Syndicated
September 12, 1972
Cartoon, Sitcom
DVD
B+
It may sound strange to say this about a very dated show with average animation and a date-rape joke in the opening credits, but I found this delightful. That opening song has always been a favorite of mine. (Long before I understood why Alice's clothes were torn, although arguably she's fought off her attacker and escaped.) I used to watch this show later in the '70s, because, hey, it was a cartoon. The subject matter was somewhat mature, but you need to remember that All in the Family and its ilk were also in re-runs by then.
Nowadays, I'm very impressed by the voice acting (well, until the recast of Chet) and I find the humor sharper than expected. Harry is meant to be the one sane man, criticized on all sides, but the other characters are interesting and in their own ways appealing. Yes, even bigoted Ralph, who's at least entertaining. In this episode, Harry is suspected of having, yes, a fling, even though we know he's innocent. From the sex humor to Ralph's anti-Semitism to the fat jokes against Alice, there is no way in hell this would debut without controversy now, but at the time I think the show didn't stand out as much, especially in contrast to All in the Family. Still, yeah, it's a cartoon, and not even like The Jetsons or The Flintstones.The "Wait Till Your Father Gets Home" regulars are:
- Tom Bosley as Harry Boyle
- Jack Burns as Ralph Kane
- Joan Gerber as Irma Boyle
- Jackie Earle Haley as Jamie Boyle
- David Hayward as Chet Boyle
- Tina Holland as Alice Boyle
Also, this episode features the voices of Herbie Faye, Cindy Putnam, and John Stephenson. Jack Elinson and Norman Paul would go on to write fifteen more episodes for the series.
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