"The Courtship of Eddie's Father" follows the best friend, father-son relationship of widower magazine manager Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby, "My Favorite Martian", "The Incredible Hulk") and his mischievous young son Eddie (Brandon Cruz, "The Bad News Bears"). Eddie wants a new mother and cleverly schemes to find the ideal person for his father. Episodes center around this theme, as Eddie interferes with his father's relationships, before evolving into compassionately raising Eddie. The pair are delicately cared for by their fun Japanese housekeeper Mrs. Livingston (Miyoshi Umeki, "Sayonara") who offers comedic sage advice. Rounding out the cast is Tom's free-spirited art director Norman Tinker (series producer James Komack, "Welcome Back, Kotter" producer) who is Eddie's "uncle" and Tom's ditzy secretary Tina Rickles (Kristina Holland).
The sitcom ran for three seasons (1969-1972) loosely based upon the 1963 film of the same name. The father-son actors share a great chemistry and Bixby received an Emmy in demonstrating a father's love for his son. The show transformed Bibxy in real life from a Hollywood playboy to become family-oeinted with Cruz saying he was truly "like a second father" to him. Bixby's Tom Corbett was named in 2014 as #15 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time". The series was cancelled when Bixby and Komack fell out as the show began losing it's father-son dynamic when Komack's character increasingly became featured. The show is also remembered for it's opening- scenes of the father and son bonding to the tune of Harry Nilsson's "Best Friend" that has went on to become an iconic representation of a father-son relationship. All three seasons have been released on home media.
The series opens with widower Tom Corbett walking along the beach with his young son Eddie. Eddie tells his father that he hopes he remarries. At work, Tom, Managing Director of Todays Magazine's newspaper supplement "Tomorrow", is at odds with his hippie-minded art director Norman Tinker for going over deadline. Tom struggles to get through to his best friend/Eddie's "uncle" that he is fired. Taking a break from working at home, Tom asks Eddie where he wants to go and soon they are taking in a studio tour of MGM. All Eddie has on his mind is finding a girl for his dad. Eddie meets attractive, hopeful actress Dolly Daly (Victoria Vetri, "Rosemary's Baby") and quickly begins matchmaking, inviting her home. At his apartment that night ditzy Dolly is focused on showing Tom her entertaining talents to be featured in his magazine. Meanwhile, Norman has brought two sexy model sisters to try and woo his job back, but sneers and leaves when seeing Dolly wildly dancing to music. Tom turns off the music and locks himself in his room. His Japanese housekeeper Mrs. Livingston arrives the next morning to find Dolly asleep on the couch but begins fixing breakfast for Eddie. Upset by the situation, Mrs. Livingston leaves. With problems abound, Tom struggles for direction.
From the start, the inspiring, heartwarming father-son bond is genuine and magnetizing- clearly the strength of the show.
The sitcom ran for three seasons (1969-1972) loosely based upon the 1963 film of the same name. The father-son actors share a great chemistry and Bixby received an Emmy in demonstrating a father's love for his son. The show transformed Bibxy in real life from a Hollywood playboy to become family-oeinted with Cruz saying he was truly "like a second father" to him. Bixby's Tom Corbett was named in 2014 as #15 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time". The series was cancelled when Bixby and Komack fell out as the show began losing it's father-son dynamic when Komack's character increasingly became featured. The show is also remembered for it's opening- scenes of the father and son bonding to the tune of Harry Nilsson's "Best Friend" that has went on to become an iconic representation of a father-son relationship. All three seasons have been released on home media.
The series opens with widower Tom Corbett walking along the beach with his young son Eddie. Eddie tells his father that he hopes he remarries. At work, Tom, Managing Director of Todays Magazine's newspaper supplement "Tomorrow", is at odds with his hippie-minded art director Norman Tinker for going over deadline. Tom struggles to get through to his best friend/Eddie's "uncle" that he is fired. Taking a break from working at home, Tom asks Eddie where he wants to go and soon they are taking in a studio tour of MGM. All Eddie has on his mind is finding a girl for his dad. Eddie meets attractive, hopeful actress Dolly Daly (Victoria Vetri, "Rosemary's Baby") and quickly begins matchmaking, inviting her home. At his apartment that night ditzy Dolly is focused on showing Tom her entertaining talents to be featured in his magazine. Meanwhile, Norman has brought two sexy model sisters to try and woo his job back, but sneers and leaves when seeing Dolly wildly dancing to music. Tom turns off the music and locks himself in his room. His Japanese housekeeper Mrs. Livingston arrives the next morning to find Dolly asleep on the couch but begins fixing breakfast for Eddie. Upset by the situation, Mrs. Livingston leaves. With problems abound, Tom struggles for direction.
From the start, the inspiring, heartwarming father-son bond is genuine and magnetizing- clearly the strength of the show.
