Blondie (1968 TV series)

Blondie (also known as The New Blondie) is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1968–69 television season. The series is an updated version of the 1957 TV series that was based on the comic strip of the same name. The series stars Patricia Harty at the title character and Will Hutchins as her husband Dagwood Bumstead. Jim Backus played Dagwood's boss Mr. Dithers, with his real life wife Henny Backus playing Cora Dithers. The series also featured the noted child character actress Pamelyn Ferdin as the Bumstead's daughter, Cookie, and character actor Bryan O'Byrne as the hapless mailman, always getting run over by Dagwood hurrying out the door, late for work.

Blondie
The Bumstead family.
Also known asThe New Blondie
GenreSitcom
Created byChic Young
Written byDanny Simon
Directed byNorman Abbott
Peter Baldwin
Bruce Bilson
Gene Nelson
StarringPatricia Harty
Will Hutchins
Jim Backus
Pamelyn Ferdin
Peter Robbins
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes14 (1 unaired)
Production
Executive producerAl Brodax
ProducersJoe Connelly
Irving Paley (assistant)
Running time24 mins.
Production companiesKayro Productions
King Features Syndicate
DistributorCBS Television Distribution
Release
Original networkCBS
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseSeptember 26, 1968 (1968-09-26) –
January 9, 1969 (1969-01-09)
Chronology
Preceded byBlondie
Related showsBlondie

Synopsis

Blondie stars Patricia Harty and Will Hutchins as Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead, a suburban couple raising two precocious children. Plots mixed typical sitcom tropes from home life and work life. The series is best remembered for its opening theme, which featured the comic strip characters in animated form before transforming into the actors playing the characters.

Like the 1957 version, which lasted only one season, the series was not a hit, lasting a total of 13 weeks before being canceled, with the final episode remaining unaired.[1] Two further episodes were planned; "The Dying Swan" and "Dagwood's Private War" but were never completed.

Cast
Jim and Henny Backus as Mr. and Mrs. Dithers

Ferdin and Robbins would later reunite on the 1969 television special It Was a Short Summer, Charlie Brown and the 1969 film A Boy Named Charlie Brown, being the last time Robbins played Charlie Brown.

Production notes

This version of the series, jointly produced by CBS Productions (which owns the distribution rights in the United States), King Features Syndicate and Kayro Productions, ran from September 26, 1968, to January 9, 1969.

Cast member Pamelyn Ferdin recalls the series was cancelled so abruptly that the cast was dismissed during the lunch break while an episode was being filmed.

Episode list
Nº Title Directed by Written by Air date PC
1"Sayanora Dagwood"Norman AbbottGary Belkin and George TibblesSeptember 26, 1968 (1968-09-26)1
2"My Camp Runneth Over"Peter BaldwinGary Belkin & John McGreeveyOctober 3, 1968 (1968-10-03)8
3"Blondie-Flower Child"Norman AbbottTBAOctober 10, 1968 (1968-10-10)4
4"The Gladiators"Gene NelsonDanny SimonOctober 17, 1968 (1968-10-17)9
5"Angel in Disguise"Bruce BilsonTBAOctober 31, 1968 (1968-10-31)10
6"Dither's Damned Dog"Norman AbbottTBANovember 7, 1968 (1968-11-07)2
7"Dagwood the Wheeler Dealer"Norman AbbottTBANovember 14, 1968 (1968-11-14)6
8"Blondie's Good Citizen"Norman AbbottTBANovember 21, 1968 (1968-11-21)3
9"Blondie's Birthday"Gene NelsonTBADecember 5, 1968 (1968-12-05)13
10"Marriage Menders"Norman AbbottTBADecember 12, 1968 (1968-12-12)5
11"Blondie's Masquerade"Gene NelsonTBADecember 19, 1968 (1968-12-19)11
12"Once Upon a Guru"Norman AbbottTBADecember 26, 1968 (1968-12-26)7
13"Pick on a Bully Your Own Size"Peter BaldwinTBAJanuary 9, 1969 (1969-01-09)14
14"Run Buddy Run"Gene NelsonTBAUNAIRED12

References
  1. Tucker, David C. (2010). Lost Laughs of '50s and '60s Television: Thirty Sitcoms That Faded Off Screen. McFarland. p. 99. ISBN 0-786-44466-5.

Further reading
  • Blondie Goes to Hollywood, by Carol Lynn Scherling. Albany, 2010. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-401-9.
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