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Father Knows Best

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TV Series

The Resume

    (October 3, 1954-May 23, 1960)
    Situation comedy series
    Robert Young as Jim Anderson
    Jane Wyatt as Margaret Anderson
    Elinor Donahue as Betty Anderson
    Billy Gray as Bud Anderson
    Lauren Chapin as Kathy Anderson
    Based on the radio series of the same name
    Follows the misadventures of the Anderson family, usually with the plot getting resolved by Jim, the wiser-than-his-years father figure

Why Father Knows Best might be annoying:

    It's short-hand for the idyllic milquetoast 'Nuclear family' formula all sitcoms now try to subvert.
    It switched networks three times - jumping from CBS to NBC and then to CBS again (and reruns aired in prime time on ABC).
    The show was set in a town called Springfield (gee, could ya narrow that down a bit?)
    It was a soft-sell of its edgier radio predecessor, whose Jim would make cracks like 'what a bunch of stupid children I have!'
    Lauren Chapin was made to keep wearing little girl dresses despite being well past puberty by the show's end.
    The cast shot two TV reunion movies, setting precedent for the god-awful 'Very Brady' romps.
    A frequent plot device was the family's buffoonish gardner - 'Fronk' Smith (Natividad Vacio) who belonged in the Mexican stereotype Hall of Fame.

Why Father Knows Best might not be annoying:

    It was wholesome family fare.
    It survived cancellation twice.
    It ran in primetime for three years after its cancellation.
    It was on airing on ABC when JFK was shot, preempting regular programming.
    It grew more popular in its later seasons (the direct opposite of most hit shows).
    Jim Anderson ranked #6 in TV Guide's list of the '50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time' (June 2004).
    Unlike his counterparts on Ozzie and Harriet and Leave It to Beaver, we actually knew what Jim did for a living (insurance salesman).
    It guest-starred Greer Garson (as herself) and a young Rita Moreno as a foreign exchange student.
    The model for the Anderson House was recycled for I Dream of Jeannie, Dennis the Menace, and Bewitched.
    Robert Young became a cultural icon as the upbeat, happy, All-American father despite struggling with depression throughout his time on the show.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 20.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 17 Votes: 64.71% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying