I know that in 1971 this show was already square but I am still shocked it only lasted a season. Think of all the people still alive who went to see Jimmy Stewart movies and were now watching Lawrence Welk, Lucy & Gunsmoke every week at home on television. With Jimmy as the star he could have all his buddies do guest shots. I remember it as a kid and have been watching the repeats daily on Get-TV.
shareIt was up against The FBI and The CBS Sunday Night Movie, the former a top-20 show. That was a problem right there. I bet the demos for the young crowd watching weren't good either, which would have been problematic for the sponsors. Lastly, despite the talent (and Jimmy Stewart is my favorite actor, BTW), it just doesn't work for me. Watching reruns of it 40 years ago didn't leave me wanting more and less so today.
One other thing: Julie Adams. This beautiful and sexy woman looked more like Jimmy's daughter than his wife. 😃
No blah, blah, blah!
I just noticed this show was on GET TV, and came here to see if it was worth watching, even if just to see Jimmy Stewart. I assumed correctly that his wife would be much younger than he, since he definitely is of that era of actor who would insist on having a younger wife for the show. Maybe it's because I am myself an older woman, but that aspect of the entertainment industry really bothers me. Why can't men in the movies and tv shows have wives that are their contemporaries? I suppose it is a little better now, but it takes Jimmy Stewart down a peg for me. I haven't watched the show yet, but it doesn't sound like something I'm going to get addicted to.
shareI'm a middle-aged man myself, but I understand where you're coming from. On the show, Julie Adams is supposed to be about my age (50), but, IMO, she looks younger than her actual age. She's fine on the show acting-wise, but her youthful appearance is kind of distracting.
I'm assuming Jimmy's age on the show was more in the fifties range, but he looked his age to me.
No blah, blah, blah!
Well, I watched an episode today, and it was okay, but I'm not going to set the DVR timer for it, lol. I agree that the actress who played his wife was fine, but visually, they did not go together at all. There are pretty older women on the planet, and I don't know why they couldn't have chosen someone like that for him. He looks at least his age - early to mid sixties - and I actually thought he could be 70s.
shareAnd here I thought they gave his character a younger wife because they thought it more likely a woman in her 30's would have a second child, over a woman in her 50's. Silly me.
I collect dead pigeons then I press them between the pages of a book.share
They evidently wanted two children on the show, and thought the "child and grandchild the same age" would be clever. Either that, or they wanted to make it clear that Jimmy Stewart's character had a sex life. The latter would be my guess. It is sort of subtle sexual content. The actual ages at the time of the show are, James Stewart 63 and Julie Adams 45. I am not sure how old the kids are supposed to be. Maybe 10? Anyway, I am laughing at myself for going on at length about a dumb TV show! LOL!
shareAnd, like Jimmy Stewart, The FBI was also a product of Warner Bros. Television.
Seems rather unusual for 1971 two shows from the same studio on different networks would be pitted against each other, but today that seems rather commonplace.
The same thing happened with The Monkees (NBC) and The Iron Horse (abc). Both shows were made by Screen Gems and aired Monday nights at 7:30 pm. The CBS series in that times slot was Gilligan's Island, which was cancelled in 1967; the other two series lasted until 1968. In the Monkees episode, Too Many Girls, Micky turns on a television set to an episode of The Iron Horse, which we the viewer can see, too, and tells Davey it's a show about a guy building a railroad. The TV set was a black and white portable Zenith, with tape over the brand name, which is producing a color picture. Why were brand names of appliances and foods covered with tape, when automobile names were visible?
shareCould be that the TV was covered because it ran on NBC which was owned by RCA...who sold TVs.
shareAs is typical in 1960s/1970s shows, automobile manufacturers had deals to provide vehicles for shows in exchange for a mention in the end credits. Often it was the Ford Motor Company. Clothes as well (Botany 500). Smaller domestic items were not used in such endorsement deals and that's why in those shows we sometimes see a well-know brand of cereal or TV, but with the name altered or covered up.
shareHe DID have a number of big names do guest appearances (Cesar Romero, Vincent Price, etc.) but I'm glad it never went overboard. If you remember Here's Lucy, Lucille Ball had a guest every single solitary week and it got past the point of ridiculous. More than one critic even mentioned it was a pathetic attempt at ratings. Stewart's show was very good as it was. I think had NBC given it a little more publicity and changed nights, it may have gone 2 or 3 seasons, but I doubt Mr. Stewart would have been interested in going on for years anyways.
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