Has anyone ever seen "A Touch Of Grace" 70s tv-series? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Robert 13 · 05-27-2008, 11:37 AM

It starred Shirley Booth. I'd love to see some episodes if anyone has some. Please let me know. It's a shame a lot of these shows end up being tossed away never to be seen again.

If anyone has ever seen it, could you tell us a little about it?

Bob's TV Treasures · 06-20-2008, 08:44 PM

It was a cute show with Shirley Booth and J. Pat O'Malley as
an elderly couple. I don't know of ANY episodes in circulation.
It's among my most-wanted items. Enjoyed it when it was in
prime time, but haven't seen it since. It doesn't even exist in
the PALEY CENTER (formerly the Museum of Radio and TV).

Du Mont · 06-21-2008, 02:42 AM

I remember "A Touch of Grace" as a sweet family show, and I remember that the show got some good critical reviews too. It was one of those increasingly rare shows focused on older characters (even though she lived with her kids)...speaking of which, I also loved Mr. Barnard Hughes in "Doc" on CBS.

"A Touch of Grace" was an ABC Saturday at 8:30 pm mid-season replacement for "Alias Smith & Jones", and it was paired with "Here We Go Again", a sitcom starring the post-"I Dream of Jeannie" Mr. Larry Hagman playing a divorced man in a new marriage with all the ex's about.

Sadly, Both shows got steam-rollered in the ratings...ABC was already waving the white flag of surrender on Saturday nights, and they began to sked shows they had no real faith in on the night. "Here We Go" was up against "All in the Family" and averaged a 7.2HH coming in dead last in the regular season (75th of 75 shows), while "A Touch of Grace" did a little better against "Bridget" and averaged a 11.6HH, 70th of 75 regular season shows. By comparison, the red-hot number one "All in the Family" averaged 33.1HH and number five "Bridget Loves Bernie" averaged 24.4HH on CBS, while NBC came a respectable second with "Emergency" averaging an 18.6HH (tied in 37th place with "The Doris Day Show").

Wouldn't it be a sweet surprise if someone at ABC or the production company were wise enough to preserve the tapes for this show so that it could be re-issued on DVD.

Jude The Obscure · 06-21-2008, 01:32 PM

One of the things I do know is that this show does sorta have a finale where the two main characters get engaged in the last episode.

Robert 13 · 06-26-2008, 11:18 AM

Thanks for posting guys! I would so love to see this show. Does anyone know who owns the rights? We can e-mail them and ask them to release it in some form somewhere.

Surely, it must have been preserved. Don't companies keep copies of everything in their vaults?

It would be a great hidden gem to be released on dvd. Licensing probably wouldn't be a big deal. Was there a lot of music involved?

Bob's TV Treasures · 07-23-2008, 08:45 PM

I was so very excited. I just located a website for the
Chicago Museum of Radio and TV. They apparently USED TO
stream videos from their collection, and A TOUCH OF GRACE's debut
episode was among the many. Sadly, they've pulled all videos
from viewing. Darn the luck.

tvfan0101 · 07-23-2008, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bob's TV Treasures

I was so very excited. I just located a website for the
Chicago Museum of Radio and TV. They apparently USED TO
stream videos from their collection, and A TOUCH OF GRACE's debut
episode was among the many. Sadly, they've pulled all videos
from viewing. Darn the luck.

Do you mean the Museum of Broadcast Communications? It was a real shame when they took down all their digital files (understandable, but still a shame). They have a lot of really rare programs from the late 1940s. Ah, well.

Also, it looks like UCLA's Film & Television Archive (which has just about every single ABC program from the 1950s through the late 1970s, according to this) holds fourteen episodes of Touch of Grace. On the one hand, it is encouraging to know that the episodes exist. On the other hand, since they will probably never see the light of day on a commercial release, it does not do anyone much good.

Robert 13 · 07-24-2008, 01:24 PM

I'm relieved to know that the episodes are out there. I have faith that they will be released at some point. It's a rare show. It just needs the right company to back it, someone who deals with obscure shows. It's a niche on the dvd market that hasn't been covered well by anyone yet.

Bob's TV Treasures · 07-24-2008, 09:26 PM

Sadly, I don't think these episodes will ever see the light of day.
If companies are having trouble selling MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW,
BOB NEWHART SHOW, HAZEL, MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY and
LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, there's little hope for this obscure little
gem.

ajm1972 · 08-18-2008, 03:52 PM

Agreed. The only way this show will ever see the light is if some cable station aired it as part of some forgotten treasures segment where they can show many other shows that havent seen the light of day in many years like Apple's Way and many others. But is it worth it to transfer these original tapes, alot of the old equipment is becoming scarce and harder to repair as well.

Aj

Robert 13 · 08-19-2008, 10:05 AM

I think it is worth it, especially since reality shows are so much cheaper to produce nowadays. No one is really making sitcoms anymore. They could bring back some old rarely-seen shows for the audience out there that exists. I think it could really bring in some ratings for a channel willing to take on the task of bringing some of these long-lost shows to tv again. It could be a specialty channel. I think now is a good time since there isn't anything like it on the air.

Jude The Obscure · 08-19-2008, 10:34 AM

I'm just astounded by the complete laziness of some companies on the effort to preserve old shows. It is bad enough we have lost hundreds of shows due to kinescopes being destroyed/lost or networks' wiping of videotapes.

bencasey · 10-29-2008, 09:39 PM

ABC donated their entire archive of prime time series to UCLA. Just about any show they saved wound up going to UCLA.

As for this seeing the light of day again, I would say there is absolutely zero chance. No big stars, no one remembers the show, the masters are on 2-inch tape. And it's not even owned by a major studio. I'd love to see shows like this come out but something that is going to sell 10 copies isn't really going to make it's money back.

Bob's TV Treasures · 10-29-2008, 10:16 PM

Well, SHIRLEY BOOTH was a big star and Oscar Winner, but
you are correct in that few remember this show. It had charm,
but was buried on Saturday nights against that powerful CBS
lineup and went virtually unnoticed and forgotten.

Robert 13 · 10-31-2008, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bencasey

ABC donated their entire archive of prime time series to UCLA. Just about any show they saved wound up going to UCLA.

That's a shame because if they have the only copy, then the pilot episode isn't in good shape. It says in their database under condition "color completely faded". So sad to see shows just die because no one wants to take care of them. I guess you need someone who takes a personal interest in the show.

I had gotten my hopes up about a dvd release after an e-mail from Saul Turteltaub. He was writer and executive producer on the show. He recently wrote a book called "The Grandfather Thing". Anyhow, I e-mailed him about his book and also asked him about "A Touch Of Grace". He said he believed it was being packaged for dvd but said he didn't know where or when. I e-mailed him again but got no response. So I'm chaulking it up to him confusing it with something else.

05-27-2008, 11:37 AM	#1
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	Has anyone ever seen "A Touch Of Grace" 70s tv-series? It starred Shirley Booth. I'd love to see some episodes if anyone has some. Please let me know. It's a shame a lot of these shows end up being tossed away never to be seen again. If anyone has ever seen it, could you tell us a little about it?

06-20-2008, 08:44 PM	#2
Bob's TV Treasures Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 12, 2004 Location: california Posts: 529	Touch Of Grace It was a cute show with Shirley Booth and J. Pat O'Malley as an elderly couple. I don't know of ANY episodes in circulation. It's among my most-wanted items. Enjoyed it when it was in prime time, but haven't seen it since. It doesn't even exist in the PALEY CENTER (formerly the Museum of Radio and TV).

06-21-2008, 02:42 AM	#3
Du Mont Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 15, 2007 Posts: 331	"A Touch of Grace", ABC, Saturday at 8:30 pm, January to April 1973 I remember "A Touch of Grace" as a sweet family show, and I remember that the show got some good critical reviews too. It was one of those increasingly rare shows focused on older characters (even though she lived with her kids)...speaking of which, I also loved Mr. Barnard Hughes in "Doc" on CBS. "A Touch of Grace" was an ABC Saturday at 8:30 pm mid-season replacement for "Alias Smith & Jones", and it was paired with "Here We Go Again", a sitcom starring the post-"I Dream of Jeannie" Mr. Larry Hagman playing a divorced man in a new marriage with all the ex's about. Sadly, Both shows got steam-rollered in the ratings...ABC was already waving the white flag of surrender on Saturday nights, and they began to sked shows they had no real faith in on the night. "Here We Go" was up against "All in the Family" and averaged a 7.2HH coming in dead last in the regular season (75th of 75 shows), while "A Touch of Grace" did a little better against "Bridget" and averaged a 11.6HH, 70th of 75 regular season shows. By comparison, the red-hot number one "All in the Family" averaged 33.1HH and number five "Bridget Loves Bernie" averaged 24.4HH on CBS, while NBC came a respectable second with "Emergency" averaging an 18.6HH (tied in 37th place with "The Doris Day Show"). Wouldn't it be a sweet surprise if someone at ABC or the production company were wise enough to preserve the tapes for this show so that it could be re-issued on DVD.

07-23-2008, 08:45 PM	#6
Bob's TV Treasures Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 12, 2004 Location: california Posts: 529	TOUCH OF GRACE (UNDER FIRE) I was so very excited. I just located a website for the Chicago Museum of Radio and TV. They apparently USED TO stream videos from their collection, and A TOUCH OF GRACE's debut episode was among the many. Sadly, they've pulled all videos from viewing. Darn the luck.

07-24-2008, 09:26 PM	#9
Bob's TV Treasures Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 12, 2004 Location: california Posts: 529	Touch of Grace? No wonder George Burns Sadly, I don't think these episodes will ever see the light of day. If companies are having trouble selling MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW, BOB NEWHART SHOW, HAZEL, MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY and LEAVE IT TO BEAVER, there's little hope for this obscure little gem.

06-21-2008, 01:32 PM	#4
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	One of the things I do know is that this show does sorta have a finale where the two main characters get engaged in the last episode.

06-26-2008, 11:18 AM	#5
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	Thanks for posting guys! I would so love to see this show. Does anyone know who owns the rights? We can e-mail them and ask them to release it in some form somewhere. Surely, it must have been preserved. Don't companies keep copies of everything in their vaults? It would be a great hidden gem to be released on dvd. Licensing probably wouldn't be a big deal. Was there a lot of music involved?

07-24-2008, 01:24 PM	#8
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	I'm relieved to know that the episodes are out there. I have faith that they will be released at some point. It's a rare show. It just needs the right company to back it, someone who deals with obscure shows. It's a niche on the dvd market that hasn't been covered well by anyone yet.

08-18-2008, 03:52 PM	#10
ajm1972 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jun 27, 2006 Posts: 291	Agreed. The only way this show will ever see the light is if some cable station aired it as part of some forgotten treasures segment where they can show many other shows that havent seen the light of day in many years like Apple's Way and many others. But is it worth it to transfer these original tapes, alot of the old equipment is becoming scarce and harder to repair as well. Aj

08-19-2008, 10:05 AM	#11
Robert 13 Member Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2006 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1,521	I think it is worth it, especially since reality shows are so much cheaper to produce nowadays. No one is really making sitcoms anymore. They could bring back some old rarely-seen shows for the audience out there that exists. I think it could really bring in some ratings for a channel willing to take on the task of bringing some of these long-lost shows to tv again. It could be a specialty channel. I think now is a good time since there isn't anything like it on the air.

08-19-2008, 10:34 AM	#12
Jude The Obscure Retired Eternal Member Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 10, 2006 Posts: 7,519	I'm just astounded by the complete laziness of some companies on the effort to preserve old shows. It is bad enough we have lost hundreds of shows due to kinescopes being destroyed/lost or networks' wiping of videotapes.

10-29-2008, 09:39 PM	#13
bencasey Member Senior Member Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: Long Beach Posts: 1,692	ABC donated their entire archive of prime time series to UCLA. Just about any show they saved wound up going to UCLA. As for this seeing the light of day again, I would say there is absolutely zero chance. No big stars, no one remembers the show, the masters are on 2-inch tape. And it's not even owned by a major studio. I'd love to see shows like this come out but something that is going to sell 10 copies isn't really going to make it's money back.

10-29-2008, 10:16 PM	#14
Bob's TV Treasures Member Forum Regular Join Date: Aug 12, 2004 Location: california Posts: 529	TOUCH OF GRACE UNDER FIRE Well, SHIRLEY BOOTH was a big star and Oscar Winner, but you are correct in that few remember this show. It had charm, but was buried on Saturday nights against that powerful CBS lineup and went virtually unnoticed and forgotten.