I recall one episode in which Steve was left alone with his triplet grandsons and they totally wrecked the house under his 'watch' and, despite the fact that they'd known him their entire lives, he was completely overwhelmed by them and they wouldn't mind him. However; when he had to bring them into an office for some kind of 'Saturday work emergency' he pawned them off on his colleague's temp secretary who somehow was able to watch them without the slightest problem AND do her job flawlessly despite being a total stranger to them. She even took them back to her place so her boss and Steve could work into the night. Of course, Steve stupidly burned her address when lighting his pipe. However; they might have been better off staying with her than being left with him again.

Even worse, that's the episode where the secretary not only takes them to her house but then LOSES them. She allows them to run out the house to God knows where. When the now suddenly totally incompetent Steve who's lost the secretary's phone #, can only sit around and wait for the secretary to figure out what his phone # is. Katie should have called child services and reported both Steve and the fool secretary & then she should have turned herself in too for not watching her own brats and teaching them how to behave instead of like wild animals.

It seems like adults losing kids is a recurring theme in this show, at least in the later seasons. There is the episode where Ernie is supposed to be watching Dodie and she says she is leaving to go to her friend Drusilla's house only Ernie later can't remember which friend's house and there is a (very) minor panic, then there is the episode where Dodie and another friend slip away and get on a bus and go "downtown" and a friendly cabby (fortunately not a child predator) gets the girls home, and then there's the episode where the little boy who "loves" Dodie, Alfred, is missing from his home and is later found (spoiler alert!) sleeping on the floor of Dodie's bedroom because she was sick earlier and he was afraid she was going to die. He literally just slipped into the Douglas home undetected (and out of his own home at night undetected, even though he was just in the first grade) and found his way up to Dodie's room.

In the real world the white bread Douglas family who recently relocated from a small Midwestern town would have probably been totally freaked out by all the hippies on drugs running around LA at the time and the very recent Manson murders that occurred not all that far from their home and probably at least kept their doors locked.

I would have loved to see an episode, say around seasons 9 or 10, where Chip and Ernie hitchhike down to the Sunset Strip to hang out with the "cool people", and Chip could have worn his cool black vest. Then they could have run into Sgt. Joe Friday from "Dragnet" and he could have given them a stern warning about the dangers of hanging around that scene, Chip would have frowned knowingly at Ernie and said something like, "Ya know, Ernie, Sgt. Friday is right, this scene isn't for us, it's just a dead end street", Ernie would reply, "Heck yeah, Chip, you're right!" and they would have high tailed it home before Steve even got home from the plant and noticed they were missing.

I would have loved to see an episode, say around seasons 9 or 10, where Chip and Ernie hitchhike down to the Sunset Strip to hang out with the "cool people", and Chip could have worn his cool black vest.

In the sister show Family Affair, Cissy Davis does dabble a bit in the Greenwich Village or hippie scene in one episode. So while M3S did not really try something like that for a plot, Family Affair at least acknowledged social issues.

It's fine if people want to speculate on having M3S be or morph into something that it wasn't, but I think it's best to appreciate the show for what it was. For example we're now seeing the Season 11 episodes where Chip has to deal with an overbearing potential father-in-law. It's not shocking or disturbing, but it's still a good storyline and it's interesting to see how well it's done -- acting, background music, fashions, etc.

Even The Beverly Hillbillies got into the "beatnik" scene. M3S kind of got with the times, with the longer male hair and shorter women's skirts. At least they didn't put an orange or avocado countertop in the kitchen! (If you want to see ugly 70s decor, check out the kitchen in the 4th season of the Partridge Family.)

Jack Webb in M3S--wouldn't that be something. Chip trying to explain himself on the strip--Sgt. Friday reads him the riot act--"Just the facts, kid. You young punks are all the same--the long hair and bell bottom pants. Well, let me tell you something. I'm running you in on a 2040. When Officer Gannon shines that light in your eyes, you'll shrivel like a day old eclair."

I would have loved to see an episode, say around seasons 9 or 10, where Chip and Ernie hitchhike down to the Sunset Strip to hang out with the "cool people", and Chip could have worn his cool black vest. Then they could have run into Sgt. Joe Friday from "Dragnet" and he could have given them a stern warning about the dangers of hanging around that scene, Chip would have frowned knowingly at Ernie and said something like, "Ya know, Ernie, Sgt. Friday is right, this scene isn't for us, it's just a dead end street", Ernie would reply, "Heck yeah, Chip, you're right!" and they would have high tailed it home before Steve even got home from the plant and noticed they were missing.


Actually, the show DID deal with the beatnik scene in a funny episode in Season Five called 'The Coffee House Set' when Robbie got lured by a beatnik girl (played by Tina Cole[!])to a coffee house where his (actually Don Grady's) original songs proved a big hit and he soon was speaking beatnik lingo and had beatnik threads due to his ego being stoked. Steve wound up getting the attention of a beatnik woman who painted his portrait in mustard and raspberry jam- then Mike, Sally, Chip+Ernie and even BUB wound up going beatnik to show Robbie how he was coming across to others!
Anyway, I guess having already made fun of beatniks in their childhood, Chip+ Ernie weren't so susceptable to them in their teens. Oh, and Jamie Farr played the coffee house proprietor called Itchy!
IIRC, Don Grady later admitted that he himself DID do the beatnik scene on the Sunset Strip through his original songs.

In the sister show Family Affair, Cissy Davis does dabble a bit in the Greenwich Village or hippie scene in one episode. So while M3S did not really try something like that for a plot, Family Affair at least acknowledged social issues.

It's fine if people want to speculate on having M3S be or morph into something that it wasn't, but I think it's best to appreciate the show for what it was. For example we're now seeing the Season 11 episodes where Chip has to deal with an overbearing potential father-in-law. It's not shocking or disturbing, but it's still a good storyline and it's interesting to see how well it's done -- acting, background music, fashions, etc.

I actually meant that part about a hippie episode completely tongue in cheek. I loved the show and the characters the way that they were, there was something comforting in such a traditional, old-fashioned family coexisting with all the craziness that was going on in the world at that time without succumbing to it. I thought when I added the part about Sgt. Joe Friday people would know that I was joking.

I saw that episode of FA where Cissy becomes fascinated with the flower children in Greenwich Village, it was silly. The hippies were so clean cut and polite, it was more like going to visit people from Cissy's upper class school dressed up pretending to be hippies. I didn't see anyone that remotely resembled Janis Jopin or Jimi Hendrix or even more remotely would have acted like them. :lol:

Even The Beverly Hillbillies got into the "beatnik" scene. M3S kind of got with the times, with the longer male hair and shorter women's skirts. At least they didn't put an orange or avocado countertop in the kitchen! (If you want to see ugly 70s decor, check out the kitchen in the 4th season of the Partridge Family.)

Jack Webb in M3S--wouldn't that be something. Chip trying to explain himself on the strip--Sgt. Friday reads him the riot act--"Just the facts, kid. You young punks are all the same--the long hair and bell bottom pants. Well, let me tell you something. I'm running you in on a 2040. When Officer Gannon shines that light in your eyes, you'll shrivel like a day old eclair."

Ha! Thanks for the belly laugh, you have obviously seen more than a few episodes of the hippie era "Dragnet" series too. :lol:

Actually, the show DID deal with the beatnik scene in a funny episode in Season Five called 'The Coffee House Set' when Robbie got lured by a beatnik girl (played by Tina Cole[!])to a coffee house where his (actually Don Grady's) original songs proved a big hit and he soon was speaking beatnik lingo and had beatnik threads due to his ego being stoked. Steve wound up getting the attention of a beatnik woman who painted his portrait in mustard and raspberry jam- then Mike, Sally, Chip+Ernie and even BUB wound up going beatnik to show Robbie how he was coming across to others!
Anyway, I guess having already made fun of beatniks in their childhood, Chip+ Ernie weren't so susceptable to them in their teens. Oh, and Jamie Farr played the coffee house proprietor called Itchy!
IIRC, Don Grady later admitted that he himself DID do the beatnik scene on the Sunset Strip through his original songs.

Jamie Farr also played a congenial (turned on?) hippie in the "Family Affair" episode where Cissy decides to be a pseudo hippie for about fifteen minutes. Guess he just had that flower power vibe, lol.

I actually meant that part about a hippie episode completely tongue in cheek. I loved the show and the characters the way that they were, there was something comforting in such a traditional, old-fashioned family coexisting with all the craziness that was going on in the world at that time without succumbing to it. I thought when I added the part about Sgt. Joe Friday people would know that I was joking.

I've seen most of the 1967 revival Dragnet episodes, but it's been a long time and I don't recall how many dealt substantially with the drug scene or hippies. I know that references to Friday & Gannon usually make fun of how stiff they are, but from what I recall they looked stiff in comparison to everyone -- not just in the hippie scene. It's not as easy to discern tongue-in-cheek on message boards as when you're talking with someone.

I saw that episode of FA where Cissy becomes fascinated with the flower children in Greenwich Village, it was silly. The hippies were so clean cut and polite, it was more like going to visit people from Cissy's upper class school dressed up pretending to be hippies. I didn't see anyone that remotely resembled Janis Jopin or Jimi Hendrix or even more remotely would have acted like them. :lol:

That would've been a pretty tall order, and actually if you've seen Joplin or Hendrix on The Dick Cavett Show, I think they come across as more normal than one might expect -- albeit likely on drugs during the interviews...!

Anyway, I thought some things in the Family Affair ep like the mention of French's work & demeanor, as in it's his thing, as fairly well-done. Veronica Cartwright had played a very chaste and demure Jemima Boone on Daniel Boone, and I thought she did a decent job of presenting a character that was far more edgy and closer to a threatening presence in a conservative household.

I've seen most of the 1967 revival Dragnet episodes, but it's been a long time and I don't recall how many dealt substantially with the drug scene or hippies. I know that references to Friday & Gannon usually make fun of how stiff they are, but from what I recall they looked stiff in comparison to everyone -- not just in the hippie scene. It's not as easy to discern tongue-in-cheek on message boards as when you're talking with someone.

That would've been a pretty tall order, and actually if you've seen Joplin or Hendrix on The Dick Cavett Show, I think they come across as more normal than one might expect -- albeit likely on drugs during the interviews...!

Anyway, I thought some things in the Family Affair ep like the mention of French's work & demeanor, as in it's his thing, as fairly well-done. Veronica Cartwright had played a very chaste and demure Jemima Boone on Daniel Boone, and I thought she did a decent job of presenting a character that was far more edgy and closer to a threatening presence in a conservative household.

I know, I hope I didn't come across as too snarky, I just didn't want to leave the impression that I seriously thought that I could improve upon the wonderful M3S, I was just joking around. I love M3S just the way it is as well and wouldn't change a thing, it is a true classic. :)

I didn't see Jimi Hendrix on Dick Cavett but I did see Janis Joplin interviewed by him. I thought that away from her stage persona she seemed somewhat shy and insecure. I have read that she was made fun of at her high school in Texas for her looks, apparently she had pretty bad acne as a teenager. That's too bad, maybe a small part of the basis for her self destructive behavior later in life.

The FA episode wasn't a terrible episode, I just felt that the hippies seemed very white washed, but then on a family show in the late '60s that would have been the only way to present them. I can remember seeing an episode of "The Ed Sullivan Show" from around that time when he had Janis Joplin as a guest. Ed's facial expression and body language when she performed made it pretty obvious that he wasn't a fan, and I remember that he shook hands and chatted with every other guest after their performances except for her. On the flip side, she probably found him to be quite a stuffed shirt too. My point being, even though I was just a toddler at the time, I think it's pretty obvious that the whole counterculture thing was still taboo in the average American household, hence why FA had to white wash it and why Mr. Sullivan wasn't necessarily thrilled to have the seemingly wild and crazy Ms. Joplin on his show.

Thanks for your reply -- I missed more than a week on this board, and I'm late wanting to say I'm glad to note your arrival and hope you enjoy continuing to post about M3S as much as we're enjoying reading your comments.

I was born in very early 1965 but don't recall ever seeing first-run primetime M3S episodes (mainly from the time of the last few M3S seasons I can recall seeing Funny Face with Sandy Duncan, Flip Wilson, Lawrence Welk, and not much more). So I was interested to read of your reaction to the Dodie character, with her adjusting to the idea of a new father.

You will find that most if not all of us agree that M3S was a true TV classic. Looking forward to more of your observations.

As far as Janis is concerned, what was so surprising at the time, yes I'm old enough to remember, is that she always claimed to be against drugs and to not use drugs. Who knows what is the real truth, but I think because she hadn't any drug experience she accidentally overdosed. I was never a fan of Joplin's screeching (singing?) either, but I do remember her being funny in her interviews, she seemed like a nice person.

Thanks for your reply -- I missed more than a week on this board, and I'm late wanting to say I'm glad to note your arrival and hope you enjoy continuing to post about M3S as much as we're enjoying reading your comments.

I was born in very early 1965 but don't recall ever seeing first-run primetime M3S episodes (mainly from the time of the last few M3S seasons I can recall seeing Funny Face with Sandy Duncan, Flip Wilson, Lawrence Welk, and not much more). So I was interested to read of your reaction to the Dodie character, with her adjusting to the idea of a new father.

You will find that most if not all of us agree that M3S was a true TV classic. Looking forward to more of your observations.

I was also born in early 1965 and the earliest thing that I remember watching on TV from that period was the western "Lancer" which my family tells me I watched because I was obsessed with the main character, whoever he was (Man, I started out young with my crushes! :crazy: ) and, strangely enough, President Eisenhower's funeral. Around 1971 I became obsessed with "I dream of Jeanie" to the point where I made a little boy play it with me on the playground, me being Jeanie and he being Major Nelson. Weird kid, huh? :lol:

Anyway, thanks for the warm welcome, I love this board and check in every day now. The other sitcoms that I love to post on have boards that are almost dead, and some of them are much newer than M3S, you guys have a strong and loyal group over here!

As far as Janis is concerned, what was so surprising at the time, yes I'm old enough to remember, is that she always claimed to be against drugs and to not use drugs. Who knows what is the real truth, but I think because she hadn't any drug experience she accidentally overdosed. I was never a fan of Joplin's screeching (singing?) either, but I do remember her being funny in her interviews, she seemed like a nice person.

I never knew that Janis claimed to be against drugs, wow. Could have been, although to go from not using at all to going right for the hardest stuff of the era, mainline heroin, was quite a leap. I have read that she really loved her whiskey and kept an open bottle of Jack Daniels on the stage during her concerts to swig from during her shows, so she had at least laid down a strong foundation for seeking out other mind altering substances. Hers was certainly a sad story.