Original One Day At A Time pilot (titled Three To Get Ready) no longer on YouTube

[opus]

You’ll recognize the apartment, Ann, Julie, and Schneider (with some name changes). Ann’s husband Ed is also here, played by a different actor. No other characters carried over to the classic series.

(And of course, they eventually added a younger daughter/sister )

[Bonniegirl]

Originally Posted by opus

You’ll recognize the apartment, Ann, Julie, and Schneider (with some name changes). Ann’s husband Ed is also here, played by a different actor. No other characters carried over to the classic series.

(And of course, they eventually added a younger daughter/sister )

Oh wow!!! That was interesting !!! Julie and Ed "Benton" and no little Sister , I'll start there!!! Julie was really toned down a bit when she became Julie Cooper , a little too wild here, I liked Julie Cooper better ! Ed Benton? Although we got used to Ed Cooper played by Joe Campanella and Joe was better looking , I think this guy was really more believable as Ann's ex husband! I missed the little Sister , Barbara here , I guess Julie's friend would have been over the apt. a lot hanging out with Julie and would have been a regular/ another young girl on the show. Not nearly as cute a Barbara though!

Now onto Ann and the Doctor, Carl! I liked how they casted Ann as being more strong and independent, already having a job starting out and in the medical field. That was believable that she would have felt more independent and felt able to leave her husband, and Carl (the David character) , he seemed maybe a bit more believable than lawyer David as a love interest for Ann? IDK I have to think this one over?

So all in all, I liked the original Ann and Ed characters better, didn't like the original Julie and was glad they added Barbara ! Not sure if I liked Carl better for Ann than David?

[opus]

Originally Posted by Bonniegirl

Oh wow!!! That was interesting !!! Julie and Ed "Benton" and no little Sister , I'll start there!!! Julie was really toned down a bit when she became Julie Cooper , a little too wild here, I liked Julie Cooper better ! Ed Benton? Although we got used to Ed Cooper played by Joe Campanella and Joe was better looking , I think this guy was really more believable as Ann's ex husband! I missed the little Sister , Barbara here , I guess Julie's friend would have been over the apt. a lot hanging out with Julie and would have been a regular/ another young girl on the show. Not nearly as cute a Barbara though!

Now onto Ann and the Doctor, Carl! I liked how they casted Ann as being more strong and independent, already having a job starting out and in the medical field. That was believable that she would have felt more independent and felt able to leave her husband, and Carl (the David character) , he seemed maybe a bit more believable than lawyer David as a love interest for Ann? IDK I have to think this one over?

So all in all, I liked the original Ann and Ed characters better, didn't like the original Julie and was glad they added Barbara ! Not sure if I liked Carl better for Ann than David?

I had read some of those details of the original pilot in a book I have about Norman Lear. I got so excited when I found this I muted a pretty good football game and started watching immediately. But I kept glancing at the game. I think I agree with most of what you said (maybe not about Julie), but I plan to give it a full attention rewatch tomorrow, so I’ll get back to you.

This should have been a box set extra. Since it’s YouTube it could disappear at anytime.

[Bonniegirl]

Originally Posted by opus

I had read some of those details of the original pilot in a book I have about Norman Lear. I got so excited when I found this I muted a pretty good football game and started watching immediately. But I kept glancing at the game. I think I agree with most of what you said (maybe not about Julie), but I plan to give it a full attention rewatch tomorrow, so I’ll get back to you.

This should have been a box set extra. Since it’s YouTube it could disappear at anytime.

It was a totally cool, awesome good find!!! I'm gonna watch it again tomorrow!! Julie's friend , Sarah ( I think was her name )? , was the original Karen or Marcy and they totally ended up leaving her on the roof!!!

[RetroGuy2000]

THANKS, Opus! This was very interesting, seeing the roots of the show.

[opus]

So I did my rewatch and took some notes

-the biggest plot change here is that Ann isn't divorced, she and Ed are 4 weeks into a legal separation

-Who are the three getting ready in the title? From the end scene it's Ann, Julie, and Gail to face life, but Ed's also in the opening credits, so it could be Ann, Julie and Ed to face a new version of family life.

-there were a few amusing lines. I guess I laughed most when Carl and later Dad whacked Julie with the flowers

-Ralph Schneider?

-And since Carl morphed into David, it's probably a good thing he wasn't David Smelt

[opus]

Originally Posted by RetroGuy2000

THANKS, Opus! This was very interesting, seeing the roots of the show.

I don't know who gets the credit for posting it, but the credit for me finding it goes to Mackenzie Phillips, who tweeted the link over at the Twitter.

[Mr. Television]

Thanks so much for posting this. It was something else. lol I think it was good they tinkered with it. lol

[rcbrad]

Originally Posted by opus

So I did my rewatch and took some notes

-the biggest plot change here is that Ann isn't divorced, she and Ed are 4 weeks into a legal separation

-Who are the three getting ready in the title? From the end scene it's Ann, Julie, and Gail to face life, but Ed's also in the opening credits, so it could be Ann, Julie and Ed to face a new version of family life.

-there were a few amusing lines. I guess I laughed most when Carl and later Dad whacked Julie with the flowers

-Ralph Schneider?

-And since Carl morphed into David, it's probably a good thing he wasn't David Smelt

First of all to the OP thanks for posting!

I watched this too, very very interesting to see these first pilot attempts!

The character Julie here was over the top, stomping and jumping on the couch and overdoing the teenage drama. Mack did a great job overall though!

I was wondering too, what were they referring to as the "three" in Three to Get Ready? I guess they must have meant Ann, Julie and Ed?

Ralph Schneider is married in this version.

Bonnie sure sounded like she was on top of the world when she announced: From Television City in Hollywood!!

Gotta love those 1970's theme songs that are so upbeat and positive! This theme was catchy and well done. I listened to it a whole bunch of times.

It was nice to see Marcia Rodd in this, I always liked her.

[opus]

Originally Posted by rcbrad

Ralph Schneider is married in this version.

That part carried over. Schneider was also married in the pilot we're familiar with, although of course they quickly retconned that.


When I first watched this with one eye on YouTube and one eye on football I thought Julie was just being Julie. But having watched it fully, yeah, Mack had it cranked up to 10 throughout here, whereas in the series she dialed it back to around a 7.

[1960'sTVfan]

I just watched the pilot episode and while it really wasn't very good, seeing my girl Bonnie Franklin looking super cute with the longer hairstyle made it worth watching.

[TV Guy]

It was pretty awful. I noticed that they taped it in April of 1975 and “One Day” premiered that December. They retooled it relatively quickly to get it picked up and on the air by that December. And I bet if it hadn’t been a Norman Lear show, it wouldn’t have gotten a second chance. Norman Lear had that kind of clout with CBS.

I did like Marcia Rodd in this. I wonder if she inspired the Ginny character from the second season.

[RetroTVNitekatt]

The pilot shows the concept had potential and with some reworking (which went beyond the second pilot when they "Tweaked" the character of Schneider when it went to series. He was basically the same in both pilots) the show could work better.

Don't forget they did shoot THREE different "All in The Family" Pilots before they got it right!

[opus]

Well, hope you all saw it. Sony’s apparently blocked it.

[opus]

Here’s a quick piece on it....

http://thelandofwhatever.blogspot.co...get-ready.html