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: Soot Yourself

That Girl: Soot Yourself
ABC
March 12, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C

TG makes another ill-advised attempt to be relevant in this Turteltaub-Orenstein story (directed by Turteltaub) about Ann protesting the way Newsview covers the pollution issue.  It's kind of sad that this plot was handled better on The Brady Bunch.  Reva Rose makes her last appearance as Marcy, while Gino Conforti makes his last as Nino.

That Girl: Two for the Money

That Girl: Two for the Money
ABC
March 5, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Somewhat predictable episode involving horse racing and modeling, although I do like how patient and understanding Donald is.  Louis De Farra was recently Pierre and is Oscarelli here.  Cashier Dick Yarmy was earlier Fred Thompson.  Roy Applegate is Bill and was Harry earlier, while Arthur Abelson is Harry here and would later appear on M*A*S*H.  Hal Williams was Donald's friend Herbie last time but this time is named John.  Joe Ross, who was Duane Cartwright on The Brady Bunch, plays Barney here.  For some reason, Dick Van Patten is the announcer at the race track, while it's Larry McCormick over the radio.  Alex Rocco is a race track employee here.  Producer Bernie Orenstein plays a Better and this time Sam Denoff is the Big Better.

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: That King

More natural look

That Girl: That King
ABC
February 19, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C+

In Warren S. Murray's last TG story, David Doyle sets Ann up on a date with a bratty preteen king who wears as much makeup as she does.  (So that's where glam rock started!)  Waiter Herbie Faye previously was Milton.

That Girl: Chef's Night Out

That Girl: Chef's Night Out
ABC
February 12, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
B

I was sure this episode was going to go in the direction of them recruiting the Maries' maid Laura to fill in as chef at the restaurant while Ann's parents are away, but I think she's just here to play chaperone while Ann and Donald have to stay over a couple nights.  With a boyfriend played by Al Molinaro, it's a little like the Alice and Sam dynamic on The Brady Bunch and, along with the hijinks at the restaurant, this is a funnier episode than usual.

Steve Benson, who plays the Chicken Boy, previously was a Porter.  Louis De Farra, who's Pierre here, would be Oscarelli later.  Bud Grossman had written for Gilligan's Island and would write for Three's Company, but this is his only That Girl script.

That Girl: That Shoplifter

That Girl: That Shoplifter
ABC
February 5, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
C+

OK, we got it, Ann is too trusting and will continually be a victim to con-men.  Can we move on now?

Judy Cassmore makes her third TG appearance, her second as a Secretary.  Bobo Lewis makes her last appearance, as a Shopper.  This is Arnold Horwitt's last TG script.

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: That Script

That Girl: That Script
ABC
January 1, 1971
Sitcom
DVD
B-

This Turteltaub-Orenstein episode has a mystery feel to it, where the situation with the writer and his second wife (Nina Foch, who was Bibi Crosby in Gidget Grows Up) is not what it seems.

Morty Gunty again plays Sandy Stone.  This time Bob Ross's Waiter character is referred to as Pete or some other name he hasn't been before.  This is Roger Duchowny's directorial debut in a career lasting 25 years.

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 Senorita

That Girl: That Senorita
ABC
December 11, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C+

The topic of sensitivity to racial stereotypes is handled clumsily but sincerely in this Turteltaub-Orenstein story.  It's strange watching Jerry do ethnic humor, and then apologize for it, considering the stereotypes Kopell was then happily perpetuating on Lancelot Link.  Note, Ruthie has recently given birth, but that's the only mention since her pregnancy announcement nine months earlier.  Ann at one point wears a caftan that looks like a Twister board.

Army Archerd played himself earlier but this episode is a nameless TV Critic.  Sarah Fankboner is Miss Juanez here and would later appear on M*A*S*H.  Forrest Compton was the earlier actor for Jonathan Adams but here plays George Phillips.  Rodolfo Hoyos, Jr., is Rudy Sanchez here and earlier was the P.A. Announcer.  Alejandro Rey was Eduardo Guzman before and is Felix here.  Dick Yarmy is Fred Thompson here and would later be a Cashier.  This is the 100th TV program I've given a C+ to.

That Girl: Super Reporter

That Girl: Super Reporter
ABC
December 4, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
C

Sigh, we're back to the disappointing sort of stories that Turteltaub-Orenstein too often cranked out. It starts out fine, with some farce of Ann actually hiding a man in her closet, and even the thing of Don being stuck in the superhero costume is OK, although I don't see why he can't send Ann to get other clothes from his apartment right away.  But then he behaves completely out of character, telling off an authority figure very rudely (when he's usually diplomatic, even when angry), and tricking his boss into giving a speech on not prejudging young people by their clothing.  "Relevancy" and hokey comedy is not a good combination.  (Unless you're working for Sherwood Schwartz of course.)

Jimmy Cross played a Policeman on Gidget but is the Drunk here (the sort of role he was much more often cast in).  Policeman Brad Trumbull was previously a Reporter.  Autograph Fan Florence Mercer was Estelle Webber before.

That Girl: Stop the Presses I Want to Get Off

That Girl: Stop the Presses I Want to Get Off
ABC
November 27, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B-

Ann gets some reporting assignments and Donald helps her more than he should.  No one mentions when she had the exclusive interview with the opera star.  And she wears some really awful outfits, from a tent-like caftan that Mrs. Roper would avoid to a T-shirt with Porky Pig waving the American flag.

Vernon Scott appeared as himself earlier but here is Reporter #1.  Bill Mullikin, who's George here, was Lance Pierce on The Brady Bunch, also a journalist character.  James Gregory makes his first of four appearances as Donald's boss Jonathan Adams.  This is Gordon Farr's only TG script but he'd write thirteen for The Bob Newhart Show.  And Saul Turteltaub directed this one.

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: There Sure a Lot of Cards in St. Louis, Part II

Later that same decade....

That Girl: There Sure a Lot of Cards in St. Louis, Part II
ABC
November 6, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B

Well, this isn't as good as Part I but it's still fun to see how Ann copes with Don's family and how he deals with them.  This time, we learn more about the play she's doing and even see rehearsals.  After meeting Stan "the Man" Musial, Ann decides that her future in-laws would be impressed if she took the opportunity to play the lead role.  Then she realizes what's really important, and that wins over Donald's difficult mother.

Frank Faylen and Mabel Albertson are of course back, but it's mostly a different cast than in Part I.  Penny Kunard, who plays the Hostess, had been Katie on Gidget.  Richard Schaal had been the Lost & Found Man earlier and is Bill here.  Thirty-seven-year-old Richard Libertini has a small, early role as John.  And if Shari Summers, who plays Jeannie, looks familiar, you may remember her as Edith Phern in Harold and Maude.

That Girl: There Sure a Bunch of Cards in St. Louis, Part I

What a difference a decade makes!

That Girl: There Sure a Bunch of Cards in St. Louis, Part I
ABC
October 30, 1970
Sitcom
DVD
B+

The engagement (but probably not the "daisies, snowflakes" theme song) seems to have revitalized the show and this Turteltaub-Orenstein episode is everything it should be and more.  For once, I'm actually looking to the second part of a TG two-parter.  Ann has an acting gig in Donald's hometown and that means she's also got to appear before his friends and family.  The results are funny and sweet but with an edge.  We again see Donald's parents, including the wonderfully cold Mabel Albertson, more than ever the mother-in-law no '60s woman would want.  Frank Faylen does a fine job stepping into the role of Don's father, showing where Don gets his sense of humor and warmth from.  (And making Donald an honorary brother to not only Darrin Stephens but Dobie Gillis.)  Yes, Ann's outfits are great again.

Lindsay Workman, who had made the first of four Brady appearances at this point, here plays Harry, the one who wonders if Ann is in plays like Oh! Calcutta!  And it's a nice touch to have William Christopher and Susan Quick return as Donald's old friends Chippy and Heather Dolan.