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.