MeTV is bringing back My Three Sons to their lineup and they're running the black and white shows this time! I posted about this in the MeTV schedule thread, but here's what they posted on their website:

"Steven Douglas and his clan are back — starting from the very beginning with episodes never before seen on MeTV. Relive the story of Mike, Robbie and Chip on My Three Sons, weekdays at 7:30AM | 6:30C."

They're running two episodes every day starting on May 29 at 7:30 a.m. Eastern.

But will seasons one and two have the altered music from the dvds? I hope not!

THAT IS EXCELLENT!!! I've been calling and wishing some station would do this ever since TV Land took the b/w eps. off. I'm thrilled. Now I only hope Me TV will finally show the final (also always skipped) 2 seasons of the show, the Robless, Polly, & toddler aged triplets years. I would really like to see these, this would be an American broadcast first since they were first seen. The only versions I have seen of these last 2 years were from the Canadian broadcasts several years back.

Now this is really great news.

It would be nice if they show all 380 episodes.

Looks like I got MeTV just in time to see these gems!!! Can't wait!

It would be nice if they show all 380 episodes.
Has any network ever did this?

Has any network ever did this?

Maybe TV Land?

Has any network ever did this?
I'm not sure. I didn't get N & N when they had it. I don't know if they had the color shows or not. Same with TV Land. I always get the networks too late. Growing up in the 70's only the color episodes were syndicated. I don't think the last season ever was either. It would be nice if they would though. It would be something different. I've only seen a handful of the b & W episodes.

Has any network ever did this?
I don't think so. TV Land never ran the second half of season 11 or any of season 12. Nick at Nite never had the main color package on a regular basis. Did Odyssey/Hallmark ever run the black and white shows? They ran all of the color ones, including seasons 11 and 12.

This is great! I've just seen bits and pieces of this show but it is one I would like to check out more. I only wish they would show it at night instead of early mornings. It would be great if Decades does another binge of this and could show both black and white and color episodes.

It would be nice if they show all 380 episodes.

Not that I know of, but I wish. Whoever thought splitting them into two separate packages was a good idea must be an idiot.

I don't think so. TV Land never ran the second half of season 11 or any of season 12. Nick at Nite never had the main color package on a regular basis. Did Odyssey/Hallmark ever run the black and white shows? They ran all of the color ones, including seasons 11 and 12.

I think Odyssey ran only the color episodes. They included S11/S12, but they were heavily edited. It would be nice to get the MeTV version of these seasons. If the package is as it was originally, the B/W seasons package (inexplicably) included S11 and S12.

Back when TVLand had it, they had the first half of S11, the part that included the Chip/Polly elopement story arc. But the package was later changed to eliminate all of S11 from the more-used syndication package.

One thing we can hope for: MeTV does NOT use the commercial DVDs for the first two seasons (which they use for other programs such as Brady Bunch and Leave It To Beaver)--all the episode music was changed (other than the DeVol opening/closing theme), due to licensing problems from the Capitol Records library.

MeTV is becoming a near-perfect network. Now if the could just work some magic for The Donna Reed Show!

I think Odyssey ran only the color episodes. They included S11/S12, but they were heavily edited. It would be nice to get the MeTV version of these seasons. If the package is as it was originally, the B/W seasons package (inexplicably) included S11 and S12.

Back when TVLand had it, they had the first half of S11, the part that included the Chip/Polly elopement story arc. But the package was later changed to eliminate all of S11 from the more-used syndication package.

One thing we can hope for: MeTV does NOT use the commercial DVDs for the first two seasons (which they use for other programs such as Brady Bunch and Leave It To Beaver)--all the episode music was changed (other than the DeVol opening/closing theme), due to licensing problems from the Capitol Records library.

MeTV is becoming a near-perfect network. Now if the could just work some magic for The Donna Reed Show!
Yea I would love to see the Patty Peterson episodes.

Not that I know of, but I wish. Whoever thought splitting them into two separate packages was a good idea must be an idiot.
It was done back in the 1970s when stations were hesitant to show anything in black and white (unless it was something super popular like I Love Lucy) and splitting it in two would make it more affordable to stations and therefore, hopefully they'd make more sales to more stations.

It was done back in the 1970s when stations were hesitant to show anything in black and white (unless it was something super popular like I Love Lucy) and splitting it in two would make it more affordable to stations and therefore, hopefully they'd make more sales to more stations.
Yea they did the same thing with Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie and Petticoat Junction. Luckily TAGS and Beverly Hillbillies were kept intact. I guess because most consider those the superior episodes.

Now, the way My Three Sons was split into two packages was dumb. Why include the last 36 episodes of the series with the five black and white seasons? Wouldn't it have made more sense to just make one package all the black and white episodes and one all the color ones? When Nick at Nite had the B&W/final episodes package, they had a promo about the fact that you could see the kids literally grow up overnight.

Now, the way My Three Sons was split into two packages was dumb. Why include the last 36 episodes of the series with the five black and white seasons? Wouldn't it have made more sense to just make one package all the black and white episodes and one all the color ones? When Nick at Nite had the B&W/finale episodes package, they had a promo about the fact that you could see the kids literally grow up overnight.

Yes, it was ridiculous, and it's always been split. Odyssey probably had to buy both packages and eat the cost of not showing the B/W episodes. No one else has been willing to do that (understandably). I hope MeTV's package includes those elusive last 2 seasons. They could probably hire one or both of the Livingstons and make jokes out of the growing up, too.

Yes, it was ridiculous, and it's always been split. Odyssey probably had to buy both packages and eat the cost of not showing the B/W episodes. No one else has been willing to do that (understandably). I hope MeTV's package includes those elusive last 2 seasons. They could probably hire one or both of the Livingstons and make jokes out of the growing up, too.
I think they worked out some sort of deal with TV Land. The color episodes popped up on Odyssey the exact same time TV Land's brief run of the black and white shows started.

So cool!!! I can't wait!!!:) :wave:

Ronne Troup doesn't get enough love. I'd take a Polly episode over Dodie any day.

KVOS, METV Seattle preempts METV AT that time for Christian programming.

Odyssey did run the BWs in the spring and summer of 2000. I recorded many on VHS back then.

I was watching Seasons 11 and 12 back around 2000, I think on the Hallmark channel? Regardless they were being aired in the U.S. at that time. Troupe fan here! (controlled drool) Golden Goddess!

Kudos to MeTV for deciding to get the early seasons, I haven't seen Seasons 2 through 5 in so many years. My favorites tended to be ones that centered on Mike (Tim Considine), especially with Jean.

Petticoat Junction fans will eventually see Meredith MacRae (as Sally) and Family Affair fans will see Sebastian Cabot as her character's father...!

It's funny to see Rob (Don Grady) in the early years -- there were girls so hot at times that his later self would have made a play, definitely, but he hadn't matured.

I was watching Seasons 11 and 12 back around 2000, I think on the Hallmark channel? Regardless they were being aired in the U.S. at that time. Troupe fan here! (controlled drool) Golden Goddess!


Yes, that was back when Hallmark was called Odyssey. I agree on Troupe.

I'm not really a fan of My Three Sons but this is obviously good news for those who like the show.

With Antenna TV airing some long unseen sitcoms, MeTV probably figured they need to come up with something too so they struck a deal to air early seasons of My Three Sons.

It would be great if someone with inside knowledge could find out if they also have S11/S12. Of course, I'm not sure if there's time in the Summer of Me to show all of this, even with 2 per day.

I'm glad to read this. Me-TV has been really good about showing rarely-syndicated episodes of some series, such as B&W Gunsmoke episodes and "lost" Bonanza episodes. I do remember seeing B&W My Three Sons episodes, and even a brief look at a late season color episode (where the triplets were in a tv commercial), when Nick-at-Nite had the series, so I'm happy that Me-TV has picked up the classic tv banner that Nick/TVL have mostly dropped in recent years.

Back when My Three Sons was first syndicated, in the 1970s, stations still bought reruns on a per episode/# of runs basis. There is no way any station would have been interested in 380 episodes of any show. Ideally, they wanted enough episodes to go six months without a rerun. And they selected the color episodes because there was a limited supply of color shows available for reruns in the early 1970s.

The way the show was syndicated made perfect sense from a business standpoint: it maximized revenues (an attractive, affordable syndication package), while minimizing costs (160 vs 380 episodes to strike prints for and ship - no satellite distribution back then).

Some of the really big hits - "Beverly Hillbillies", "Bewitched", "Bonanza" - were able to go to market with larger syndication packages, but "My Three Sons" was not in their league in terms of popularity.

I can't wait to start recording these episodes on DVD! Phooey with waiting on CBS to release the (heavily edited) DVDs.

It would be great if someone with inside knowledge could find out if they also have S11/S12. Of course, I'm not sure if there's time in the Summer of Me to show all of this, even with 2 per day.

At 2 per day, season 5 would wrap up on October 3.

Decades is doing a My Three Sons binge on June 9-11. It's all color episodes and mostly the same color episodes they've shown before, but they are running the first seven episodes of season 11. Has MeTV or Decades shown those before?

No, season 11 hasn't been syndicated for years. Years ago, the first few episodes of season 11 were part of the syndication package (the Chip/Polly elopement story arc, and TV Land showed it), then were eliminated and made part of the S1-S5 package. The S11 episodes included went up to an episode where Ernie and his girlfriend used the power of suggestion and trickery (moving shelves down, etc.) to try to convince Uncle Charley he was getting taller, for a school project.

As has been stated elsewhere in this thread, these syndication packages have NEVER made any sense. The B/W episodes could have been one package, and the color episodes could be the other package. Or, it could have been logically split as S1-S7 (the Bryant Park episodes), and S8-S12 (the California episodes).

I still don't know whether ME TV will be showing Seasons 11 & 12, I kind of doubt it, but wouldn't it be terrific if they did? :D

I did record from Nick At Nite years ago the few season 11 episodes talked about along with the Fergus 4 episode arc, but that was all they showed of Season 11. It wasn't until I saw the episodes on Odyssey that I saw all of S.11 & 12, that is since when they were first broadcast on CBS. I used to watch this show every Saturday night, as I recall it, I think it was on at 7:30 pm. I don't remember watching the Bub years when they were originally on though, but the color Ernie years I definitely was there from the original broadcasts as a kid.

I don't know how active MeTV is on Facebook (I can't get onto Facebook), but hopefully some social media guru could find out their plans for S11/S12, and report them.

One thing I remember from S12: Don Grady was gone from the series, and Katie and the triplets moved back into the house. Where a linen cabinet had been, suddenly there was a bedroom for Katie.

I don't think it's hard to understand about why the original syndication package was crafted the way it was. The color episodes were much more saleable to local stations in the 1970s, and the local stations weren't interested in a package of almost 200 episodes of a modest hit like MTS. So Viacom slimmed down the package to what the market would bear. This was a regular practice ("Bonanza", "Petticoat Junction", "Mannix", "Hawaii Five-0", etc) back then.

Bonanza was a much bigger hit than MTS, but the syndicator knew that stations wouldn't want over 400 episodes of even a huge hit like that. So they created two smaller syndication packages (260, plus an option for an addition 50 episodes) and put the remainder on the shelf. Most stations only took the 260 episode package.

BTW, the other episodes of MTS (B&Ws, plus last couple of color seasons) weren't originally meant to be their own "package"; they were just the leftovers that Nick at Nite scooped up in the 1980s, while local stations were still showing the official syndication package.

I don't think it's hard to understand about why the original syndication package was crafted the way it was. The color episodes were much more saleable to local stations in the 1970s, and the local stations weren't interested in a package of almost 200 episodes of a modest hit like MTS. So Viacom slimmed down the package to what the market would bear. This was a regular practice ("Bonanza", "Petticoat Junction", "Mannix", "Hawaii Five-0", etc) back then.

Bonanza was a much bigger hit than MTS, but the syndicator knew that stations wouldn't want over 400 episodes of even a huge hit like that. So they created two smaller syndication packages (260, plus an option for an addition 50 episodes) and put the remainder on the shelf. Most stations only took the 260 episode package.

BTW, the other episodes of MTS (B&Ws, plus last couple of color seasons) weren't originally meant to be their own "package"; they were just the leftovers that Nick at Nite scooped up in the 1980s, while local stations were still showing the official syndication package.

A local channel manager told me a few years ago that the only package available was what they were showing at the time (which was what MeTV last showed; i.e. seasons 6 thru 10). So the quoted material is absolutely right in that regard. At some point Viacom changed the package, to omit the approximately half of season 11 (including the Chip and Polly elopement story arc) which had been included. TVLand and the local channel also had the package as it was then constituted.

The only thing I have a slight issue with is MTS being cast as a modest hit. Most modest hits don't run 12 seasons--I'd be more likely to say that the popularity has not stood up to time as Bonanza has.

to be fair, something set in the Old West where people who lived through it are all dead, is a lot more repeatable than something set in the living memory of demographics that advertisers are not interested in.

Yeah, I should have been more clear - I was referring to MTS in relation to Bonanza. My Three Sons was very successful, no doubt, but Bonanza was a blockbuster, in the top 10 year after year.

I think it also helps to keep in mind that Viacom at the time wasn't looking to create two syndication packages. They were just creating one, and had no intention of taking those other episodes off the shelf. So when Nick at Nite started rerunning the "on the shelf" episodes in the 1980s, it was jarring how they'd jump from the last B&W episode to the middle of season 11, but the syndicator never intended for those episodes to run that way.

These are some of the reasons I want to see Seasons 11 & 12 again:

Doris Singleton & Norm Alden as Polly's parents: Norm's character goes overboard in protectiveness, but still very much worth watching the elopement storyline.

Anne Francis becoming Fergus' wife: A little annoying to hear Fergus constantly mention "the barons" (the triplets) but otherwise this was an interesting storyline, bringing back Fergus from the b & w years. I think Anne looked her best in these eps, better than Honey West.

Micky Dolenz in the Douglas home.

Chip's long hair, and Ernie's feathered cut. Also the Jon Walmsley ep (best known as Jason Walton, The Waltons), in which Barbara wants his character to cut his hair.

Swingin' fashions for Katie in particular.

Drug use subject ep, with Ernie exclaiming "POT?"

Norm Alden's more famous for Back to the Future these days.

Dodie with a better hairstyle and out of the super short undies-exposing dresses is another reason to want to see 11 and 12.

I tend to think of Norm Alden for his work on Hawaii Five-O (original) and The Andy Griffith Show, among other TV appearances. I've seen Back to the Future I, II, and III, but I'm drawing a blank as to his role. I think I'm very much the opposite of most people in weighing a little TV work over roles in blockbuster films, simply because I watch the TV eps so many multiples of times.

Anyway, one of the great things about M3S is the marriages: Mike, Rob, Steve, Chip, and Fergus...! All memorable to some degree. By contrast, Bonanza had only the 3 flashback marriages of Ben Cartwright -- and each time he became a widower!!

Even Charley had his chances on M3S. The still-hot Jan Clayton (Lassie) as "Verna Benson" was ready for him, but he declined her character's marriage idea. One of the highlights of Seasons 6-10, IMO, seeing a star of her magnitude.

Norm Alden was the cafe owner in BTTF I ("A colored mayor, that'll be the day!"). Not long before Alden died, he did a short video for the main BTTF fansite reprising his quote.

He was also Electra Woman and Dyna Girl's boss.

I have my DVR set up for Monday a.m.

Big fans of the show should probably record and keep these. I doubt CBS will ever get around to releasing beyond season 2 on DVD, and it's hard to think of another network which would care enough to go get these rarely-seen gems.

I'm not sure. I didn't get N & N when they had it. I don't know if they had the color shows or not. Same with TV Land. I always get the networks too late. Growing up in the 70's only the color episodes were syndicated. I don't think the last season ever was either. It would be nice if they would though. It would be something different. I've only seen a handful of the b & W episodes.
Nick at Nite used to show the B & W ones and the color ones, but mostly the B & W ones.

These are some of the reasons I want to see Seasons 11 & 12 again:

Doris Singleton & Norm Alden as Polly's parents: Norm's character goes overboard in protectiveness, but still very much worth watching the elopement storyline.

Anne Francis becoming Fergus' wife: A little annoying to hear Fergus constantly mention "the barons" (the triplets) but otherwise this was an interesting storyline, bringing back Fergus from the b & w years. I think Anne looked her best in these eps, better than Honey West.

Micky Dolenz in the Douglas home.

Chip's long hair, and Ernie's feathered cut. Also the Jon Walmsley ep (best known as Jason Walton, The Waltons), in which Barbara wants his character to cut his hair.

Swingin' fashions for Katie in particular.

Drug use subject ep, with Ernie exclaiming "POT?"

If we see these episodes, I'm looking forward to seeing Beverly Garland in her mini skirts, with new hairdos in each season.

I also remember Ernie having a friend with a name like Soho Crocker or something like that--the weird thing is that he was played by an actor that had played a different friend of Ernie's in an earlier season (IIRC, I think the actor was Butch Patrick from The Munsters).

Also, Tina Cole and Don Grady filmed a pilot, which was a late season 11 episode. It was not picked up--after that, I guess, Don opted out of appearing in season 12, although I think he was still shown in the cast.

The B&W shows look well.

Also, Tina Cole and Don Grady filmed a pilot, which was a late season 11 episode. It was not picked up--after that, I guess, Don opted out of appearing in season 12, although I think he was still shown in the cast.

The correct openings have never been shown on the season 12 episodes since the original airings. In the real season 12 opening, Don's credit is deleted, and Dawn Lyn (Dodie) and Ronne Troup (Polly) are added. For some reason, the season 11 opening is always used. And because season 12 was the first (and only) season that the regular cast was no longer listed in the closing credits, that means that Lyn and Troup aren't credited at all for those episodes.

The correct openings have never been shown on the season 12 episodes since the original airings. In the real season 12 opening, Don's credit is deleted, and Dawn Lyn (Dodie) and Ronne Troup (Polly) are added. For some reason, the season 11 opening is always used. And because season 12 was the first (and only) season that the regular cast was no longer listed in the closing credits, that means that Lyn and Troup aren't credited at all for those episodes.
This is interesting. If MeTV shows these episodes, maybe the correct opener will be restored. If not, it may be "lost".

In any case, I'd restore it myself, on my copies, if there was anything to restore it from. I doubt any of these episodes made it to Columbia House home video.

Fred MacMurray used to do a "Hi, welcome to our show for (sponsor)", or just "Hi, welcome to our show". At one time that 2nd one was on the syndication prints for season 10, but probably no longer.

KVOS, METV Seattle preempts METV AT that time for Christian programming.

KJWP ME TV in the Philadelphia area shows an infomercial instead of one of the daily My Three Sons episodes. They are airing only even numbered episodes, if you can imagine! I wrote an email asking them to air all the episodes in order, one episode per day and leaving their infomercial intact, but what the hell do they care? It totally sucks. Literally, every other episode! That is nuts.

I'll give My Three Sons credit for having staying power and being on the air for 12 seasons, that's a long time for a sitcom. My Three Sons was big in it's day, but these days I think the show has lost some punch, become somewhat dated and not quite as watchable as it used to be, hasn't aged too well, that could be a reason why DVD's were discontinued after two seasons, sales might have been low, music alterations/changes probably didn't help either, just my opinion.

Agreed. The last time MeTV tried to air seasons 6-10, they were dropped within two weeks (the same thing happened to Family Affair, another Fedderson sitcom (one that I think has even less staying power). I also agree the DVD sets suffer from the music changes (I really doubt that licensing old music from the Capitol Music Library would have added that much cost to the DVDs). I also really doubt we'll see any more DVDs on M3S.

MeTV must have done some research and found that there was an audience to be found for the B/W episodes. Part of the attraction is the absence from TV of these episodes for around 15 years.

I've been fortunate that for many years in the 2000s and 2010s, my local World Harvest affiliate WHME-46 always showed Seasons 6-10 on weekdays. I would watch them over and over. I especially liked Season 10 with the addition of Barbara.

So now, when eps from those seasons appear on the Decades "Weekend Binge," or "Daily Binge," it's like revisiting old friends. (The same is more-or-less true for Family Affair.)

One thing that separates M3S from other series is that it tends to be mindful of its past. Steve actually recollects scenes a couple of times, separately with Rob and Chip as their marriages unfold, with footage from the black & white eps inserted! And Rob takes Katie with him back to Bryant Park one time (Season 10), where we see the old house once more!

There are some real gems of eps in every season, and some good doses of humor -- like Steve's comment to Tramp regarding his attending the weddings! :)

I've corresponded a slight bit with Stan Livingston and Dawn Lyn, and Barry and the other surviving cast members are high on my wish list to hear from. I really regret not having interaction with the late Don Grady, though I was on his mailing list re: Boomer - JazRokPop. The sons and other cast members mean a lot to me.

I'm also a real fan. WHMB 40 also showed 6-10 several years ago. I particularly like the late Beverly Garland, so I really like seasons 10-12. This is why I really hope 11 and 12 make it to MeTV.

The staying power/loss of punch discussion above is unfortunate, and it's probably why we'll never see any more DVD releases.

All old TV shows become "dated". The Cliff Babysits episode of the Cosby Show is dated. Everyone bar Cliff and Claire is off to a Michael Jackson concert and Rudy's friend Buuuuuuuddddd wants to marry Whitney Houston.

I see the marathon on Decades is interesting. It starts in the middle of Season 7, and it goes through 8, 9, and 10, and then it had some early Season 11 toward the end. But what's interesting is there is a Season 4 episode airing at 10:30 eastern on Sunday night sandwiched in Season 10 and the marathon ends with. Season 1 episodes Monday morning.

I see the marathon on Decades is interesting. It starts in the middle of Season 7, and it goes through 8, 9, and 10, and then it had some early Season 11 toward the end. But what's interesting is there is a Season 4 episode airing at 10:30 eastern on Sunday night sandwiched in Season 10 and the marathon ends with. Season 1 episodes Monday morning.

I noticed the couple B&W episodes jammed in there as well and am happily surprised! Because our local ME TV affiliate is only airing seasons 1-5 even numbered episodes, 2,4,6, etc., it's nice to see the couple of episodes Decades tossed in are odd numbered episodes! LOL

Are you all getting to watch seasons 1-5 on ME TV? I have FIOS in Philadelphia area and they only air the 8:00 am episode Mon-Fri, airing an infomercial at 7:30. I was able to go online and watch Season 1, episode 1. That was great! I wish they had more available. These are all new to me.

All old TV shows become "dated".

This isn't always true, it depends on the show. Some shows age better than others.

I noticed the couple B&W episodes jammed in there as well and am happily surprised! Because our local ME TV affiliate is only airing seasons 1-5 even numbered episodes, 2,4,6, etc., it's nice to see the couple of episodes Decades tossed in are odd numbered episodes! LOL

Are you all getting to watch seasons 1-5 on ME TV? I have FIOS in Philadelphia area and they only air the 8:00 am episode Mon-Fri, airing an infomercial at 7:30. I was able to go online and watch Season 1, episode 1. That was great! I wish they had more available. These are all new to me.
ME-TV in my market, Tampa, FL, seems to be running all the B&W eps. in consecutive order.
They run a full hour.

That's rotten for you TVJoy, luckily my local ME TV affiliate is showing both episodes. But your situation reminds me of what COZI TV did to me, the local COZI channel here would pre-empt every other episode of the Danny Thomas Show to show a repeat of the lousy local news show that aired earlier on the main local channel. Talk about lousing up your taping of a program. Luckily if you're patient and alert enough you can catch the skipped episodes IF they show them again. I was able to finally complete the Danny Thomas shows but I had to be vigilant in following the local schedule.

Also must disagree that My 3 Sons is dated, the word is not dated it's called the good old days, how things used to be when people had morals and character. That never is dated. Seems morality is dated now.

Also must disagree that My 3 Sons is dated, the word is not dated it's called the good old days, how things used to be when people had morals and character. That never is dated. Seems morality is dated now.
True.
The BW eps. don't look dated to me.
Nor do the colors.

True, the hair styles were different in the early 1960s, but in reality, every show could appear dated.

One thing that separates M3S from other series is that it tends to be mindful of its past.

Gotta disagree with you there. I don't think Mike was ever mentioned after season 6, and he didn't show up for his brother or father's wedding. And Bub's fate was never mentioned either - he just went to Ireland for a never-ending visit to his aunt Kate.

Bub's fate was never mentioned either - he just went to Ireland for a never-ending visit to his aunt Kate.


Bub was in his seventies... how old would his aunt have been?!

As I mentioned in another post, it's been claimed that the relative Bub went to see in Ireland was 104.

My Three Sons isn't dated because of the acting, that isn't the issue, the series was made during a time when people had morals. I just think the show has lost some steam over the years and hasn't aged as well compared to some other shows from the same era. Having said that, My Three Sons is better than any garbage sitcom being made today.

Thanks for "feeling my pain" Hazel Anyday. LOL
My DVR is set to pick up M3S, day or night! Hopefully I'll get the chance to see all of the first five seasons...eventually. Hard to believe these local stations. They must make money off of infomercials. They have a three hour block early every morning! Who's watching them?

ME-TV in my market, Tampa, FL, seems to be running all the B&W eps. in consecutive order.
They run a full hour.

Enjoy them all, Doug-oh. I'm liking the one episode a day ME TV is showing & saving them for a second look sometime in the future. I was familiar with M3S from the color seasons. IMO so far, I think the B&W episodes of season one are a higher quality show. Better writing, directing, a clever show and not your typical formula sitcom. I haven't been this happy about discovering a new (to me) old show since I first discovered Hazel some years ago.

Now you're talking my language TVJoy. Hazel has been my favorite sitcom since I first saw it as a kid in the '60's, likewise My 3 Sons, a favorite since I first saw it on CBS in it's original run. Though I was too young to remember seeing the b/w version, but the color 3 Sons years I definitely watched when it was first shown. I never saw the b/w version till Nick At Nite showed it in the 1980's, I loved seeing Bub in the show. If you like Hazel and 3 Sons maybe you'll like another of my all time favorites from the '60's, Dennis The Menace. Especially the Joseph Kearns Mr. Wilson years, they were the best. I have loads of shows I watched back then, I must have been parked in front of the TV, my parents used to tell me not to sit so close, but those 3 are my top 3 favorites.

I'm watching My Three Sons on Decades right now. Good show. This is my first time watching it and I like it. :cool: :) :wave:

I think the B&W episodes have aged better than the color episodes. They seem to have more energy and the kids seem more nuanced. By the time the show went to color, the kids seemed sedated and out of touch with what was going on in the US in the late 60s.

The B&Ws also look better. I wish ME and Decades would get remastered versions of the colors - they are faded and jumpy and full of dirt.

Now you're talking my language TVJoy. Hazel has been my favorite sitcom since I first saw it as a kid in the '60's, likewise My 3 Sons, a favorite since I first saw it on CBS in it's original run. Though I was too young to remember seeing the b/w version, but the color 3 Sons years I definitely watched when it was first shown. I never saw the b/w version till Nick At Nite showed it in the 1980's, I loved seeing Bub in the show. If you like Hazel and 3 Sons maybe you'll like another of my all time favorites from the '60's, Dennis The Menace. Especially the Joseph Kearns Mr. Wilson years, they were the best. I have loads of shows I watched back then, I must have been parked in front of the TV, my parents used to tell me not to sit so close, but those 3 are my top 3 favorites.

I've seen every Dennis the Menace for sure! Although I'm too young to have watched the 50s/60s shows first run (born in '69), I grew up with the reruns of Dennis, The Dick Van Dyke Show & The Munsters. In my teen years Nick At Night introduced me to Mr. Ed, which I'd watch with my Dad. One of my favorites is Leave It To Beaver. I discovered it in the early 80s and fell in love.

Hazel came into my life much later. I'd say about 7-9 years ago. It was on Antenna TV & I got the 1st season discs from Netflix. I thought the show was perfect with the original cast. They should have never messed with it!

My Three Sons is a more recent show for me in the past few years. I only have vague memories of watching it growing up. I'm very much enjoying the B&W epiodes. They are all new shows to me. What a joy! I'm also a fan of Father Knows Best & I Love Lucy. All In The Family is my favorite sitcom of all time.

Yes, my sitcom friendships go way back!

I'm always amazed when my younger colleagues aren't even aware of All in the Family. It was such a groundbreaking classic, and it's sad to me to see it fading out of public consciousness.

I'm always amazed when my younger colleagues aren't even aware of All in the Family. It was such a groundbreaking classic, and it's sad to me to see it fading out of public consciousness.

That is sad. I don't think it's ever been off the air. Last year I bought the complete set and watched it straight through. Yes, I've seen every episode numerous times, but we know that they're edited. I watched the late seasons first run when I was very young (and probably shouldn't have been watching!).

I think the B&W episodes have aged better than the color episodes. They seem to have more energy and the kids seem more nuanced. By the time the show went to color, the kids seemed sedated and out of touch with what was going on in the US in the late 60s.

The B&Ws also look better. I wish ME and Decades would get remastered versions of the colors - they are faded and jumpy and full of dirt.

My favorite example of the pitiful state of the color episodes is the one where Katie is spooked staying in the house alone (of course, there is a storm, too). During a particularly scary part, someone somehow edited in a spider dangling down.

My Three Sons is a more recent show for me in the past few years.

I only have vague memories of watching it growing up.
I'm very much enjoying the B&W epiodes. They are all new shows to me.
What a joy! I'm also a fan of Father Knows Best & I Love Lucy. All In The Family is my favorite sitcom of all time.

Yes, my sitcom friendships go way back!
Me too.
These BWs are all new to me as well.

Like others have said, the colors are more sedate.
The colors make the show more of a typical, not-so-special sitcom. Average.

Kind of like The Andy Griffith Show after it went to color.
Or the last seasons of MASH, which were very average & predictable.

Me too.
These BWs are all new to me as well.

Like others have said, the colors are more sedate.
The colors make the show more of a typical, not-so-special sitcom. Average.

Kind of like The Andy Griffith Show after it went to color.
Or the last seasons of MASH, which were very average & predictable.

"Typical, not-so-special" is very well put.

I can see where you'd say the same for Andy G. Show, though it is very near and dear to me. Certainly the Barney years were superior!

As for MASH, I got bored with that show decades ago. Although I was a fan as a child, i did think the earlier seasons were silly & the later ones preachy.

Well Doug-oh, I suppose we're left to watch what we enjoy (if the powers-that-be will air them!) and leave the rest.

Perfect description of MASH. Been there, done that. Sick of it.

I might add, a couple of the surviving stars have a real elevated feeling of their importance, but to me they're just typical Hollywood hacks.

Back to M3S: Since someone mentioned it a few posts ago, I really wanna see that original season 12 opener, which really needs to be restored. The one that includes Ronne Troup and Dawn Lyn in the cast. I never realized that, when that opener was "lost", they were excluded from any credits.

Perfect description of MASH. Been there, done that. Sick of it.

I might add, a couple of the surviving stars have a real elevated feeling of their importance, but to me they're just typical Hollywood hacks.

Back to M3S: Since someone mentioned it a few posts ago, I really wanna see that original season 12 opener, which really needs to be restored. The one that includes Ronne Troup and Dawn Lyn in the cast. I never realized that, when that opener was "lost", they were excluded from any credits.

MASH: "Typical Hollywood hacks" indeed! HA HA!

There's no respect for these old shows by those who profit from them. The shows continue to earn money, and of course entertain a large audience, but they are edited (read: butchered) severely sometimes! Something as simple as using the original opening for each season means nothing to those who profit, but much to the fans.

As grateful as I am for all the classic channels that have sprung up in the past decade, I so wish someone would make a "Turner Classic Movie" type of channel for classic TV programs, unedited, original programs shown in their entirety, as if they were first-run. A girl can dream, can't she?

The closest we come to that is the Starz Encore channels, like encore black, which shows several sitcoms unedited and commercial free. Comedy Gold replaced TV Land Canada awhile back, when Viacom sold out there (wouldn't that be great to see here?). Comedy Gold supposedly shows sitcoms in their unedited form.

The absolute WORST editing award goes to Sony. The old syndication copies of the Screen Gems are still used today (they may be on different delivery media, but they're the same tired crummy edits). These would include Father Knows Best, Dennis The Menace, Hazel (they DID reedit the B/W episodes), Burns and Allen, Bewitched, etc.

These M3S episodes have been treated quite well, so far.

I've never heard of Comedy Gold, but it sounds wonderful.

Growing up I watched The Brady Bunch over and over again. I've long since outgrown it, but occasionally while channel surfing if I tune in, they are butchered unmercifully! They cut out entire scenes and it's obvious.

I found Season 12 here recorded from Odyssey but it had the Season 11 opening:
http://sockshare.net/watch/ox0Nyade-my-three-sons-season-12.html

The absolute WORST editing award goes to Sony. The old syndication copies of the Screen Gems are still used today (they may be on different delivery media, but they're the same tired crummy edits). These would include Father Knows Best, Dennis The Menace, Hazel (they DID reedit the B/W episodes), Burns and Allen, Bewitched, etc.

These M3S episodes have been treated quite well, so far.

It is better to have old syndication edits at 22:30 before commercials than the new stuff edited, and time compressed down to 20:30 with the "new superimposed end credits"

Try watching anything on LOGO or TV ONE.

and technically those edits were done by Columbia Pictures Television

I have seen Logo--you're absolutely right and I stand corrected.

"MASH" got to be; especially after Radar left; almost every week it was "...oh we're doctors and we're nurses and we save lives which makes us so good...and death is such a bummer...and war is hell..." and on and on and on...GIVE ME A BREAK!!!

They were all so modern and "enlightened", amazing for an early 1950s world.

I think the B&W episodes have aged better than the color episodes. They seem to have more energy and the kids seem more nuanced. By the time the show went to color, the kids seemed sedated and out of touch with what was going on in the US in the late 60s.

I hasten to add however that the reason people think Murphy Brown hasn't "aged" well is because the episodes were TOO topical...! There were of course exceptions to M3S seeming isolated from what was happening in the US -- for example, Ray Wong disliked his new son-in-law because he felt he was a "hippie."

Well it looks like Decades screwed up. The 2 episodes it aired over the weekend on the M3S binge labeled as season 1 & season 4 are completely wrong. They are in color with uncle Charley. Disappointing.

There are 2 episodes titled "The Elopement", or something similar to that. One is a season 1 episode where Bub thinks Mike and his girlfriend are going to elope, and the other is the season 11 episode where Chip and Polly elope. Due to that, TV Guide showed the wrong episode (season 11) for MeTV last week. Wonder if the Decades mess up was that (we don't get Decades here).

No black & white M3S episodes on Decades.

Decades did indeed show Polly & Chip's elopement, including the other preceding Season 11 eps that led up to it...! And that's where the Binge stopped this morning.

Great to see Ronne Troup, Doris Singleton, and Norm Alden again. (And in one instance, Tina Cole is seen in a skirt that was short even by 1970 standards. Woo-hoo!)

The same episode title was reused at least twice on MTS, and the TV listings always screw them up.

I watched the Decades binge over the weekend. I'm not a big fan the later years, but I have say that Barbara (Beverly Garland) is the best thing about them. She is lovely and a wise presence in the Douglas household, and much warmer than Steve. Who wouldn't want to have her as a mother?

I don't know what she was thinking with her season 11 haircut, though - it made her look quite a bit older.

I think Beverly G has has yet another 'do in season 12. Decades having the Polly and Chip elopement episodes pretty well tells me S11 and S12 will be shown on MeTV. Did you happen to see if the logo at the end was CBS distribution or Viacom? This will probably tell if that season was remastered.

I really like Beverly Garland...she added a lot to the show. I liked the whole arc leading up to Steve and Barbara's marriage, which led off season 10.

The season 11 episodes did have the CBS Distribution logo as opposed to Viacom. But from a picture quality standpoint, I don't think they look any different from the season 10 episodes. My guess is that CBS just took the old syndication prints and stuck a new logo on them.

This doesn't bode well for seasons 3 thru 5, either. They had to remaster seasons 1 and 2 (and then took the added step of re-editing the music for the DVD releases).

Lazy, cheap you-know-whats.

I watched about 5-8 episodes on the Decades binge this weekend and I really enjoyed it. I wish MeTV would play this at night at 10 and 10:30 instead of that lousy Hogan's Heroes and show that one in the early morning instead.

I watched about 5-8 episodes on the Decades binge this weekend and I really enjoyed it. I wish MeTV would play this at night at 10 and 10:30 instead of that lousy Hogan's Heroes and show that one in the early morning instead.

I agree 100% with that. I'm sick of MASH and Hogan's Heroes. Two shows I never cared for and thus don't watch.

Well, at least Col. Hogan can't be creepy and aggressive towards women anymore.

:)

This is the first time that I've seen the black and white episodes featuring William Frawley as "Bub," and I am thoroughly enjoying them.

The only B&W episode I'd seen previously to MeTV airing them is "Countdown" from season one.

I laughed out loud at "Man in a Trench Coat." Robbie sure has an imagination! My favorite lines in the episode were "Mike, where are you going?" and Mike replied "Out to catch a blackmailer."

I am watching some of season 2 on DVD. Mike trying to psychoanalyze everybody is hilarious! Tim Considine was wonderful in the show. I am sorry he left the series. But I enjoyed watching Barry Livingston as Ernie in the color episodes.

It's fun to see recurring themes on a long-running series like this, and some of those same ones also are seen on Family Affair, the "other" Fedderson sitcom.

Example: Mike's new girlfriend is attracted to Steve, despite being less than half his age. On Family Affair, one of Cissy's friends is attracted to Bill Davis, again far too young for him (and believes she can marry him). In each case the young woman arranges ways to spend time one-on-one with the man. Also in several years, on M3S in California, Katie's sorority sisters find Steve attractive.

Another fun theme that recurs is the "new neighbors," where the family members meet their counterparts - oftentimes fighting, sometimes finding romance (like Rob and Jackie DeShannon's character).

Generally on these shows, people in the lives of the children - mainly teachers - provide an avenue for Steve or Bill to meet attractive, marriageable women. Of course eventually this is how Steve meets Barbara (S10). Another good example is the Ernie Adoption storyline (S6), where Steve dines with the lady handling Ernie's case.

When The Courtship of Eddie's Father begins, right off the bat Tom (Bill Bixby) has a potential romance with Eddie's teacher. So obviously sitcom writers knew a good way to bring love into their shows...!

Well, seasons 1 and 2 were obviously remastered--but season 3 (which started today) obviously was not. We can probably safely say no other seasons have been remastered from original film elements (which are probably rotting away as I type).

CBS seems to have taken the old, tired videotape copies (the syndication bible says Beta tape) and added the CBS Distribution tag onto them. I assume MeTV then edits them for length and puts them onto a DVD. It appears the end credits are (crudely) edited to shorten them (as they are on many of the color episodes)...this was probably done many years ago.

Even if you couldn't see the episodes, the audio is a dead giveaway. The audio on the remastered episodes is crisp and clear. On season 3 - unremastered - it's muffled and crackly.

I just watched a color episode from season 6. Muffled audio, also, and the same chopped up end credits.

it's a shame nobody cares how these episodes look and sound, but as Bruce Hornsby said, that's just the way it is.

These stations would much rather be running something younger demographic/advertiser friendly like Seinfeld rather than M3S. They can't afford to buy Seinfeld.

It's a shame I think a brief scene with Morgan Brittany (Suzanne Cupito) may have been edited out of one of the earliest Season 3 episodes. The one she stars in, however, as the Douglases' visitor, is coming up.

With some shows, MeTV speeds up the closing credits -- I would not be surprised to have that for M3S, and when it comes down to it, the integrity of the episode -- meaning no missing scenes -- is far more important to me.

But we notice missing things all the time for other series, like one of the Mosquitos' musical performances being cut from Gilligan's Island. Really a shame.

I'm getting up early to watch the S3 episodes now that they've started. I have S1 and 2 on DVD and love them! Want to have seasons 3 - 5 too since I like the original format with Bub and Mike, but I don't think CBS will ever put these on DVD. I miss Mike's girlfriend, Jean Pearson, but of course he ends up marrying a beauty, Meredith Macrae. Also in the early seasons, I like seeing Robbie's friend Hank and Chip's friend Sudsy.

So Chips's hair went from white blonde to much darker between Season 2 and Season 3. Children's hair does not usually change in color that quickly. I just found it really odd.

Seems the same malady afflicted Dobie Gillis, whose hair started off white blonde and turned dark brown in the space of a year. And he was already in his 20's, not a baby whose hair might change color. Strange the ailments that afflict TV stars.;)

Sorry, but the last thing ME TV needs to do is start down the same road that Antenna TV & TV Land went down and start showing shows from the 80's to the 2000's, you know the 99% crap. I hope to see the day soon when they will STOP showing MASH a 1000 times a week and start back with classics from the '50's to '60's on in it's place. Would love to see Great Gildersleeve a brief TV series (though it ran for more than a decade on radio) back on TV again. Or how about I Married Joan (a hilarious show) or My Little Margie or Hawaiian Eye, so many truly great shows I could mention that belong back on the air so others can discover their greatness too. PLease no Seinfeld, a good show but readily available EVERYWHERE already, ME TV needs to stick to the classic greats that the younger generations are not even aware of yet. I was thrilled when they started showing Our Miss Brooks (thank heavens for DVD recorders as it should be on on an hour when most people are awake). More shows like I mentioned are just the ticket for ME TV to be the perfect channel.:talk:

If you look closely at Chip's hair in the Season 3 episodes that have just aired, his cut is usually slightly shorter in the scenes with Steve. Probably the most noticeable at the sideburns.

Anyway it's a good example of a very minor change for scenes filmed at a later date, without Fred M., in a given episode.

very old shows are not advertiser desired demographic friendly. Older people need more impressions to make a sale compared to younger people. Older people have also a tradition of sticking with products that have proven their worth.

Sorry, but the last thing ME TV needs to do is start down the same road that Antenna TV & TV Land went down and start showing shows from the 80's to the 2000's, you know the 99% crap. I hope to see the day soon when they will STOP showing MASH a 1000 times a week and start back with classics from the '50's to '60's on in it's place. Would love to see Great Gildersleeve a brief TV series (though it ran for more than a decade on radio) back on TV again. Or how about I Married Joan (a hilarious show) or My Little Margie or Hawaiian Eye, so many truly great shows I could mention that belong back on the air so others can discover their greatness too. PLease no Seinfeld, a good show but readily available EVERYWHERE already, ME TV needs to stick to the classic greats that the younger generations are not even aware of yet. I was thrilled when they started showing Our Miss Brooks (thank heavens for DVD recorders as it should be on on an hour when most people are awake). More shows like I mentioned are just the ticket for ME TV to be the perfect channel.:talk:

Hawaiian Eye would be a great addition to MeTV...it had a great theme, as I recall. At least they are now showing 77 Sunset Strip, but at 4 am. Another one they could add would be December Bride...they probably could get it, since it's Desilu, like Our Miss Brooks. Spring Byington (all the younger ones are going WHO?--google her!) is a funny lady!

Hawaiian Eye was the one in which Tina Cole had a recurring role as "Sunny Day," making the series of extra interest to M3S fans. I also want to see Surfside 6 because of Diane McBain, and the other "companion" series: Bourbon Street Beat with Andrew Duggan.

I really was very excited when Me TV decided to run 77 Sunset Strip. I've been suffering for years with badly recorded versions of this show from trades, most episodes looking terrible and many of them missing from the sets. Now finally after a long long wait 77 Sunset Strip is back and now I can see the show looking great the way it should always have looked. Yes, I would really love to see Hawaiian Eye added to the line-up along with Surfside 6, all three shows should be run one after another during the nite, YESSHH!! I'm excited already thinking of the possibility! Katie was really cute too in Hawaiian Eye, a real dish.;)

And a pre-Green Hornet star himself, Van Williams, was one of the investigators in Surfside 6. A pre-Wild Wild West star Robert Conrad was also one of the investigators in Hawaiian Eye. And one reason these 3 shows should be seen together is that on some episodes the stars from one series will visit each other in each of these series, all in their own characters from the show they came from. Neat to see Sunset Strip guys over at Hawaiian Eye and vicey versey, same with stars from Surfside 6 visiting and 77 stars visiting there, and of course the same was true of Bourbon Street Beat. Those stars also visited each other.

In fact it was Richard Long's character that went over to 77 S.S. when Bourbon Street Beat was cancelled. Same with Van Williams character Ken Madison in Bourbon Street Beat, he moved over to Surfside 6 when Bourbon Street was cancelled. Troy Donahue's character Sandy moved from Surfside 6 over to Hawaiian Eye when Surfside was cancelled. A lot of musical chairs going on there.

Speaking of themes Surfside 6 had a really great theme too, as did Hawaiian Eye.

Some channel ran Surfside 6 within the past couple of years. MeTV could have a very good overnight lineup with Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, 77..., and maybe even add in some color by bringing back The FBI.

All 3 (S6, HE, 77) had great themes. Many shows from that era had fantastic themes...two of my favorites are 12 O'Clock High and The Rifleman (original version).

Back to M3S...what a difference in quality between season 2 vs. season 3. It's really obvious that CBS has done NOTHING to the season 3 masters....poor quality, even variation on episode length, indicating some syndication length versions. But, I'll take what I can get...it's just a shame that original films are sitting somewhere (hopefully well maintained), unused.

Some channel ran Surfside 6 within the past couple of years. MeTV could have a very good overnight lineup with Surfside 6, Hawaiian Eye, 77..., and maybe even add in some color by bringing back The FBI.

All 3 (S6, HE, 77) had great themes. Many shows from that era had fantastic themes...two of my favorites are 12 O'Clock High and The Rifleman (original version).

Back to M3S...what a difference in quality between season 2 vs. season 3. It's really obvious that CBS has done NOTHING to the season 3 masters....poor quality, even variation on episode length, indicating some syndication length versions. But, I'll take what I can get...it's just a shame that original films are sitting somewhere (hopefully well maintained), unused.

This difference in quality for M3S is likely due to Me-TV using DVD copies of S1 & S2 episodes. Since S3 is not (yet) on DVD, Me-TV probably has to go back to old prints, including some syndication prints, for S3-S5 episodes.

Interesting guest actors in the episodes that aired today.

As one of Mike's air force comrades, we had Mike Minor, son of Don Fedderson and well-known to Petticoat Junction fans as Steve Elliott.

Then we had John Williams of Dial M for Murder and a long film & TV history -- including a short stint on Family Affair in place of Sebastian Cabot. John's character called Sudsy both "Foamy" and "Soapy".... !!

I've also liked seeing Brooke Bundy recently, although arguably she had more memorable roles on other series like The Donna Reed Show.

Honestly, these later-season B/W episodes should be an embarrassment to CBS TV Distribution, the quality is so poor. To leave a classic series in this condition is really too bad.

Hmm, I like a good sharp picture as much as the next guy, but I don't see what all the caterwauling is about concerning the Sons shows now playing. I haven't been watching every show but whenever I do take a gander the quality looks fine to me. Nice and clear good sharp b/w, heck, compared to some of the stuff I've seen before, these are like HD in comparison. I am just really grateful ME TV is running these b/w My 3 Sons' after years of wishing they would and writing here in years past that I wish "they'd" show the b/w episodes. NOW, it's finally happening, Smile already.:D While I've been able to watch all the b/w episodes all along thanks to recordings from NICK, TV Land, CBN and wherever else they'd show it, it's nice to be able to get fresh straight from the signal to DVD recordings.

^You have a good point. Just comparing to seasons 1 and 2, which were perfect.

I should consider myself lucky that that they are being aired, and they are quite viewable.

Things are really moving forward now in the episodes that are airing. Meredith MacRae has burst onto the scene as Sally Morrison, and coincidentally her first Petticoat Junction season (#4) is now airing on MeTV immediately prior to M3S.

We've reached the engagement of Sally & Mike in short order, and also Ernie (Barry Livingston) is now on board as Chip's buddy.

I was somewhat saddened to watch a scene with Sally interacting solo with Rob (Don Grady), as neither Meredith nor Don is with us anymore.

I wonder how far along Tim Considine's relationship with Charlotte Stewart was at that time. She had appeared at least a couple of times on M3S. What a lucky guy to eventually marry her (best known as Miss Beadle on Little House on the Prairie). And to be able to work regularly with hot Meredith.

Did everyone notice Tom Skerritt playing a young Steve in flashback? Mostly we only saw the back of his head though. Also significant was seeing Miss O'Casey, a dark-haired young lady who married Steve...!

Meredith MacRae was lovely as Sally. I loved her on Petticoat Junction and always hated that they pushed her Billie Jo aside in favor of Betty Jo with Steve.

I think Meredith is dull as dishwater as Sally. I thought the same of her as Billie Jo as PJ, especially after having a talented comic actress like Jeannine Riley originate the role. Meredith was very average-looking, too - that worked in her favor on MTS, but she was the odd girl out on PJ.

The picture quality of these unrestored episodes doesn't bother me nearly as much as the muffled audio. The season 1 and 2 episodes sounded crystal clear.

^You have a point there. Sometimes I think my hearing's going, but it sounds like it ain't me.

Off that topic, I notice in season 4 they started occasionally using that little opening theme...the one that producer/writer/director was played over in the color episodes. In later years each season had a slightly different version of it.

I agree, Meredith was not the best girl for Mike. I wish they had used Cynthia Pepper's "Jean" she seemed perfect for Mike. They seemed to really like each other and Mike didn't seem under her wing or thumb as he did with Sally. Sally just seemed to be in control and Mike acted like he was scared she'd leave any second. Maybe he left Sally after they moved away in the first color episode and went back to his real love Jean. In my mind Sally then moved to Hooterville and lived her life there while Mike and Jean lived happily ever after. Who says you can't have a happy ending?:crazy:

Every role played by one person is the same character! (yeah, the backstories don't match but hey...)

I think Meredith is dull as dishwater as Sally. I thought the same of her as Billie Jo as PJ, especially after having a talented comic actress like Jeannine Riley originate the role. Meredith was very average-looking, too - that worked in her favor on MTS, but she was the odd girl out on PJ.

For both M3S and PJ, fans sometimes (rather unfairly) tend to ascribe blame to Meredith for what the writers did (or didn't do) with her characters. While her chemistry with Tim Considine seemed sub-par at times, you have to consider the script quality. Cynthia Pepper tended to have better material to work with.

Here's my ratings list for Meredith's physical attractiveness, on a 5-point scale:

Voice: 4.5 (very distinctive)
Eyes: 5
Nose: 4.5
Overall Face: 3 (loses points for chin)
Hair: 4.5
Bust: 3.5
Posterior: 4
Legs: 4.5 (excellent overall shape)
Hips: 3.5
Arms: 4
Height/Weight/Overall Body: 4.5
Intangibles, Walk, Demeanor, Mannerisms: 4

Her average score: 4.125 I have to disagree with the "odd girl out" assessment, especially having seen her bikini photos from the PJ era. She was far more attractive than Linda Kaye Henning, I think. And while Jeannine Riley and Gunilla Hutton were both fine as Billie Jo, Meredith matches up very well in looks as a replacement. (Jeannine had thick thighs while Meredith had superior legs!)

I just finished 'catching up' with a dvr'd episode of M3S--season 4/ep 11 where Mike tries to propose to Sally. it was interesting to see Ernie as Chip's friend.
It also brought back some lovely memories of Ms. MacRae. In 1996, I won a radio station contest to the TVLand premiere at Paramount Studios. My sister in law and I shared a car ride back to our hotel with Ms. MacRae and Linda Kaye. We were impressed with such lovely down to earth aldies. It was a pleasure meeting them.

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Linda Kaye Henning was a close friend of Meredith's. Even though substantial time had passed since we lost Meredith, Linda was in tears just thinking of her. I'm glad we still have Linda, Lori, Gunilla, and Jeannine from Petticoat Junction. They're among our final links to Hooterville.

Meredith was such a lively soul, whether as a young girl singing with her dad Gordon, or much later as a game show contestant or on shows like Love, American Style. I think among her later work, the appearance on Magnum PI stands out. As others have mentioned, it's unfortunate that she and Tim never returned to M3S in guest roles, despite the birth of Rob's sons and the marriages.

Biff, your analysis is impressive! I thought Meredith's face was average when compared to most of her TV sisters. And I was always a Pat Woodell man myself - she was a classic beauty. And that voice!

Yes, it was impressive. It would be interesting to know what the M3S writers planned to do with Mike/Sally, had the actors stayed for the 6th season. I don't know why Meredith left...it could be tied to Considine, and maybe the show released her.

Do we really have to call Meredith "average"?

a mother of one of my disabled friends in school was so upset by people calling her Downs son "ugly" that she went to the local train station to watch the passengers arrive and depart. She came to the conclusion that most people are not particularly attractive to look at.

Nothing wrong with being average looking. By TV standards, I think she was. By real life standards, above average.

A little relativity does seem to be in order. She may have been behind the curve compared to a lot of the young guest actresses of the 60s, but undoubtedly would have been one of the prettier girls in most high schools.

Nothing wrong with being average looking. By TV standards, I think she was. By real life standards, above average.
Agreed.
She's very good looking & highly attractive.

So S1 and 2....do they have the original or "new" music?

Seasons 1 and 2 had broadcast masters prepared from the remastering which was done on those seasons. MeTV used those (with original music), and they're great quality. Seasons 3 thru 5 are the pits in quality.

The DVDs were prepared from these masters, with new music edited in, due to licensing problems on the original music from the Capitol music library. Evidently the original music licensing covered repeat broadcasts on TV.

I've read somewhere that the later seasons would not have these licensing problems (not that they'll ever be released on DVD), since the later seasons had music composed for the episodes by Frank De Vol. There are a few musical performances that might be a problem to license--Tina Cole singing "Downtown", for example, and other occasions where they get together and play known songs.

I think also Steve played just the tune to "Downtown" on his sax when Charley organized the benefit show -- l wonder if even that would be safe. Tina as vocalist in the episode you've mentioned could be a real problem. As you alluded to though, we may never get those on DVD releases (at least not in my lifetime).

That would probably have to be negotiated or edited out. These laws are really amazing. Virtually anything which involves a published piece of music apparently has to be licensed for use. I think in many cases, depending on how the contract is written, even the TV use expires. That's probably why Me skipped some Donna Reed episodes, Antenna skipped many Bachelor Father episodes, and recently Antenna skipped a Hazel episode...probably the contract period expired, even for TV use.

I really think CBS should get into Manufacture on Demand for DVDs.

Do u have metv recordings in black in white if u do send me the link

Does anyone have black and white my three sons metv recordings send me the link if u do please.