"Father Knows Best" (1954) TV series 1954-1960

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | unknown

Release Date:

3 October 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

The popular radio show comes to life in this hit sitcom about a wise family man, Jim Anderson, his common-sense wife Margaret and their children Betty...

Plot Keywords:

Teenage Girl | Sibling Rivalry | Mother Son Relationship | Teenage Boy | Fictional City

Awards:

Won 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 14 nominations

Cast

Robert Young	...	James 'Jim' Anderson (117 episodes, 1954-1960)
Jane Wyatt	...	Margaret Anderson (116 episodes, 1954-1960)
Billy Gray	...	James 'Bud' Anderson Jr. / ... (104 episodes, 1954-1960)
Elinor Donahue	...	Betty 'Princess' Anderson / ... (103 episodes, 1954-1960)
Lauren Chapin	...	Kathy 'Kitten' Anderson / ... (103 episodes, 1954-1960)

Also Known As:

I Told You So (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

30 min | USA:30 min (203 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Recording) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | New Zealand:G

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

Series star Lauren Chapin, who played the youngest daughter Kathy said she found out the show was canceled for good when she reported to work and the guard would not let her into the studio.

Quotes:

Kathy: Aww! Turn Blue.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: O.J. Simpson/Ashford & Simpson (#3.12)" (1978)

Soundtrack:

Waiting

The 1950s were a simpler time, and this father always knew best.

I wasn't quite 9 years old when "Father Knows Best" made its move to TV, so I didn't get to see any of the first episodes because we didn't get our first TV until a year later. But I vividly remember watching many episodes over its 10-year run. Robert Young as James 'Jim' Anderson, Sr. was written as the almost "perfect" father, and Jane Wyatt as Margaret Anderson was written as the almost "perfect" mother. More than anything else, thinking back, this was a series written as a model for what was generally considered the correct way for a family to live and interact back in the 1950s. Some viewers today might scoff at that notion, but coming just a few years after the big war, and running during much of the "cold war", as a youngster it was reassuring to see peace and harmony. We didn't have the big national news networks back then reporting everything that was bad, in gory detail, and today I see that as a blessing. Elinor Donahue as Betty Anderson, Billy Gray as 'Bud' Anderson, Jr., and Lauren Chapin as 'Kitten' Anderson completed the family. It is always fun to occasionally catch an old episode or two. While TV technical production values have improved, the 'messages' of the shows have not.