IMDb > "The Smith Family" (1971)

"The Smith Family" (1971) More at IMDbPro »TV series 1971-1972


Overview

User Rating:
7.7/10   13 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 21% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Contact:
View company contact information for The Smith Family on IMDbPro.
Seasons:
Release Date:
20 January 1971 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
Primrose Lane, life's a holiday on Primrose Lane
Plot:
Chad Smith is the protagonist in this light-hearted, family-oriented show about a police detective, his wife and their three children. more
User Comments:
An excellent effort doomed by seeming aimlessness more (4 total)

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 6 of 14)

Henry Fonda ... Det. Sgt. Chad Smith (39 episodes, 1971-1972)
Janet Blair ... Betty Smith (39 episodes, 1971-1972)
Darleen Carr ... Cindy Smith (39 episodes, 1971-1972)
John Carter ... Sgt. Ray Martin (39 episodes, 1971-1972)

Ron Howard ... Bob Smith (39 episodes, 1971-1972)
Michael-James Wixted ... Brian Smith (39 episodes, 1971-1972)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
30 min (39 episodes)
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.33 : 1 more
Sound Mix:

Fun Stuff

Soundtrack:
Primrose Lane more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
11 out of 11 people found the following comment useful.
An excellent effort doomed by seeming aimlessness, 2 February 2004
Author: Paul Dana (bigpurplebear@msn.com) from Paul Dana

Pointing the finger at "aimlessness" as the culprit for this excellent show's early demise is, in a sense, as misleading as describing "The Smith Family" as "lighthearted." Neither term is fully adequate when discussing this series. It's more accurate to say that this is a show that deserved an audience, yet failed to find one. Quite likely, such an audience simply didn't exist; sadly, I doubt even more that one would readily materialize today.

Picture "Dragnet's" Joe Friday as a family man, happily married and determined to keep his job and his homelife separate. There you have the challenge faced by Henry Fonda's Detective Sgt. Chad Smith, and the focal point around which each episode revolved. His determination to safeguard his family's normality is illustrated by their picket fence-enclosed house on Primrose Lane (an image further reinforced by the use of Jerry Wallace's hit "Primrose Lane" as the show's theme song, sung by Mike Minor with special lyrics). Unfortunately, this normality too often translated in the series as "mundane," partially due to excellent performances by a standout cast (which included a post-Opie Ron Howard as teenage son Bob), all of whom never stepped out of character.

The show did have some solid moments to it, including the episode in which a mild-mannered middle-aged gentleman inveigles his way into the Smith household as "an old friend of Chet's" shortly before Chet is due home. The suspense builds, as we're aware that this charming, innocuous individual is actually quite mad, and determined to kill Sgt. Smith for having sent him to prison several years earlier. How Chet manages to save himself and, afterward, keep his family from learning the truth (Chet: "He had an appointment and couldn't stay for supper." Betty: "Oh, what a shame.") is handled without an excess of drama or violence, highly realistically, and delivers a superb payoff. Again unfortunately, however, such quiet heroism is rarely the fare of network TV success.

Had the show delivered a touch either of the "bells and whistles and sirens" of most contemporary police dramas, or else the alcoholism and stress-related angst which several Wambaugh-inspired series would soon introduce into cops' off-duty lives, "The Smith Family" might have stuck around significantly longer. Unfortunately, Chet Smith was simply a decent man fighting the good fight, both on the job and at home; the series' doom came as a result of his winning both fights so handily.

What a shame!

Was the above comment useful to you?
more (4 total)

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for "The Smith Family" (1971)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
DVD or Video? katefan2
THE SMITH FAMILY 'Father's Day' Shangrelahladie
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Woodsman "Inspector Morse" The Naked Kiss Clean, Shaven Danika
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Episode guide Full cast and crew Company credits
IMDb TV section IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.

You may add a new episode for this TV series by clicking the 'add episode' button