Bridget Loves Bernie (1972)

It's about a Jewish cab driver (David Birney) who marries a wealthy Catholic girl (Meredith Baxter).

This show has the distinction of being the highest rated series ever cancelled by any American network. It actually performed better than Mary Tyler Moore before it was canned!

What the heck happened?!?

....it was pressure from several Jewish and Catholic groups- who didn't want CBS to promote the idea of a "mixed marriage"- that forced the network to cancel the series after one season (to programmer Fred Silverman's eternal regret). Yes, it was one of the highest-rated series on CBS' Saturday night schedule [inbetween "ALL IN THE FAMILY" and "THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW"] duirng the 1972-'73 season, but again, most people just weren't ready for a modern variation of "Abie's Irish Rose"....

:tv:

Bridget Loves Bernie was supposed to get a dvd release a couple of years ago, then plans got scrapped.

...that "racial intolerance" had nothing to do with SONY's indefinite postponement of the DVD release; I believe it was more of a "financial intolerance" (that is, the fear of not making enough money to justify their releasing it on DVD in the first place).

:tv:

To think a show as sweet as this was one could be considered "inappropriate" to viewers, and could lead to it's cancellation.

...that "racial intolerance" had nothing to do with SONY's indefinite postponement of the DVD release; I believe it was more of a "financial intolerance" (that is, the fear of not making enough money to justify their releasing it on DVD in the first place).

:tv:
Oh no! I didn't realize it was owned by Sony! All you had to do was mention Sony, no wonder its not released. Sony Sucks!!!!

CBS caved into pressure, as they always do. Actually, the show really watered down the scripts after the first several episodes after the complaints started rolling in. The later episodes barely touch upon the religious themes at all.

.

A book was even written based on the show. Who knew? Anyway, so sad that a happy on-screen love turned into such a sour, ugly relationship in real life. :(

The book is not too hard to find; I picked up a nice copy a couple of years ago for under $1...!

Cool!! :cool: :D

The book is not too hard to find; I picked up a nice copy a couple of years ago for under $1...!


Me too. Every Jewish guy I knew loved this show. It was every Jewish guys dream - a rich, gorgeous, blonde gentile girl! That's why the Jewish groups complained, afraid too many guys would get ideas!

The ironic thing is that David Birney isn't even Jewish in real life. I believe he's Roman Catholic. The Catholic groups also protested, but according to Meredith Baxter's recent book, the Catholic group protests were nothing compared to the Jewish lobby. :eek: :eek: :eek:

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20471466,00.html

By Mike Fleeman

Friday, March 04, 2011 08:55 PM EST

Breaking his silence, David Birney issued a forceful denial of ex-wife Meredith Baxter's allegations he abused her during their 16-year marriage.

In a statement to PEOPLE on Friday, the actor, 71, calls her claims "an appalling abuse of the truth" and derided her new memoir, Untied, as "a kind of fairy tale."

After their divorce 20 years ago, he says, Baxter "conducted a relentless and brutal assault" for eight years against their shared custody of their three children in what he called an attempt "to destroy that arrangement and replace it with herself as sole custodian."

"During that time she arrived in court repeatedly with various lawyers and several therapists, 'recovered memories,' accusations of abuse – a common charge in custody disputes – and tales of our life together that bore little resemblance to truth – a mean spirited process that battered us all, especially the children," he says. "The court denied her suit on every occasion."

The pair continued to have shared custody until their children went to college, he says, adding, "This current recycled version of our family story is no more credible now than it was then."

Birney says he found it "immensely sad and truly absurd" that in the memoir Baxter "is unable to reclaim a single instance of joy or pleasure in all that time, not one occasion of love or delight or accomplishment in our entire life together as we built a family. Not one.

"Nothing from our first meeting to divorce. Nothing, in sixteen years. Really?" he continues.

"This blanket omission, this unrelieved denial of even a single instance of joy or pleasure in the creation of a family, the substance and amazing joy of raising children together, of simply being together with them during that time, is incomprehensible. And sad."

He concludes by saying, "Meredith’s own account of these years is its own rebuke to her credibility. "

In the memoir, Baxter, 63, who came out as a lesbian in 2009, claims that Birney struck her on more than one occasion.

"It was so sudden and unexpected, I couldn't tell you which hand hit me, or even how hard," she writes. "I do recall thinking, 'I'd better not get up because he's going to hit me again.' "

Her recent actions sound like those of a deeply troubled woman and one who is trying desperately to remain in the public eye as her career fades from memory.

Maybe, but I've always found David Birney a bit creepy and sinister-looking, and he came across as a bit of a phony. Plus, the fact that one of their shared children backed Meredith up on Oprah speaks volumes. So it may be a combination of both things, and again, this is just my opinion. In any case, it's just sad.

There's always 3 sides to every story like this. The two people's sides and the truth which lies somewhere in the middle.

^ That is so true. Plus, we the public will never really know all that went on. No matter which way you spin it, it's just a sad, sad story. :(

As is the once smokingly hot Mererdith changing teams. :(

^ You're not the only guy I've heard that sad lament from. :lol:

If I were CBS's head of network programming, I wouldn't even think about releasing a top-rated show from its contract, especially if it was only in its first season and ranked #5. I'd have Bridget Loves Bernie run for the entire 20th Olympiad (1972-76).

...CBS didn't want to offend anyone. And Fred Silverman knew that. Even though the series was in the "Top Five", he couldn't keep it on the air under all that controversy, and that's why he cancelled it after one season. If the series were produced today, there would have been very little objection to dramatizing a Jewish/Catholic marriage- even in a sitcom.

:tv:

It wasn't just a matter of not offending...lead-in 'All in the Family' offended plenty, and it generated lots of controversy.

Unlike 'All in the Family', which was basically sold out of ad availabilities at prices dictated by CBS, I seem to remember that 'Bridget Loves Bernie' suffered from advertiser skittishness, and CBS ad sales had a challenge in moving inventory at prices that the audience size should have merited.

Years later, ABC tried to do a similar show called Chicken Soup, starring Jackie Mason and Lynn Redgrave as the leads. A very young, pre-Criminal Intent Kathryn Erbe played Ms. Redgrave's teenaged daughter.

I wonder if there's hope for Sony to license BLB out.

Years later, ABC tried to do a similar show called Chicken Soup, starring Jackie Mason and Lynn Redgrave as the leads. A very young, pre-Criminal Intent Kathryn Erbe played Ms. Redgrave's teenaged daughter.
I watched Chicken Soup. That was a very unfunny sitcom. One of the biggest flops of all time considering the hype.

I never saw it, Sonny, but I'll take your word for it!! :eek:

I wonder if there's hope for Sony to license BLB out.


It was scheduled to come out a few years ago, at the same time as Family. Then it just got cancelled and was never put back on the schedule. I wouldn't doubt that they were transferred and authored to DVD and are not sitting in a warehouse somewhere collecting dust. I have them all from a combination of film prints and off HA network but I'd still like to get a pristine set. One of my favorite one-season sitcoms ever. I've never met a Jewish guy yet who didn't love the show and I think that's what the problem was.

I'd like to see it, period (as well as the remaining seasons of Family). It was on before I was born. Did Meredith Baxter and David Birney really have terrific on-screen chemistry?

It was scheduled to come out a few years ago, at the same time as Family. Then it just got cancelled and was never put back on the schedule. I wouldn't doubt that they were transferred and authored to DVD and are not sitting in a warehouse somewhere collecting dust. I have them all from a combination of film prints and off HA network but I'd still like to get a pristine set. One of my favorite one-season sitcoms ever. I've never met a Jewish guy yet who didn't love the show and I think that's what the problem was.
Yeah, I bet Shout! or M.P.I. will release it sooner or later. That's a good point that the show has probably been re-mastered and would be ready to go!

I'd like to see it, period (as well as the remaining seasons of Family). It was on before I was born. Did Meredith Baxter and David Birney really have terrific on-screen chemistry?


Not if you believe what she says now and how she was just pretending to like guys for 60 years.

Hmmm...maybe. But I've read other places where their on-screen chemistry was off the charts. I guess if one were to watch the episodes today, knowing how ugly their off-screen relationship became, the chemistry on-screen would take a back seat. I know I'm not really making sense, but I hope you all get the gist of what I'm trying to say.

Regardless of her sexual orientation, Meredith wouldn't have married the guy if she didn't have some very positive feelings for him at the time...! That's how I look at it -- it doesn't matter if she were gay, bisexual, etc., she could still be in a loving relationship. And we can't just apply her side to this -- David most likely was very turned on at times, and certainly that would come through!

Have any of you read Meredith's book? I read it with an open mind, knowing that she and David Birney are at odds about exactly what happened. It really is an interesting read - definitely worth reading and has lots of great photos!!!

How many seasons would BLB have ran for if not for the hate mail and complaints from the religious groups?

How many seasons would BLB have ran for if not for the hate mail and complaints from the religious groups?
Well it was in the top 5 when it was canceled. It probably could have ran for 6 or 7 years at least,

Well it was in the top 5 when it was canceled. It probably could have ran for 6 or 7 years at least,
To this day, BLB remains the highest rated show that was cancelled. The Andy Griffith Show was #1 in its final season, but Andy Griffith had already planned to leave, so it wasn't cancelled, just revamped into Mayberry, R.F.D. with a new star but some members of the supporting cast remaining.

Well it was in the top 5 when it was canceled. It probably could have ran for 6 or 7 years at least,


It's on YOUTUBE!! I will check it out tomorrow

It's on YOUTUBE!! I will check it out tomorrow
Sweet!! I'll have to check it out. :cool:

That series sounds really good! Hopefully one day it'll be on DVD and I can check it out!

If it ever does get the DVD treatment, I have to wonder if either Meredith or David would participate (commentaries, featurettes, etc.). If so, I'm sure all that stuff would be filmed separately. :eek:

I remember watching the show when it first aired. It was a cute show. Someone mentioned Shout! earlier. Maybe they'll release it one day. If I had to bet $ I'd bet on them. They've been wonderful about releasing shows I never thought would see the light of day again. In the meantime, there are the generous souls who post some eps on You Tube.

This is only my opinion, but I watched Bridget Loves Bernie and I thought it was just O.K. Nothing nearly as funny as the shows it was sandwiched between, and to me, a pale imitation of the far funnier Love on a Rooftop from about five years prior. The Jewish parents were more grating than funny, and I found Audra Lindley to be more irritating (if that's possible) here than on Three's Company or The Ropers. Nor did I detect the same chemistry between the leads as I did on Rooftop. Sony can keep it.

I see why this show was cancelled. In just the first episode there were numerous jokes about jews and one joke about Democrats. I guess a show like this was just too controversial to stay on at the time

I see why this show was cancelled. In just the first episode there were numerous jokes about jews and one joke about Democrats. I guess a show like this was just too controversial to stay on at the time
I believe it was on right after All in the Family, so how could it be too controversial? Except specifically-- religious leaders both Catholic and Jewish objected to the inner-faith marriage.

I believe it was on right after All in the Family, so how could it be too controversial? Except specifically-- religious leaders both Catholic and Jewish objected to the inner-faith marriage.


Well that explains the high ratings and if the show had been renewed it probably would have been on a different night as the lead in. Kind of like how CBS moved AITF to Saturday after doing well on Tuesdays

Well that explains the high ratings and if the show had been renewed it probably would have been on a different night as the lead in. Kind of like how CBS moved AITF to Saturday after doing well on Tuesdays
Meredith Baxter even wrote in her autobiography, "No offense to our show, but CBS could have aired a show about cleaning carpets and it would have done well in that time slot."

Meredith Baxter even wrote in her autobiography, "No offense to our show, but CBS could have aired a show about cleaning carpets and it would have done well in that time slot."



Yeah right in between All in the Family and Mary Tyler Moore. Nice slot lol

What's kind of ironic is that David Birney is Irish Catholic in real life, just like the character Meredith played.

I based my earlier post on my 40-year old memory of watching this show. Thinking I could change my opinion, I saw the pilot last night. I stand by my original view. The humor is heavy-handed and forced. The ethnic jokes are groaners and play offensively even today. The reaction of Audra Lindley to her daughter's boyfriend possibly being black is cringe-inducing, and just to top it all off, they cribbed a line from the Love on a Rooftop pilot when David Birney says: "You're rich!" Baxter counters with: "You make it sound like some sort of disease". Line for line. If this didn't make it following All In The Family, it's possibly because it isn't funny? If this got better ratings than Mary Tyler Moore it could be that people who started to watch this following Family switched channels midway through. Only Jerry Fielding's nice theme music comes through unscathed. A dreadful show.

MB said in her book that while it wasn't a great show, she was happy to be working with a great veteran cast and as a single working mom at the time, the pay was great. She knew that they weren't reinventing the wheel, but learned a lot from her co-stars. DB basically trashed the show to her and the media whenever he got the chance, and she basically said he probably wasn't wrong.

I based my earlier post on my 40-year old memory of watching this show. Thinking I could change my opinion, I saw the pilot last night. I stand by my original view. The humor is heavy-handed and forced. The ethnic jokes are groaners and play offensively even today. The reaction of Audra Lindley to her daughter's boyfriend possibly being black is cringe-inducing, and just to top it all off, they cribbed a line from the Love on a Rooftop pilot when David Birney says: "You're rich!" Baxter counters with: "You make it sound like some sort of disease". Line for line. If this didn't make it following All In The Family, it's possibly because it isn't funny? If this got better ratings than Mary Tyler Moore it could be that people who started to watch this following Family switched channels midway through. Only Jerry Fielding's nice theme music comes through unscathed. A dreadful show.

Elaborating on your points, with the controversial humor on AITF, we were laughing at the ignorance of Archie Bunker, as opposed to the subject matter, where as on BLB, that's not necessarily the case. So now I can see more how Bridget Loves Bernie could be considered more controversial.

Now you guys have me very curious. When I get a chance to watch an episode or two, I'll chime in here with my thoughts.

It's always hard to know what to think when you have two completely opposite views of something, in this case, the stars' relationship. One conclusion is obvious; someone is lying.

Kind of a bummer, too. I remember (dimly) watching this show as an 8 year old with my mom on Saturday nights and liking it, though to be honest I've no idea if I would like it today, it's been so long ago.

I based my earlier post on my 40-year old memory of watching this show. Thinking I could change my opinion, I saw the pilot last night. I stand by my original view. The humor is heavy-handed and forced. The ethnic jokes are groaners and play offensively even today. The reaction of Audra Lindley to her daughter's boyfriend possibly being black is cringe-inducing, and just to top it all off, they cribbed a line from the Love on a Rooftop pilot when David Birney says: "You're rich!" Baxter counters with: "You make it sound like some sort of disease". Line for line. If this didn't make it following All In The Family, it's possibly because it isn't funny? If this got better ratings than Mary Tyler Moore it could be that people who started to watch this following Family switched channels midway through. Only Jerry Fielding's nice theme music comes through unscathed. A dreadful show.


My reaction to this show is a wierd one. I kinda liked it even though it was uneven. Yes, it had its share of leaden moments, but it had tender ones too. Like the opening. And the premise was cute. I also think David Doyle is a good character actor. The show tried to be ground breaking and it gets an A for effort. But sometimes it tried too hard, which could make it trying.

Also for me it has nostalgic value. So, while I would enjoy watching eps that came my way for free (You Tube etc.), or might spend a few dollars for a 5 ep sampler, I would not likely collect it.

The pilot gave me a chance to see life in NYC in 1972 and I enjoyed it:)

The pilot gave me a chance to see life in NYC in 1972 and I enjoyed it:)
You're really a 1970s NYC guy at heart, aren't you, Sol? :cool:

The pilot gave me a chance to see life in NYC in 1972 and I enjoyed it:)

The show was not without its measure of charm, despite its flaws. As someone who lived in NYC in the 70s I can attest that it captured the flavor of the city well.

You're really a 1970s NYC guy at heart, aren't you, Sol? :cool:


I love NYC so much. Always have and was so excited when I had dinner in Manhattan 2 years ago and wanted to cry when it was time to leave and come back to philly:lol:

The show was not without its measure of charm, despite its flaws. As someone who lived in NYC in the 70s I can attest that it captured the flavor of the city well.
Sweet!!! :cool:

I love NYC so much. Always have and was so excited when I had dinner in Manhattan 2 years ago and wanted to cry when it was time to leave and come back to philly:lol:
Awwww...that's a great story. :cool:

Now you guys have me very curious. When I get a chance to watch an episode or two, I'll chime in here with my thoughts.

The show is worth a look at least for the nostalgia value, it represents the 1972-73 era well.

The show is worth a look at least for the nostalgia value, it represents the 1972-73 era well.
:cool: :D

I based my earlier post on my 40-year old memory of watching this show. Thinking I could change my opinion, I saw the pilot last night. I stand by my original view. The humor is heavy-handed and forced. The ethnic jokes are groaners and play offensively even today. The reaction of Audra Lindley to her daughter's boyfriend possibly being black is cringe-inducing, and just to top it all off, they cribbed a line from the Love on a Rooftop pilot when David Birney says: "You're rich!" Baxter counters with: "You make it sound like some sort of disease". Line for line. If this didn't make it following All In The Family, it's possibly because it isn't funny? If this got better ratings than Mary Tyler Moore it could be that people who started to watch this following Family switched channels midway through. Only Jerry Fielding's nice theme music comes through unscathed. A dreadful show.

Dreadful? I love the show. One of my favorites of all-time. Very funny, great leads with great chemistry. The black joke was hysterical. I guess you aren't old enough to remember when the world was normal and everything under the sun wasn't looked at as acceptable. Now if people actually do date their own kind, its abnormal.

Dreadful? I love the show. One of my favorites of all-time. Very funny, great leads with great chemistry. The black joke was hysterical. I guess you aren't old enough to remember when the world was normal and everything under the sun wasn't looked at as acceptable. Now if people actually do date their own kind, its abnormal.
Yet another example of why POLITICAL CORRECTNESS SUCKS!!!!

The WB Shop released this series on 12/4


http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/graphics/news3/BridgetLovesBernie_Complete.jpg


http://www.wbshop.com/product/code/1000380207.do?AID=10811526&PID=3848399&ref=CJP

I ordered a copy :)

The WB Shop released this series on 12/4


http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/graphics/news3/BridgetLovesBernie_Complete.jpg


http://www.wbshop.com/product/code/1000380207.do?AID=10811526&PID=3848399&ref=CJP

I really love the opening theme. I like to watch it on Youtube.

Watched the first 2 episodes. The show holds up well, is very funny. I find it interesting that people are so brainwashed by modern TV, where nobody looks at anything as abnormal and they accept everything (other than Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing). People believe that's how the world is when it isn't that way. At least BLB shows how people react realistically to different cultures. Too bad the religious groups shut it down. Plus, how hot was the young, heterosexual Meredith Baxter?

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lifib6SLDj1qgl4u1o1_500.jpg

I like both the mothers, Sophie Steinberg and Amy Fitzgerald, and Uncle Moe. They're all very comical!:lol:

Screen Gems specialized in young couples comedies. I would love to see them continue in this vein with Love on a Rooftop, Occasional Wife, Nancy, The Good Life, The Paul Lynde Show, Temperature Rising, Second Hundred Years, Farmer's Daughter. Love all of those shows.

I never seen this show & don't plan on buying it (even though I do like David Birney) but it gives me hope for the superior LOVE ON A ROOFTOP being released soon.

I never seen this show & don't plan on buying it (even though I do like David Birney) but it gives me hope for the superior LOVE ON A ROOFTOP being released soon.

Thanks for that important input. :crazy:

The WB Shop released this series on 12/4


http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/graphics/news3/BridgetLovesBernie_Complete.jpg


http://www.wbshop.com/product/code/1000380207.do?AID=10811526&PID=3848399&ref=CJP

I'm always happy to hear when a new show rolls out on DVD because I know how much it means to fans of the show. I remember how ecstatic I was when Room 222 and The Paper Chase came out. So BLB fans, enjoy! I'm tempted to get this myself but have waay to many DVDs already (I live in a small apartment.). Like I said in an earlier post, this show really did have it moments of charm.

(I've had to really discipline myself not to buy anymore or at least very rarely. I did break down & get S#3 of Hot In Cleveland - I don't have cable and am gaga over Betty White)

Anybody got this to trade?

Jewish working-class cab driver Bernie Steinberg (David Birney, TV's "St. Elsewhere") falls in love at first sight with privileged Catholic teacher Bridget Fitzgerald (Meredith Baxter, TV's "Family Ties"), and they find themselves in a whirlwind romance. While their love is constant, their parents are constantly meddling, both sides uncomfortable with each other's social status and religion. Also starring David Doyle (TV's "Charlie's Angels") and Audra Lindley (TV's "Three's Company"), Bridget Loves Bernie was a situation comedy ahead of its time.

Read my review of Bridget Loves Bernie - The Complete Series here:
http://www.sitcomsonline.com/bridgetlovesberniethecompleteseriesdvdreview.html

I always knew about the protests from religious groups regarding "Bridget Loves Birney" but never knew it did well in the ratings. Overall, I have also heard the show was not that great but placed in a very good time slot. Pretty much like how "Family Ties" (Which also stared Ms. Baxter) became popular.

I based my earlier post on my 40-year old memory of watching this show. Thinking I could change my opinion, I saw the pilot last night. I stand by my original view. The humor is heavy-handed and forced. The ethnic jokes are groaners and play offensively even today. The reaction of Audra Lindley to her daughter's boyfriend possibly being black is cringe-inducing, and just to top it all off, they cribbed a line from the Love on a Rooftop pilot when David Birney says: "You're rich!" Baxter counters with: "You make it sound like some sort of disease". Line for line. If this didn't make it following All In The Family, it's possibly because it isn't funny? If this got better ratings than Mary Tyler Moore it could be that people who started to watch this following Family switched channels midway through. Only Jerry Fielding's nice theme music comes through unscathed. A dreadful show.

I have been wondering after reading various websites and threads on this site, if the show did well only because of it's controversy and if it would have died after the controversy died. Any thoughts here?

I believe it was on right after All in the Family, so how could it be too controversial? Except specifically-- religious leaders both Catholic and Jewish objected to the inner-faith marriage.

Intefaith marraige wasn't as popular at that time as it is today.

Oh no! I didn't realize it was owned by Sony! All you had to do was mention Sony, no wonder its not released. Sony Sucks!!!!

http://thiswastv.com/2012/09/25/1970s-fun-flops-bridget-loves-bernie/

So in the end, the winner of the battle to create a hit big-studio, single-camera comedy in the new era was Fox, whose TV division was able to live off M*A*S*H for the next decade. Screen Gems’ next move was a bit schizo: the following year it went all in on trying to bring back the ’60s by hiring back Sally Field and (with Slade writing, again) starring her in an old-fashioned supernatural comedy, The Girl With Something Extra. They also took a very tentative step into MTM-style multi-camera comedy with a TV adaptation of the movie Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice. Both shows bombed, and the Screen Gems name was folded into the more prosaic Columbia Pictures Television; the studio would find some success in drama production, but as a sitcom supplier, Columbia had few hits and would spend most of the next decade distributing shows by independent producers like Susan Harris, Danny Arnold, and Lear. The Columbia sitcom empire was laid low, destroyed by changing times and the backlash against the Birneys.

CBS caved into pressure, as they always do. Actually, the show really watered down the scripts after the first several episodes after the complaints started rolling in. The later episodes barely touch upon the religious themes at all.

http://thiswastv.com/2012/09/25/1970s-fun-flops-bridget-loves-bernie/

The pilot of Bridget has some utterly terrible jokes, mostly when Slade tries to get with-it and imitate All in the Family: the ethnic jokes, the bit when Bridget’s father (David Doyle) thinks his daughter is marrying a black man, the line “do you take one or two lumps in your Jew?” (a straight steal from All in the Family, except not funny). It’s not quite as terrible as its reputation, but it’s not as confident and charming as the Screen Gems product of the ’60s—it has none of the charm of Love On a Rooftop, a romantic sitcom that was Slade’s own favorite of his creations. (Slade would soon leave TV and become a very successful playwright; his first play, Same Time Next Year, was one of the biggest hits of the decade.) It’s a cutesy show full of cutesy acting—way too cute to follow All in the Family, though it’s not impossible to see how it could improve. The reviews weren’t even all that bad originally.

The show didn’t improve, though. Unlike Fox, which gave Larry Gelbart free rein to toughen and improve M*A*S*H after its shaky start, Screen Gems never really bought into the idea of a strong writer controlling a show (which may explain why Danny Arnold only lasted a year on Bewitched), and Slade was not going to do it one way or the other. “ wrote the pilot but smartly declined to get involved with the series,” wrote Arnold Kane, another Canadian comedy writer who became a writer-producer on the show. “He was happy collecting his handsome royalty. Bern likes to sleep late and still does.” He would write episodes when asked, but he would never run a show. That was fine, maybe even part of the point, in the Screen Gems system. But it meant that the show was at the mercy of freelance writers. That too was fine in the ’60s, when there were more good freelancers; not so fine in the ’70s, when the newer sitcoms had put a lot of the best people on staff.

So as the show bumbled along with weak scripts, it got good ratings in its wonderful hammock slot, but its level of respect was about on a level with Suddenly Susan or ¡Rob! or any other time-slot hit you’d prefer to forget. Arnold Kane wrote in his memoir, My Meteoric Rise to Obscurity, that even though the show was a ratings hit, “no one in the business liked it.” Cramer, bothered by this, asked Kane and his partner Gordon Farr to run the show, and the new writers decided that the problem with the show (apart from Birney, who considered himself too good to do television) was that it was weighed down by the in-laws: the Bewitched formula of using eccentric middle-aged actors was distracting attention from the only thing the show had going for it, the attractive young couple. “We informed Cramer and Columbia that we’d only come back if we could ‘ship’ Bernie’s family to Florida and bring them back if a script need them,” Kane wrote. CBS executives, understandably, didn’t care for the idea of massively retooling a hit show.

Anyway, it never got tested one way or the other, because something happened that CBS and Columbia had not been prepared for: Bridget Loves Bernie, the cute little show with a time-tested premise, became controversial. Really controversial. Much more controversial than most shows that go out of their way to court controversy. The people who made, tested, and greenlit the show seemingly had not realized that interfaith marriage was a very sensitive topic, and many Jewish viewers were outraged by its cavalier treatment in the show. Edward Fiske wrote in a New York Times report on the controversy that “Leaders of virtually the entire spectrum of American religious Judaism have asked the Columbia Broadcasting System to withdraw the program on the ground that it makes intermarriage look ‘mod’ and thus mocks a basic teaching of Judaism.”

In his autobiography, Shared Laughter, Bernard Slade recalled attending a Variety Club meeting in Toronto and hearing a rabbi referring to him as “a man who, in his honor, had three thousand trees uprooted in Israel.'” John Mitchell, who was president of Screen Gems at the time, dazedly told the Times that “while we recognize that interfaith marriage is a reality in today’s society, I don’t for a single moment believe that Bridget Loves Bernie is advocating it or that any couple would be influenced by it.” In other words, he found himself using the same boilerplate language that producers of dramas were using to respond to the TV-violence police.

[B]Part of what happened here is just that TV executives don’t recognize certain social trends until it’s too late: in this case, they probably didn’t get that there would be a more specifically religious backlash than there was in the ’20s. But the backlash may have been stronger because the show acted like it had no idea that there was anything sensitive about the issue. All in the Family was controversial, but it was also openly tough and rough, looking for trouble—they expected the angry letters. Bridget was, in style and tone, a ’60s Screen Gems show given a ’70s makeover: the subject matter was controversial, but the writing and filming proceeded as if everything was adorable and escapist. The spokesman for the Synagogue Council of America disgustedly told Fiske that the show “treats intermarriage in a cavalier, cute, condoning fashion, and deals with its inevitable problems as though they’re instantly solvable.” A typical Screen Gems sitcom, that is. That’s the way Bewitched did it. Only this was, theoretically, a real world, and the writers weren’t prepared for the fallout that happens when a comedy dips its toe into the real world.

I may have seen an episode or two (maybe just some snippets here and there) of Bridget Loves Bernie, but I never knew the whole story behind the sitcom's premise. It just did not seem to be a show that I would like and I never tuned in or watched like I watched other shows of the time.
It is interesting that (reportedly) it was about the romantic relationship between a Catholic woman and a Jewish man and that there was an uproar about such a set-up for the characters.

It was a really cute show ! A shame it wasn't on longer!!!


http://nostalgiacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/bridgetlovesbernie_022.jpg

It was a really cute show ! A shame it wasn't on longer!!!


http://nostalgiacentral.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/bridgetlovesbernie_022.jpg

Blame the stupid religious groups, and CBS for bowing down to them.

....it was pressure from several Jewish and Catholic groups- who didn't want CBS to promote the idea of a "mixed marriage"- that forced the network to cancel the series after one season (to programmer Fred Silverman's eternal regret). Yes, it was one of the highest-rated series on CBS' Saturday night schedule [inbetween "ALL IN THE FAMILY" and "THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW"] duirng the 1972-'73 season, but again, most people just weren't ready for a modern variation of "Abie's Irish Rose"....

:tv:

That's right... I do remember really liking that show, and I was an avid watcher of both the shows before and after it.

But it just sort of quietly "went away", didn't it?

I may have seen an episode or two (maybe just some snippets here and there) of Bridget Loves Bernie, but I never knew the whole story behind the sitcom's premise. It just did not seem to be a show that I would like and I never tuned in or watched like I watched other shows of the time.
It is interesting that (reportedly) it was about the romantic relationship between a Catholic woman and a Jewish man and that there was an uproar about such a set-up for the characters.

Hmmmm... could be you are onto something... what WAS on at the same time as B Loves B?

Could very well be that I may have done some channel surfing a lot of the time that season.

Hmmmm... could be you are onto something... what WAS on at the same time as B Loves B?


Emergency and Alias Smith & Jones.

Reads like a mini-history of a successful sitcom factory. Wasn't it "Father Knows Best" that put Columbia-Screen Gems on the map?

I based my earlier post on my 40-year old memory of watching this show. Thinking I could change my opinion, I saw the pilot last night. I stand by my original view. The humor is heavy-handed and forced. The ethnic jokes are groaners and play offensively even today. The reaction of Audra Lindley to her daughter's boyfriend possibly being black is cringe-inducing, and just to top it all off, they cribbed a line from the Love on a Rooftop pilot when David Birney says: "You're rich!" Baxter counters with: "You make it sound like some sort of disease". Line for line. If this didn't make it following All In The Family, it's possibly because it isn't funny? If this got better ratings than Mary Tyler Moore it could be that people who started to watch this following Family switched channels midway through. Only Jerry Fielding's nice theme music comes through unscathed. A dreadful show.

If BLB stole from Love on a Rooftop, then the creator, Bernard Slade, stole from himself, since he created both shows. He also created The Partridge Family & The Girl with Something Extra, and he also developed The Flying Nun.

The apparent real reason it was cancelled was the drop off of the shows ratings after All In The Family. CBS research showed that too many people switched off All In The Family, before tuning back into Mary Tyler Moore. However others say Jewish groups pressured the network in canning the show.

Watched the first 2 episodes. The show holds up well, is very funny. I find it interesting that people are so brainwashed by modern TV, where nobody looks at anything as abnormal and they accept everything (other than Tim Allen's character on Last Man Standing). People believe that's how the world is when it isn't that way. At least BLB shows how people react realistically to different cultures. Too bad the religious groups shut it down. Plus, how hot was the young, heterosexual Meredith Baxter?

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lifib6SLDj1qgl4u1o1_500.jpg

Damn, she's stunning.

On Stuck in the 70s's (now Mr. Television) point on page 3 on Bridget Loves Bernie being a long-runner if not for the early cancellation: In any "What if" scenario on Bridget Loves Bernie being a long-running series, there are a few factors to consider:

Meredith Baxter and David Birney got married in real life, a year after BLB's cancellation.

Ms. Baxter's first pregnancy (could that have been written into BLB)?

Ms. Baxter's role as Nancy Lawrence-Maitland in the late-70s ABC drama titled Family would have had to go to a different actress.

Under this scenario, I think M*A*S*H would have been cancelled after one season due to low ratings, or moved to another network (like NBC or ABC), and BLB would have taken all of M*A*S*H's timeslots.

Blame the stupid religious groups, and CBS for bowing down to them.

Why didn't the early 70s American television sitcom "Bridget Loves Bernie" starring Meredith Ann Baxter and David Birney last more than one season? (https://www.quora.com/Why-didnt-the-early-70s-American-television-sitcom-Bridget-Loves-Bernie-starring-Meredith-Ann-Baxter-and-David-Birney-last-more-than-one-season/answer/Jon-Mixon-1)


It’s not really funny (https://jacksonupperco.com/2014/07/23/love-is-crazy-a-look-at-bridget-loves-bernie/) - Unfortunately while the late David Birney (https://www.datalounge.com/thread/30757662-david-birney-is-dead-to-me!) and Meredith Baxter were an attractive couple, their sitcom timing left much to be desired. Coupled with the surprisingly weak writing, the series (https://web.archive.org/web/20061031140140/http://www.jumptheshark.com/b/bridgetlovesbernie.htm) was always going to have a rough time and its premature failure (https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/p4nsot/til_bridget_loves_bernie_was_the_5_tv_show_of_the/) was the result.

Birney never gelled with audiences - Since he passed away recently I have thought about his roles on television and in films and I really cannot remember a single instance where Birney stood out from the crowd. While he was obviously a talented performer, he really never attracted the audiences that he needed to become and remain famous. The series was just another indicator of that.

The series (http://www.tellytalk.net/threads/bridget-loves-bernie.11400/) was (in what would be very amusing today) controversial as it depicted an interfaith marriage - It’s difficult for most audiences today to get their minds around it, but marrying outside of your religious faith was viewed with a great deal of controversy and even depictions of it were viewed as being “disturbing”. Had the series possibly downplayed the religious divide, the series might have lasted longer. However, it was a core theme of the narrative and the show was dropped despite its relatively high ratings.

Damn, she's stunning.

Sometimes you don't switch teams, but the team switches you...


https://www.nickiswift.com/img/gallery/the-untold-truth-of-meredith-baxter/l-intro-1659387459.jpg