Meine drei Söhne

I never thought that Fred MacMurray would ever get a biography written about him simply because of the subject. The man was apparently as normal as he seemed. No scandals of any kind, no movie or television star temperament, no salacious gossip of any kind. Still a good biography was written about him in the past couple of years.

When MacMurray was offered My Three Sons his film career had rejuvenated due to Walt Disney's, The Shaggy Dog. Quite frankly MacMurray wanted to have it all, but there are only 365 days a year. Producer Don Fedderson to get his participation in the show agreed to a system whereby all of his scenes in all of the show's episodes were shot first, taking about 2 months. Then everyone else's scenes were shot and the episodes edited together. It allowed Fred time for his outside work, mostly with Walt Disney.

This was a firm and fast rule, even guest stars who didn't get around to their commitments on a show, found themselves saying their dialog to furniture as the episodes were put together. If they could be called back, they were, otherwise it was playing to the scenery.

What I find amazing is that people actually put up with this, but there's no denying the success of the results. My Three Sons had a twelve year run on the show, all of the original sons got married and started families. One son, Tim Considine quite halfway through the run like Adam Cartwright, still the show kept going as MacMurray adopted Barry Livingston to keep the trio with Don Grady and Barry's older brother Stanley Livingston.

Females gradually entered the all male household with the marriages of Considine to Meredith MacRae, Grady to Tina Cole, and Livingston to Ronne Troup. And the big finish was in those final couple of seasons as widower MacMurray married Beverly Garland and became a stepfather of girls for the first time with Dawn Lyn.

Before the females invaded the household chores and the raising of the boys was assisted by William Frawley and later William Demarest. Both had done films with MacMurray back in the old days. Frawley's health so declined the producer's could not get him insured any longer. He was not a happy camper when he was let go.

When My Three Sons completed its run, gentle family comedies like this were going way out of style. Shows like All In The Family which had a more pessimistic view of the human condition were the vogue when the Seventies were ushered in. Still the show provides some fond memories for me and it had the weirdest shooting schedule allowing it's star to have it all.

"My Three Sons" remains one of the most popular television series ever. Of course it has its detractors as any show does, but its historical value lies in its simplicity and naivete. A hybrid of the era the would be labeled the 'dom-com' or domestic situation comedy, "My Three Sons" is notable for its star-friendly shooting schedule, and the composition of the nuclear family, with a motherless family being brought up by the widowed father and housekeeper grandfather, something that was relatively new to television in 1960. In its early years the cast changes were minimal but as the show progressed and additional characters were added, most viewers had no problem keeping up with the Douglases. In reruns the show has found a whole new generation of audience, even if they seem more sophisticated now than what we were at a younger age. The fact remains that the series is still popular and with a huge catalogue of episodes in it's inventory, the reruns will probably continue for ever as long as television stations need programming.

By today's standards it appears wholesome, tame and perhaps slightly dated, but it's a slice of life that all of us can appreciate and learn from. "My Three Sons" is more than just another run of the mill television show from the 1960s - it is an enduring piece of sitcom entertainment that still entertains today some forty plus years after its premiere. The comfortably numb nostalgia that the show evokes is only part of the viewing pleasure. There really is great work here so take a step back in time to the good old days when there were no tv dinners... and watch a much loved part of television history.

A TV Classic in the golden age of early 60's sitcoms that became creator-executive producer Don Fedderson's most successful show that became second only to "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" as the longest-running sitcom series in television history spanning 12 seasons and 380 episodes airing from September 29,1960 until April 13,1972 with repeated episodes airing from April 20,1972 until August 24,1972. The series first aired on ABC's Thursday night prime time schedule producing 153 black and white episodes from September 29, 1960 until May 20,1965. Then after it was canceled by ABC in 1965 the series was picked up by CBS for the next seven seasons in color for 227 episodes from September 16,1965 until April 13,1972. CBS also aired various episodes in repeats for it's daytime line-up for one season in September,1971 that featured various seasons in color. "My Three Sons" won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series in 1962 and was nominated for three Prime Time Emmys in 1961,1968 and 1969. The show's sponsors throughout it's run where during the earlier years The Chevrolet Motor Division where you saw Chevrolet products featured in various episodes and during the closing credits. Other sponsors were General Motors Division, The Quaker Oats Company, Ralston-Purina, and in it's final season the sponsor was The Ford Motor Company(Lincoln-Mercury Division).

Of all the cast members that were associated with the show only actors Fred MacMurray(Steve Douglas),and Stanley Livingston(Chip Douglas) remained throughout it's entire run. William Frawley(Bub O'Casey) appeared in 165 episodes; William Demarest(Charley O'Casey) appeared in 215 episodes. Tim Considine(Mike Douglas)appeared in 185 episodes; Don Grady(Robbie Douglas)appeared in 357 episodes;Barry Livingston,the brother of Stanley Livingston(Ernie Thompson-Douglas)appeared in 206 episodes; Tina Cole(Katie Miller Douglas)appeared in 134 episodes;Beverly Garland(Barbara Harper Douglas)appeared in 74 episodes; Dawn Lyn(Dodie Harper Douglas)appeared in 73 episodes;Ronne Troup(Polly Williams Douglas)appeared in 36 episodes. Tramp the Douglas' family dog was in all 380 episodes of the series throughout it's run.

The series revolves around Steve Douglas(Fred MacMurray)who was a widower and aeronautical engineer with three sons that consisted of the oldest(Mike),the middle-child(Robbie),and the youngest child(Chip)and their maternal grandfather(Bub O'Casey)who was the housekeeper and the family dog in their suburban household in fictional Bryant Park. Then numerous changes began to take when the series went from ABC to CBS. The first color telecast saw the marriage of the oldest son Mike to his college sweetheart Sally. And by the show's eighth season on CBS(when the show moved from Thursday nights to Saturday nights)saw the family's adoption of Ernie and also midway through the season saw Robbie's marriage to his college sweetheart Katie. That same season also saw the family moving from Bryant Park to North Hollywood where Steve has been offer a new position at his place of employment. Season 9 saw the birth of Robbie's wife Katie with three sons. Season 10 sees Steve Douglas walked down the aisle of martial bliss when he marries Barbara Harper and also brings along her daughter Dodie from a previous marriage. And during the show's 12th and final season(when CBS moved the series from Saturday nights to Monday nights in a later time slot opposite ABC's Monday Night Football)saw the youngest Chip also marrying his high school sweetheart Polly Williams.

When "My Three Sons" ended it's astounding run in 1972 after 12 seasons and 380 episodes it marked the end of an era in family situation comedy series where it was taken over during the 1970's with the landscape of prime time television changing it's programming to urban dramas and gritter police shows. The show that replaced "My Three Sons" on CBS in the fall of 1972 was "The Bill Cosby Comedy Hour"

I have read various postings of the My Three Sons subject, and sincerely hope that they NEVER make a "new" version of it ! I only wish they would syndicate the black and white episodes, as they were the best ! Yeah,I miss the early California sitcoms with a message,, and would opt to view them rather than watch Will and Grace any day ! Naturally Bill Frawley was great as Bub, but you do get to see him tire through that last year or two episodes....Will Demerest as Uncle Charlie was precious though !,, I'm so sorry that through the last few years,, that the show scummed to the changing times, and the boys went "hip", and the issues got more messagey....Yup, the early years were the best, and there ain't no replacing' it !!!

Because of its many changes over the years, My Three Sons seemed almost like two different shows. Both were very good, but I prefer the earlier episodes, the black & white ones. They had a certain charm to them that was missing in later years. Robby somehow never seemed to fit the eldest brother role the way Mike did. That, and the move from Bryant Park, Michigan out to Los Angeles took away the small town feel that the earlier episodes had. Then came the arrival of women into the family, and that changed everything.

For the first five seasons, 1960-61 to 1964-65, the show was aired on ABC and filmed in black & white. For the last seven seasons, 1965-66 to 1971-72, it was aired on CBS and filmed in color. For the first 4.5 seasons, the boys "nanny" was their grandfather Bub, for the last 7.5 seasons it was their great uncle Charlie. For the first 5 seasons, the sons were Mike, Robby, and Chip, for the last 7 seasons the sons were Robby, Chip, and Ernie.

William Frawley left the show halfway through the 1964-65 due to ill health (he died in 1966). In the story line, Bub went over to Ireland to visit relatives and decided to stay there. Shortly after his departure, his brother Charlie arrived for a visit, and ended-up staying for the rest of the shows run. After the end of that season, Bub was never referred to again. In the first episode of the 1965-66 season, Mike married his girlfriend Sally and moved to another town to take a job. This marked Tim Considine's departure from the series. To re-establish the "three sons" storyline, Steve Douglas adopted Chip's friend Ernie, who had recently become an orphan. Mike was never seen again (not even when Steve married Barbara) and was only sporadically referred to thereafter.

More bits of trivia:

Before being cast as Katie, Tina Cole had appeared several years earlier(in the black & white days) as Ina, one of Robbys friends.

Stanley Livingston and Barry Livingston are brothers.

Before being adopted by the Douglases, Ernies last name was Thompson. Years later, Chip married Polly Thompson, no relation to Ernie.

When Robby and Katie had kids, it was triplets. They were all boys, thus keeping with the "three sons" theme.

Originally, the show was going to be called "The Fred MacMurray Show", but MacMurray objected to that, so the title was changed.

In its early years, My Three Sons was sponsored by Chevrolet, thus Chevy cars were seen behind the closing credits.

There are two syndication packages for My Three Sons. One package consists of the first five seasons (the black & white ones) and the final season. The other package contains the other six seasons. Why it is done this way I don't know, it doesn't make sense to me. I would think they would just have the B&W episodes as one package and the color episodes as the other.