That Girl: The Honeymoon Apartment

That Girl: The Honeymoon Apartment
ABC
March 16, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Another of Ann's relatives shows up, this time her cousin Harold Turner (Warren Berlinger, who'd appear in another role later).  He and his new bride spend the night at her apartment, so she stays with the Bessemers.  Don is going to go out of town but then it's cancelled, so the couple can't stay at his place.  And of course Ann could never stay overnight at Don's.  So instead we get a scene where Desk Clerk Dick Wilson is confused into thinking Don is checking into a honeymoon suite with two women, one of whom is crying.  Some cute farce, but I'm not a fan of episodes where people impose on each other to this extent.

Austin and Irma Kalish had written some Gidget episodes but this is their only one for TG.

Gidget: Ask Helpful Hannah

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Gidget: Ask Helpful Hannah
ABC
March 31, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The plot of this episode somewhat resembles my favorite ABC after-school special, Dear Lovey Hart, I Am Desperate, which we'll look at in '76.  Gidget reluctantly takes over the campus newspaper advice column and things backfire for her and others.  I don't think it's handled as well here as there, but there are some things I like, gimmicky though they are.  The Bewitched-sounding sound effect whenever Gidget has (or thinks she has) a realization is cute, as are the "bubbles" of her family and Larue commenting on the mess.

Barbara Hershey again plays Ellen, but this time she doesn't seem to be friends with Gidget.  Jewel Jaffe, who plays Kathy, would go on to write eight Welcome Back, Kotter episodes.  Rick Cooper again is Ted.  Bob Beach is again Toby, and pretends he's never been to the local teen hang-out before, although he was on "We Got Each Other."

Gidget: One More for the Road

Gidget: One More for the Road
ABC
March 24, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Gidget, now "sweet 16 and never been licensed," lies about being able to drive in order to get a job at a flower shop.  The episode is full of poor decision-making, mostly but not entirely on Gidget's part.  Nonetheless, it's nice to see the ever classy John McGiver as her boss.

Gidget: Gidget Is a Proper Noun

Gidget: Gidget Is a Proper Noun
ABC
October 27, 1965
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Another episode with a lot of school stuff.  (Westside High.)  This time Gidget is struggling in her English class because her teacher is a former student of Russ's.  So she submits one of her father's old papers to prove that the teacher is biased.  And of course both Gidget and the teacher learn a lesson.  Note, when sister Anne says everyone considers cheating, Gidget says, "Well, with a husband like John."  This is the first Gidget episode written by Austin and Irma Kalish, although he wrote some Gilligan without his wife, while director Oscar Rudolph had some Brady Bunch episodes in his future.