Fave Ep

[Brett Ferino]

What is it?

[Shindigger]

It is very difficult pick a favorite episode, because they're all quite good. I know that sounds like a cop out, but it's my honest opinion. I do believe the best of the shows were in the first year. It must have been exhausting for Ms. Duke, because there was almost equal air-time going on for both of the "Patty"/"Cathy" characters. I don't think any other TV show handled the split-screen effect as well as this show! To pick one of my favorites, I guess the episode where Aunt Pauline arrives rates right near the top. We really get a sense of who Cathy is with this one. Ms. Duke wrote in her autobiography that playing the two characters was basically boiled down to faster & funnier for Patty and slower & more cerebral for Cathy. I think she's selling herself short because episodes like this one show how she gave each character very distinctive personality traits and mannerisms. Notice how when Cathy finally looses her temper with Aunt Pauline, she shows anger in a manner befitting someone trying to retain the decorum and demure manners of a "finishing school" upbringing. Patty would have been more aggressive and physical in mannerisms. I love both girls, but always felt in the last season, Cathy was just a plot device, and played not as realistically and uniquely as in the first two seasons. (and isn't it a testament to Ms. Duke's acting abillities that I would feel such fierce loyalty to a fictonal character?)

[MiracleKid62]

I read Shindigger's reply on this question - and at risk of also being seen as "copping out," I'd be hard-pressed to state my favorite Patty Duke episode. Especially since I haven't seen or reviewed them in a while. (I have about 50+ episodes.)

I, too, think the first season was the best of the three, as Ms. Duke's interest in the show and personal life changes she was facing must have had their effects by the final season - that's when they seemed to bring in all the gust starts, and when the show relocated to Los Angeles for filming.

One or two episodes I have not see since they were first aired were in the 1st season, I think - and they had to do with Mr. Lane's twin brother Kenneth visiting the Lanes and Cathy around Christmas time, I believe. From what I recall, that was probably the most "touching" episode, and thus, somewhat different from the normal fare.

I also liked the one when Patty decided to make and market Cathy's "family" recipe for apricot jam - which had all the predictable Patty as CEO-guru scenes and eventual kitchen hi-jinks, with jam splattering all over the walls as they attempted to increase production fast by using a pressure cooker to make the jam and fill the orders. Funny show!

Two other poignant episodes were 1) where Cathy writes to "Aunt Jane," a lonelyhearts columnist - for advise on becoming more popular. What's neat about it is the use of exteriors shot in the show, on location in NY. Really the only time they did any production exteriors of any length. It also gave more insight into Cathy's character, as well, as the rest of the kids had been ignoring her or "using" her, her brains, etc. And 2) One I don't recall all details on, but it had to do with Natalie feeling unappreciated by her family - I think this was the one where Patty and Cathy decided to bake a cake for Natalie, to replace the one she had made for a charity bake sale or something.

I also really liked the episode that guest-starred (earlier season) Frank Sinatra, Jr. It had all the expectable mis-communication, missed-signals bits going for it, but what I enjoyed about it at the time was knowing that Ms. Duke had a romantic, real-life crush of sorts on FS, Jr. at the time - and vice-versa. That knowledge and the show's scenario, fed my teenage interests.

In the third season (near end-final-season episode), the one that I recall most is when Patty fantacizes about marrying Richard and how their life would be. Tho I don't remember it all, it had a very funny "dream" sequence about Patty LABORING as the unappreciated, overworked housewife, and I think there were also children that kept showing up scene after scene (crying babies, and such.) Don't remember in in total, but the episode meant something to me on a personal level b/c I knew by that point that "The Patty Duke Show" would soon be cancelled. So, on the one hand I found the episode quite funny it its scripting, but also was saddened to realize that it would soon be the end of Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. - which I virtually "lived for" from week to week.

Thank you for posing a very interesting question that made me think. It will also make me revisit the tapes of shows that I do have, to recheck my memory.

[Richard]

I liked the show where Patty tried to write a novel,"I Was A Teenage Teenager."The novel turned out to be,according to Martin,"a combination of Hemmingway,Sallinger and Betty Crocker."A vanity-publishing company accepted the book and the publisher,once he realized Patty was 16,agreed to print 100 copies at their expense,rather than admit he made a deal with a minor.

Patty Duke had a good show,and she is a good actress who has shined in many things over the years.

------------------
Richard Ranke

[Shindigger]

Hi MiracleKid!
Sounds like you and I are on the same page when it comes to this show! I too remember the episode where Natalie feels under-appreciated. The episodes opens with Natalie, while doing ironing (I believe) is listening to a radio program. The subject is about women being appreciated by their families. Natalie comes to realize that she has been taken for granted. Each effort to elict some show of thanks from her family fails, and she grows more miserable with each realization. Finally, after a misunderstanding concerning the family's sendng Natalie on a vacation (alone,) each party sees where they have taken Natalie for granted for a long time.
There is another episode that involves the kids trying to make a cake. This one has Natalie baking a cake for a bake off contest. Exit Natalie, Enter The Kids who eat the cake, not knowing it was meant for a contest. Learning of their blunder, they quickly set in to make a "replacement cake." Of course, this yeilds no results worthy of human consumption, but the efforts do provide a lot of great sight gags in the kitchen. In the end, Natalie finds out what has taken place, makes another cake, and wins the contest hands down-even beating out her stiffest competitor who has won many of the previous years' contests. Now I've got to go check out my tapes and see just what I do have!

Originally posted by MiracleKid62:
I read Shindigger's reply on this question - and at risk of also being seen as "copping out," I'd be hard-pressed to state my favorite Patty Duke episode. Especially since I haven't seen or reviewed them in a while. (I have about 50+ episodes.)

I, too, think the first season was the best of the three, as Ms. Duke's interest in the show and personal life changes she was facing must have had their effects by the final season - that's when they seemed to bring in all the gust starts, and when the show relocated to Los Angeles for filming.

One or two episodes I have not see since they were first aired were in the 1st season, I think - and they had to do with Mr. Lane's twin brother Kenneth visiting the Lanes and Cathy around Christmas time, I believe. From what I recall, that was probably the most "touching" episode, and thus, somewhat different from the normal fare.

I also liked the one when Patty decided to make and market Cathy's "family" recipe for apricot jam - which had all the predictable Patty as CEO-guru scenes and eventual kitchen hi-jinks, with jam splattering all over the walls as they attempted to increase production fast by using a pressure cooker to make the jam and fill the orders. Funny show!

Two other poignant episodes were 1) where Cathy writes to "Aunt Jane," a lonelyhearts columnist - for advise on becoming more popular. What's neat about it is the use of exteriors shot in the show, on location in NY. Really the only time they did any production exteriors of any length. It also gave more insight into Cathy's character, as well, as the rest of the kids had been ignoring her or "using" her, her brains, etc. And 2) One I don't recall all details on, but it had to do with Natalie feeling unappreciated by her family - I think this was the one where Patty and Cathy decided to bake a cake for Natalie, to replace the one she had made for a charity bake sale or something.

I also really liked the episode that guest-starred (earlier season) Frank Sinatra, Jr. It had all the expectable mis-communication, missed-signals bits going for it, but what I enjoyed about it at the time was knowing that Ms. Duke had a romantic, real-life crush of sorts on FS, Jr. at the time - and vice-versa. That knowledge and the show's scenario, fed my teenage interests.

In the third season (near end-final-season episode), the one that I recall most is when Patty fantacizes about marrying Richard and how their life would be. Tho I don't remember it all, it had a very funny "dream" sequence about Patty LABORING as the unappreciated, overworked housewife, and I think there were also children that kept showing up scene after scene (crying babies, and such.) Don't remember in in total, but the episode meant something to me on a personal level b/c I knew by that point that "The Patty Duke Show" would soon be cancelled. So, on the one hand I found the episode quite funny it its scripting, but also was saddened to realize that it would soon be the end of Wednesday nights at 8:00 p.m. - which I virtually "lived for" from week to week.

Thank you for posing a very interesting question that made me think. It will also make me revisit the tapes of shows that I do have, to recheck my memory.

Hi, the episode when they bake a cake. And Natalie feels unappreciated are two different shows. The title of the cake episode is let em eat cake. When that lady arrives with her monster size cake. and says hi patty is your mother home. They decide to help mom beat her is great. One of my favs is the one when Patty said she was home on time. She left the porch lite on. Martin didn't believe her. I remember this when i was a kid. Ch 11 in ny aired reruns in the afternoon. I used to have an audio on my recorder when patty was a mystic. It's probably disentergrated by now. Loved this show.