Bachelor Father

"Bachelor Father" just began running on Antenna TV and I haven't seen it in many years. The show holds up as an enjoyable riff on the traditional family sitcoms of the period. Along with "My Little Margie", it is the pioneer of the single-parent comedies that proliferated in the 1960s. John Forsythe, always an engaging actor plays smooth-talking Bentley Gregg, a handsome single Beverly Hills attorney whose life is turned upside down by his 13-year old niece, nicely played by Noreen Corcoran, who has lost her parents in an automobile accident. Sammee Tong, as Peter, the Gregg's houseboy, steals the show with his hilarious lines and perfect delivery. A parade of beautiful starlets passed through the series as Bentley's many girl friends. These included Barbara Eden, Mary Tyler Moore, Connie Hines, and most memorably in one episode, Forsythe's future "Dynasty" wife Linda Evans (billed by her real last name, Evanstad) as one of "Niece Kelly's" girlfriends who develops "A Crush On Bentley." It is good to see this series again and it is a reminder to younger viewers that there were some quality programs made "back in the day" besides "I Love Lucy" and "The Honeymooners", great as those are. Treat yourself to a relaxing half-hour of fun by watching "Bachelor Father."

I hadn't seen Bachelor Father on TV in probably 45 years until recently a local affiliate cable station started running it on weekdays in the late morning. It's enjoyable, rather amusing and very innocent. No bad language or sexual innuendo. Set in southern California, Bentley Greg (John Forsythe) is a wealthy attorney who resides in his Beverly Hills home with his orphaned niece, Kelly and houseboy, Peter. Most of the plots seem to revolve around seemingly trivial events, but that is more reflective of the 1950's and early 60's before the "sexual revolution" and wide spread drug use became common. Performances by the regular cast members are usually very satisfactory, although sometimes exaggerated to make a point. Episode plots are light-hearted if not particularly memorable, but I enjoy viewing a TV show first broadcast when I was in elementary school.

This was one of the best of the family-oriented sitcoms that premiered in the late 1950's and continued that streak until the early 1960's. And also the first ever sitcom that John Forsythe did for television and that would continued onward toward his astounding career. The series "Bachelor Father" was just that: a wholesome sitcom series that featured the easy natural charm of a young John Forysthe and the essential sweetness of his "getting into one situation after another,and managing to get herself into problems",teenage niece,caused this series to be a major hit and making John Forysthe a beloved fixture in America.

Produced by Everett Freeman and Harry Ackerman,"Bachelor Father" was one of those sitcoms that appeared on all three major television networks between 1957 and 1962. The series produced 157 episodes,all in classic black and white and was produced by Revue Studios/MCA-TV Universal Television. Actually the series premiered on CBS-TV from September 15,1957 until June of 1958,which lasted one season on the network. Then in June of 1958,the series moved from CBS over to NBC where it concluded its run on the network for three seasons ending in September of 1961. In September of 1961,the series moved from NBC over to ABC for its final season ending in 1962. The final episode of "Bachelor Father" ended on ABC on September 25,1962. Originally,the series itself ran for five seasons on all three major television networks.

This classic series,which is nowadays rarely seen or broadcast in repeats,had a premise that was similar(My Three Sons,The Courtship of Eddie's Father,Family Affair,and Nanny and the Professor)...a single individual and his niece whom he was raising were people you'd like to know-the very definition of gentility,charm,restraint-even Kelly whose problems and situations were never due to her own outrageousness,but simply her age. "Bachelor Father",however,followed the misadventures and situations of Bentley Gregg(John Forysthe),a wealthy bachelor attorney living in a exclusive penthouse complex in Beverly Hills. Gregg assumes the responsibility of raising his niece Kelly(Noreen Corcoran),after her parents were killed in an automobile accident. Other members of the Gregg household include the Chinese housekeeper and Bentley's personal assistant Peter Tong(Sammee Tong),the next door neighbor and Kelly's boyfriend,Howard Meechum(Jimmy Boyd)and the family dog,Jasper. Plots were centered on Bentley's adjustments to his new role as an adoptive parent,Bentley's search for the right woman to share his life,while Kelly deals with the usual problems of adolescence and young adulthood(and throughout the course of the series)and she goes from high school to college,and less often Peter's misadventures with some financial scheme or to make a play for attractive woman to be attached to Bentley.

Forsythe's well-dressed handsomeness,his distinguished voice,his movement and the affluence of his character gave this series an upper middle class reassurance that was unlike any other family oriented series of his day. However,the series ran five seasons in which the program never finished any of the seasons in the top 25 ratings. Had this series went into its sixth season for the 1962-63 season(which it never happened)plots would have undoubtedly extended to Kelly's impending marriage to Bentley's junior partner and seeing Kelly's graduation episode from college and her entrance into womanhood. The series ended prior to either the wedding or the college episode. After "Bachelor Father" ended in 1962, John Forysthe would return to another sitcom three years later with his own sitcom series "The John Forysthe Show"(NBC-TV:from September 13,1965 until March 1,1966),which was short-lived and another family oriented sitcom "To Rome With Love", produced by Don Fedderson(of My Three Sons and Family Affair)for CBS which lasted two seasons from 1969 until 1971.

This program was a forerunner (one of them) of today's benign, bland TV show. Corny but cute, BF offers us a chance to look in on what used to be a very common plot theme (parents dead, kids live with relative) of the early TV era. BF was the first, from my limited research, to exploit the theme and engage it as a series. As noted similar programs followed and then dropped off by the early 70's. BF deals with its premise, after the initial couple of episodes, by never mentioning why Kelly is living with Bentley again.

BF is fun to watch. It is so of it's era, the direct opposite of Seinfeld which downplayed the present tense (in order to increase its syndication value), that you almost expect to catch 'Wagon Train' or 'The Ann Sothern Show' when its over. It's really nothing special. That is its charm.

Each episode's theme seems to be based on Bentley chasing ladies and its 'unintended consequences' or Kelly's awkward ritual of passage through her teens. All are done with a classy ease that makes one wish life really was so certain and clear. Bentley's 'dates' are all beauties of the era, all seem to fall into his lap, and all are a bit leery of his reputation. None break him down enough to actually merit more than dating. Kelly runs the usual gauntlet of teen angst and manages to deal with all as expected. She boarders on being super bright, average, bossy, selfish, cute, hip, sexy, dumb, boy crazy (often), jealous, etc.

BF in season 5 follows Kelly into college and possibly getting married. But, having run out of networks in the spring of 1962, BF is doomed to TV black space. It leaves us hanging without knowing what becomes of Kelly, Bentley or Peter. If anything, BF kept a 50's version of TV life in a time capsule, at least to 1962.

The final season (1961-1962) is all over the place. Howard returns for several (9) episodes, I think as Kelly's boyfriend. He then disappears later in the season, replaced by (love interest) Warren Kincaid (a lawyer working for Bentley). Four episodes in he also vaporizes. Kelly is a college freshman in season 5. Howard and Ginger are as well and attend the same school. Never having a formal finale, in the last episode 'Curfew Shall Not Ring' Kelly moves near campus but soon returns home. And, with yet another boyfriend: a low-budget character who eats a lot of cake. By my count she has at least 5 boyfriends in season 5.

Given the confusing final season, it's hard to guess which direction season 6 would have gone. Probably with Kelly in college, Bentley slipping back into his 'bachelor' ways and Peter remaining Peter.

Howard was dropped late in season 5. An important character he provided continuity, laughs and male teen 'insight' for Kelly, and Bentley. His relationship with Kelly was fun yet confusing. Was he her boyfriend or not? Ginger in season 5 is portrayed as a 'typical' teen girl and Kelly's close friend and confidant. Yet, oddly, appears in only 5 episodes. This is hard to understand. BF had continuity issues. Howard and Ginger were not developed much, if at all. 'Bentley' breaks down the 4th wall in a few episodes and provides narration in most throughout the series run. Given that, it's clear, the program is from his own POV.

Kelly glides through the series with limited character development. Bentley is a superficial male of that era. Only Peter shows any real change. Guest roles were weak, usually centered on Bentley. It had light, frothy plots, none serious. They also show no unique qualities, some were imitative of others, including rip-offs of 'I Love Lucy' (travel to Europe, Bentley on vacation (season 6, ILL, 'Building a BBQ')). BF would have benefited from better writing. The characters did have room for growth.

'Bentley' went on to star in 4 shows and as the pervert judge in 'And Justice For All'. He continued acting and voice work until a few years ago (he died in 2010 at 93). Peter, portrayed by Asian prototypical actor Sammie Tong, was lined up for a new show in 1963 in much the same type role. The show failed. A 'degenerate gambler', deep in debt and in trouble with the mob (even with real life help from Forsthye) Tong committed suicide in 1964, some claim, in order to avoid shame. Kelly (Noreen Corcoran) went on to sing, appear in TV guest roles and 60's beach movies (including a popular effort which featured Lesley Gore). Never really catching on she left the trade in 1969 to focus on dancing or production. Corcoran died in January 2016 at 71. She never married and had lived in San Francisco, California.

Bachelor Father aired for a few years on Retro TV (RTV). It was picked up by Antenna TV in September, 2012 and aired there on T-F from 4-5a EST and at 2-3a on Sundays. It was dropped at the end of 2014. According to sources the cable channel decided not to renew it after negotiations with the rights owners failed to reach agreement on long-term plans to broadcast the show. After decades of not being on broadcast television at all it has once again returned to TV black space. It also is not out in DVD.

John Forsythe was in our title role as Bentley Gregg well known entertainment lawyer in Hollywood. He's quite the ladies' man and has no intentions of getting married. You get family responsibility with that.

But family responsibility comes his way when his orphaned niece Noreen Corcoran comes to live with him. This is a new world for Forsythe, but the show is essentially Forsythe coping with new situations that he never thought he would.

Completing the household is Sammee Tong as Forsythe's valet, cook, and general factotum. His is a truly tragic Hollywood story as he committed suicide two years after Bachelor Father completed its run.

Can't prove it, but I think John Forsythe's character was based on entertainment attorney and man about town Greg Bautzer. Bautzer made a lot of the gossip columns of the day escorting some of Hollywood's best known female stars. Forsythe's character is a kinder gentler version of Bautzer.

This was a nice show and again a situation where Forsythe most definitely on the B list of big screen star opted for television as many of his contemporaries did. Bachelor Father was a good career move.