The Girl in My Life

I was a field producer on TGIML. The host, Fred Holliday was a sweetheart as was Tom Naud and Brad Lachman. Our production company was TN Productions and for the first year our offices were at the old General Services studios in Hollywood. Later we moved to Toluca Lake. The men were paid far more than the "girls" and only one woman was "allowed" to write for the show. I started as a researcher and then was bumped up to a field producer. I started at $110/week. The men were making $225/week. It was the 70s and the women's movement was near. I produced one story with Sally Struthers and when I told her agent the producers wanted her to wear a dress, the agent told me that wouldn't happen. I learned a lot from working on the show. The most important lesson? Details! I'm still producing (just not in broadcast) and I learned how to bring the elements together to tell a good story. Rest in peace Fred.

I was a guest on this TV show back in 1975. The show re-united me and my sisters after 17 years of separation. We 5 girls were placed in an orphanage in 1958 and left there by our father. My 2 youngest sisters were adopted (by the same family). We remaining 3 stayed in the orphanage until we were 18. We were in the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Children's Home in Knightstown, Indiana. In 1975, we were united on national television!! What a fantastic moment for 5 little orphans.

Unfortunately, we did not tape the show. If anyone out there would have a taping of this show, I will be most happy to hear from you.

Thanks. Mona

ABC-TV's "The Girl In My Life" was a schmaltzfest featuring Fred Holliday rewarding women nominated by viewers as worthy of receiving prizes and the national spotlight. This non-game show originally aired afternoons around during roughly the same period as games like the (then) new "You Don't Say", "The MoneyMaze" and "Rhyme and Reason".

Being a guy, I wasn't able to get into this lovefest but, for some reason, I can still hum the theme song.

If memory serves me, the show was a Carruthers Company production (the folks behind the 80's hit "Press Your Luck") and Tom Naud Productions (the folks behind the not-so-popular "Rhyme And Reason").

The premise of the show was a good one, to honor women and girls for doing something kind, generous or memorable. Of course, as always happens in the entertainment business, things are not always as they seem. Mostly it was a sincere attempt to give a woman a gift to make her happy in a dramatic situation. Sometimes the result of our cross between Queen for a Day and This is Your Life did not please the woman who had been secretly brought to the show to be surprised. And some of the gimmicks were just dreamed up by the writers to add interest to the show - fiancé who had proposed to his girlfriend by scoreboard at Dodger Stadium, etc. But sometimes wonderful things occurred, such as bringing together siblings who had not seen each other since they were toddlers, giving a woman her dream grand piano after she had given so much to a group of foster children, bringing a soldier back from Vietnam for a few days to see his dying mother, etc. It was great fun to work for this show and many women did benefit, even in the midst of a "game show" and attempt to be commercially successful.

I was also a contestant on this show when I was 9 years old. My guest silhouette was Danny Bonaduce dressed in a clown costume-----I had thrown a neighborhood carnival for my 9th birthday to raise money for muscular dystrophy, hence the reason for the clown suit and my appearance on the show. I didn't have any idea they were talking about me until Fred came and got me out of the audience to go onstage. I really don't remember much about it, but I was the talk at school when everyone found out I was kissed on the cheek by Danny Bonaduce......and I got to go to the soundstage for a day with the Partridge Family! I also would LOVE to show this to my kids. They would get a HUGE kick out of it. If anyone ever finds a copy of the show, please list here--although Wikipedia states that the footage appears to be "lost". Thanks! :-)