OT: Diana Millay on My Three Sons

[patrickm]

For those who might be interested, Diana Millay's episode of My Three Sons entitled How to Impress a Woman will air on ME TV on Friday July 28th at 7:30 am. This is one of the black and white episodes with William Frawley that air very infrequently - I've never seen it.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I've never seen that one either. But soon we won't be able to say that anymore. 

[patrickm]

Well MB, as you might say...this wasn't exactly God's gift to television heritage lol...But it was kinda cute if not realistic to see Mike fawning over Diana.

[Gerard]

Ah, the memories.  I grew up with that show.  My mom couldn't miss it (along with The Donna Reed Show).

Ironically, one of my favorite comedic lines about it came from The Munsters.  While driving home from work at night, Herman is pulled over by the police who think he's been in a horrible accident (or some-such).  They want to take him in.  He protests, saying:  "But, Officer, I can't go with you.  I've missed the first half of My Three Sons already."  On another episode, Lily decides it's time for Eddie to learn about the birds and the bees (the censors actually had a problem with it, but it aired anyway).  She cajoles Herman to have the discussion and he resists, asking why she can't do it.  She states that it's a father's responsibility.  Herman replies:  "All right, I'll do it.  But Donna Reed handles these kinds of problems on her show, you know."

Gerard

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I just watched it. Unlike Gerard and his mom, My Three Sons was never regular viewing in my house (nor was Donna Reed). I didn't even realize the Mike brother even existed - but then the show was even less on my radar when he was on than it was in its latter years.

As for the ep, it was enjoyable enough for what it was. Diana was definitely fun. But thank heavens TV has matured since the '60s. If all TV was still like that, I'd be doing an awful lot of reading, which wouldn't be a bad thing, actually...

[Gerard]

You never watched them growing up MB?  Oh, shame on you.  How did you learn to be a straight-laced kid like I did?  Don't tell me, MB, about those nefarious things you did whilst moving towards adolescents.  I'll get the vapors!

Gerard

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I was never a strait-laced kid. Far from it! I definitely went my own path - and took as many others as I could along for the ride. 

[Uncle Roger]

I probably saw this episode when it originally aired, as My Three Sons, as well as Donna Reed, were staples in our house. The disney connections with Tim Considine and Tommy Kirk was probably a draw for me, as would have been the presence of William Frawley. Interesting factoid is that Tim Considine was married to Charlotte Stewart, who was on Little House on the Prairie for several years as well as several David Lynch projects including Twin Peaks and Eraserhead.
Looking back, I was quite the goody goody. Fortunately, it was just a phaae.

[Gerard]

MB, you sassy thing, I'll bet you were one of those who watched Peyton Place!

Gerard

[Uncle Roger]

I was! It was quite the status thing in school. If you were able to stay up late enough to watch it, you were considered to be one of the cool kids.

[Gerard]

Uncle Roger, I envy you.  When PP aired, my mom forced me out of the living room to sit in the kitchen and eat bowls full of the now defunct Rice Kringles.  It was basically Snap, Crackle and Pop heavily laden with sugar.  For awhile, it was also called Crispy Kringles and was totally delicious.  The add campaigns were by today's standards racist with an "oriental" caricature.  She did the same when CBS's Thursday Night at the Movies aired The Sandpiper and God's Little Acre.  She said that was all for "grown-ups."  I was amazed when she allowed me to watch the terrifying The Innocents.  She didn't know what it was about until it was too late.

Gerard

[Uncle Roger]

Yes, Gerard, the "So Hi" cereal. Our own David Henesy did a commercial for it before joining DS. It's been posted here a couple of times but it might be easier simply to go directly to YouTube.
My interest in Peyton Place came about because i wanted to get a look at the girl that Nancy Sinatra's father was involved with. That's Mia Farrow, for any youngsters who may be reading this. When i started watching her character was in a coma, and i wanted to see what she was like when she was up and moving around. Allison was in that coma forever. By the time she finally came out of the damn coma, I was already hooked on the other stories and characters.

[Gerard]

Wow, Unc, I thought I was the only person who remembered that cereal!  A couple bowls-full and you wired for the next two days!  It was rice "puffs" like Rice Krispies but loaded with 40 tons of sugar.  And I'm going right to youtube to see David downing it (with the little "Chinese" cartoon man hopping around with his "Ah-so's").

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but along with PP I was not allowed to watch TTZ.  My parents considered it "too scary" for a waif like me but they view it once in awhile.  They especially loved the episode where Jack Klugman's son is one of the first casualties of the Vietnam War.  His son returns as a spirit in child form played by Bill Mumy.  Well, one summer night my parents were outside with the neighbors and I sneaked TTZ on showing the rerun with Talking Tina.  I was terrified watching it killing Kojak.  That night, I was lying in bed, wide-awake and from underneath my bed I heard the pull-string and grinding of a talking doll's gears and she started to say:  "I'm Talking Tina and I'm going to kill..."  I screamed for my mom who came running and told her what I had done.  She scolded me saying that now I have to pay the price for my disobedience.

Gerard

[Bob_the_Bartender]

Gerard,

The TTZ episode that freaked me out was the "To Serve Man" one with Lloyd Bockner as the ill-fated scientist on board the UFO.  Bon appetite!

[Uncle Roger]

There is no margin for error. Punishment is necessary. Huh, Gerard?

So hi, Lovable Truly (the Alpha Bits postman) and the still active Sugar Bear were all running characters on the Saturday morning cartoon Linus the Lionhearted. The show ran for several years until a change in FCC regulations blocked cartoon mascots in appearing in shows and commercials at the same time. There are some of the cartoons on YouTube.