Paul Simms, a quiet, respectable attorney living with his wife and two daughters has his life turned upside down when his eldest daughter's new husband, Howie, takes up residence in the ... See full summary »
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Paul Simms, a quiet, respectable attorney living with his wife and two daughters has his life turned upside down when his eldest daughter's new husband, Howie, takes up residence in the Simms' household which drives Paul to distraction. Written by
Anonymous
Elizabeth Allen visited Washington, D.C., during a tour to promote the series. When told that the local ABC affiliate, WMAL-TV Channel 7 (now WJLA-TV), aired the series on weekend afternoons rather than in its scheduled prime time slot, she exclaimed rhetorically "How do they expect us to get good ratings?!" See more »
Quotes
Sally Simms:
Dad, how's the rat race?
Paul Simms:
The rats are winning.
See more »
I have only seen the premiere episode of THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW. Perhaps there were better episodes. If the premiere episode is any indication, however, it seems that Lynde's talents were misused.
Lynde had successfully played an uptight father griping about the younger generation in the Broadway and Hollywood versions of BYE BYE BIRDIE, so it's easy to understand why producer William Asher believed Lynde would triumph in this role on television. But his manic persona which was appropriate for the larger than life stage and film mediums comes off too strong in the intimate television medium. Another liability is Lynde's lack of chemistry with the other actors who play his wife and children. He acts in a campy farcical manner while they act in a restrained realistic style. Lynde never connects with them as a husband or father, merely treating them as straight people. If this was always the case on every episode, it's no wonder THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW only lasted one year.
The most successful televison sitcom fathers have down-to-earth Everyman qualities. Think of Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker, Tom Bosley's Howard Cunningham and even Ed O'Neill's Al Bundy. Paul Lynde became famous because he was memorably fey and iconoclastic. He could never credibly head a typical sitcom family.
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I have only seen the premiere episode of THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW. Perhaps there were better episodes. If the premiere episode is any indication, however, it seems that Lynde's talents were misused.
Lynde had successfully played an uptight father griping about the younger generation in the Broadway and Hollywood versions of BYE BYE BIRDIE, so it's easy to understand why producer William Asher believed Lynde would triumph in this role on television. But his manic persona which was appropriate for the larger than life stage and film mediums comes off too strong in the intimate television medium. Another liability is Lynde's lack of chemistry with the other actors who play his wife and children. He acts in a campy farcical manner while they act in a restrained realistic style. Lynde never connects with them as a husband or father, merely treating them as straight people. If this was always the case on every episode, it's no wonder THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW only lasted one year.
The most successful televison sitcom fathers have down-to-earth Everyman qualities. Think of Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker, Tom Bosley's Howard Cunningham and even Ed O'Neill's Al Bundy. Paul Lynde became famous because he was memorably fey and iconoclastic. He could never credibly head a typical sitcom family.