That Girl: You Have to Know Someone to Be Unknown

That Girl: You Have to Know Someone to Be Unknown
ABC
March 9, 1967
Sitcom
DVD
B

This is the first of many TG episodes for the writing team of Saul Turteltaub and Bernie Orenstein.  It's a nice blend of Don & Ann's relationship and her struggles to advance her career, and it's both funny and touching.  It feels like the show is starting to find itself.

Mover Art Lewis was a Man on an earlier episode and would be a Bellboy later, while A. G. Vitanza was a Shoe Man and is Herbie here.

Gidget: Don't Defrost the Alligator

Gidget: Don't Defrost the Alligator
ABC
April 21, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This is a very silly episode to end on, as symbolized by the fact that the most recognizable guest star is Marvin Kaplan.  Of course, no one knew that Gidget wouldn't be renewed, and it was in fact a hit in summer reruns.  But this was the end of the line for this particular series, although of course not for Gidget the character.  The show was never amazing, but it was solid (averaging out to a B-) and could've run another couple years, maybe till Gidget went off to college.  That said, it's so representative of the mid-'60s that it is hard to quite imagine how it would've looked in '68, let alone beyond.

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: Take a Lesson

Gidget: Take a Lesson
ABC
March 10, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
B

Beverly Washburn, who was on the "slumber party" episode, returns, this time with parents who have other Gidget credits.  Her father is played by the incomparable Paul Lynde, who'd be one of the high points in two of the TV-movies.  And her mother, Jeff Donnell, was Gidget's mother in the second and third big-screen movies (which means that she was "married" to Don Porter in another version of Gidget reality).  The fun of this episode is mostly in seeing Field and Lynde play off of each other, with the episode ending with her imitating him.  Also, for a native Californian like me, it's funny to hear the references to the Valley and Pasadena.  Note, the cast seems unsure whether Washburn's character is named Sheryl or Shirley.  And I assume that Lynde having a "Cousin Arthur" is a Bewitched in-joke, not unlike the mentions of Liz Montgomery on the Ding-bats episode.  (Besides the William Asher connection, the Stevenses' house was neighbors with Gidget's.)

Gidget: Ego-a-Go-Go

Gidget: Ego-a-Go-Go
ABC
January 27, 1966
Sitcom
DVD
B-

While it's fun to see 18-year-old Richard Dreyfuss play a nerd, I think the script could've used another rewrite.  A rivalry is built up between Gidget and a transfer student, but there's no pay-off.  And it looks like Gidget is going to try to go to the "Spinster Hop" with another boy, but that fizzles out.  Kudos though to getting a plausible calendar date for the dance this time: Saturday the 14th, which would place this in either February or March of that year.

Gidget: Gidget's Foreign Policy

Gidget: Gidget's Foreign Policy
ABC
December 15, 1965
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I don't like how the character of Inge is punished in this episode (including spanking by her boyfriend!), and for once I don't at all sympathize with Gidget's schemes.  That said, even with the line "I just set women's rights back 100 years, where they belong," I don't think the episode, the first directed by Jerrold Bernstein, is entirely anti-feminist.  Like other recent episodes, it's more ambiguous and conflicted.  This time Jan Crawford plays Ben rather than Roger.