MEMORIES:
weepingwillow remembers...I felt the the family had good chemistry and that Robert Young really did know best. More »
Posted on 06/15/06
Cast:
Jim Anderson (1954-62)...Robert Young
Margaret Anderson (1954-60)...Jane Wyatt
Betty Anderson...Elinor Donahue
Bud Anderson...Billy Gray
Kathy Anderson (Kitten)...Lauren Chapin
Miss Thomas...Sarah Selby
Ed Davis (1955-59)...Robert Foulk
Myrtle Davis (1955-59)...Vivi Jannis
Dotty Snow (1954-57)...Yvonne Lime
Kippy Watkins (1954-59)...Paul Wallace
Claude Messner (1954-59)...Jimmy Bates
Doyle Hobbs (1957-58)...Roger Smith
Ralph Little (1957-58)...Robert Chapman
April Adams (1957-58)...Sue George
Joyce Kendall (1958-59)...Roberta Shore
Margaret Anderson (1954-60)...Jane Wyatt
Betty Anderson...Elinor Donahue
Bud Anderson...Billy Gray
Kathy Anderson (Kitten)...Lauren Chapin
Miss Thomas...Sarah Selby
Ed Davis (1955-59)...Robert Foulk
Myrtle Davis (1955-59)...Vivi Jannis
Dotty Snow (1954-57)...Yvonne Lime
Kippy Watkins (1954-59)...Paul Wallace
Claude Messner (1954-59)...Jimmy Bates
Doyle Hobbs (1957-58)...Roger Smith
Ralph Little (1957-58)...Robert Chapman
April Adams (1957-58)...Sue George
Joyce Kendall (1958-59)...Roberta Shore
Studio:
Screen Gems Television
Network:
CBS, NBC, ABC
Release History:
10/3/54 - 3/27/55 CBS
8/31/55 - 9/17/58 NBC
9/22/58 - 9/17/62 CBS
9/62 - 4/63 ABC
8/31/55 - 9/17/58 NBC
9/22/58 - 9/17/62 CBS
9/62 - 4/63 ABC
Father Knows Best was one of the only sitcoms in history that stayed a top show in prime time through years of reruns. Usually, once a series hit reruns, ratings took a nosedive. Not this one. When Robert Young left the show in 1960, CBS (and later ABC) had continuing success broadcasting its reruns for three more years. It was obvious that fans never got tired of this family.
The show started on the radio in 1949, where Robert Young created the role of dad Jim Anderson. He reprised his role when the show was developed for television. His character was an insurance salesman who lived at 607 South Maple Street in Springfield, Ohio with his wife Margaret, his older daughter Betty (called “Princess” by her dad), son Bud, and youngest daughter Kathy (nicknamed “Kitten.”)
After work, Jim came home, got comfortable, and bonded with his family. When family members came to him with problems, he could solve them with a smile and a good word of advice. He was a great dad – when Kitten lost her beloved doll, Jim went out into the rainy night to find it for her.
The show first aired on CBS on Sunday nights at 10pm, but the time slot kept it from being an initial hit and it was cancelled after one season. When CBS was bombarded with letters from fans asking them to put it back on the air, NBC came to the rescue and picked up the show. They put it on at 8:30pm on Wednesday night, and the show became a huge hit. Before being cancelled in April of 1963, the show would air on all three networks and become a television institution.
In syndication today, it remains a television staple. The Andersons are the inspiration to families everywhere. Jim and Margaret were great parents who could fix all their children’s problems with wisdom and calm. The children were polite and respectful. All their problems were neatly solved at the end of each episode. What’s not to love?
