The Courtship of Eddie's Father

I first saw this back on WWOR in 1994. From the first episode, I was hooked. It was loosely based on the 60's film starring Glenn Ford and Ron Howard, where widowed father Tom Corbett raises his son the best he can in New York City. In the meantime, Eddie stars finding new love interests for his father. A few years later, this show popped up.

There were a few changes to the show. In the show, Tom is now a magazine editor for a newspaper in California. He and Eddie are best friends, like the song says. I liked the character of Tom. He never talked down to Eddie and always knew how to balance the best friend/father trick. That is what makes him one of TV's greatest dads.

Eddie could always count on the other people in his life too like "Uncle" Norman (Tom's co-worker), Tina (Tom's secretary) and Mrs. Livingston (their maid). It was sort of a neat, extended family. In real life, people would be lucky to have that. I also liked how the series slowly turned away from the original plot of the film of Eddie finding his father a wife. It became about a father and son who are crazy about each other.

I think what slowly destroyed the show was the plots started focusing around Norman, rather than Tom and Eddie. The stories ranged from Uncle Norman trying to lose five pounds over the weekend to Uncle Norman's love affairs. I know Bill Bixby was peeved at that but James Komack (Uncle Norman) was the producer, so there wasn't much that could be done.

Still, it was a fun show (even if there were a few annoying things to it like the music and the laugh track), but still a heartwarming show.

Pat

This show really worked in large part to the way the late great actor Bill Bixby handled the part with such realistic care and ease. This gave the show the right texture and feeling and was a nice platform for the young Brandon Cruz to work from. The show also worked because of the unique combination of the talents of the whole cast including the great Miyoshi Umeki and of sensitive and intelligent script writing. Like many others, I would like to see these episodes repeated again on one of the classic TV networks.

This show was one of the best on television at the time. It was masterfully done. The demonstration of a father's love for his son made this one of the warmest programs on television. Bill Bixby was the perfect person for the role he played. I can't imagine any other actor who could have done as well. Bill Bixby was made for this role. And the chemistry between Mr. Bixby and Brandon Cruz was heartwarming and very real. Their on screen relationship was such a wonderful role model for all who were fortunate to watch this wonderful television series.

And I totally agree with other writers who believe that this show should return to the small screen so that a whole new generation of families could watch it. I am sure that millions of people learned a lot about how a relationship between a father, or a parent, should be. The extraordinary performance by Bill Bixby is responsible for the realism in this fine show.

Based on the 1963 movie of the same title which starred Glenn Ford, Shirley Jones and Ronny Howard,"The Courtship Of Eddie's Father" was a smash hit and it remained that way throughout the three seasons that it ran on ABC-TV from the premiere episode in 1969,to the final episode of the series which ended in mid-1972. Only 78 episodes were produced of this series. This show came out during the "bubblegum" explosion of family friendly shows that premiered during the late-1960's all the way throughout the early-1970's. But out of all of them,this show was totally different from the rest of the pack. Out of all the TV-father figures that were around that wish that Mike Brady(The Brady Bunch),Steve Douglas(My Three Sons),or for that manner Ozzie Nelson(Ozzie and Harriet),Ward Clever(Leave It To Beaver),or to an extent other dads like Ben Cartwright(Bonanza),or Alex Stone(The Donna Reed Show),and to come close Andy Taylor(The Andy Griffith Show),and Rob Petrie(The Dick Van Dyke Show),and Lucas McCain(The Rifleman)were there dad,there wasn't a father figure out there that was sentimental to the core like Tom Corbett and to me he was the best father out there,right up there with Hugh Beaumont(Leave It To Beaver),Andy Griffith(The Andy Griffith Show),Fred MacMurray(My Three Sons),and to an lesser extent Lorne Greene(Bonanza),Chuck Conners(The Rifleman),and Brian Kelly(Flipper). And in the same category Carl Betz(The Donna Reed Show),and Dick Van Dyke(The Dick Van Dyke Show),and also Robert Reed(The Brady Bunch).

Not only was Tom Corbett attractive and funny but he always took time out to talk and spend quality time with his son and basically explained to him the birds and the bees of life and also trying to understand what is going on inside his world so he can grasp the details and established a bond between father and son. He was the type of father,even though he had business to attend toward whether business or personal,was always taking time out of his busy schedule and between the relationship between father and son would never dismiss any idea his son wanted to share with him and from there showed a great deal of respect and trust as well as understanding his "best friend". In other words no manner what situation may occur within the household,he never talked down or for that manner disrespect his son for whatever reason. There was a chemistry that worked well since Tom Corbett knew how to balance the father/son trick so well and it was perfectly brilliant. No other actor in the history of television could pull this off better than Bill Bixby. From all the characters he ever portrayed on television ranging from shows like "My Favorite Martian","The Magician",and to an extent "The Incredible Hulk",Bixby had a style to this role that will forever be remembered. He handled the part of Tom Corbett with such realistic care and ease and it shows in the nominations that this show received especially in the Golden Globes and Emmy departments for the sensitive and intelligent thought-provoking writing and acting it received during its three seasons in which it ran on ABC. It also gave an unknown actor Brandon Cruz as Tom Corbett's son Eddie a feeling of texture and ease into the role and from there Brandon Cruz became a huge sensation because of this series. I wonder where is Brandon Cruz doing now?

About the show:There are difference in scenery. In the 1963 theatrical version,for this show was loosely based from the original screenplay by Peggy Chantler Dick--Glenn Ford(Tom Corbett),and Ronny Howard(Eddie Corbett)are father and son living in New York City. Tom is a widowed father who does the best he can to raise his son. In the meantime,Eddie starts finding a love interest for his father(Shirley Jones). In the television version there would be some major changes. Tom is a magazine editor for a metropolitan newspaper in California. He and Eddie could always count on the other people in his life as well like Tom's co-worker Norman(James Komack),Tina-Tom's secretary(Kristina Holland),and lets not forget the housekeeper Mrs. Livingston(Miyoshi Umeki),and many others that would comes into the lives of Tom Corbett and his son Eddie Corbett. The series veered away from the original plot of the movie and basically focused on bond between the father and the son. During the show's final season,you can tell that it lost that touch and begin ranging from other problems,and I guess that what killed it. However,James Komack served as executive producer and producer of this series and it gave Bill Bixby the opportunity to produced,write and direct several episodes. However,this show was out of commission for years,and the last it was shown was on the CBN Network back in the 1980's. Nowadays it is shown every Sunday evening on the Good Life TV Network,where they showcased classic entertainment.

Such a sweet show and a staple of my early 80's tv diet. Ahead of its time in so many ways and to this day the theme song runs through my mind when I am happy!