The Doris Day Show
Encyclopedia
The Doris Day Show is an American sitcom
that was originally broadcast on the CBS
network from September 1968 until September 1973. In addition to showcasing Doris Day
, the show is remembered for its many abrupt format changes over the course of its five-year run. It is also remembered for Day's claim, in her autobiography
Doris Day: Her Own Story (1975), that her husband Martin Melcher
had signed her to do the TV series without her knowledge, a fact she only discovered when Melcher died of heart disease on April 20, 1968. The TV show premiered on September 28, 1968.
and mother of two young sons Billy and Toby, who, when the series premiered, had just moved back to a rural ranch outside of San Francisco
after having lived in big cities for most of her adult life.
Other characters during this initial phase of the program included Doris's father Buck (played by Denver Pyle
) and their hired hand on the ranch, Leroy (played by James Hampton
). Their housekeeper initially was Aggie Thompson, portrayed by Fran Ryan
, who left after the first 10 episodes to replace Barbara Pepper in Green Acres
as Doris Ziffel. The character left without any explanation and was replaced by Juanita, played by Naomi Stevens
.
(who would later leave the series to star in M*A*S*H) played her boss, Today's World editor, Michael Nicholson, and her friend and coworker, Myrna Gibbons, was played by Rose Marie
in a role similar to her more famous Sally Rogers role on The Dick Van Dyke Show
. Also in the cast, Paul Smith, who portrayed Ron Harvey the assistant editor. Pyle and Hampton were still seen during this season.
; Kaye Ballard
). Louie was at first angry with Angie for her renting the apartment to a widow and children, but he eventually relented and became used to the whole family after Billy and Toby praised his pizza. Angie also became one of Doris's best friends. Doris began writing articles for the magazine at which she worked, under the auspices of Mr. Harvey, the assistant editor, but was still mainly a secretary. Most of the characters from the previous season remained, with the exceptions of Pyle and Hampton's characters (who both returned for a few episodes). In this season, Doris' nemesis Mr. Willard Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) moves next door, causing trouble for her and her family in a few episodes.
, Day's character suddenly became a swinging single career woman (going by Ms. instead of Mrs.). The entire cast, other than Day herself, was gone; even Doris Martin's two sons were no longer in the cast, with the brief explanation that her boys moved back to Buck's farm to help him out. Doris Martin now had a new editor, Cy Bennett, played by character actor John Dehner
, and she was no longer a secretary, but rather a full-time staff writer, and later, an associate editor. Actress Jackie Joseph
joined the cast as Doris' friend, Jackie Parker. Doris still lived in the same apartment but in season 5, the Palluccis sold out and Dr. Peter Lawrence, (Peter Lawford
) was still around as Doris's sometime love interest. Her sometime-nemesis, Mr. Jarvis purchased the building, which alarmed Doris, but nevertheless accepted him. The Palluccis, Angie in particular, was still on hand in the fourth season. Doris was now depicted as though she has always been a reporter, no reference made to her having been a secretary. The series continued with this format until it was canceled in 1973.
were common, and continued into the era when topical sitcoms such as All in the Family
prevailed, with associated changes to its own premise.
classic, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)." The song had been introduced by Day in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock
suspense film The Man Who Knew Too Much
, in which Day co-starred with James Stewart
.
By this time, Doris Day was a committed advocate of animal rights and was ready to leave the Hollywood lifestyle behind her. CBS wanted a sixth season, but Doris was contracted to do only five years. By the final season, she had become the show’s executive producer, and simply told CBS “I have done everything I can with the series”.
has released all 5 seasons of The Doris Day Show on DVD in Region 1. Each DVD release contains extensive special features.
In Region 4, Umbrella Entertainment
has released all 5 seasons on DVD in Australia. In 2009, all five seasons were re-released with slimmer packaging.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that was originally broadcast on the CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
network from September 1968 until September 1973. In addition to showcasing Doris Day
Doris Day
Doris Day is an American actress, singer and, since her retirement from show business, an animal rights activist. With an entertainment career that spanned through almost 50 years, Day started her career as a big band singer in 1939, but only began to be noticed after her first hit recording,...
, the show is remembered for its many abrupt format changes over the course of its five-year run. It is also remembered for Day's claim, in her autobiography
Autobiography
An autobiography is a book about the life of a person, written by that person.-Origin of the term:...
Doris Day: Her Own Story (1975), that her husband Martin Melcher
Martin Melcher
Martin Melcher was an American film producer. With the exception of one movie, all of his projects were starring vehicles for his wife, actress Doris Day....
had signed her to do the TV series without her knowledge, a fact she only discovered when Melcher died of heart disease on April 20, 1968. The TV show premiered on September 28, 1968.
Season 1
Day had been a popular film actress in the 1950s and early 1960s. In this gentle sitcom, she was cast as Doris Martin, a widowWidow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
and mother of two young sons Billy and Toby, who, when the series premiered, had just moved back to a rural ranch outside of San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
after having lived in big cities for most of her adult life.
Other characters during this initial phase of the program included Doris's father Buck (played by Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
) and their hired hand on the ranch, Leroy (played by James Hampton
James Hampton (actor)
James Wade Hampton is an American actor, television director, and screenwriter.-Early life:Though born in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Hampton was reared in Dallas, Texas, where his father operated a cleaning business. He majored in theatre arts at the University of North Texas in Denton...
). Their housekeeper initially was Aggie Thompson, portrayed by Fran Ryan
Fran Ryan
Fran Ryan was an American character actress featured in television and films. She was born in Los Angeles, California....
, who left after the first 10 episodes to replace Barbara Pepper in Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
as Doris Ziffel. The character left without any explanation and was replaced by Juanita, played by Naomi Stevens
Naomi Stevens
Naomi Stevens was a prolific character actress of film and television from the 1950s through the 1980s. She has appeared in almost 100 roles over the years, usually depicting someone's ethnic mother, or neighbor...
.
Season 2
In the 1969-70 TV season, the Doris Martin character began to commute from the ranch to San Francisco, where she worked as a secretary for a magazine, Today's World. New workplace characters were added. McLean StevensonMcLean Stevenson
Edgar McLean Stevenson, Jr. , better known as McLean Stevenson, was an American actor most recognized for his role as Lt. Colonel Henry Blake on the TV series M*A*S*H...
(who would later leave the series to star in M*A*S*H) played her boss, Today's World editor, Michael Nicholson, and her friend and coworker, Myrna Gibbons, was played by Rose Marie
Rose Marie
Rose Marie is an American actress. As a child performer she had a successful singing career as Baby Rose Marie....
in a role similar to her more famous Sally Rogers role on The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show
The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom that initially aired on the Columbia Broadcasting System from October 3, 1961, until June 1, 1966. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore. It was produced by Reiner with Bill Persky and Sam Denoff....
. Also in the cast, Paul Smith, who portrayed Ron Harvey the assistant editor. Pyle and Hampton were still seen during this season.
Season 3
At the start of the 1970-71 season, having gotten tired of the commute between her work and the ranch, Doris and her sons moved to San Francisco, where they lived in an apartment above an Italian restaurant owned by Louie and Angie Pallucci (Bernie KopellBernie Kopell
Bernard Morton "Bernie" Kopell is an American television character actor who is probably best known for his roles as Dr. Adam Bricker in The Love Boat and KAOS agent Siegfried in Get Smart...
; Kaye Ballard
Kaye Ballard
Kaye Ballard is an American musical theatre and television actress, comedienne, and singer.-Life and career:Ballard was born as Catherine Gloria Balotta in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Italian American family, the daughter of Lena and Vincent James Balotta.Ballard established herself as a musical...
). Louie was at first angry with Angie for her renting the apartment to a widow and children, but he eventually relented and became used to the whole family after Billy and Toby praised his pizza. Angie also became one of Doris's best friends. Doris began writing articles for the magazine at which she worked, under the auspices of Mr. Harvey, the assistant editor, but was still mainly a secretary. Most of the characters from the previous season remained, with the exceptions of Pyle and Hampton's characters (who both returned for a few episodes). In this season, Doris' nemesis Mr. Willard Jarvis (Billy De Wolfe) moves next door, causing trouble for her and her family in a few episodes.
Seasons 4-5
The fourth season, 1971-72, saw the most radical change in the series. Perhaps inspired by the success of The Mary Tyler Moore ShowThe Mary Tyler Moore Show
The Mary Tyler Moore Show is an American television sitcom created by James L. Brooks and Allan Burns that aired on CBS from 1970 to 1977...
, Day's character suddenly became a swinging single career woman (going by Ms. instead of Mrs.). The entire cast, other than Day herself, was gone; even Doris Martin's two sons were no longer in the cast, with the brief explanation that her boys moved back to Buck's farm to help him out. Doris Martin now had a new editor, Cy Bennett, played by character actor John Dehner
John Dehner
John Dehner was an American actor in radio, television, and films, playing countless roles, often as a droll villain. Between 1941 and 1988, he appeared in over 260 films and television programs. Prior to acting, Dehner had worked as an animator at Walt Disney Studios, and later became a radio...
, and she was no longer a secretary, but rather a full-time staff writer, and later, an associate editor. Actress Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph
Jackie Joseph is an American character actress, voice artist, and writer known for portraying the film characters of: Audrey Fulquard in the original The Little Shop of Horrors, Sheila Futterman in both Gremlins films, and the voice of Melody in the animated television series Josie and the...
joined the cast as Doris' friend, Jackie Parker. Doris still lived in the same apartment but in season 5, the Palluccis sold out and Dr. Peter Lawrence, (Peter Lawford
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Aylen , better known as Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.He was a member of the "Rat Pack", and brother-in-law to US President John F. Kennedy, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting...
) was still around as Doris's sometime love interest. Her sometime-nemesis, Mr. Jarvis purchased the building, which alarmed Doris, but nevertheless accepted him. The Palluccis, Angie in particular, was still on hand in the fourth season. Doris was now depicted as though she has always been a reporter, no reference made to her having been a secretary. The series continued with this format until it was canceled in 1973.
Place in popular culture
The Doris Day Show was considered a rather lightweight comedy. It was never a huge ratings success but remained popular enough to survive on primetime TV for five seasons. It premiered at a time when rural comedies such as Green AcresGreen Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
were common, and continued into the era when topical sitcoms such as All in the Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
prevailed, with associated changes to its own premise.
Opening theme
The opening sequence features Day singing the Livingston & EvansLivingston & Evans
Livingston & Evans were a songwriting and composing team who worked on movies, television and stage. Both had worked on several movies together and separately such as Nurse Betty, Sunset Blvd., The Godfather, Crime, Inc., and The Godfather III. Jay Livingston died in 2001.They received a "Star"...
classic, "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)." The song had been introduced by Day in the 1956 Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
suspense film The Man Who Knew Too Much
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956 film)
The Man Who Knew Too Much is a suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring James Stewart and Doris Day. The film is a remake in widescreen VistaVision and Technicolor of Hitchcock's 1934 film of the same name....
, in which Day co-starred with James Stewart
James Stewart (actor)
James Maitland Stewart was an American film and stage actor, known for his distinctive voice and his everyman persona. Over the course of his career, he starred in many films widely considered classics and was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one in competition and receiving one Lifetime...
.
Nielsen ratings
The show itself was successful in its first four seasons, though it dropped out the top-30 in the final season:- Season 1 (1968–69): #30
- Season 2 (1969–70): #10
- Season 3 (1970–71): #20
- Season 4 (1971–72): #24
- Season 5 (1972–73): out of top-30
By this time, Doris Day was a committed advocate of animal rights and was ready to leave the Hollywood lifestyle behind her. CBS wanted a sixth season, but Doris was contracted to do only five years. By the final season, she had become the show’s executive producer, and simply told CBS “I have done everything I can with the series”.
DVD releases
MPI Home VideoMPI Home Video
MPI Home Video is a home entertainment company that produces and distributes popular documentaries, films and television series on DVD & Blu-ray for the home video market. MPI Home Video is a subsidiary of MPI Media Group which was founded in 1976 by brothers Malik & Waleed Ali...
has released all 5 seasons of The Doris Day Show on DVD in Region 1. Each DVD release contains extensive special features.
In Region 4, Umbrella Entertainment
Umbrella entertainment
Umbrella Entertainment is an Australian owned, independent all-rights feature film, documentary and television program distribution company that was set up in 2001 by Jeff Harrison...
has released all 5 seasons on DVD in Australia. In 2009, all five seasons were re-released with slimmer packaging.
| DVD Name | Ep # | Release Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 4 | ||
| Season 1 | 28 | June 28, 2005 | November 11, 2005 |
| Season 2 | 26 | October 25, 2005 | April 10, 2006 |
| Season 3 | 26 | May 30, 2006 | November 6, 2006 |
| Season 4 | 24 | February 27, 2007 | April 2, 2007 |
| Season 5 | 24 | November 20, 2007 | January 12, 2008 |
| The Complete Series | 128 | November 25, 2008 | N/A |
Further reading
- Patrick, Pierre and Garry McGee, The Doris Day Companion: A Beautiful Day. BearManor Media, 2009.
External links
- Discovering Doris Television Section