The Flying Nun

The primary reason this series was as immensely popular with young girls as it was, was the relationship between Carlos Ramirez and Sister Bertrille (the secret is out -- most of the little girls of my era desperately wanted Sister Bertrille to run off with Carlos ... and no matter how TPTB tried to dissuade them, that fact never wavered). The two actors had amazing chemistry, a fact which no doubt reflected their friendship which lasted through the years. Forget the ludicrous premise and the almost cut-and-paste plot lines, the show has a gentle, genuine sweetness about it that just doesn't show up on TV these days. It's not treacly at all, despite the cynicism thrown at it. It's far from the worst TV show in the history of the medium. And it's a joy to see the work of Alejandro Rey, who had far too short a life.

I grew up with this really cute series from the late 1960's, starring one of my favourite actresses, Sally Field. Back when I was a teenager, every girl's actress heroines were Sally Field, Patty Duke (The Patty Duke Show), and Hayley Mills (The Parent Trap and many other movies).

The series portrays the adventures of an airborne nun, Sister Bertrille, at the hilltop Convent San Tanco in Porto Rico. The fresh faced young sister is able to fly due to the combination of her light 90 pound weight, the elaborate, stiffly starched bird wing-like cornette of her habit, and catching whatever breeze chances to be blowing. She's a bubbly, free spirited young novice, whose unusual methods often bring her into conflict with the convent's more traditional & stern Reverend Mother. Other convent sisters also appear in the show, including her sidekick, Sister Jacqueline. The well intended Sister Bertrille endeavours to use her aviation skills to help people in trouble, but more often than not, instead gets HERSELF into trouble. She frequently runs into the charming casino playboy, Carlos Ramirez, disrupting his romantic activities with beautiful women. In fact, quite often Sister Bertrille requires Ramirez, who is the owner of a local disco and also a patron of the convent, to come to her rescue.

Sister Bertrille's adventures are many and varied. She has been mistaken for an enemy aircraft, had a pelican fall in love with her, inadvertently landed in the middle of a mobster's meeting, and ascended to the clouds to bring snow for a Norwegian nun's white Christmas. Occasionally she crash lands into a tree or whatever, but simply picks herself up and carries on.

True, nuns can't really fly so some complain that this program involves too unbelievable a premise. To them I would respond that the ideas behind other popular comedies of the 1960's aren't exactly realistic either, for example...Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Beverly Hillbillies, Gilligan's Island, and Hogan's Heroes, to name but a few.

Sally Field is cast in the whimsical role of Sister Bertrille and makes this series fly in more ways than one. This versatile and talented star of Gidget later went on to a brilliant movie career with Oscar winning dramatic roles in Norma Rae & Places of the Heart, also starring in countless others including one of my favourite romantic comedies, Murphy's Romance. Yes, we do indeed really like her, and any success achieved by this series is undoubtedly due to Sally Field's legendary charm and appeal.

This show is simply pure whimsical and heartwarming fun. Pity there aren't more mindless but wholesome TV programs like it these days.

I am a 1960's TV trivia buff and do appreciate shows like The Flying Nun. I sat up and watched it late at night on TV Land and enjoyed what most today would consider ludicrous; or was it? I'd like to think that inspite of its premise: a 90 lb nun, whose cornet on a windy day enabled her to fly, inspired the notion of today's hanggliding. Someone must have felt that flying on aerodynamics was in someway, somehow possible. Sister Bertrille makes it look real and appealing. An ancient songwriter once said,"Oh that I had the wings of a dove so that I could fly away and be at rest". This longing is literally portrayed in the acting of Sally Field. It gives me a sense of mental relaxation in an era when television has lost its innocency and decency. Alejandro Rey was par excellence in his portrayal of Carlos Romeros. He stands on an equal level with the stupendous acting of Desi Arnaz, Sr.. Both Hispanics were equally irritated at the sometimes crazy antics of American-born female co-stars. Both displayed this annoyance in such a realistic and believable manner it was easy for the audience to accept their ethnicity. It would be nice if shows like this were immortalized in Hollywood.

This series was cute and funny during its original run -- but I was a kid going to Catholic school and maybe I was biased. But watching it now on TVLand, it's amazing that it still works. I think it's very nicely photographed, the music is wonderful, and probably the main thing is, that while it doesn't present a realistic portrayal of most of Latin America, it really doesn't talk down to or stereotype the characters either. So what if they all speak such magnificent English????

"The Flying Nun" was developed by Screen Gems writer Bernard Slade ("Bewitched", "The Partridge Family") from a book by Tere Ríos titled "The Fifteenth Pelican". Following the cancellation of "Gidget", ABC rushed to get Sally Field into her second starring sitcom- a role she was reluctant to accept and grew to hate. Field later stated that she was not treated with respect by some of her directors, and at times more like a prop. The hour-long pilot was filmed on location in San Juan, Puerto Rico with shots used as the series' opening and closing. The series hit the ground running as an instant hit but ratings dropped throughout the first season. The producers tried to compensate by changing the comedic format to broad slapstick in the second season before returning in the third and final season to its sweet, heart over laughs, light nature. During its run, co-star Marge Redmond, who also narrates each episode, was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series.

Reflecting upon the series after recently watching each episode, "The Flying Nun" was a ludicrous sitcom in an era of ludicrous sitcoms. Unfortunately, it was nowhere as sophisticated as "Bewitched", as endearing as "I Dream of Jeannie", as affable as "Mister Ed", or even matching the entertaining level of "Gilligan's Island". "The Flying Nun" was a series continually searching for its identity, reformatted each season. It struggled to find the balance between heart and laughs, but the rare times it did was very enjoyable. Plot lines were often dry and predictable, and at times completely misguided and lacking execution. Episodes excelled when it combined an engaging plot, clever dialogue, the warmness of the convent's heartfelt work, and well-placed comedy. Some of the best were feel-good offerings and those focused on being touchingly dramatic, especially "Antonio's Mother".

I felt it was easy to see that Sally Field was struggling to get into her role as Sister Bertrille early in Season One. But when she did embrace it audiences were rewarded with the warm, good-natured personality they came to admire in her similar character of "Gidget". Sister Bertrille serves as a great role model for everyone, hopefully inspiring them to be a better, more caring person. She had nice chemistry with Alejandro Rey, helping make Carlos' exasperated character relatable. Madeleine Sherwood played her sage, straight-laced superior very well as a figure who adhered to policies but made every effort to do the right thing. Emmy-nominated Marge Redmond sets up situations nicely through narration and as a sounding board for Sister Bertrille. Shelley Morrison's Sister Sixto was the most dependable source of comedy with her mispronoucation of the English language giving whole new meaning to situations. Vito Scotti's Police Captain Fomento was the focus of Season Two's new slapstick approach, but it was often too forceful and strained.

"The Flying Nun" would have perhaps been better served as an uplifting dramatic series in the vein of "Touched by an Angel".