The Debbie Reynolds Show
The Debbie Reynolds Show is an American sitcom which aired on the NBC television network during the 1969–70 television season. The series was produced by Filmways.
| The Debbie Reynolds Show | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Jess Oppenheimer |
| Directed by | Ezra Stone |
| Starring | Debbie Reynolds Don Chastain Tom Bosley Patricia Smith |
| Opening theme | "With a Little Love (Just a Little Love)" |
| Composers | Jack Marshall Tony Romeo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Jess Oppenheimer |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company | Filmways Television |
| Distributor | MGM Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 16, 1969 – April 14, 1970 |
Synopsis
Debbie Reynolds portrayed Debbie Thompson, a housewife married to Jim, a successful sportswriter for the Los Angeles Sun. Jim was portrayed by actor Don Chastain; his boss was played by longtime television actor Tom Bosley. Reynolds' attempts to amuse herself were regarded as being reminiscent of those of Lucille Ball on Here's Lucy.
Creator/producer Jess Oppenheimer was the original producer and co-creator of I Love Lucy. The show also employed Bob Carroll Jr., and Madelyn Davis, two longtime Lucy writers.
NBC was selling advertising time for cigarette commercials against Reynolds' wishes. After Reynolds threatened to quit the show, American Brands (formerly known as American Tobacco) withdrew sponsorship. To make up for NBC's lost ad revenue, Reynolds agreed to give back to the network their guarantee of a second year of airing the program, as well as an NBC-backed film in which she would have starred, and her ownership in a subsequent NBC-produced series.[1][2]
Cast
- Debbie Reynolds as Debbie Thompson
- Don Chastain as Jim Thompson
- Patricia Smith as Charlotte Landers
- Tom Bosley as Bob Landers
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "That's Debbie" | Ezra Stone | Jess Oppenheimer | September 16, 1969 |
| 2 | "It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Debbie" | TBA | TBA | September 23, 1969 |
| 3 | "In the Soup" | Ezra Stone | TBA | September 30, 1969 |
| 4 | "Married Men Can Always Get" | TBA | TBA | October 7, 1969 |
| 5 | "A Present for Jim" | Ezra Stone | TBA | October 14, 1969 |
| 6 | "The Bodyguard" | TBA | TBA | October 21, 1969 |
| 7 | "The Paper Butterfly" | TBA | TBA | October 28, 1969 |
| 8 | "To and From Russia with Love: Part 1" | TBA | Joseph Bonaduce & Ann Marcus | November 4, 1969 |
| 9 | "To and From Russia with Love: Part 2" | TBA | Joseph Bonaduce & Ann Marcus | November 11, 1969 |
| 10 | "You Bet Your Wife" | TBA | Joseph Bonaduce & Ann Marcus | November 25, 1969 |
| 11 | "The Swinging Singles" | TBA | TBA | December 2, 1969 |
| 12 | "Diamonds Are a Girl's Worst Friend" | TBA | TBA | December 9, 1969 |
| 13 | "Casanova's Kitten" | TBA | TBA | December 16, 1969 |
| 14 | "Guru-vy" | Ezra Stone | Joseph Bonaduce & Ann Marcus | December 23, 1969 |
| 15 | "You Shouldn't Be in Pictures" | TBA | Joseph Bonaduce & Ann Marcus | December 30, 1969 |
| 16 | "The Games (Married) People Play" | TBA | TBA | January 6, 1970 |
| 17 | "Hurry for Our Side" | TBA | TBA | January 13, 1970 |
| 18 | "Advice and Dissent" | TBA | TBA | January 20, 1970 |
| 19 | "Nothing but the Truth" | TBA | TBA | February 3, 1970 |
| 20 | "Mission Improbable" | TBA | TBA | February 10, 1970 |
| 21 | "How to Succeed in the Stock Market Without Really Trying" | TBA | TBA | February 24, 1970 |
| 22 | "Those Dangerous Years" | TBA | TBA | March 3, 1970 |
| 23 | "Debbie Gets Jim Fired" | TBA | TBA | March 10, 1970 |
| 24 | "Debbie's Return" | TBA | TBA | March 17, 1970 |
| 25 | "The Producer" | TBA | TBA | March 24, 1970 |
| 26 | "Where There's a Will, There's No Way" | TBA | TBA | April 14, 1970 |
In popular culture
Monty Python's Flying Circus spoofed the series in a sketch primarily written by John Cleese and Graham Chapman entitled "The Attila the Hun Show". It pokes fun at The Debbie Reynolds Show (the opening title sequence in particular, which the Pythons closely caricatured), as well as American comedy in general.
References
- TV Guide, January 31, 1970, "Debbie Said Yes", (p.18).
- Leszczak, Bob (2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide (p. 34). McFarland & Co.
- Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows