inDecision 92: Election Night: Fragment

inDecision 92: Election Night: Fragment
Comedy Central
November 3, 1992
Politics
VHS
B-

Future Senator Al Franken and company, including Joy Behar, Roy Blount, Jr. and Buck Henry, cover Bill Clinton's election from a humorous and decidedly Democratic angle.  There are some slow moments, but it's worth watching again for things like footage of Calvin Trillin at the Republican Convention interviewing "the wrong George Bush," i.e. the giddy, somewhat goofy eldest son of the President.  Note that CC used this opportunity to promote not only Gaffney's Women Aloud but three of the classic sitcoms it was then airing:  Bilko, Car 54, and That Girl.  (I don't have enough space to tag Phil Silvers, but, yes, he was also on a great episode of Gilligan's Island.)

That Girl: The Elevated Woman

That Girl: The Elevated Woman
ABC
March 19, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C

So the series ends with a clip show, offering flashbacks to about ten episodes, mostly from the first couple seasons, meant to illustrate Ann and Donald's argument (written by Turteltaub and Orenstein) about women's liberation.  Instead, it proves my point that the show declined in the last three seasons, except for occasional good episodes.  And it demonstrates how much Don and Ann's appearances have changed.

Still, this season does average B-.  Much as I wish the season, and the whole series, had lived up to its potential more, it remains, like Ann Marie, for the most part likable.

That Girl: Stag Party

Suffice to say, my image search for
"that girl stag party" was not successful.

That Girl: Stag Party
ABC
February 26, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C+

I didn't really care for this Turteltaub-Orenstein story, except for the last few minutes, where there's a twist in the plot, followed by a sort of sweet scene with Don and Ann.  Note the continuity error of Jerry having been married to Ruthie for seven years.  (And whatever happened to Margie, the woman he married in '67?)

Hal Williams makes his second appearance on the show, as Herbie Robinson, while Jerry Fogel's last TG role is as Frankie

That Girl: The Russians Are Staying

That Girl: The Russians Are Staying
ABC
January 29, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C+

This Turteltaub-Orenstein story has a Russian comedian wanting to defect to Ann's apartment.  Lew of course shows up and catches the guy in Ann's robe.  Note that the comic says, "What a country!" years before Yakov Smirnoff.  Gino Conforti returns as Nino.

That Girl: A Limited Engagement

That Girl: A Limited Engagement
ABC
January 15, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
B

Turteltaub and Orenstein contribute a surprisingly dark (by TG standards) episode where Donald gets cold feet and the engagement is temporarily broken off.  Ann is confused and upset, but Lew offers some comfort.  And Donald and Ann make up of course.  I was particularly impressed by Kopell's acting here, doing well with the unaccustomed drama.

Buddy Lester makes his last TG appearance, as the man waiting for the elevator.

That Girl: Those Friars

That Girl: Those Friars
ABC
January 8, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Milton Berle and Danny Thomas fight over a trunk belonging to Ann's late great-uncle, Harry Marie.  Later Ann does a vaudeville act with both performers.  Sorry, but I think Carol and Marcia Brady would later do a better job with "Together (Wherever We Go)".

Morty Gunty plays Sandy Stone for the last time.  Moving Man Fabian Dean previously played a Messenger.

That Girl: An Uncle Herbert for All Seasons

Joe Flynn as he should be.

That Girl: An Uncle Herbert for All Seasons
ABC
December 18, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C

A seriously miscast Joe Flynn plays the title character, Lew's flamboyant and perhaps untrustworthy brother.  Even when Lew shows up, there's not much comedic pay-off.  Unless you want to see Donald sporting a wide peace-sign tie, you can skip this episode.

Ed Peck's last TG role is as a Customs Official, while Customs Official #2, Joe Mell, was previously Sol on this show and had recently been a Druggist on The Brady Bunch.  Screenwriter Bob Garland would later do a Bob Newhart Show episode.

That Girl: That Girl's Daddy

That Girl: That Girl's Daddy
ABC
November 20, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

In this Turteltaub-Orenstein story (with Orenstein playing Poker Player #2), Lew is feeling old (at 50), until he plays poker with Don and friends, and then spends time with Ann's friend Jeanne (Corinne Conley, who was Trudy before).  Ann worries that Lew will leave Helen, after 26 years of marriage, for Jeanne.  (Again, the chronology on this show is inconsistent.  If Ann's parents married in '44, I highly doubt she was teaching in '63, unless it was some kind of student teaching at 18.)

Don Eitner's final TG role is as Poker Player #1.  Harrison Page previously was Mark and here is Policeman #2, while Lew Gallo's final TG role is Policeman #1.  Betty Kean, who plays Mrs. McCarty, would later appear on The Bob Newhart Show.

That Girl: That Cake

That Girl: That Cake
ABC
November 13, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Rick Mittleman's last TG script has Ann losing her engagement ring in a cake, but not the cake being served to Governor Rockefeller.  Donald later imitates the governor, although I suspect they got a celebrity impressionist.  Ann's feelings about the ring contradict what she said when she actually got engaged, and no one points out that it's not in fact the same ring Donald proposed with, but oh well.  Continuity was never big on this show.  (Or any of the other of the sitcoms I've looked at so far.)

Reva Rose again appears as Marcy and isn't just a sounding board for once.  This time Bob Ross's waiter character is named Tommy.  Harvey J. Goldenberg was Jones before and this time is the Assistant Chef.  Woodrow Parfrey was a Clerk before and is Clifford Magleson here.  Sheila Rogers, who plays Mrs. Kling, has a very distinctive voice, recognizable from her several Three's Company appearances for instance.  And, yes, that's 39-year-old Regis Philbin as Producer Ron Rouser.

That Girl: Rattle of a Single Girl

That Girl: Rattle of a Single Girl
ABC
October 23, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Bruce Howard's last TG script has Ann and Donald seeking pre-marriage counseling, and fighting about it.  Meanwhile, Donald has found a potential apartment for them, which seems a bit early, but it's nice to see Dick Van Patten as Mr. Morse the potential landlord.  Ann's wardrobe continues to be an improvement over the previous season's clothing.

Reva Rose again plays Ann's friend Marcy, while Bob Ross is again the Waiter at Nino's.  Harry Basch makes his last TG appearance, as the Man in Elevator.  Allen Oppenheimer plays another mildly unpleasant person, this time Dr. Globe.  And this time Sam Denoff's cameo is as the Man in Booth.

That Girl: I Ain't Got Nobody

The head looks way too big for the shoulders, but
as Don says, who's going to be looking at the face?

That Girl: I Ain't Got Nobody
ABC
October 9, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B+

The last TG script written by Ed Scharlach, and second of three for Warren Murray, is easily the best in a long while.  It's witty, e.g. the line "You're a disgrace to the service," and farcical in a fresher way than many of the rather worn and tired episodes of the third and fourth seasons.  It begins when Jerry rushes in from the barber shop.  (I thought there'd be a line about him being clean-shaven now but the mustache seems to have been a one-episode aberration.  Or maybe, ironically, he shaved for Lancelot Link voice-overs.)  He's seen a centerfold in Playpen magazine that appears to be of Ann.  It turns out to be her head in prehistoric Photoshop on another woman's body.  Donald presumably has never actually seen her nude, so he reacts.  And of course Lew reacts. And then the children's host Captain Gooney (Kenneth Mars), who's just hired Ann, reacts.  And throughout Ann reacts to all the reactions.  Also, Ann has some amazing outfits in this episode.  Note, Ann is Miss February, another example of the confusing chronology on this show.

This time Bob Ross plays Bob, although he's still a Waiter at Nino's, so it may be the same character.  The wonderfully voiced Hal Peary plays Lew's friend Harvey.

That Girl: Easy Faller

That Girl: Easy Faller
ABC
March 19, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Turteltaub-Orenstein episode isn't bad considering how many false starts it has, where it seems to be about one thing and then turns into something else.  Mostly it's about Ann taking care of Donald after he hurts his back in her apartment demonstrating how to fall wearing skis.  If you guessed that Lew shows up and jumps to the wrong conclusion, you, too, could write for '60s/'70s sitcoms.

Bobo Lewis again plays Gloria.  Albert Carrier had earlier played a Waiter and here plays Jean Paul Lemairre.  Warren Berlinger, who three years earlier played Ann's cousin, is Donald's doctor here.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.