I had never seen this before until the holiday season in 2022, finding it was awesome. I did catch FKB a bit in reruns a few decades ago as a kid, it seemed nice and wholesome if a bit dated and quaint in b&w and with the stylized suburban middle class setting. So, I wouldn't call myself a huge FKB fan, but certainly was familiar with it. I've come to appreciate the simple, straightforward FKB formula more over time despite not generally being a big fan of '50s shows like this (I've never seen much Leave It To Beaver or Lassie, for instance). Maybe that's why I sought this out.
Let me address a common criticism I see about FKB from time to time, including at times from a cast member or two. No, FKB doesn't represent reality. Yes, it is formulaic and idealized and can give people "the wrong lessons" about life's issues and trials and tribulations. Is FKB a primer on the normal family with all the slings and arrows of misfortune coming at it? Absolutely not.
But a cop show with weekly drug busts and killings, a court show with weekly dramatic trials, a sci fi show with starships, an island with castaways on a three-hour tour, a sitcom with jokes every minute or two - those aren't reality, either. Robert Young, in a 1984 interview, put it perfectly - these shows aren't supposed to reflect real life. Weekly TV shows don't work that way and would be impossible to sustain as a series without an agreed-upon formula that is supposed to reflect only one part of the human experience. If you are looking for real life, go watch the news. FKB is not meant to be educational, and if you're trying to figure life out from any TV show, good luck with that. FKB was intended, and works for people who are looking for what it can offer, as simple entertainment for those looking for an escape from life's tribulations. It is not supposed to remind viewers of the dark sides of life and seems pretty obvious and open about that.
Let me just say... anyone can be critical of any show or not like something about it. However, this holiday special some reason just hit the spot for a sentimental journey, wanting a little update of "old friends" from the past, and reminisce a little during the holidays. If that doesn't describe you - this one likely won't be right for you. It leans heavily on past associations with the cast and characters. There won't be any more FKB with the original cast, and the fact everyone was still in their prime and not slowed down by age or anything else 17 years after the show ended was a real stroke of luck for viewers interested in a reunion.
My only complaint about this reunion - come on, I have to critique it for something - is that Elinor Donahue (the then-current, 1977 version) doesn't show up until the last 20 minutes. That is a real shame, as she was the one I was most interested in. I suppose Donahue had become a relatively big TV star by then and her husband was a big deal in the industry, so she could have overshadowed some of the others who were more known just for the show. She was pretty busy around then, too.
It was nice how they brought in the familiar characters one by one and gave each of them their own moment, and thankfully the "new characters" - the kids' wife/husband etc. - are kept mercifully low-key. We're not here for them, the point of a show like this is to catch up with the regulars, and in this sense, the show delivers in spades.
The way they tied everything in with the original series was great, such as with Betty's bf, if a bit forced at times. I'm not a big fan of the Andersons "hitting the road" at the end, but hey, it's all good. Those are my critiques, not much, but overall it is perfect - if you are familiar with the original show and like it to some degree. I think they pull this off better than a lot of other such reunion shows that tend to inject forced drama to "be relevant to today." This is perfectly relevant as an update and shows one way a 1950s middle class family could have evolved into the 1970s in a natural sort of way with only relatively minor family issues.
Jane Wyatt is just outstanding, such a rock of stability and power and still at the top of her game despite being semi-retired (by choice, she could have worked whenever she wanted to) by this point. She enunciates perfectly and makes sure everyone in the cheap seats can hear every syllable like the real acting pro she was and never once betrays a false emotion or sense of uncertainty about what she is conveying.
Robert Young, fresh off his huge hit "Marcus Welby," is so folksy and low-key in a good way that he doesn't even seem to be acting. If anything, his skills had only improved since the original show, perhaps due to the "Welby" series honing his craft. He keeps things from getting too melodramatic and serious, not an easy thing to do in this context. At times - such as pointedly doing his "I'm home" yell - he obviously is fully aware of and purposefully playing to the fans by hitting the old familiar notes without making it look like an imposition or forced or something, as you sometimes see in these kinds of reunion shows (and as hilariously sent-up by Alan Rickman in "Galaxy Quest").
As for the Anderson "kids" (all in mid-life by now), Donahue is so vivid when she finally shows up that she takes over. We even get one of her classic over-the-top emotional outbursts (see the Star Trek "Metamorphosis" episode for the best example). This is perfect if you're in the right mood (and perhaps a bit much if you're not, but it is what it is).
The others also are good, Billy Gray thankfully doesn't overdo the schmaltz when the script just tees it up for him to overplay his "situation," while Lauren Chapin seems to have mellowed and just seems normal - no longer the sometimes annoying character she was in the show. I'd say her "Kitten" character is the one that has changed the most, and in a good way. Overall, Robert Young is the one that holds everything together, the glue that makes this work, despite his making it all seem so natural and normal that you barely notice he's the hub of the wheel. Young deserves a lot of credit for pulling this off and making it work, the one indispensable character and a brilliant acting job. Should have gotten another Emmy for this to add to his statues, but they tend not to reward actors for reprising old roles like this no matter how well they do them.
I'll try to put this on at Christmastime from now on, I just wish there was a good, clean, sharp DVD copy available, as the old VHS copies available online are terrible. Highly recommended if you are familiar with the show and curious about how things turned out for the characters. Others can take a pass and find some other show that will pull at their own heartstrings. Certainly worth watching for me.
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