Down to Earth

Rather than rehash the lyrics again, words that stuck with me into adulthood, I figure it's worth mentioning that the audio is available to download at www.sitcomsonline.com under the "D" section (I uploaded several different versions of the opening credits in mpg that may be on that site by the time you read this). A few episodes actually exist amongst TV tape-traders, so if you're inclined to track them down, try the message boards on sitcomsonline.

As the theme song states, Ethel McDoogan was "struck down by a trolley (golly)" and died in 1925. After spending more than 50 years waiting to earn her angelic wings, she's sent "down to earth" to help out the Preston family deal with problems of life in the '80s. Youngest son Jay Jay knew she was dead (she was "the answer to his prayers") and she would often use her magical powers to help the family whenever a situation arose. Rip Taylor popped in during the later years as Ethel's boss angel. Like many sitcoms of the '80s, the show was cute, squeaky-clean, and family oriented – perhaps that's the reason it hasn't been shown much in the past 15 years -- though it DID air briefly on the Goodlife-TV Network, but it was abruptly yanked when it was pointed out that the actors weren't getting their residual payments (according to David Kaufman on his message board)....

It's so nice to know that there are other sickos like me that remember this show – and apparently everyone that saw it when they were young carry fond memories of this cute-com. Honestly, what other show ever boasted obnoxious queen Rip Taylor as an angel! Also, this was the second time that Dick Sargent only played a character for half of the series' run (he replaced Stephen Johnson). Lovely Kyle Richards (Halloween, Watcher in the Woods, The Car) seemed to have a promising career until this show went off and she abruptly disappeared from film – it's only been recently that she showed up again in a recurring role on ER. And then there's poor David Kaufman , a hard-working guy who's appeared in TONS of commercials and TV/film roles since the show went off. Every time I see him (which has been often over the years), it always brings back memories of this show. The show was cute, campy, and sorely missed...

I very much remember "Down To Earth" as I acted in one of the episodes. I believe it was entitled "The Burro" and it is where young J.J. (or Jay Jay) ordered a donkey via mail order. I played the "delivery person" who brought the donkey to their door.

Not to ring my own bell, but what may be of interest to trivia fans is that I,Peter Ackemran, am the son of late TV Producer Harry Ackerman, who, among his many accomplishments was the Executive Producer of a TV show called "Bewitched" - which also starred Dick Sergent! The day I worked on the show was a wonderful opportunity for Dick and I to reconnect since the time I visited the set of his former show as a young boy.

I reminisce about "Down to Earth" because I see "Ethel" frequently in TV commercials. I also was about 7 or 8 when the show aired. In response to the other comments, I don't remember "Rocky Road", but I do remember "Small Wonder" and another sitcom called "Check It Out!" starring Don Adams in which all the story lines took place in a supermarket (I think Don Adams was the manager of the supermarket). Does anyone else remember that show? I loved "Down to Earth" and I never missed it. I have a memory of going out to eat with my parents to a barbecue joint that had small televisions on each table, and for a quarter or two you could watch TV while you ate. We happened to be there at the time "Down to Earth" was coming on, and I begged and pleaded and threw a fit because I wanted to watch "Down to Earth" and of course my mom and dad said "I don't think so, you can live without TV for 30 minutes" and that was just one more strike against my dad because I wanted to be just like Lissy Preston--her clothes, her hair, her rebel attitude--and my dad said that she looked like Boy George. I will never forget that.

I also fondly remember watching this show as a child. I used to watch it every day at 4:30 on TBS after school while everyone else was watching ABC afterschool specials. I remember the opening sequence was in the style of an old 1920's newsreel with the theme song being a little like a swing song and saying something about Valentino. It's horrible that this show is not too familiar, because with Hollywood remaking the Dukes of Hazzard, The Addams Family and other old TV shows, this would seem like the perfect premise for a Hollywood remake. There was another show that used to show after it that I can only remember had Louis Arquette as a dirty old man. Maybe someday, TV will come back to what it used to be, instead of reality shows.

I saw this show a few times in the 1980s when it was new. First I heard the theme song as I was going to sleep. About the next day I watched the show (I had to stay up to do that, and it it was because of the theme song!) I saw an episode where Ethel tutored the older son in Algebra and I was most impressed by the honesty of that story. I also enjoyed seeing Dick Sargent again because I remember the "Darrin Switch" on "Bewitched" when it originally happened and I have admired him in other roles. This brief show should be produced on DVD just so we can examine it fully. I had to figure out after only one or two episodes that apparently the living people did not know that Ethel was an angel.

See This Show, John Martin, 44