Both of them overdo their character's trademark.

Betty is so obnoxious with her needing to be with the upper echelon and thinking that that group is the group that has it all together it becomes annoying.

Bud overdoes the comedic falling down/getting hurt so much that it ruins the episode for me.

I wonder why these episodes were written this way? It's very distracting from what could have been better episodes about a normal 50s family.

It would be interesting to know why Bud started the pratfall thing in the last half of the series. Did the producers think they needed more physical comedy?

A teen developing this problem in the real world (even that of the late 1950s) would probably be taken to the doctor to determine what the problem was.

And yes, Betty became more annoying too. Right off the bat, to start out season 4, she was peeved at having to tutor that "oaf", Muly Orkin. She made the poor guy more clumsy with her constant criticism and corrections. And that poor country cousin girl who visited later in that season. A bumpkin from "Gurnee", the very idea!...

It would be interesting to know why Bud started the pratfall thing in the last half of the series. Did the producers think they needed more physical comedy?


Was there another popular show that was more comedic? Did the writers think people were losing interest in FKB?

They shouldn't have if they did. It was high in ratings and winning Emmys.

The point about physical comedy is well taken. CBS could have said, hey, we need more physical comedy--you know, like Lucy.