I read Patty wanted another younger actor to play the character but instead we get Eddie Applegate. A man over a decade older and married. His Richard was kind of annoying & only in sitcomland will girls drool over him especially Sue Ellen. He wasn't exactly a heartthrob.

From a visual standpoint, Eddie Applegate's Richard character and Patty may not have looked like the ideal couple, but they did manage to have fairly good chemistry during their time acting together on the show. I'm not a big fan of Richard either, but there are some episodes where he has his good moments.

I can see the viewpoints against Richard. He is not the best looking guy, and his character was kinda a goofball. That said Eddie Appelgate was a great actor and he and Patty had great chemestry. It wasnt until a few years ago, that I found out that he was nearly a decade older than Patty. Now I watch the episodes and he looks too old to be playing a teenager.

I can see the viewpoints against Richard. He is not the best looking guy, and his character was kinda a goofball. That said Eddie Appelgate was a great actor and he and Patty had great chemestry. It wasnt until a few years ago, that I found out that he was nearly a decade older than Patty. Now I watch the episodes and he looks too old to be playing a teenager.


Richard was funny! He seemed like a good boyfriend for Patty, he wasn't Hot, but not ugly either! :)

BTW. Patty Duke show is my older sister's all time favorite show! :)

If you never knew the actors ages, you never wonder how old they were. I remember seeing the show in the early 1970's for the first time.

I read Patty wanted another younger actor to play the character but instead we get Eddie Applegate. A man over a decade older and married. His Richard was kind of annoying & only in sitcomland will girls drool over him especially Sue Ellen. He wasn't exactly a heartthrob.


Patty tended to like younger men ! ;) Her and Desi Arnaz Jr. had a pretty hot and heavy thing going and he was a lot younger than her! :)


http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTAyNFg4OTE=/z/1PEAAMXQeW5TboUH/$_35.JPG

With Patty's mind always going this way and that way, her sort-of steady had to be a character who didn't analyze everything down to the ground. Week in and week out, Richard and brother Ross were the most consistently funny characters on tghe show.

Agree - they were cast well and both played their parts like champs - imho

Did you think that Patty didn't treat him that well? There were some episodes where she dated other guys and left him behind. There was also an episode where Cathy and Richard went out together after Patty broke a date with him. When she saw how well they were getting along, she wasn't too happy about it. She kind of took him for granted.

Patty was NOT nice to Richard at times - just like real life teens can be (adults as well).

He was kind of a dork, and Patty treated him like dirt much of the time. She just took him for granted, assumed he'd always be available, and he was.

I just watched an episode where Patty didn't give Richard a definite answer when he asked her to the school dance, because she was waiting to see if someone 'more gorgeous' would ask her, instead. Then there was another episode where Patty broke up with Richard after she heard that the football captain liked her. She really was not likable at times. ��