UN, after two years of studying in Europe, but we never hear about any of her classes or even see a campus montage.  Her tour guide boss is set up to be a self-described "old biddy" but we never get an actual confrontation.  Also, although this is clearly the '60s (Valentine's white go-go boots are a strong reminder), it feels odd to have Jeff stationed in Greenland and about to be "shipped out to closer to the action," without this discussed any further.  And so on.  Still, I can't really knock a movie that gets Paul Lynde into an Easter Bunny costume.


Helen Funai, as Minnie Chan, would return for the '72 Gidget TV-movie.  Nina Foch, who's Bibi Crosby, would appear on That Girl.  Hal Frederick, who plays Lee Basumba, would do a couple voices for Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.  Harlen Carraher, who's Ben, would have two Brady roles.  Lloyd Kino, who plays the Japanese Delegate, would be a Soldier on M*A*S*H four years later.  And, yes, that's 21-year-old Michael Lembeck as Arnold, his first on-screen role.

Since this closes out the '60s (airdate-wise anyway), I will give you my Top Nine of the decade.  (Too many B's to choose from for a tenth best.)

1. Gilligan's Island: The Producer--The only A- so far and just a delight on so many levels.
2. Gilligan's Island: Castaway Pictures Presents--Both the filming of the movie and the result are funny and sometimes sexy.
3. Gilligan's Island: Don't Bug the Mosquitoes--Three rock bands for the price of one!
4. That Girl: Thanksgiving Comes But Once a Year, Hopefully--Don, Ann, and their parents, the kind of show they should've done more of, especially in the later seasons.
5. That Girl: Decision Before Dawn--Great cameos by Larry Storch and Vic Tayback, mixed with the Don & Ann and Lew & Helen couples.  Donald serenading Lew is hysterical.
6. Gilligan's Island: The Postman Cometh--A shipper's delight and some fun celebrity impressions.
7. That Girl: The Other Woman--Farce that works, with Ethel Merman.
8. Gilligan's Island: The Second Ginger Grant--Identity-swapping, including gender-swapping, plus a new take on Gilligan/Mary Ann.
9. That Girl: Leaving the Nest Is For the Birds--You wouldn't think a nagging aunt and a suicidal Jerry Van Dyke could lead to a funny episode, but this is much better than it has any right to be.

H.R. Pufnstuf: Jimmy Who?

H.R. Pufnstuf: Jimmy Who?
NBC
December 27, 1969
Children's
DVD
C+

In this episode with a title that anticipates the reaction to the '76 Carter campaign, Jimmy gets amnesia from a bump on the head, which is cured by, you guessed it, a bump on the head.  This isn't bad for a clip show, since all four flashbacks are to musical numbers.

The series averages out to a high C+, which is what I would've predicted.  It was never my favorite Krofft show (we'll talk about what was as we go along) and it is pretty repetitive when it comes to plotting.  The look of it, and sometimes the music, make it worth watching, in small doses.

The Brady Bunch: Is There a Doctor in the House?

The Brady Bunch: Is There a Doctor in the House?
ABC
December 26, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this Ruth Brooks Flippen story, the Bradys must choose between Dennis the Menace's dad and Richie Cunningham's mom for pediatrician.  Not that we see either doctor on the show ever again.

That Girl: I Am Curious Lemon

That Girl: I Am Curious Lemon
ABC
December 25, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

In this episode with a title inspired by arty pornography, Donald flirts with Ann's younger cousin, before being encouraged to kiss his ex-girlfriend by her husband, while Ann, who pretends to be pregnant, refuses to shower with a stranger.  Only, it's not that interesting.

Gino Conforti returns as Nino.  Corinne Conley plays Ann's cousin Trudy and would later be Jeanne.  Susan Quick makes her first of two appearances as Donald's old girlfriend (of two years, from four years ago, in college) Heather Dolan.  And 37-year-old William Christopher plays Donald's old college friend Chippy Dolan.

H.R. Pufnstuf: Whaddya Mean the Horse Gets the Girl?

H.R. Pufnstuf: Whaddya Mean the Horse Gets the Girl?
NBC
December 20, 1969
Children's
DVD
C+

Shirley Pufnstuf and her director return, and the latter gets kidnapped by the witch so that he'll direct her script for Gone with the Witch.  The horse, who has a crush on Shirley, goes to the rescue, swallows the witch's wand, and starts blasting people.  And you tell me the Kroft Brothers weren't doing drugs.

The Brady Bunch: The Voice of Christmas

The Brady Bunch: The Voice of Christmas
ABC
December 19, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This episode, written by John Fenton Murray, who wrote a couple for Gilligan, is corny and slow-moving, although I'll cut it some slack since it is a Christmas episode, as well as from the first season.  The highlight for me is not Carol singing at the end, but Alice's lecture to the kids about the importance of Christmas to their parents.  Note: Mike buys Carol a tape recorder of her own.

Hal Smith makes his first of two Brady appearances, as Santa.

That Girl: She Never Had the Vegas Notion, Part Two

Dam

That Girl: She Never Had the Vegas Notion, Part Two
ABC
December 18, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Well, at least this is better than Part One.  It turns out that the "Vegas wedding" was just a practical joke by Marty.  Joanne feels guilty and confesses, then she, Ann, and Donald team up to fool Marty.  Lew gets shoehorned into the plot, flying all the way to Vegas, less plausibly than the episode where he interrupted Ann and Donald's "wedding night" when they were snowed in with Jerry and Ruth.

Lillian Field, who plays Gertrude, was previously a Lady.  This is the 300th show I've reviewed for the '60s, and the 100th That Girl episode (counting the Pilot).

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Almost Election of Witchiepoo

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Almost Election of Witchiepoo
NBC
December 13, 1969
Children's
DVD
C+

The election season on Living Island is a lot dirtier than at Fillmore Junior High.  Witchiepoo uses a love bomb to win voters.  When Jimmy claimed that Puf is more honest than the witch, I couldn't help thinking of how the good guys have resorted to lying, vandalism, and theft.  OK, they don't kidnap as often, but that's not much of a moral high ground.

The Brady Bunch: Vote for Brady

The Brady Bunch: Vote for Brady
ABC
December 12, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this Elroy-Schwartz-written story are some of the motifs that would recur throughout the show: boys vs. girls, with particular emphasis on Greg vs. Marcia (you would rarely see, in contrast, Peter vs. Jan); the parents and Alice trying to stay neutral; a tape recorder; Marcia sobbing when she cries, even about relatively minor things; Marcia thinking Greg is a "groovy" brother; and the junior high stock footage of a girl handing out newspapers outside and of a restless audience in the auditorium.

Stephen Liss, who plays Greg's campaign manager Rusty, would turn up seven years later in my favorite ABC Afterschool Special, "Dear Lovey Hart: I Am Desperate."  Martin Ashe, who's Mr. Dickens, would be a Butler in the first Gilligan TV-movie.  This is the first of two BBunch episodes David Alexander directed.

That Girl: She Never Had the Vegas Notion, Part One

That Girl: She Never Had the Vegas Notion, Part One
ABC
December 11, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C-

Ann's line "I'm not having fun anymore" pretty well captures my feeling about this Orenstein-Turteltaub episode.  While it's nice to see vintage Vegas, and some cute if not particularly memorable cameos by Carl Reiner and Pat Boone as themselves, I found the plot of Donald going off the rails in Vegas-- in a matter of hours-- both implausible and unfunny.  Also, if Ann's in a show, is it too much to ask that we actually see some of it?  Jack Cassidy as Ann's boss Marty Haines and Hope Holliday as Joanne Ferrer (Donald's bride) would of course return for Part Two.

Morty Gunty plays himself here (as a sexist stand-up comic) but would later appear as Sandy Stone.  Bill McLean would be a Waiter in Part Two as well, while Allen Davis would again be the Desk Clerk, and later Lionel Vernon.  Brad Trumbull is a reporter here but would subsequently be a Policeman.

Sadly, this is Marlo Thomas's 100th show I've reviewed.

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Visiting Witch

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Visiting Witch
NBC
December 6, 1969
Children's
DVD
B-

No musical number but a better plot than usual, even if this time Pufnstuf gets kidnapped instead of Freddie.  Jimmy's costume for Boss Witch (the role Martha Raye would play in the movie) is one of my favorites on the show.

The Brady Bunch: Every Boy Does It Once

The Brady Bunch: Every Boy Does It Once

ABC

December 5, 1969

Sitcom
DVD
B

This script by Lois and Arnold Peyser, who'd also co-written a couple for Gilligan, focuses on Bobby but gives all the characters their moments.  It seems like Bobby is having the hardest time of the six kids in adjusting to a new step-parent.  He was the one in the Pilot who worried about Carol objecting to the display of his mother's picture, and here he worries that Carol will be a mean stepmother, like in Cinderella.   A few notes: Alice remembers the day Bobby was born, confirming the theory she arrived during his mom's pregnancy with him; Tiger is here, as Bobby's loyal friend when he thinks his family doesn't love him; Greg's friend Gordy is mentioned for the second time; and two of the Dittmeyer girls are mentioned (Carla and Nancy), while Mary Dittmeyer was Cindy's rival for the fairy princess role.  Also, Bobby's birthday is about a month away, which would put him as born in January 1962, if the air date reflects when this is occurring.

Larry McCormick, who'd appeared as himself on That Girl, does the voice for the TV Announcer.  Michael Lerner, who's Johnny the bike-shop owner, would later appear on That Girl and is still working at the age of 74.

H.R. Pufnstuf: Tooth for a Tooth

H.R. Pufnstuf: Tooth for a Tooth
NBC
November 29, 1969
Children's
DVD
C+

Orson is able to use the witch's wand to transform her into a little girl so she can get a dental appointment with Dr. Blinky, but apparently he can't cure her toothache himself.  Meanwhile, Dr. Blinky invents a love potion, but it's more general love than romantic love.  This concatenation of circumstances makes Puf think this is the perfect time for Jimmy to steal the Vroom Broom and head home.  The highlight for me was the good and evil trees fighting and then dancing.

That Girl: Kiss That Girl Goodbye

Color combinations previously unimaginable

That Girl: Kiss That Girl Goodbye
ABC
November 27, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Donald has a chance to be associate editor for another publication, but he'd have to move to Paris.  Thanks to Jerry, Ann assumes Donald will take the job and she gets very upset.  Lew tries to comfort her.  Donald instead gets a job as associate editor at his current magazine.  He's definitely making more progress in his career than Ann is in hers.  One of the co-writers of the episode, Lynne Farr, would go on to write for The Bob Newhart Show.

H.R. Pufnstuf: Flute, Book and Candle

H.R. Pufnstuf: Flute, Book and Candle
NBC
November 22, 1969
Children's
DVD
B-

Freddie is turned into a mushroom and can't even talk, hurrah!  Unfortunately Jimmy and Puf want to cure him, which involves theft and vandalism.  Well, at least Jimmy dresses like a Dickensian beggar and sings a song that rhymes "spectacular" and "Dracula."

The Brady Bunch: Sorry, Right Number

The Brady Bunch: Sorry, Right Number
ABC
November 21, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Ruth Brooks Flippen story has one of the most dated dilemmas in the series: the kids running up huge phone bills.  It's interesting not only for the historical value, but also for the introduction of Alice's boyfriend, Sam the butcher, played by Allan Melvin, who has instant rapport with Ann B. Davis.  Also, I think it's the first BBunch episode with a Raquel Welch reference.

George Cahan had directed three episodes of Gilligan, but this is first Bunch.

That Girl: Fix My Screen & Bug Out

That Girl: Fix My Screen & Bug Out
ABC
November 20, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this Orenstein-Turteltaub script, which is also the first that Turteltaub directed, Ann's ex-boyfriend (played by Gidget Goes Hawaiian's Michael Callan) is her new landlord, still "in love" with her.  They dated four years ago, which definitely fits the timeline of the show better than Donald having known her for four years.  The fashions aren't too bad this time, and I like that Ruthie is rockin' the paisley.

Andre Philippe plays pretty much the same role as before, except this time named Gino instead of Dino.  Penny Marshall plays the secretary Joan.

H.R. Pufnstuf: Dinner for Two

H.R. Pufnstuf: Dinner for Two
NBC
November 15, 1969
Children's
DVD
C+

Grandfather Clock is going to use his time machine to send Jimmy back to the day before he came to Living Island, but the witch, after singing a song about her loneliness, does a long-distance zap that causes the machine to age Jimmy 60 years (to 72).  Then she falls for Jimmy, not realizing his identity, while he doesn't remember much of anything.  She plans their wedding and has a stunning dress.  (I don't mean that sarcastically, it looks great.)  Puf, Cling, and Clang rescue Jimmy and get him de-aged.  And another plan to escape from Living Island is abandoned.

The Brady Bunch: A-Camping We Will Go

The Brady Bunch: A-Camping We Will Go
ABC
November 14, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Cute and corny episode that's not nearly as funny as the Williams-Knight-Olsen commentary.  Notable for being shot on location.

This is the only BBunch episode Herbert Finn and Alan Dinehart did, although they wrote eight for Gilligan.  And it's Oscar Rudolph's first BBunch directing job, while he did two for Gidget.  And it's the 300th TV show I've reviewed.

That Girl: Shake Hands and Come Out Acting

That Girl: Shake Hands and Come Out Acting
ABC
November 13, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C

In this Orenstein-Turteltaub story, Ann gets a black boxer a chance to audition with her old acting teacher, Jules Benedict.  But she's bribed and threatened by his managers.  I had a hard time caring about any of this.

Allen Jaffe was a Native on Gilligan's Island and is Jake here.  James McCallion, who's Max here, was Cooper earlier.  Harry Basch makes his middle of three TG appearances, as Charlie.  Mel Stewart, later of All in the Family, plays Dal.

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Horse with the Golden Throat

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Horse with the Golden Throat
NBC
November 8, 1969
Children's
DVD
C

This is the weakest episode so far, without even a musical number.  Horse swallows Freddie, thinking he's a carrot, and most of the rest of the twenty minutes is spent trying to get the flute out.  (No one suggests inducing vomiting.)

The Brady Bunch: Kitty Karry-All Is Missing

The Brady Bunch: Kitty Karry-All Is Missing
ABC
November 7, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

As the title suggests, Cindy's beloved doll is missing, and she blames Bobby.  The kids hold a trial, with Alice presiding.  Contains not only Tiger but the first reference to Benedict Arnold on the show.  (And That Girl had Lew calling Donald that the day before.)

Pitt Herbert would return in the role of Mr. Driscoll, the toystore owner.  Al Schwartz's co-writer Bill Freedman had co-written one of the more serious Gilligan episodes, "The Hunter," with another partner.

That Girl: Write is Wrong

Horrible or wonderful?  Late '60s
TV fashions are at least interesting.

That Girl: Write is Wrong
ABC
November 6, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is set a few months after the previous episode and has Don, at Ann's urging, turning his article on being snowed in at JFK into a sitcom script, only to have the script completely rewritten.  The self-parody could be sharper but it's not bad.

Forrest Compton plays Jonathan Adams here and would later be George Phillips.  Arthur Julian, who's playing scriptwriter Milton East, wrote three TG episodes and had three earlier roles.  William Schallert is Harry Cook.  And Alice Borden takes over the role of Ruthie Bauman (helpfully introducing herself at the door as Ann's best friend).

H.R. Pufnstuf: You Can't Have Your Cake

H.R. Pufnstuf: You Can't Have Your Cake
NBC
November 1, 1969
Children's
DVD
B-

Judy Frog teaches the gang to do the Moonwalk, pre-Michael-Jackson, and it actually helps in this week's rescue of Freddie.

The Brady Bunch: A Clubhouse Is Not a Home

The Brady Bunch: A Clubhouse Is Not a Home
ABC
October 31, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Skip Webster's first of five Brady scripts mostly does a decent job of balancing equality vs. privacy, but then it resorts to Mrs. Brady and the girls playing a trick on Mr. Brady and the boys, acting incredibly incompetent about building a clubhouse, in order to get the guys to build it for them.  In an episode that's supposed to be about understanding and relating, this is particularly unnecessary, and actually more retrograde than the equivalent Gilligan episode five years earlier.  Note, it's been three months since Mr. Brady talked to his sons to find out if they had any objections to him marrying Carol.

June Foray and Hans Conried provide the uncredited voices on Alice's soap.

That Girl: The Snow Must Go On

That Girl: The Snow Must Go On
ABC
October 30, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B

All these "snow" episodes for TG, this one written by Arnold Howitt, and we're still in October.  Maybe it's meant to be set later, since Donald claims he's known Ann for four years.  Also, I could've sworn that Don had already written an article about Ann, in the first season or two.  I'm not clear if Lew is hoarding sandwiches for his family or if he was planning to sell them to the other people stranded at JFK airport.  I was going to go with a B-, but I found Ann's on-air audition very funny.

Counterman Danny Goldman had previously played a Waiter on TG.  Porter Steven Benson would later be Chicken Boy.  Rudolpho Hoyos is the P.A. Announcer and would later play Rudy Sanchez.  If the voice of John Stephenson as Howard Samrock sounds familiar, it's because he was a voice artist for Hanna-Barbera, including on Wait Till Your Father Gets Home.  This is around the time that reporter/actor Larry McCormick, here appearing as himself, was in the movie The Love God?, and he'd soon be on The Brady Bunch as a TV Announcer.  Milton Parsons, who plays Mr. Bailey the mortician, would play a similarly mournful-looking character on The Brady Bunch, Peter's teacher Mr. Price.

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Box Kite Kaper [sic]

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Box Kite Kaper [sic]
NBC
October 25, 1969
Children's
DVD
C+

This time Jimmy and Freddie hope to escape by using a box kite.  Marked down from a B- because Jimmy doesn't sing, although Witchiepoo does.  Note, she gives Puf and friends drugged chocolate.

The Brady Bunch: Katchoo

The Brady Bunch: Katchoo
ABC
October 24, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Jan is allergic to something or someone, perhaps Mike, perhaps Tiger.  Alice says that "we've had Tiger longer than we've had Bobby," implying that, one, Tiger is older than Bobby, and two, Alice started working for the Bradys before Bobby was born.  Also note that Carol calls a male doctor, rather than the girls' female pediatrician who will be in a future episode.

That Girl: Hearing Today, Gone Tomorrow

That Girl: Hearing Today, Gone Tomorrow
ABC
October 23, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Ann gets a cold and temporarily loses her hearing.  The fashions, both male and female, are getting uglier, as if in preparation for the '70s.  Andre Philippe plays Dino and would be later be Gino, not to be confused with Gino Conforti's character of Nino.  Roy Applegate plays Harry and would later be Bill.  And there's a fairly early appearance by 37-year-old Richard Stahl, as the Director.  (Look for the cute in-joke where the clapboard lists the director as H. Cooper.)  This is another Orenstein-Turteltaub script.

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Birthday Party

H.R. Pufnstuf: The Birthday Party
NBC
October 18, 1969
Children's
DVD
B-

It's Jimmy's birthday so the witch and her sidekicks again dress up as a citrus-themed band, more jazzy this time, knocking out the gang with laughing gas.  The scheme to rescue the inevitably kidnapped Freddie is more creative than usual.  And I like the glimpses of the witch's bedroom decor.  Note, "Bucket of Sunshine" should not be confused with "Pocketful of Sunshine."