My Three Sons Boned the Fish When... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

TMC · 09-24-2013, 05:19 PM

http://www.bonethefish.com/viewtopics.php?1103

Quote:

Starting out in 1960, this series initially had veteran movie actor Fred MacMurray ("Double Indemnity") play Steve Douglas, the widowed father of three sons ranging from seven to 18 years of age. Since Steve was often away with his job as an aeronautical engineer, his father-in-law 'Bub'Casey (played by William Frawley- 'Fred Mertz' of "I Love Lucy" fame) handled the housework and most of the day-to-day care of his grandsons in a gruff but heart-of-gold approach. This format stayed rather static the first five years but between Bill Frawley becoming too frail for the producers to want to continut him as a regular and Tim Considine (who'd played the oldest son Mike) not being able to continue his character, the format changed drastically in 1965 with Mike getting married to his longtime girlfriend Sally (played by the always fetching late Merideth MacRae) and the characters moving offstage while Bub returned to Ireland to help care for his ancient Aunt Katey! To keep the format intact, Bub's brother Charley (William Demerest) came to live with the family and kept doing the housework and son rearing while they Steve adopted his yougest son's friend Ernie so there would still be 'my three sons' in the household. Just two years later, the entire family relocated from Bryant Park (somewhere in the Midwest) to North Hollywood, California. There middle son Robbie (now oldest depicted son) would have a whirlwind courtship and marriage with the pretty blonde Katie Miller (Tina Cole) and the very next year would themselves become the parents of triplet boys (yes, his OWN three sons). Two years after that Steve would marry the middle-aged widowed schoolteacher Barbara (Beverly Garland) who'd bring her own 5-year-old daughter Dodie to the already bursting Douglas household. Before the show left the air entirely, Robbie (Don Grady) would be written off as taking an assignment in Peru but would leave his wife and triplet sons for the Douglases to tend and meantime the youngest original son Chip was now 18 and would elope with yet another fetching blonde named Polly (Ronne Troupe- formerly of "The Banana Splits"- and stepdaughter of Julie London of 'Cry Me a River' song and "Emergency" TV show fame). Finally, in 1972, the show would undergo its ultimate format change of simply being cancelled.

bliss · 09-27-2013, 04:06 PM

When Mike (Tim Considine) left....

Coffeecup · 09-27-2013, 05:53 PM

This term "Boned" sounds like you are cutting the show to pieces.

Scarecrow · 09-30-2013, 03:26 PM

They should have just done a "Petticoat Junction" and recast Mike. I'm thinking Mike Minor would have worked (isn't he Fedderson's son) and with Meredith MacRae playing Sally Ann it could have changed the course of PJ...

Torgo · 09-30-2013, 07:04 PM

biffbronson · 09-30-2013, 07:26 PM

The author of that didn't even spell Meredith's name correctly, along with Bub O'Casey screwed up...!

Actually Demarest replaced Frawley well before the 1965 wedding and subsequent events that supposedly catastophically destroyed the series -- but of course didn't.

Mr. Television · 10-11-2013, 07:43 PM

I'm going to say after the triplets were born. The show just started to get too big after that. It probably should have ended after Steve married Barbara but the show was still somewhat enjoyable.

bliss · 11-06-2013, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scarecrow

They should have just done a "Petticoat Junction" and recast Mike. I'm thinking Mike Minor would have worked (isn't he Fedderson's son) and with Meredith MacRae playing Sally Ann it could have changed the course of PJ...

Agree

Mike should've been played by another actor if Tim wanted out. Meredith McRae I'm sure would have happily stayed on as Sally. Adopting Ernie was a big jump the shark moment. The show My Three Sons didn't live up to its title

Coffeecup · 11-08-2013, 04:16 PM

I think the show lost it last pep when Don didn't return for the last season. I didn't mind Steve getting married, although I wasn't crazy for Uncle Fergus Fred's dual role, even little Dodie was cute. You have to think from a little girl's point of view, now we have a little girl in the cast

Chocolate Moose · 11-10-2013, 05:50 PM

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McGillicuddy · 11-10-2013, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bliss

When Mike (Tim Considine) left....

I agree with when Mike disappeared, and never returned. At some point, He was completely forgotten about, because Ernie became the 3rd son, and Steve never said he had 4 sons.

Mr. Television · 11-10-2013, 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bliss

Agree

Mike should've been played by another actor if Tim wanted out. Meredith McRae I'm sure would have happily stayed on as Sally. Adopting Ernie was a big jump the shark moment. The show My Three Sons didn't live up to its title

I can't really say that was a JTS moment. Growing up in the 1970's, those b & w seasons of My 3 Sons were never syndicated where I lived. I'm not sure if they were syndicated at all during that time. So all I saw were the Ernie episodes. The only time I ever saw Mike was when he got married.

Hazel Anyday · 11-11-2013, 09:35 PM

Of course, this is another show that was great from beginning to the very end and never went bad. However, if you were to force me to be overly negative I would say when Rob left the show it was not quite the same. Also when Steve got married the whole dynamic of the show changed no longer Steve & his boys now it was the new wife and her kid and how they reacted with the original family. And though the show was not hurt by this change (Steve getting married) it did, I think, make it a different sort of show.

bliss · 11-11-2013, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McGillicuddy

I agree with when Mike disappeared, and never returned. At some point, He was completely forgotten about, because Ernie became the 3rd son, and Steve never said he had 4 sons.

This was one show that went on far too long. The whole premise became a shadow of its former self and show's title became redundant.

bliss · 11-11-2013, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stuck In The '70's

I can't really say that was a JTS moment. Growing up in the 1970's, those b & w seasons of My 3 Sons were never syndicated where I lived. I'm not sure if they were syndicated at all during that time. So all I saw were the Ernie episodes. The only time I ever saw Mike was when he got married.

I fondly remember the B&W episodes and prefer that era. That was "My Three Sons." I've seen some eps featuring Beverly Garland playing Steve's wife & Ernie as 4th son and it like an alternate universe of this once vibrant show.

View Poll Results: Boned When...
Bub Replaced By Uncle Charley	1	7.69%
Dodie	10	76.92%
Triplets	2	15.38%
Voters: 13. You may not vote on this poll

09-30-2013, 07:04 PM	#5
Torgo Omaha & Fritz Forum Star Join Date: Mar 06, 2004 Location: Oregon Posts: 19,034
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09-30-2013, 07:26 PM	#6
biffbronson Sentimental Fool Forum Star Join Date: Aug 22, 2009 Location: Near Notre Dame Posts: 10,493	The author of that didn't even spell Meredith's name correctly, along with Bub O'Casey screwed up...! Actually Demarest replaced Frawley well before the 1965 wedding and subsequent events that supposedly catastophically destroyed the series -- but of course didn't.
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10-11-2013, 07:43 PM	#7
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,133	I'm going to say after the triplets were born. The show just started to get too big after that. It probably should have ended after Steve married Barbara but the show was still somewhat enjoyable.
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11-10-2013, 05:50 PM	#10
Chocolate Moose Member Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 21, 2007 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 4,898	test
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09-27-2013, 04:06 PM	#2
bliss THAT GIRL Senior Member Join Date: Apr 26, 2009 Posts: 1,000	When Mike (Tim Considine) left....

09-27-2013, 05:53 PM	#3
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	This term "Boned" sounds like you are cutting the show to pieces.

09-30-2013, 03:26 PM	#4
Scarecrow Member Occasional Poster Join Date: Sep 11, 2013 Location: New Jersey Posts: 7	They should have just done a "Petticoat Junction" and recast Mike. I'm thinking Mike Minor would have worked (isn't he Fedderson's son) and with Meredith MacRae playing Sally Ann it could have changed the course of PJ...

11-08-2013, 04:16 PM	#9
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,183	I think the show lost it last pep when Don didn't return for the last season. I didn't mind Steve getting married, although I wasn't crazy for Uncle Fergus Fred's dual role, even little Dodie was cute. You have to think from a little girl's point of view, now we have a little girl in the cast

11-11-2013, 09:35 PM	#13
Hazel Anyday Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 12, 2002 Posts: 2,135	Please, the term is "jumped the shark" this is not a fish preparation exercise. Of course, this is another show that was great from beginning to the very end and never went bad. However, if you were to force me to be overly negative I would say when Rob left the show it was not quite the same. Also when Steve got married the whole dynamic of the show changed no longer Steve & his boys now it was the new wife and her kid and how they reacted with the original family. And though the show was not hurt by this change (Steve getting married) it did, I think, make it a different sort of show.
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