That Girl: The Earrings

That Girl: The Earrings
ABC
January 23, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Well, we're now in the Nixon era, at least as far as air dates go.  This was a time when the trend was away from escapism and towards realism, although you won't really be able to tell that from my TV collection.  This episode isn't exactly topical, beyond being set (a bit early) on Valentine's Day.  Donald buys Ann diamond earrings (I guess Newsview was paying pretty well), and she loses one, and he gets annoyed with her, even though she didn't want such an expensive gift for that very reason.

Albert Carrier has his first of two TG roles, as the Waiter, while Fabian Dean's first of two is the Messenger.  This is Howard Leeds's only TG script, although he'd also write one for The Brady Bunch, along with a bunch of other series, while this is the first TG episode Russ Mayberry directed out of ten, and he would also direct six episodes of B Bunch, among other shows.

That Girl: The Eye of the Beholder

Renata Vanni in 1959

That Girl: The Eye of the Beholder
ABC
January 9, 1969
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This could've been a good episode with sharper writing, but it's mostly just a bunch of stupid arguments.  I did like Lew thinking that the sculpture was pornographic, so that bumped this up from a C.

Renata Vanni is again Mrs. Brentano, while Frank Puglia, who was the Restaurant Owner on one episode, is Mr. Brentano.  This is Paul Wayne's only TG script, although he did go on to write, in particular, eighteen episodes of Three's Company.

That Girl: Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot

That Girl: Should All Our Old Acquaintances Be Forgot
ABC
December 26, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Another Stan Cutler and Martin Donovan script, this one is obviously set on New Year's Eve.  (No Christmas episode this year.)  Donald and Ann plan to spend a quiet evening at her place, but Lew soon puts a stop to that, and it soon snowballs into a big party, with Ann serving peanut butter on corn flakes as snacks.  Meanwhile, Jerry and Ruthie would have a quiet evening themselves, except that Ann keeps dropping by to get supplies.

Renata Vanni returns as Mrs. Brentano.  Cliff Norton plays Charley Fitch, but I don't think it's the same character as Charlie on both versions of "What's in a Name?"  Patty Regan has her middle of two TG roles, as Marge.

That Girl: Ann vs. Secretary

That Girl: Ann vs. Secretary
ABC
December 5, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Ann is again justifiably jealous, this time of Donald's new secretary Pat, played by Mary Frann, then acting under the name Jennifer Douglas.  (No, she doesn't wear a sweater, but this episode is notable for a lot of Ann and even Ruthie wearing slacks.)  Donald gently rejects Pat, and Ann doesn't admit how far her jealousy has gone.  I must note that Donald (and Jerry) have gone through a lot of secretaries in the past couple years, and the one before Pat has gone on maternity leave, like the one whom Ann temporarily replaced in Season One.

Leon Colker again plays a Waiter.

That Girl: Just Donald and Me and Jerry Makes Three

That Girl: Just Donald and Me and Jerry Makes Three
ABC
November 21, 1968
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Stan Cutler and Martin Donovan script is somewhat of an improvement, although I was on the fence between a C+ and a B- until the reunited Jerry and Ruth did that slow-motion running towards each other thing that was then a fairly new cliche.  Again, this isn't a terribly realistic episode, treating the subject of divorce as the subject of (shallow) humor.  And I didn't see why Donald and Ann decide to make Ruth and Jerry jealous of non-existent Other People, when all they have to do is have Ann tell Ruth how much Jerry misses her, since Ruth had left thinking that Jerry didn't love her anymore.

That Girl: A Friend in Need

That Girl: A Friend in Need
ABC
December 28, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Richard Baer's third TG script has Donald "challenging Ann's femininity" by cooking and cleaning for her when she has a sprained ankle.  If this seems odd, considering it's not that long since he himself had a maid, it turns out he's a slob at home but likes taking care of Ann.  In a nice change, Ann's mother but not father appears.

Danny Arnold makes an uncredited appearance as the Producer.  Benny Rubin plays Dr. Ferguson and would be Mr. Mellinger later on TG.

That Girl: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, You're Under Arrest

That Girl: 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, You're Under Arrest
ABC
December 21, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Although by no means a classic episode, this is definitely an improvement over the first season's Christmas episode.  And I will admit I wasn't quite sure what the final twist of the twisting plot would be.

William Bramley plays Tim here and would later be Bert Weevle on TG.  The role of Eppie is the middle of three TG roles for Paul Bryar.  Ed Peck's role of Bart is his second of five on TG.  Herbie Faye, who plays the scalper Milton, would later be a Waiter on the show.

That Girl: When in Rome

That Girl: When in Rome
ABC
November 9, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B

This is the second of many TG episodes that Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein would co-write and it displays a nice balance of points of view, as Ann is offered a starring role in a movie by an acclaimed director, but she'd have to appear nude.  I like how Donald tries to be fair, while still expressing his feelings, and how Ann stands up for herself, even if she's on the verge of tears.  The moment where she scoffs at the idea of being insecure about her body is great.  Note, the opening is a teaser in more than one way, as it looks like Ann is nude, but she isn't.

Renata Vanni plays Mama but would usually play Mrs. Rose Brentano on the show.  Frank Puglia plays her husband, the Restaurant Owner, and would later be Mr. Brentano.

That Girl: The Collaborators

That Girl: The Collaborators
ABC
November 2, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B

Another good script by Ruth Brooks Flippen, this has Ann and Donald falling out after trying to co-write a play about her life.  Some actual episodes, such as the bowling ball one, are referenced, a nice touch.  I also like how Don and Ann are both wrong, and both right.  It is annoying to see people crumpling up sheets of paper, some of them with hardly anything typed on them, but I accept that as one of the cliches about writing, up until some point in the '90s.  Bruce Bilson directed three Gidget episodes, but this is his only time for TG.

That Girl: There's Nothing to Be Afreud of But Freud Himself

That Girl: There's Nothing to Be Afreud of But Freud Himself
ABC
October 26, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is Milton Pascal's next to last TG script and has ink blots causing trouble for the two couples of Donald & Ann, Jerry & Ruthie.  The latter supposedly have been married for about a year.  Note, when Jerry says he's going to get "stoned, loaded, and plastered," you have to interpret the first two terms in a pre-psychedelic sense.

Amzie Strickland, who's Mrs. Chatsworth here, would be Ella Tansy on another TG episode.  Renzo Cesana, who plays Dr. Enrico Cesana, would be a Headwaiter later.

That Girl: Pass the Potatoes, Ethel Merman

That Girl: Pass the Potatoes, Ethel Merman
ABC
September 7, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
C+

As you'll guess from the title, Ethel Merman makes her first of two TG appearances playing herself.  Unfortunately the script by James L. Brooks needed a rewrite.  Why is there a scene of Ann calling everyone in Brewster about her role in a show with Merman and then a later scene where her father seems to have no awareness of the identity of Ann's dinner guest?  Why does Donald gently throw all the neighbors out and then later Ann's living room is packed to the gills?  The episode is basically a showcase for Merman, with Ann very starstruck, and as such it's not terrible, but it's never as great as it thinks it is.

Joy Harmon had been on Gidget twice and is Miss Bridges here.  Sandy Kenyon had also been on Gidget, and his role as Ed Burns is his first of two on TG.  Renata Vanni makes her first of five TG appearances, playing Mrs. Rose Brentano like usual.  Carolan Daniels takes over as Jerry's wife (and now Ann's neighbor) Ruth Bauman.  This is the first of five TG episodes directed by James Frawley.