1.13.: The Elopment

A very interesting episode.

Here's the plot: Is Mike going to elope with his girlfriend, Jean? They've gone down to the courthouse...there's a wedding license application in Jean's room...Oh boy...

There's a second plotline: Robbie told his teacher that he collected clocks. Now, he has to bring 12 of these clocks to a Ladies Club thing by 4PM. But...he doesn't have any clocks!

So, we have these two plots weaving around one another and occasionally meeting up. The Mike plotline is rather serious. Bub overhears some things. Connections are made. Then, Steve, Bub and Jean's dad drive to the courthouse to stop the marriage. Although it has its absurd moments, their attempts to stop it are presented with a certain urgency. Steve and the Other Dad wind up in the marriage license line getting heckled by couples who seem to treat marriage as "something to do on a Saturday". It's slightly amusing but we don't want Mike and Jean getting married so it's more harrowing than anything.

We want the Dads and Bub to stop the elopement but they keep getting held up. In the end, when the kids have taken care of business, the dads sit in the car discussing (in a parallel fashion) how to help out the kids. Jean's dad is very nervous about telling his wife. And, she is definitely not treating this as a joke. Her response to all of this is worry and sadness.

Robbie is very single-minded wacky, collecting his clocks. I'm trying to find a way to describe the scene. The Mom is trying not to lose it. As she remains composed-ish, Robbie is spazzing around like crazy for clocks. At one point, he goes next door and collects a clock from Jean's mom. It's an interesting scene because she is very worried and Robbie only cares about the clocks.

(In the end, when the Dads think that the marriage is final, Robbie dashes out with a suitcase, talking about ladies. That's the other point where the two plots latch up.)

Now, the odd thing...

Robbie has a standard sitcom plot. Mike does not. Up until...

SPOILER!!

They didn't get married. They are doing a sociology project on Teen Marriages. Bub and Steve and the other Dad jumped to conclusions (although there was some pretty good evidence).

The Mike plotline is presented rather seriously, completely unlike the sitcom of Robbie's antics. But then, in the end, the twist is a good one and a relief but...it makes everything a sitcom again.

Steve puts himself down for jumping to so many conclusions but...he loves his sons. He's worried about what Mike might be doing. I would have done the same thing. If I was wrong, I'd apologize.

It's a very strange episode because it runs in a slightly absurd, slightly serious vein...up until the end. Then, it flips and the whole thing has had a sitcom plot all along. It's not bad. In no way. It has a nice pace. There is a bit of an uncomfortable feeling as Mike and Jean draw closer to what looks like marriage. The Dads frustration is good drama. And, there are a few laughs.

I guess my confusion is...The final twist is perfectly in keeping with Mike's character and is satisfying because of that. But, at the same time, when it turns out to be a sitcom misunderstanding, it's slightly unsatisfying. I applaud the writer and director, however, for keeping us guessing until the end. That's what makes the sitcom twist a bit strange.

Ahh...this is very good. It was just that I was let down and satisfied at the same moment in the end. That's what got me thinking. That's a good thing. Thank you, My Three Sons.

1.12.: My Three Strikers

The boys want more allowance money. But, they won't do more work for it and they're shabby with the chores they do. As diplomatic as they try to be, Steve is not up for it. Everyone goes to bed unhappy. Nightmares flood the place. Luckily, calmer heads prevail in the end.

A plotline as old as the hills but handled with a measured maturity that makes this episode a wonderful piece of drama. There is very little sitcom-style goofing off. Bub and Chip get some moments. As does Robbie. But, at its base, this is smarter than an average sitcom script. It is more about Steve trying to run his house fairly. A man still working through how to raise his sons. Who wants to be their friend but doesn't want to be too soft? The boys are taking advantage. They aren't doing their chores and they are demanding more money.

The scene where Steve blows up and refuses the allowance hike and sends them packing is another (as if we needed another) example of why this show is so good. He blows up in a more considered fashion than the average dad and, as he is sending the boys to their rooms, he apologizes and says that he's had a rough day.

One of the continuing joys of My Three Sons is that the kids can go sitcom-wacky but they are always reigned in. There's no one here who is going to become Gary Coleman or any other sitcom kid who gets away with murder as everyone laughs uproariously. Chip and Robbie can be annoying, legitimately annoying. Mike can be far too earnest in the way that teens can get when they think they are being adult but don't fully know everything that's happening. Bub is still the closest to regular sitcom stuff but he is always extra coloring on the sides, rarely upfront.

And, as always, Fred MacMurray carries it. Just like the episode with Mike and Robbie arguing, he is trying to be as fair and as good as he can...but he's finding that it's not as easy as that. Mike presents his allowance hike proposal in the true naive fashion of someone who believes that if it makes sense, than it must be the most sensible way. Steve almost freezes at points because it may make sense but it's not always realistic. He's trying to please everyone and there are times when he can't get any of it quite right. (He's not a steamroller, like Bub.)

The continuing story of a good man trying to be a good father to three sons. It isn't easy. The fact that the show acknowledges this is one of its main strengths. And, after saying all this, I haven't even mentioned the nightmares the boys have after Steve sends them to bed.

I guess there's another review in here. Maybe I'll write about that some other time.

1.11: Spring Will Be A Little Late This Year

We meet Pig AKA Peggy. She is a very cute gal friend of Robbie's. She helps him fix his engine. (What is he fixing in that engine? How is he spending months replacing things in it? Well, I'm not a gearhead.) One day, she arrives at the garage dressed as a woman, rather than as a greasy guy. Robbie doesn't know how to take it and, interestingly enough, Peggy doesn't quite seem to know why she's doing it. But, it is the first stirrings of young love.

And, the episode is about the hilariously awkward Robbie trying to work through something that, as Steve tells him, a man must go through alone (like going to the dentist). In fact, Steve keeps trying to talk to Robbie about it but the boy clearly doesn't know what it is he's feeling. The conversations are awkward and stilted and, I'm pretty sure, Steve wouldn't be able to help. (Bub isn't much help either.)

Robbie shows off in front of her (and gets beaten up). Then, he takes her on a date (which seems to be going badly but, in the end, he's thrilled). There is so much glorious awkward here. Robbie has to reassess the fact that one of his absolute best pals, Pig, is now Peggy, and that he's attracted to her. (I do like when Steve mentions that Peggy is pretty. Robbie says "Yeah, for a girl." As oppose to whom Robbie? One of your football buddies? It's a natural reaction but, when actually looked at, it's an odd one.) I'm sure hoping that they don't let this plotline go. I'd like to see this evolve a little further.

I recognized a lot of this from my first loves. Although, I wasn't fifteen. I was more like 12. Well, it is 1960-ish. That awkward not-feeling-like-you-can-tell-anyone-when-really-you-can-tell anyone feeling. The strange thought that you know you have to do something but what? At least, Robbie has some support. I wandered into it by myself and screwed up a bit before I got anything right.

This is a very good episode. It feels like the first part of something, though. As I said, I hope they continue with this later.

One thing that confused me: We had the Thanksgiving episode a little while ago. But, they mention that "Spring has sprung" for Robbie in the autumn. Aren't we past autumn? Has a year passed between Johnny Squanto and Pig?

1.10.: Lonesome George

George Gobel stays at the house for a night. He wants to escape from the hectic world of being a celebrity. And, Bub, by a stroke of luck, has told the boys that that he knows George. But, he doesn't. But, he arrives at the hotel right when George needs to get away from a crowd. So, George is an overnight guest while Steve is out of town.

George is the focal point of the show. Everyone is awkward around him, including Bub and the boys. All George wants is to rest and, eventually, he gets the chance...but, it's not until after Steve arrives home unexpectedly in the middle of the night and some wackiness ensues.

Much like the second episode, we are seeing the Douglases from someone else's point of view. And, much like Ragpicker, it doesn't completely gel. Bub is far too stiff and formal and the boys never get to be boys around this well-known celebrity. Part of the charm, sure. George is far more interesting than the lady from The Atomic Brain. He's tired but funny. He's exhausted but ready to please but wanting to nap.

It's when Steve arrives home that the episode becomes a fine one. Much like the Lady Engineer, Steve and George keep missing one another. George is up for a midnight snack. Steve is strolling through the house turning off lights and putting away midnight snacks. They finally meet up in Steve's bed and...Hallelujah!...I laughed out loud. When the two men introduce themselves, in the bed, in the dark, it is laugh-out-loud funny. Excellent.

I actually don't know if this is a great episode. I think it's just a fun one. The focus is on George, rather than the actual main characters. It's a bit odd but there was probably a reason for it at the time. Maybe Gobel was there to boost ratings? Maybe Peter T. was good friends with him? Who knows? Gobel was big at the time (Look him up. I knew who he was, vaguely, but I still had to look him up.) so I imagine there was a boost. The odd thing is the show hits its height when Steve arrives home. Before that, it seems like a showpiece for a comedian. When Fred MacMurray arrives, it becomes My Three Sons again.

I can't fault the show for not trying new stuff. Was there another American show with a regular cast that had as much variety as this? It's the anthology show of sitcoms. Next up...Chip goes to outer space by sneaking into a rocket Steve designed? Maybe.

1.9.: Raft On The River

One of the joys of The Simpsons is the way that you think the show is going to be about one thing but then it becomes something else. Sometimes very quickly. This is very quickly becoming something I really enjoy about My Three Sons. Now, My Three Sons goes much slower than The Simpsons but, c'mon, immerse yourself! This is good stuff.

Mike and Robbie are going camping. Chip builds a makeshift raft in the backyard and plans on spending the night out there. It sounds pretty Leave It To Beaver-y, I know. It's only when Steve agrees to spend the night with Chip and the dog in the raft that the episode shifts from charming to awesome. They try to get to sleep and assorted noises and bothers get in their way. At this point, I checked the time and was surprised that we were only halfway in. I said (to no one in particular) "Wouldn't this be awesome if the rest of the episode was them trying to fall asleep?" And...it is. Classic comedy stuff. And, as it gets darker and windier, things become nice and spooky.

The show without a proper format continues to impress me. There are (as always) no real big laughs here. Just a few smiles. But, the content is so good that laughs are only missed if you're demanding them.

Right now, I'm getting a great joyous feeling of discovery with this show. Maybe you know the feeling? There is so much there, so many episodes. And, contrary to what I had thought, the show is becoming a weekly event. I look forward to the evening when I watch the next one. It comes up to0 quick and it's gone too fast.

1.8.: Chip's Harvest

A Thanksgiving episode. And one which, I think, should be a perennial for the holiday.

At Thanksgiving, everyone is allowed to invite along one friend. Chip is in the title; Chip gets the friend who forms the crux of the show. So far, everything is pretty white bread on this show. Is that bad? Of course not. It's about a white guy, with three white kids, who lives in a nice house because he has a nice job. This episode introduced more to the world. In a different way from Adjust or Bust and it's dancing Eastern Europeans.

Chip is going to invite Johnny Squanto. (Yeah, I know.) Johnny is a gentleman who lives down by the railroad tracks. He's a man who seems to be a bit of a Tall Tale Teller. He claims he is Native American, along with a lot of other things. Mike and Robbie don't believe his claims. Even Bub seems a bit put off by the man.

So, Steve heads to the man's small shack to rescind the invitation...but of course he does not. And, in that scene, My Three Sons trumps the shows around it once again. Steve goes out of the safety of their neighborhood and into this loud, slightly dangerous place. And, although one can feel that he will take back the invitation if need be, he is going with an open mind. Johnny Squanto doesn't say a word during the conversation but Steve knows that this man must come to their dinner.

And, luckily, he does. When the morning of Turkey Day hits, the stove breaks. Steve goes on a journey all around the neighborhood to get someone to fix it. (I believe he ends up at the house of a man who did some work for them earlier in the season.) Meanwhile, Johnny and the other guests show up. Quietly but assuredly, Mr. Squanto sets up a fire and spit in the backyard. The cooking of the turkey will get done. But, Mike and Robbie put their foot in it and Johnny leaves.

I won't ruin the end. As with the past episodes, part of the joy is watching the way the episode moves and shifts and becomes something worthwhile when it could have easily gone down a very sitcom route. The ending scene is possibly a little too literal for what it is but this is 1960 and, back then, subtlety may not have been enough. It closes with great charm and all I could think is: What would a Christmas episode be like?

Eight episodes in and the show continues to surprise.

1.7.: The Lady Engineer

Boy, I am enjoying this show.

For the seventh week in a row, I haven't known what to expect from an episode. And, My Three Sons threw another curveball at me. This episode is, indeed, a slower, more dramatic one than the previous episode so my guess on the format at the moment seems to be correct. But, the episode is so perfectly different I can only imagine that shows like Leave It To Beaver and Father Knows Best were hanging their heads in shame at the lack of creativity they were exhibiting.

The title goes a long way to explaining what seems to be the premise of the episode. But then, very intelligently, the focus of the episode shifts and it becomes quite charming, with Fred MacMurray pulling out all the stops. A large chunk of the episode is just Steve and Dr. Joan Johnson, the "Lady Engineer", working and talking. And, it's great.

Steve is at work, finishing a project. (His next project seems to involve a rocket to the moon.) His bosses send him a Dr. Johnson to help him finish his work. Well...Dr. Johnson's a woman. And, once that hilarity dies down, the episode begins in earnest and it is surprising and rather poignant.

I short-shrift the opening actually. Even if I didn't have the title, I'd know that Dr. Johnson was a lady. The thing that makes the pre-meeting scene work is the way it's handled. Steve meets a lovely lady and gives her directions through the maze of offices. He's looking for Dr. Johnson but more interested in the lady. I'm not 100% sure how the offices where he is work but I imagine that they are similar to (but more narrow than) the office maze in Tati's Playtime. You know the scene. Where Mr. Hulot is standing above the cubicle maze watching people move through it like rats. Well, Steve and the lady spend several minutes maneuvering this crowded place and missing each other. In the end, they meet in the same office and we learn who she is.

Well, Steve falls for her pretty hard and tries to get her to dinner and flirts with her a lot. It's very tough to tell what she thinks of him but, c'mon!, how can she not be charmed. I know that she is very professional but it's Steve Douglas for Heaven's Sake! He is pretty dopey, though, like a schoolboy. His scene in the Italian restaurant is very good. In fact, it has a lovely embarrassment factor to it that I don't expect from a 1960 sitcom. As the peisode progresses, we see them working hard for several days and, the night before she has to leave, well, they kiss. But, she does seem distant...

At this point, 19 minutes in to a 25 minute episode, the only member of the main cast I've seen has been Steve. The three sons and Bub? Nowhere to be found. Wow. That's rather bold. I'd say it was experimental but we're only 7 episodes in and the show hasn't settled anywhere yet. So, I'd like to say that this is how the show will be. Wouldn't that be great?

After the lovely night scene with the kiss, the last 6 minutes take place in the Douglas house on a Saturday morning at around 9AM. The kids are spazzing around. Bub is complaining about the washing machine. Standard sitcom stuff is screaming all around. And, at the calm center, Steve stands...I don't want to ruin the ending but this scene perfectly captures that thing, that thing...What thing? Well...You know...When I started college, I lived in a tiny room that they called a "triple". It was crowded, smelly and loud. At this point, some years removed, I can't imagine how the heck I got through it. But, I did. I do, however, remember the great stillness I had when a very wonderful woman entered my life for a time (and that is another story). We were seeing each other quite a bit and growing closer and closer. I enjoyed spending time with her so much that when I entered the triple room -- it didn't touch me. The noise, the stink, the endless crowded conditions. I was above it. And, when she stopped seeing me, the ache I felt kept me outside of it, too. In a different way, of course, but it did. That's what Steve carries in this closing scene. If I've explained it correctly, than you should know what I mean. He doesn't bump into things or goof up due to distraction but he's above the noise. It's a drone in the background that he blocks out. And, it's so unexpected in an American sitcom of the time, that I was thrilled.

It's a wonderful episode. And, with each My Three Sons I watch, I get tempted to pile them on. But, I will attempt to keep to one a week, if possible.

At the very end, I smiled the same exact smile Steve did and though "Gosh, I hope they bring Dr. Johnson back."

With my luck, Mrs. Pitts will come back first.

1.6.: Adjust Or Bust

Life is a series of small adjustments...

...and polkas.

Another great episode. I will start with the fact that I don't think I laughed and I was unsure where it was going at first...but once Steve is at work with the General things take off. It remains low key throughout but, my my my, it's entertaining.

Mike and Steve swap cars one morning after Bub pulls an extremely passive-aggressive bit at dinner to convince Steve that the house is out of food. Mike will pick up Bub and take him grocery shopping in the station wagon. Steve will travel in Mike's souped-up jalopy. Well, this is the day, Steve is driving a Two-Star General and his aide around town. There is a very funny scene with nice silent movie music of the three of them crammed into the front seat going all over town. Then, the episode takes off.

Cars break down. People miss their bus stops. Mike polkas with a lovely young lady. And, I kept thinking, "If there were cell phones, this episode would be fifteen minutes shorter." And, then I kept thinking, "God, this kind of stuff was so much better before cell phones." mainly because there's actual suspense! The general is coming over for dinner to discuss a big contract. The jalopy breaks down. Steve is on the bus. Mike is waiting at the stop in the station wagon. A boring man puts Steve to sleep. Steve winds up in some Little Poland neighborhood of town. (Or, possibly, Little Bavaria. I'm not sure there was a difference at that time.) Calls keep going back and forth. People keep missing each other....It's fantastic.

There's a lot of verve here and, although the show never goes fast, it never grinds to a halt. Like a few of the previous episodes, it's more like a mini-movie with the theme being in the title. Both Steve and The General say that life is a series of small adjustments. And, that's what this episode is except for the fact that, in the end, Mike has been adjusted to Polka Town, which is actually pretty funny.

I was, again, surprised. I've no clue where this show is going but if it keeps up the invention and keeps arriving at places like this...God, I'm excited to see what's next! I almost watched two episodes last night but I did not. I kept strong and watched an episode of Get A Life instead. But, I almost faltered. Maybe one episode a week is the perfect way to watch this sort of show. Then, you can really appreciate what goes on and look forward to watching the next one.

So far, so good. And, it is holding to my one drama then one wacky template. That means the next one will be a calmer, more dramatic one. Maybe I should go back and re-watch the second episode. I may like it a lot more now.

Oh, this episode was produced, co-written and directed by Peter Tewksbury. How often does that happen in sitcoms?

1.5.: Brotherly Love

A pretty great episode that seems to stick to the pattern I mentioned in the last review. This one has less wackiness and more drama. It's pretty cool having no idea what exactly this show is supposed to be and where it is going.

The plot is simple. Mike and Robbie fight over the same girl. Steve intervenes and tries to get them to talk it out. But, Bub is right there the whole time insisting that Steve let the boys fight it out. It all comes to head at the breakfast table where the hostility shifts to the two grown-ups and Steve and Bub fight out back with switchblades drawn. No. Not really...They talk it out and it's handled nicely.

The episode begins as if is going to be about Mike, Robbie and Judy. Judy falls for Mike. However, through calm, almost clinical for a sitcom, plotting, a friend thinks she's referring to Robbie. Both boys wind up at the library. Judy goes with Mike. And, Robbie hides in the bushes until Mike gets home. As I watched the opening, I kept thinking "This is like Laurel & Hardy. We've had situations like this all over movies, TV & radio for twenty or more years. They know that and so do we. So, they've slowed it down and have made it very obvious but still quite charming. This is the definitive version of this storyline." Oddly enough, all this stuff with Judy is just set-up for the second half of the episode: Steve dealing with his sons and Bub and their tendency for violence.

In fact, Judy vanishes from the second half of the episode. The real point of the episode is in the scene when Mike and Robbie are sent to bed and Steve walks to their room and talks (or tries to talk) to them. He is trying to get his boys to make up. He is trying to get everything to calm down. But, the anger at bedtime is palpable. And, if you've grown up with brothers and sisters, you've probably gone to bed like that a few times But life goes on. The great part about all this is Fred MacMurray.

Bub thinks the boys should brawl and get it over with. Steve thinks fighting may be necessary at times but not here. But, Bub is consistently badgering him and Steve is having a hell of a time figuring out how he can get the boys to shed their animosity. Fred MacMurray brings a real feel of sadness to the scene at night. When he goes to bed knowing that Mike & Robbie hate each other at this moment, there is a real sense of "What can I do? How can I make them see?". It's quite nicely done. He's trying to raise his boys to be better men than Bub thinks they are.

I won't ruin the closing scene but Steve & Bub have it out and it's nicely done. When Steve puts his foot down, it doesn't just quiet the room but I gasped a bit, too. For one moment, in complete control, he asserts his authority. And, he proves to his boys that fighting isn't the first and best answer.

The music and sound effects in this one are great. A lot of goofy noises pepper the first half. Then, when Steve declares that breakfast is like the Cold War, military noises and sounds pepper the soundtrack. These culminate in Steve's brief outburst. Possibly the sounds and such are a little too obvious (especially after the smooth use of them throughout Countdown) but it shows that they were doing more than just writing generic "sitcom".

Robbie arrives with this episode. He is a confused, awkward kid entering those wacky teen years who is clearly jealous of his older brother. He drops his books, whines a lot and starts fighting at a moment's notice. Of course, he also feels completely misunderstood even though he's as transparent as your undershirt.

Mike is nicely oblivious of the fact that his brother gets jealous at the drop of a hat. He drives around in his car, charms the gals and bursts into violence when provoked. Only Chip gets through this without much trouble because he doesn't do anything.

Bub spends the whole time spouting advice about how the boys should just fight it out and how Steve is being wishy-washy. The fact that Bub cannot see at all what his son-in-law is trying to do either shows that things were incredibly different when Bub was a parent or Bub's a bit of a jerk. The jury is still out.

Another good episode. So far, the show is almost an anti-sitcom sitcom. When the humor is pushed, there is usually something else going on. When the drama is pushed, the humor is usually people trying to defuse awkward situations. What will things be like 200 episodes in the future, I wonder?

1.4.: Countdown

All right, after this episode, I think we are onto something. We had a dramatic episode followed by something more slapstick-filled, then another dramatic one and then another running-around one. I like this set-up. I wonder if this is the way the show will continue to go as it grows?

Countdown - A superb episode. Well-paced, well-written, well-directed, acted with great verve and some funny moments. Everyone gets something to do. Mike is studious. Robbie yells a lot. Chip has a wonderful curiosity to him as he stares at a rocket launch on TV. Bub keeps the house running. Steve keeps the boys moving. And, there is some excellent suspense in here, too.

This might seem disappointing but that's all I'm going to tell you. Rent the DVD (or buy it or track it down) and watch it. The less you know, the more clever it is.

You'll enjoy it. Trust me. Maybe sometime in the future, I'll go in-depth. But, not now.

Next episode: Slapstick or dramatic? I'm here for ya.

1.3.: Bub in the Ointment

Now, this is how you do a second episode. It's kind of too bad that it's the third but... The focus is kept right on the main characters. All five of them, except for Chip, get moments to be featured. The show has a slow, steady pace that (apart from the laugh track) feels more like a mini-movie than an episode of a TV show, possibly because of Fred MacMurray. We learn a bit more about each of the characters, filling in some of the gaps left open in the first two episodes, but still leaving lots of space for development. An episode like the last one, as I said, would work better if it were later in the season or if it were so funny that you couldn't deny it. Episode Three isn't as madcap as two and probably not as humorous but it's better television. And, that gives the upcoming episodes a little more shine. I want to see what happens next because I like what happens here

Well, I just wrote my complete review right there. I should probably shift that to the end but I'll leave it where it is. Let's do a little plot and character chat.

The three boys are living their lives but Bub seems to keep embarrassing them. At the PTA meetings for Chip's school, he shocks all the other housewives with his candor and this gets back to Chip and...Oh it hurts! . Robbie (who I'm guessing is around 13 or 14) is in a dramatics class and Bub enters. Immediately, the old man starts giving the teacher tips on how to do vaudeville. Oh the embarrassment! Mike (who must be around 16 or 17) is being visited by a recruiter from State College and Bub dips his wick in...Oh the humanity! Yes, he gets in the way of all three boys. So, they go to Steve and say "Talk to Bub!"

In what I imagine will become a Steve Douglas trademark, he makes some phone calls, arranges a few things (all the while smoking his pipe) and convinces the boys that Bub is OK after all. Bub's swell! Actually, at first, he tries to appeal to the boy's better natures. ("Well, I guess I'll be the one to have to hurt his feelings." "Gosh Dad, don't do that." "Well, Robbie, whoever tells him is going to hurt his feelings, right?") And, Fred MacMurray makes it work. Bub is a bit of a pain in the hole. There's a reason why Fred and Etehl never had kids. But, Steve points out what Bub has done for them. I should have written down the full speech but...

Steve reminds the boys that when their mother died...Bub moved in. He made them laugh when there was nothing they could find to laugh about. Bub gave up the successful movie theater he owned and ran to help them. He deserves to be humored when he forgets himself. And, Steve is right. Of course, the thing I like is that the boys won't stop their Dad from going to talk to Bub until all the little Steve Douglas-chicanery goes through. Then, they see it. Boys will be boys, I guess.

It's nice to see Mike and Robbie get a bit more development. I think, to be honest, Mike is probably my favorite of the Three Sons. Chip is a fun little kid. Robbie is a slightly confused teen. But, Mike has a lot of his Dad in his character. He's more reserved but with a light wit. I suppose that's why his running around in the previous episode seemed strange. This Mike I like. Let's see where they take him from here.

Bub is as ribald as ever. Well, as ribald as one can get on TV in October of 1960. He clearly loves the boys and wants the best for them. He just doesn't like BS and will steamroll himself over whatever he doesn't like. Tactless, sure. Charming, sometimes. Not really the point, though. Bub is an integral part of the house. I think hitting on the "What's this old guy doing there?" issue in the third episode was a wise choice. After the previous episode, I'm not sure if it was done on purpose but it works.

So, I'm giving a Thumbs Up to 2 out of the first 3. Goin' good so far. Let's see what's next.

Next episode: Countdown

1.2.: The Little Ragpicker

Mrs. Pitts (Marjorie Eaton) has just moved in down the street from the Douglas's. (Although, I'm not sure it's the same street we were on in the last episode.) She knows that Mr. Douglas is a widower and wonders how he can take care of his three sons when all the help he has is from that strange old man, Bub. As the boys run wild and Bub tries to run the house with all the plumbing out, she watches what seems to be a day of debauchery at the Douglas house. In the end...it's all a big misunderstanding!

Oh, the fun we have with the lady from Monstrosity/ The Atomic Brain! That movie was sleazy and odd and made her out to be a grotesque old woman. This episode is several years before that but they don't seem to be filming her any differently. She looks like the archetype of the Repressed Old Librarian. Every time she makes her squeezed up "What's going on over there?" face, it's more disturbing than anything. Even in the end, when all is well, she's still filmed in a rather too close manner that calls attention to the fact that she is not the loveliest of ladies. And, she seems to be our audience identification for this episode as we certainly don't know enough about the Douglas family to be able to side with them. (More on this in a bit...)

I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be feeling while watching this. Again, no one is really developed. Chip, Bub and Steve are exactly the same as the previous episode. Mike and Robbie run around a lot getting involved in boyish shenanigans. Which makes me think: How old are they supposed to be? It feels like the script was written for 3 10-year-old boys. Mike, especially, feels too old to be running around the whole time.

Am I supposed to just sit back and laugh at the proceedings? Certainly there are more funny moments here than in the last episode but it's all seen from the point of view of Mrs. Pitts (well, most of it). She's one of those busybody's who doesn't seem to understand that all you need to do is ask a few questions and everything gets cleared up.

Chip, why are you so dirty?

The plumbing's busted. Plumber's on the way.

Chip, why are you collecting rags? Is it because you're very poor?

We're having some sort of rag collection for charity.

Chip, why are you so hungry?

Bub can't cook until we get water because all the dishes need cleaning.

Chip, has Bub been drinking?

No.

She asks none of these questions. Instead, the hilarity meter shoots through the roof as she stares at the Douglas boys and Bub engaged in what must be horrible behavior! So, she has to save Chip. When he comes by for rags, she sits him down on her couch and feeds him...lemonade, ice cream and cake and cookies. Way to go! Was this stuff nutritious back in 1960? Lady, why do you have nothing but deserts to eat in your house where you live all by yourself? One of my favorite parts of the episode happens after Steve arrives home. "Where's Chip?" "Don't know." Night is falling. Chip is missing. Oh, here he is. He was at Mrs. Pitts's house. She wouldn't let him leave. It's all a big misunderstanding and certainly not kidnapping.

(An aside: This type of character and these sorts of situations used to bug me when I was a little kid and they drives me crazy now. The only way, I think, you can get away with a character like this is if they are extremely funny. If the hilarity is so high, that it is all justified. Mrs. Pitts...not so much.)

The comedic peaks occurs because of Bub's coveralls. They are dirty and covered with paint. When Bub takes them off, Chip fills them with rags. Mike and Robbie think it's Bub, at first. Then, once they've ascertained that this is not a man, they begin to move the full coveralls around the house and people keep mistaking it for a guy. When the plumber arrives, he's wearing coveralls...Oh no! Oh yes. When the plumber is in the bushes, Steve comes home and starts talking to him. Mike and Robbie laugh at their dad for talking to the empty coveralls. So...they grab the legs and drag the screaming plumber along the ground for about twenty feet.

In order for this story to work, Mrs. Pitts has to go out of her way to ask absolutely no questions that a normal human would ask in these situations. And, everyone else has to be as clueless as possible. The coveralls filled with rags do not look like a person. There is no head and no feet, for example. Surely, Bub can make something for dinner? Why are all the dishes dirty at the same time? How does that work? Does he let them all pile up until there's nothing left? Sorry.

Really, I should just let this ride. It's a breezy episode of a sitcom. It's got a few giggles and it's fun, somewhat. It's just that after the intelligence of the first episode, this is like a kick to my Dumb Place and I'm, frankly, a bit insulted. It's the second episode. We know Mrs. Pitts will probably never appear again. Why is this felonious old woman our touchstone for this episode? Isn't it time we learned who the heck the "Three Sons" are exactly? This is all so generic I wouldn't be surprised if it was a script for another show.

It's not just the Mrs. Pitts and the "everyone act dumb now" angle that I dislike. There's this constant run of wackiness occurring here and the show acts like this is all normal. And, it very well might be. However, after only one other episode, you could have fooled me. An episode like this works when we know the characters. Then, you bring in someone from the outside who sees them and thinks "They're nuts." But, the first episode was very low-key, nothing like this. So, it just ends up looking out of place and being somewhat annoying.

Sorry. I'm sure the next episode will put me back on track. This one just disappointed me. The first episode hinted that we could be in a very generic sitcom land. This one is practically holding up a sign saying "Welcome to Generic Town! Home of the Douglas Family!" Sophomore slump, I guess. I hope.

On another track, I can see the "Fred MacMaurry is only available for a limited time" disadvantage being used to their advantage here. The episode is 25 minutes long. Steve shows up about 17 minutes in. But, to Mrs. Pitts, everything moves around when "Mr. Douglas is coming home". When he does arrive, he actually does very little because, let's be honest, not much has actually happened. He gets worried about Chip, engages in some comedy with the coveralls and is in the final scene with Pitts & Company. The fact that he is constantly referenced makes his presence felt even if he's there for very little of the episode.

I wonder if anyone thought it strange that the big star of the show is in this for only about one-third of the episode. I'm now interested to see how they deal with "The Vanishing MacMurray" from here on out. But, please, let's keep the Mrs. Pitts to a minimum. Think of the children.

1.1: A Chip off the Old Block

Chip and Steve have lady troubles. A gal in Chip's class won't leave him alone. She says she's in love with him. Steve tells Chip to be kind to her because that's the way gentlemen act. But, Steve meets a nice lady at a dinner party. And, she's after Steve! Will Chip and Steve be married by the end of the episode?

No. No, they won't. Both guys agree that a gentleman would tell a lady when he's not interested. Chip does, Steve doesn't. Not yet. I'm not sure if his lady friend will show up in the next episode but I imagine Steve will do what he needs to do very soon.

Well, my first episode of My Three Sons has been watched. And, I enjoyed it. It's very charming. I think I giggled once. It's not much of a laugh-out-loud kind of thing. There are a couple of jokey moments but most of it is calm (sometimes slow) drama about a father and his young son being faced with the exact same problem: they're far too handsome.

Fred MacMurray is excellent. He brings a certain gravitas to this that some of the other sitcom dads of the time never did. I like him because he's not a dope. He's a smart man with a streak of wisdom going through him.

William Frawley is great, too. He seems to be peering in from a slightly different sitcom. The first real joke in the show is the reveal that the "woman of the house" is Bub. Bub is Steve's father-in-law. He runs the house.

Stanley Livingston is fun as Chip. He's mostly just a regular sitcom kid but his scenes with MacMurray lift it up a bit.

The other two sons, Mike & Robbie, don't do very much. I'll talk about them more when they actually do stuff. Robbie is loud. Mike is on the phone. Possibly the show is meant to be about Chip? I'll keep you posted.

I think the thing that really grabbed me is the calm dramatics of all of it. The thing rarely goes wacky. It's a rather sophisticated family comedy. Bub and the other two sons provide the sitcom moments while Steve and Chip have the main plotline. And, it's very nicely done.

Oh, Steve has been a widower for six years. I realized when I reached the end that they probably said how old the boys were but I didn't write it down. They'll say it again.

I was a bit surprised that we don't actually really get to meet everybody, apart from cursory moments. At the end, I feel like I know Steve and Chip a bit. There's a possibility that Bub is as developed as he will ever get. But, Mike and Robbie? Who are they? I figured they would delve a little further into them but they don't.

Strange...I thought I'd have more to say but I don't. It's a pleasant opening episode for the series and I look forward to seeing how it develops but there's nothing out of the ordinary here. And, I can't find much to say except that it's charming. To a modern audience, it's going to seem like it's about an hour long instead of 25 minutes. However, if you like what you see, then this is a heck of a nice place to spend the time.

Next episode: I've no idea. Something about the other two sons, possibly?

What I Know About My Three Sons

Not too much, as it turns out.

As of the date of this post:

- It was an American Sitcom
- Ran for 12 seasons 1960-1971
- B&W for first five seasons
- Color as of 1965-1966 season.
- On film with a laugh track.
- Fred MacMurray shot all his scenes on a very limited amount of days to accommodate his film and golf schedules. The episodes were built around what they could film with him in the time they had.
- Steve Douglas is a widower.
- Mike, Chip & Steve are the sons. I'm not 100% sure on their ages.
- I believe when Mike leaves Steve adopts another son.
- Bub is the boy's Grampa, played by William Frawley. He is the "mom" of the house.
- Bub is replaced by Uncle Charlie after a few seasons.
- Steve marries a woman played by Beverly Garland. This happens in the late 60's/ early 70's.
- All the boys get married and, I think, have kids of their own.
- When I watched it as a kid, I remember it being very much in the Leave It To Beaver-style of sitcoms. Not without its charms but never really all that funny or fascinating. But, 12 years! C'mon!

There is plenty of extra information on the My Three Sons page on Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Three_Sons) but I'm trying to ignore it.

Some of the info I know may be wrong. If so, I'll correct myself as we go.

Well, that's what I know. Let's go to the first episode of My Three Sons...

Welcome!

Hello. Welcome to the My Three Sons Episode Guide Experiment.

What is it, exactly? Well...

I have another blog that reviews episodes of the1965-1971 sitcom Green Acres. Then, for a change of pace, I have one reviewing individual issues of the MAD-magazine ripoff, CRACKED. The thing that these two review sites have in common is that I know Green Acres and CRACKED very well. I own the Seasons 1-3 DVD box sets of Green Acres. For the remaining three seasons (with only one episode missing), I have TV Land copies. I own a large collection of CRACKED magazines from 1973-1985. I have watched Green Acres all the way through, in order, once. The CRACKED magazines are flipped through on a regular basis. So, when I review them, I write from the point of view of a fan. Someone who knows these works, someone who appreciates them and...this is important... can see down the line towards future events, tying the individual pieces together as a whole. I can mention Lisa Douglas doing something in one episode of Green Acres and reference one hundred episodes ahead, if need be. I can say "The Fonz first appears here" and then tell the readers when to expect the Fonz to reappear in CRACKED.

Writing from that point of view is fun but it can get a little tricky. I have to keep in mind a whole slew of things when I'm writing. And, every once in a while, you lose focus on what you're writing about at that moment because there's so much jumping around. That's how this blog came into my mind. I wanted to come at something cold. If I had thought about this four years ago, this blog would be about Dallas. But, I've thought about it now and chosen My Three Sons to experiment on. In the year 2009, I can get access to almost anything I need so I am deliberately not looking ahead in the show, not hunting down anything on it. I have some knowledge of its history, which I will list in the next post, but not much. I want to begin with Season 1, Episode 1 of My Three Sons and proceed through to the final episode, 12 seasons later. Of course, this brings up one issue...

What if I dislike the show? I have, in preparation, watched the first four episodes and enjoyed them. They're not completely my cup of tea but I am warming to it. The plan is this: I will do a complete review of the 36 episodes of Season One. Then, I will give my thoughts on the season and then...Well, if I like it, onto Season Two! If I don't, Bewitched is still available.

So, join me. Won't you? I know very little about where the show is going and even less about how it gets there. It was on for 12 years! That's a heck of a run. I'm hoping to love it. Let's see what happens.