Does anyone know why Don DeFore and Whitney Blake left the show? Was it over money? Apparently NBC cancelled it when they left and it seems strange that CBS would pick it up with Hazel and Harold now living with Mr. B's never before mentioned brother and his family.

Don DeFore and Whitney Blake didn't quit -- they were dropped from the show to save money (as you guessed). It wasn't uncommon for successful shows to drop cast members back in the 50s and 60s in order to cut the budget (for example, "Mr. Ed", "The Lucy Show", "77 Sunset Strip"). Don DeFore was interviewed for the book "Written Out of Television" and stated that he got a letter from the studio telling him his option was not picked up for the fifth year.

Hazel's ratings were on the decline at that point, and CBS probably didn't object to any efforts to freshen up the show. With the network switch, the producers decided to use that opportunity to revamp the show and save money. They ended up ruining it, though.

Both of you are in the ballpark as to why the format was revised on Hazel and essentially correct. I can provide some more detail for you.

For several years now, Lynn Borden, who played Barbara Baxter in the revised-format 1965-6 season, has been a friend of mine (long story--a couple of years of exchanged letters and another year of exchanged telephone calls, before finally getting together several times, whenever I was on the West Coast).

During our second conversation, I finally asked her why Hazel changed formats, allowing her to step into the regular rôle of Barbara Baxter (which was the first rôle in which I ever saw her).

As she explained: at the end of the 1964-5 season, NBC had cancelled the show--thus, Don DeFore's comment about his option not being picked up--and all of the actors were left at ends to find other work. When CBS expressed interest in picking up the show, Shirley Booth agreed to provide the financial backing herself to put the show back into production By the time the deal with CBS was finalised, former regular cast members DeFore and Whitney Blake had moved on to other commitments. (Left unsaid by Lynn, but budget considerations was probably also a factor--as TV Guy pointed out--the salaries for new actors as the new Baxter family were undoubtly lower than those for DeFore and Miss Blake would have been.)

A thematic change also instituted by Miss Booth was that her realtionship with Steve Baxter would be less adversarial than that with George Baxter.

Contrary to some misconceptions, Hazel was not cancelled by CBS at the end of that 1965-6 season. The show's ratings were acceptable. However, Miss Booth was slowly succumbing to illness. She required a nurse present on the set; and if one will notice, by the middle of that last season, more scenes are devoted to semi-regulars Ann Jillian and Mala Powers and their characters' interactions with the Baxter family, thus reducing the amount of screen time for Miss Booth. At the conclusion of the season, Miss Booth was unable to continue and folded the show.

Incidentally, Lynn Borden is one of the sweetest, warmest people I have ever known, in or out of Hollywood. I don't know many women who would stop directing of the renovation of her home, leaving it a virtual disaster area--as she did, just to spend the afternoon with me when I made a spur-of-the-moment trip to Los Angeles. She's a class act!


Commander Benson

I'm not familar w/ the later Hazels.
If they kept Harold how did they explain the absence of his parents?

Originally posted by ricardo/mertz

If they kept Harold how did they explain the absence of his parents?


As established in the first episode of the new format (the 1965-6 season), George Baxter accepted a job in the Middle East and his wife, Dorothy, accompanied him. However, they sent Harold to live with George's younger brother, Steve, and his wife so that the boy would not be uprooted from his school.

The first scene with Ray Fulmer as Steve Baxter showed him confidently predicting that Hazel would not upend his life the way she had his brother George's.


Commander Benson

Thanks so much Commander!
I will be missing Hazel. She's out of the daily tv land lineup for me.
So sad but, I did get Donna Reed back. I guess you can't have everything!:)

Thank you Commander!

Just one comment-why couldn't they have had a transition episode where George & Dorothy left or at least have them return for guest appearances (or have Hazel and the new Baxters visit them in Saudi Arabia!). This was done so many times in shows from the 60's where important characters left (also Mike and Sally from My Three Sons) and the actors never even returned for a guest appearance. The only reason I could think of not returning would be perhaps bad blood or sour grapes over no longer being a regular.

I am glad to hear that Lynn Borden is such a nice person and is doing well. I just puchased a VHS of the horror movie "Frogs" from 1972 that she was in - playing a much different type of role and she was great!

Originally posted by Commander Benson

As she explained: at the end of the 1964-5 season, NBC had cancelled the show--thus, Don DeFore's comment about his option not being picked up--and all of the actors were left at ends to find other work. When CBS expressed interest in picking up the show, Shirley Booth agreed to provide the financial backing herself to put the show back into production By the time the deal with CBS was finalised, former regular cast members DeFore and Whitney Blake had moved on to other commitments.

Don DeFore gave a slightly different version of events in his "Written Out of Television" interview . He said that he received a call from his attorney telling him his option was not being picked up after the move to CBS was announced. After he was told that the show did not want him back, he decided to go to New York to find other work. If Lynn Borden was told that DeFore and Blake had left voluntarily to do other things, it sounds like studio spin (check out IMDB -- DeFore and Blake have no credits for several years after they were dropped from the show). The "left to pursue other opportunities" reason is used all the time when someone is let go, and in this case, it was probably used because it sounded better than "We dropped Don and Whitney because we're trying to cut the budget, and you and Ray Fulmer are cheaper".

Commander benson, are you related to the folks in the first episode of Hazel where Hazel kicks a football in your chimney? Wasn't the elderly couple named Benson.
Getting back to the last season,I general thought it wasn;t much. The actors did fine but it wasn't the same. I do get a kick out seeing young Ann Jillian.

After reading other posts I am wrong commander. the couple next door were the Johnsons. I guess I'm thinking of the character in I love Lucy where Lucy moves into a bigger apt and she talks with a crying Mrs benson. I think the actress is the same who played mrs j and mrs b.

That actress was Norma Varden, she appeared in a lot of 50s and 60s shows. I think she was in the Sound of Music movie as well.

...to appear as "HAZEL". But, as previously mentioned, her health was in somewhat of a decline, and she decided to not renew it after the fifth (and final) season wrapped up production. It was just as well.

something tells me commander benson is not married!!

something tells me commander benson is not married!!
:confused:

Well, you all are somewhat in the ballpark as to why my Dad did not continue with the Hazel series. Real answer: he was holding out for more money because he believed that his value was greater than his compensation. Let history be the judge...and when I have time I'll tell you why my Dad had his hand bandaged in several episodes. Hint: It wasn't the dog that bit him :-)

I know! I know! (My hand is wildly waving.) I read that Don actually cut his finger off while he was working in his shop making some wood item, furniture? The electric saw he was using cut off his finger, it had to be sewed back on and his hand was in that cast we see in the first season. So, how'd I do, was I pretty much right?

Well, you all are somewhat in the ballpark as to why my Dad did not continue with the Hazel series. Real answer: he was holding out for more money because he believed that his value was greater than his compensation. Let history be the judge...and when I have time I'll tell you why my Dad had his hand bandaged in several episodes. Hint: It wasn't the dog that bit him :-)
I agree with your Dad. What made Hazel work was the relationship between Hazel and the Baxters ( George and Dorothy). I never did warm up to the new Baxters.

Hazel is on Atenna TV which switched today to WDCWDT2 . Thank you Commander Benson for answering what happened to the original Baxters. I tuned in today to a new family with Harold and was so confused.

Why did the Baxters even need Hazel or a maid? They had one school age kid and they lived in a regular size house. I guess Mr B hired Hazel because of his wife who worked at decorating once in a blue moon and I guess she didn't want to be bothered with housework. You'd think Hazel would have been a bit nicer to Mr B, he gave her a place to live, a salary and yet she still rudely criticizes him about all sorts of things like his weight, not taking his son to some lame event, etc.

First off, I have always wondered, as the person above also notes, Hazel has NO housing bills, no rent, no mortgage, no car (most of the time), no electric, gas, and phone bills, she basically pays for nothing every month except for an occasional pair of shoes. So, here's what I have always wondered, WHY IS HAZEL CONSTANTLY BROKE?? Anytime Hazel has to buy something that costs more than $5 she's suddenly dead broke. No money anywhere, she has to finagle and work around getting the money instead of simply going to the bank and making a small withdrawal on what must be a massive savings account after all the no expense living she does at the Baxters.

That's the first thing, second. (Mind you Hazel is one of my all time favorite shows, so this is not some sourpuss complaining, I really like Hazel, but these are my 2 main long held pet peeves. I watched Hazel when it was on in the '60's and I started watching Hazel again when it finally came back in the late '80's and I've been watching Hazel on weekly basis ever since the '80's, almost 30 years of constant Hazels, it used to be a twice weekly basis ever since I started recording her in the '80's off Family channel and TBS.) OK, back to my second big complaint. If I were Mr. Baxter (either George or Steve, but especially George) I would have fired Hazel the second time she ever did not do what I wanted her to do, undermined me, worked actively against me (as she often does) or contradicted me or insulted me (as she always does). Hazel would have been gone by the second episode of the series. Now this would have made a bad TV sitcom decision but the only wise decision Mr. B could have made if this were real life. No wonder he had high blood pressure. I think the only TV sitcom reason Mr. B didn't fire her was Dorothy's constant threats to leave him if he dared to do the right thing and go against Hazel. Sadly it seems Mr. B was p... whipped. :(

I think after the end of the current 5th season that I'm now in the middle of, I will finally give my Hazel watching a hiatus. Maybe a year or 2 off and I may then come back to Hazel with more welcoming arms. At this point I boil over every time she goes up against Mr. B. Making me madder is why Mr. B doesn't just fire her. This is my constant question now as I watch this series, this is a change for me. I used to love watching, now, sadly (for me) I don't.

I think you nailed it when you mentioned Dorothy's threats to leave him if he fired Hazel. He knows that Hazel has been with Dorothy since she was a little girl. Letting Hazel go would also devastate Harold.

Remember when George was all set to fire Hazel (I think it was when she blabbed about his judge appointment--a note about that--I really can't blame Hazel for that one, since George didn't tell her to keep it to herself) and she cut him off by saying, "I love you, Mr. B."? She had a way of taking the wind out of his sails, and this one was particularly touching.

On the other hand, I try to put myself in George's place when she ordered him to bed (and, on top of that, Mr. Griffin). I think she would be gone, if that had been me.

I look at it from the viewpoint that it's a TV show. This was Shirley Booth's show, she was the star, so of course Hazel would never be fired even though there might have been times she would have deserved to be fired. Poor Mr. Baxter, whether it be George or Steve, they might have been the men of their households but Hazel was the boss and really the one in charge. :lol: I like watching the show but Hazel's buttinsky ways can get irritating after awhile.

I think sometimes when we watch multiple eps, we lose the sense of more gentle familiarity the viewers originally got -- what was originally not TOO tiresome or stale can become so (I'm currently watching about 15 eps per week: 10 on Antenna and 5 on WHME).

The running gag of Hazel always reminding Mr. B to change his socks is a good example. Combined with the barbs about his weight, Hazel comes off as a persistent nuisance. But I don't think she comes off quite as strong if we're only watching one ep per week, the original pacing. It just reinforces her character.

I like also that Hazel goes right to work on "Mr. Steve [Baxter]" at the start of the final season, counting his vitamin pills to see if he took one. This type of thing shows a really good grasp of the character in the scripting.

Ahh, now there, I just boiled again thinking about it. That was a perfect example of where I would have fired Hazel on the spot if she tried force feeding me vitamins, esp. as she did in front of business clients!! Hazel would have been gone in an instant.

This is where I boil everytime when watching nowadays, everytime Hazel acts in her outrageous disrespect of Mr. B's (George or Steve) I want to scream and many times I actually do yell out, FIRE HER! I tell you I really need to take a break from watching Hazel, I never used to feel like this when watching, but now I just blow my top FOR Mr. B and am furious they don't speak up and fire her after repeated offenses. (And yes I did cut my Hazel watching down to once a week for the past couple of years since I was getting so angry almost every time I watched. But it hasn't changed me, the once a week plan didn't work, I still get furious.

Maybe I'm just getting old and no longer have patience with people like this, because I used to love watching Hazel, I really did, I never had this reaction of extreme anger. I'm worried about me.:eek: )

I realize this thread was started MANY years ago, but since I see recent posts, I will add my 2 cents. As a child I HATED this show (now 55)... but as an adult, I realize it's always interesting, FAR more than ... say... Dennis the Menace, or "I Love Lucy" for the MILLIONTH rerun! (By the way, don't get me started about Andy Griffith reruns, where ME-TV shows ONLY the black and white ones, and IGNORES the better color ones. Incidentally, I prefer Mayberry RFD over Andy Griffith ANY day.) But back to Hazel... George was never a favorite, and although I liked Ray Fulmer as Steve, he seemed a slightly angry man to me, or was that just my imagination? I sometimes felt like he would explode at any minute! But overall, yes, Hazel could be annoying. But I still watch every day...

Well, I am somewhat of a new fan to Hazel (I may have seen it years ago in reruns when I was a kid, I just don't remember). However, I will say I think the first four seasons were the best. The chemistry with Shirley Booth, Whitney Blake and Don DeFore was just right. I didn't get the same sense with Ray Fulmer and the actress who played his wife (don't recall her name right now). That's just my opinion though.

I personally love Hazel and enjoy watching the series everyday on Antenna Tv. It's "feel good" tv! I'm somewhat new to the show 🎥 coming across it by accident and have been hooked since. I much rather watch classic shows from the 50s & 60s with better morale and family standards then the crap that is on TV nowadays. Even with her stepping out of bounds on most occasions with Mr. B, the bond the Baxter's have with Hazel is wonderful. For me this brings back memories of simplier times that I wish was still here of love and family 💖.

There are several theories that I've heard regarding what happened behind the scenes during the final season (http://cultureshark.blogspot.com/2011/04/shocking-final-season-of-hazel.html). The consensus seems to be that when the show changed networks, a younger family was desired by the brass. Don DeFore (http://tvnewfrontier.blogspot.com/2017/07/hazel-1961.html) was considered too old to attract younger viewers whereas the more attractive and "hunky" Ray Fulmer was a draw. Consequently, Whitney Blake was out, too.

Other theories include the fact that Lynn Borden (https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/tv-stars-who-were-fired.589666/page-14#post-16220471) and Fulmer were cheaper than DeFore and Blake. Also, there's a rumor that rumor that Whitney Blake got wind the 1965-66 season would be the series last, so she refused to renew her contract in retaliation. Of course, that meant the end of Don DeFore too.

While I'm not about to argue what Miss Booth's role may have been re the Mr. and Mrs. B. leaving/getting kicked out, I have to say that I like that she seemed to have gone to bat to keep the young performer, Mr. Buntrock in the last season when they could have easily had Hazel join an entirely new family! I wonder if she kept up with him and knew about his too-early-death as soon as it happened (as Miss Blake did NOT keep up with the performer playing her son and evidently only learned about the death roughly a decade later when an interviewer mentioned it while I have no idea re Mr. De Fore's bond with Mr. Buntrock).

I think I read on another web site that Shirley did not find out about Bobby's death until 1985- and I also seem to have read on the Internet that Don Defore didn't find out for more than a decade.

TMC said:

There are several theories that I've heard regarding what happened behind the scenes during the final season. The consensus seems to be that when the show changed networks, a younger family was desired by the brass. Don DeFore was considered too old to attract younger viewers whereas the more attractive and "hunky" Ray Fulmer was a draw. Consequently, Whitney Blake was out, too.

Other theories include the fact that Lynn Borden and Fulmer were cheaper than DeFore and Blake. Also, there's a rumor that rumor that Whitney Blake got wind the 1965-66 season would be the series last, so she refused to renew her contract in retaliation. Of course, that meant the end of Don DeFore too".


The evidence seems pretty convincing that DeFore and Blake were replaced for economic reasons. Booth owned the right to the series, in changing networks after NBC dropped the show CBS was in the stronger negotiating position, in all likelihood this would have led to a reduced fee for a 5th season. This of course would mean cuts, and the easiest place to start was on salaries. Fulmer and Borden weren't just younger, they were both getting their first major roles, so the salary savings were significant. In addition, Shirley Booth was Hazel, and Booth was 68 years old, and there is no getting around that. The series was on CBS, of the three major networks the CBS audience tended to be older and more rural, so the series with its 68 year old star fit in pretty well. The show was Monday's, so let's take a look at that line-up. First hour of prime-time featured two game shows that had been on since the 50's (To Tell The Truth and I've Got A Secret). Next at 8:30 was Lucy who had been part of the Monday line-up since the early 50's, then came the rural comedy smash, The Andy Griffith Show. With all that coming before Hazel,I doubt anyone at CBS was that concerned about the age of Hazel's employer.

I am glad the Hazel is on Antenna TV and FETV. Shirley Booth was a comic genius. I agree that her chemistry with Don Defore and Whitney Blake was better than with Ray Fulmer and Lynn Borden, but she still stole the show.

I am glad the Hazel is on Antenna TV and FETV. Shirley Booth was a comic genius. I agree that her chemistry with Don Defore and Whitney Blake was better than with Ray Fulmer and Lynn Borden, but she still stole the show.

She didn't steal the show, it was her show to begin with, the show's name is Hazel, and the show revolved around that character.

"Shirley Booth was a comic genius".

Shirley Booth was an outstanding talent, one of the most talented actresses of all time, she won an Oscar for a dramatic role, a Tony for a dramatic role, she appeared in musicals, she was as they say in baseball a 5 tool player.

"her chemistry with Don Defore and Whitney Blake was better than with Ray Fulmer and Lynn Borden"

I know what you are saying but you have to cut Fulmer and Borden some slack, DeFore and Blake were seasoned pros, you can imagine the challenge for relative newcomers to have to play off one of the greatest actresses of all time.

She didn't steal the show, it was her show to begin with, the show's name is Hazel, and the show revolved around that character.

"Shirley Booth was a comic genius".

Shirley Booth was an outstanding talent, one of the most talented actresses of all time, she won an Oscar for a dramatic role, a Tony for a dramatic role, she appeared in musicals, she was as they say in baseball a 5 tool player.

"her chemistry with Don Defore and Whitney Blake was better than with Ray Fulmer and Lynn Borden"

I know what you are saying but you have to cut Fulmer and Borden some slack, DeFore and Blake were seasoned pros, you can imagine the challenge for relative newcomers to have to play off one of the greatest actresses of all time.I in no way meant that Shirley Booth stole the show because Fulmer and Borden were lesser talents. It was because she was just a comic genius and at least as a viewer of the show I gravitated to her even in the earlier episodes with Defore and Blake. It has already been established on this thread that the show did not go downhill and eventually was cancelled not because of poor rating after Fulmer and Lorden joined the show, but because Booth could not perform any longer due to an illness. Fulmer and Lorden were fine actors and it is a shame that the show could not have gone on for more years. The thing is there are not many actors that are the quality of a Shirley Booth.

Vintage1947 stated:

"It has already been established on this thread that the show did not go downhill and eventually was cancelled not because of poor rating after Fulmer and Borden joined the show, but because Booth could not perform any longer due to an illness".

I know Commander Benson provided this information in a post done in early 2003, but I don't think it holds up under close examination. The series had steadily lost audience over the years, in season 4 the series dropped out of the top 30 for the first time, the result, it was cancelled. CBS was willing to keep the show alive and scheduled it on Monday nights at 9:30. This is timeslot where it was expected the show would perform well, all three of the shows that preceded it were in the top 20 for the season with The Lucy Show (#3), and The Andy Griffith Show (#6) on at 8:30 and 9:00 respectively being two of the most popular shows on TV. Hazel had an excellent timeslot, a lot of firepower leading into the series, but the program did not rebound. There is no evidence to suggest the health of the star factored into the final decision. Family Affair which replaced Hazel finished number 14 its first year on the air.

I’ve tried to watch the Fulmer and Borden episodes, but they’re just not that good to me. George has always been my favorite character, and his interactions with both Hazel and Mr. Griffin made the show. Whatever the reason for DeFore and Blake being written out of the series, it was a big mistake.

People mention Shirley Booth having health problems in the 1960s. However, she lived to be 94.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Booth

Shirley also went on to do another excellent TV series in 1973, "A Touch Of Grace". I also loved that series but it only lasted one year. A real shame, it was very well written. I'd like to be able to get DVDs of that series, it seems to have disappeared from Earth. Probably locked in a vault somewhere. Good show. Hazel though in real life did go blind in her later years. Living to be 94 ain't all it's cracked up to be.:(

Shirley also went on to do another excellent TV series in 1973, "A Touch Of Grace". I also loved that series but it only lasted one year. A real shame, it was very well written. I'd like to be able to get DVDs of that series, it seems to have disappeared from Earth. Probably locked in a vault somewhere. Good show. Hazel though in real life did go blind in her later years. Living to be 94 ain't all it's cracked up to be.:(

Hazel didn’t go blind.

Sorry, I don't make these things up, but Hazel did go blind in her later years. I had heard this on a talk show, perhaps it was Tom Snyder's radio show, he had Whitney Blake as a guest, but I'm not sure if that's where I heard it and I read it also. "The actress Shirley Booth did have a grave visual problem- she was legally blind in her later years and probably totally so at the time of her death."

Sorry, I don't make these things up, but Hazel did go blind in her later years. I had heard this on a talk show, perhaps it was Tom Snyder's radio show, he had Whitney Blake as a guest, but I'm not sure if that's where I heard it and I read it also. "The actress Shirley Booth did have a grave visual problem- she was legally blind in her later years and probably totally so at the time of her death."

The point I was making is that “Hazel” didn’t go blind because she was a character in a TV series. The actress who played her, Shirley Booth, went blind.

Oh brother.:crazy: Well, least I know how you got your moniker.

Yes, as I was saying, in the end Hazel was bumping into the Baxter's walls as she went from the dining room to the kitchen. Then when she hopped into her used car, both of them, she really was a hit on the road. Mr. Griffin had to jump out of the way. Then the day Hazel put salt in Missy's coffee was finally the last straw. Mrs. B fired the blind Hazel on the spot and she lived out her days with Deidra. Now make something of that, Mr. Literal. :happyface

Why did the Baxters even need Hazel or a maid? They had one school age kid and they lived in a regular size house. I guess Mr B hired Hazel because of his wife who worked at decorating once in a blue moon and I guess she didn't want to be bothered with housework. You'd think Hazel would have been a bit nicer to Mr B, he gave her a place to live, a salary and yet she still rudely criticizes him about all sorts of things like his weight, not taking his son to some lame event, etc.

Peppypacer probably wrote that post a decade ago but it is so funny & interesting I have to comment. Is peppypacer trying to tell the Baxters they don't need a maid? If so, it's too late. If peppypacer is suggesting that the scenario is not realistic because there wouldn't be a maid in a household with only one child, peppypacer probably didn't encounter families with similar demographics to those portrayed in Hazel in the 1960's. I know that demographic well. So, I registered for this site just to write a comment. It touches on a very interesting issue. Buckle up-here goes:

peppypacer,
The issue wasn't whether someone needed a maid. In the early to mid 1960's married white upper middle class women simply didn't do housework regardless of number of children or other responsibilities. They also didn't work outside the home. That fact will leave a lot of people from more recent generations scratching their heads about what the women did (the answer is charity work, society events, country club activities, copulating to catch up to those with kids). I'm sure readers will generate instances they know about where an upper middle class woman they knew worked or didn't have a maid.

Of course there were exceptions. I'm a product of such a household. But, I'm talking about the prevailing culture of the average upper middle class family. Men like Mr Baxter (or my father) would not even consider "allowing" their wives to work or do housework. Most of the women had some college if they grew up in a middle (or wealthier) class family but many wed instead of finishing college. Starting in 1950 extending to 1960 the average age women married plummeted (to the youngest age ever). There was an old expression about women attending 7-Sister Colleges (Smith, Mt Holyoke, Wellesley, Barnard, Radcliffe, Bryn Mawr, Vassar) that went "Wellesley to bed; Smith to wed" (choice of college dependent upon who was reciting the ditty-yet only of 7-Sister Colleges-cause those were the schools on dad's list). At least those at Wellesley stood a shot at getting a degree. But those were the failures. The winners caught a (soon to be) nice doctor or lawyer before graduating. Happily each of the 7 sisters had a corresponding men's college offering up men with good future earning potential; the overwhelming majority had family money to boot.

For upper middle class women like Mrs. Baxter, there was even less reason to work than there was to have a maid. Further, without a degree and certainly without any specialized training, the only work available to such women was low paying low prestige jobs. Upper middle class (therefore professional) men viewed women working as a sign of their own failure. More importantly, most thought it signaled their failure to the neighborhood. For those unfamiliar with this mentality, pay attention to plots of 1960's sitcoms. Many center on conflict between husband and wife about this very issue. By the late 60's and early 70's a convergence of economic, social and political factors changed things markedly. But, when Hazel was being filmed, married upper middle class women (even those without children yet ) had maids and didn't work even if it meant they sat and twiddled their thumbs. I add "yet" because the expectation was that they would soon have children. Of course, education about birth control was illegal at the time so most complied with social expectation purposely or not.


And that is all she wrote, for now.

I’ve tried to watch the Fulmer and Borden episodes, but they’re just not that good to me. George has always been my favorite character, and his interactions with both Hazel and Mr. Griffin made the show. Whatever the reason for DeFore and Blake being written out of the series, it was a big mistake.

The first few Fulmer/Borden episodes aren't too good (except a funny scene where Mr. Steve is going to lay the law down to Hazel ["George didn't know how to handle her--I do."] and she turns the tables) but they had some pretty funny episodes as the season went on.

For a recurring actor part, Mr. Griffin really made the show in the first four seasons. He was a classic curmudgeon. He started with a bang (dismissing Hazel, who ended up putting him to bed with his cold) and he stole the show in any episode he was in.

Don DeFore and Whitney Blake didn't quit -- they were dropped from the show to save money (as you guessed). It wasn't uncommon for successful shows to drop cast members back in the 50s and 60s in order to cut the budget (for example, "Mr. Ed", "The Lucy Show", "77 Sunset Strip"). Don DeFore was interviewed for the book "Written Out of Television" and stated that he got a letter from the studio telling him his option was not picked up for the fifth year.

Hazel's ratings were on the decline at that point, and CBS probably didn't object to any efforts to freshen up the show. With the network switch, the producers decided to use that opportunity to revamp the show and save money. They ended up ruining it, though.

Agreed, it was an awful plan.

What were they thinking?

TMC said:

There are several theories that I've heard regarding what happened behind the scenes during the final season. The consensus seems to be that when the show changed networks, a younger family was desired by the brass. Don DeFore was considered too old to attract younger viewers whereas the more attractive and "hunky" Ray Fulmer was a draw. Consequently, Whitney Blake was out, too.

Other theories include the fact that Lynn Borden and Fulmer were cheaper than DeFore and Blake. Also, there's a rumor that rumor that Whitney Blake got wind the 1965-66 season would be the series last, so she refused to renew her contract in retaliation. Of course, that meant the end of Don DeFore too".


The evidence seems pretty convincing that DeFore and Blake were replaced for economic reasons. Booth owned the right to the series, in changing networks after NBC dropped the show CBS was in the stronger negotiating position, in all likelihood this would have led to a reduced fee for a 5th season. This of course would mean cuts, and the easiest place to start was on salaries. Fulmer and Borden weren't just younger, they were both getting their first major roles, so the salary savings were significant. In addition, Shirley Booth was Hazel, and Booth was 68 years old, and there is no getting around that. The series was on CBS, of the three major networks the CBS audience tended to be older and more rural, so the series with its 68 year old star fit in pretty well. The show was Monday's, so let's take a look at that line-up. First hour of prime-time featured two game shows that had been on since the 50's (To Tell The Truth and I've Got A Secret). Next at 8:30 was Lucy who had been part of the Monday line-up since the early 50's, then came the rural comedy smash, The Andy Griffith Show. With all that coming before Hazel,I doubt anyone at CBS was that concerned about the age of Hazel's employer.

I never thought much about Shirley Booth's exact age, amazing that she was in her later 60s during Hazel, she seems much younger, at least a decade or more.

Both of you are in the ballpark as to why the format was revised on Hazel and essentially correct. I can provide some more detail for you.

For several years now, Lynn Borden, who played Barbara Baxter in the revised-format 1965-6 season, has been a friend of mine (long story--a couple of years of exchanged letters and another year of exchanged telephone calls, before finally getting together several times, whenever I was on the West Coast).

During our second conversation, I finally asked her why Hazel changed formats, allowing her to step into the regular rôle of Barbara Baxter (which was the first rôle in which I ever saw her).

As she explained: at the end of the 1964-5 season, NBC had cancelled the show--thus, Don DeFore's comment about his option not being picked up--and all of the actors were left at ends to find other work. When CBS expressed interest in picking up the show, Shirley Booth agreed to provide the financial backing herself to put the show back into production By the time the deal with CBS was finalised, former regular cast members DeFore and Whitney Blake had moved on to other commitments. (Left unsaid by Lynn, but budget considerations was probably also a factor--as TV Guy pointed out--the salaries for new actors as the new Baxter family were undoubtly lower than those for DeFore and Miss Blake would have been.)

A thematic change also instituted by Miss Booth was that her realtionship with Steve Baxter would be less adversarial than that with George Baxter.

Contrary to some misconceptions, Hazel was not cancelled by CBS at the end of that 1965-6 season. The show's ratings were acceptable. However, Miss Booth was slowly succumbing to illness. She required a nurse present on the set; and if one will notice, by the middle of that last season, more scenes are devoted to semi-regulars Ann Jillian and Mala Powers and their characters' interactions with the Baxter family, thus reducing the amount of screen time for Miss Booth. At the conclusion of the season, Miss Booth was unable to continue and folded the show.

Incidentally, Lynn Borden is one of the sweetest, warmest people I have ever known, in or out of Hollywood. I don't know many women who would stop directing of the renovation of her home, leaving it a virtual disaster area--as she did, just to spend the afternoon with me when I made a spur-of-the-moment trip to Los Angeles. She's a class act!


Commander Benson

Interesting, thanks, that explains a lot.

Interesting, thanks, that explains a lot.

I've commented before on Commander Benson's comments from 2003. I enjoyed reading them but I have issues with the information presented and one of the main assertions.


Commander Benson:

"Contrary to some misconceptions, Hazel was not cancelled by CBS at the end of that 1965-6 season. The show's ratings were acceptable".

The show's ratings were not acceptable. There were two top 10 series right in front of Hazel, The Lucy Show at number 3, and Andy Griffith at number 6, Hazel wasn't in the top 30, so the series was not retaining enough of the lead-in audience. As an inducement for Don Fedderson to bring My Three Sons to CBS he was promised a spot on the schedule without a pilot, that series was Family Affair which took over the 9:30 Monday timeslot the following season and finished number 14.

Commander Benson:

"However, Miss Booth was slowly succumbing to illness".

Very slowly, she lived for another 26 years! Benson's comments suggests Booth was lucky to make it to the end of the season. In fact she starred in two CBS Playhouse productions (one during the 66-67 season, and the other during the 67-68 season). She did other TV work after that, in addition to some theatrical work in the early 70's. She starred in another TV series, A Touch of Grace in 1973 at the age of 74! She may not have been in the best of health, and episodic TV requires a lot of hours especially from the star but I don't see any evidence to suggest that was the reason the show wasn't renewed.

Well, you all are somewhat in the ballpark as to why my Dad did not continue with the Hazel series. Real answer: he was holding out for more money because he believed that his value was greater than his compensation. Let history be the judge...and when I have time I'll tell you why my Dad had his hand bandaged in several episodes. Hint: It wasn't the dog that bit him :-)
I think history has spoken.....I KNOW your father was sorely missed...Back in 1965....& still even today when viewing the later years episodes with Ray Fulmer as Mr. 'B'. I do recall when as a kid to early teen ....my family was upset that George & Dorothy were replaced. America came to know that pre 1965 Baxter bunch as almost extended family!!

It was almost unfair to Fulmer & Borden to take those roles, yet they chose them. Today, I still watch Hazel everyday...& admit I watch very few reruns of the episodes after Defore & Blake left. There were so many great lessons of life to learn in almost each episode of the pre 1965 episodes...for kids & adults---and we did learn from them!!...& I for one thank this wonderful, funny, thoughtful & warm TV creation of the remarkable 1960's. Now that was a decade to remember...& my fav decade of all in my now 72 yrs of living--- that is when Americai's flag waved of national pride by all....& one can still see it in many of the Hazel episodes.

" There were so many great lessons of life to learn in almost each episode of the pre 1965 episodes...for kids & adults---and we did learn from them."

This is so true, and true of many other 60s shows including Leave It To Beaver, The Andy Griffith Show and Family Affair. It's what's missing for kids who are growing up today I think. I often see, online, teens who say they don't know how to make friends and things like that. In the 60s we learned what was socially acceptable (and even moral) by watching tv, sixty years later they are mostly watching housewives fight and fathers kill.

I still remember one of the lessons I learned from watching Hazel.....carry your school backpack further up on your shoulder...center of gravity!:lol:

And the time when Hazel told Harold to brush his teeth up and down, the new way back then that dentists were advising.

Also, the episode where Enzo Martinelli maintained loyalty to Hazel by skipping the Italian diva's concert to still take Hazel to her Bowler's Ball.

Ahh, now there, I just boiled again thinking about it. That was a perfect example of where I would have fired Hazel on the spot if she tried force feeding me vitamins, esp. as she did in front of business clients!! Hazel would have been gone in an instant.

This is where I boil everytime when watching nowadays, everytime Hazel acts in her outrageous disrespect of Mr. B's (George or Steve) I want to scream and many times I actually do yell out, FIRE HER! I tell you I really need to take a break from watching Hazel, I never used to feel like this when watching, but now I just blow my top FOR Mr. B and am furious they don't speak up and fire her after repeated offenses. (And yes I did cut my Hazel watching down to once a week for the past couple of years since I was getting so angry almost every time I watched. But it hasn't changed me, the once a week plan didn't work, I still get furious.

Maybe I'm just getting old and no longer have patience with people like this, because I used to love watching Hazel, I really did, I never had this reaction of extreme anger. I'm worried about me.:eek: )

Mr. Steve let the vitamin pill thing go (Hazel would be in counseling or on medication for OCD in today's world, for taking the time to count 1000 pills)
but even called his sister to take Harold (in preparation for firing Hazel) when she lied about George being a bad dancer to puff up Steve's ego. He should have fired or warned her after the vitamin incident.