A "ODAAT" information thread & enjoy!

[TeeVeeCloset]

Please keep in mind when reading, this post was originally written during the first weeks "One Day At A Time" started airing on Antenna TV in 2015, it was recently discovered, so some information may have already been "asked and answered".

I am semi enjoying the intense activity on the "DOA" for years "ODAAT" board and all the "newbie" questions......

I suggest as one poster wrote elsewhere, first time viewers enjoy them together as they ALL air for the first time nationally in many a year on Antenna TV.

I might write an extensive historical essay on the 9 year history of the series which would answer many of the questions that have been asked.

I am a "semi retired television producer" age 52 and watched every episode originally, then on cbs daytime reruns, syndication. Also have many first run CBS episodes from my self recorded VHS masters including the finale. Also have some set memorabilia and have worked with Valerie and Pat during my 33 year TV career. Got my first VCR in 1980 for $800 and VHS tapes were $20 each!

A few FYI's: Watch or find the CBS 2/22/05 one hour retrospective clip reunion special, plus/or the wealth of material that surrounded the promotion of that special which included the principle three (Val, Mack & sadly now the late Bonnie) appearing on Good Day Live, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, Showbiz Tonight, Regis & Kelly, The Early Show & Tony Danza. At least those are the "extras" on my compiled DVD.

For viewers with special interest on the work of Norman Lear I suggest the printed book "The Sitcoms Of Norman Lear" by Sean Campbell published in 2007 by McFarland. (Yes I have a acknowledgment re: ODAAT) but the well written softcover has a chapter on all the major Lear sitcoms.

As well as Valerie's first book "Losing It".

Keep watching, enjoy and see how the show evolved from season to season with constant cast changes, behind the scenes Bonnie's original told/promised series premise and vision vanished as she chose to end the series after the 9 years with anger that her character was now married. Though the series never left the yearly top 10 during its' entire 9 season run, they were not cancelled but self ended with Bonnie making the final decision.

Plus search out the numerous Mackenzie Phillips specials like the E! True Hollywood Story, Truth Behind the Sitcoms, Valerie Bertinelli's "Biography" episodes. All of course heavily feature interviews with cast and crew and the turmoil that truly was handled "One Day At A Time"!

Very glad to see such activity on the board, new and original viewers, but remember it was just a TV show, like all the rest, but was faced with the real life dramas that effect many of us, only the majority of us weren't on a network sitcom!

Fun facts to conclude: The story editor in early seasons as credited Joseph Bonaduce is Dannys' "aledged" abusive father, perhaps if his career was successful during Danny's acting years, maybe he would've not been so jealous of his child's fame.

The actor who portrayed character "Cliff Randall" was Valerie's first real life boyfriend.

Mack & Pat were considered the best known established players as Bonnie hadn't had much TV work besides 1 episode of "The Munsters" & 2 episodes of "Gidget". Valerie had only done some modeling and commercial work.

A lost never seen pilot was shot without Valerie.

Actor Richard Masur (David) starred in a creepy TV movie called "Fallen Angel" with Dana Hill about child pornography. It won an Emmy for outstanding drama and he eventually was the president of the Screen Actor's Guild.

Two pilots were tried during the series run, the most famous actual last episode about Schneider taking care of his nephew (Cory Feldman) in a bizarre circus atmosphere "Another Man's Shoes" #209 5/28/84 and "Bringing In The Clowns" #204 4/4/84 a horrible attempt to create a series from Mark's once seen friends. Valerie was offered the first spin off (picking up with Barbara & Mark) and nixed it, nothing was ever shot.

Shelley Fabares who played "Francine Webster" as Ann's business partner in later seasons is the cousin to classic comedic actress Nanatte Fabray who played Ann's mother. Shelley was married to legendary music producer Lou Adler.

By now yes most now know Whitney Blake from "Hazel" was part of the creation team for the series whose focus was suppose to be the struggles of a newly singled divorced catholic with two teenage daughters trying to find herself after a young marriage with a dominant husband. Hence making and living life "One Day At A Time". The focus changed dramatically when every teenage boy fell in "crush" with Valerie Bertinelli, Macks' drug abuse firings and the every growing and changing cast.

Last for now, when the series ended in 1984, very few parts of the set were repurposed for the then upcoming new series "Small Wonder"! Now both appearing on Antenna TV! Look at the redone poles/counters among the redone windows back bay style couch. Dead center in living rooms where both series characters' hardly ever ventured! So when "The Romano's" moved out The "Lawson's" moved in the same soundstages! Oddly "ODAAT" two episode character "Ted Loomis" episodes were titled "Small Wonder", the first being "ODAAT" episode #96, which is the exact number of "Small Wonder" episodes produced, 96! Very Strange coincidence.

That's all for now! ENJOY!

[opus]

Finally read this. Nice. I guess you know by now I contributed to the focus changing.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Originally Posted by opus

Finally read this. Nice. I guess you know by now I contributed to the focus changing.

Thank you for all sincerely, I just added a bit more to post since I wrote thread when series first started on Antenna and I have been trying to get the book done faster, as this would be the time since the show has national exposure. I promise when hopefully finally done, published & binded you will get first FREE copy!

[opus]

Originally Posted by TeeVeeCloset

Thank you for all sincerely, I just added a bit more to post since I wrote thread when series first started on Antenna and I have been trying to get the book done faster, as this would be the time since the show has national exposure. I promise when hopefully finally done, published & binded you will get first FREE copy!

My obligatory joke answer- when you write the credits for the book, don't crunch them.

2 real questions:
1) Any plans for the book to include an episode guide?

2) Do you know if Norman Lear, who at that point of his career probably assumed a long run for whatever he did, gave any thought to casting younger daughters, say 12-13, which would have kept them teenagers for an eight,nine year run, thus more ensuring the original premise of the show.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Originally Posted by opus

My obligatory joke answer- when you write the credits for the book, don't crunch them.

2 real questions:
1) Any plans for the book to include an episode guide?

2) Do you know if Norman Lear, who at that point of his career probably assumed a long run for whatever he did, gave any thought to casting younger daughters, say 12-13, which would have kept them teenagers for an eight,nine year run, thus more ensuring the original premise of the show.

GREAT QUESTIONS! Real & Fake!

#1 Question: 100% YES with a complete 9 season episode guide in second half, with accurate airdates, episode titles, episode facts & trivia, what episodes were held back because of writers strike, etc. I want this to be the definative book on the series, as it will be the only one...LOL...

I too collect TV related reference books which are fading, I remember my first "The Honeymooner's Companion" by Donna McCrohan, 1978 priced at $4.95 and 241 pages! Have over 100 in my collection.

#2 Question: As stated by me somewhere, Pat & Mack (role was created/casted for her in mind) she was instantly cast, she was well known enough from "American Grafitti" and Pat the most known from the glory of B&W TV. Valerie as said was not in first long lost pilot. They decided they needed another child and yes as few years younger sis to Julie and to be "the good girl" opposite. They had no idea that Valerie would explode. Since the show's promised premise was to be about a divorced woman (a bold theme at the time) being afraid but excited to be out of her since age 18 marriage, the children were always a secondary thought, that is why they didn't care that they didn't resemble "Ann". As for Norman, he had such a "Lear Factory" of shows, he handed over the production day to day operations to others, as he was always coming with up ideas, pitching and was considered and was the "gold standard" for the period.

Do some of his shows come off dated now?, yes, but he had more successes than failures. Not to mention he personally loved "All In The Family" and concentrated much of his attention then to his long hard fought to get "Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman" (Two years after pilot) on the air, eventally going to syndication, another first, a nightly shown at 11PM soap opera parody which is truly a Classic. He signed an exclusive deal with all Metromedia O&O's. I am so glad the entire series is on DVD, but it would be very difficult for it to play on the classic networks now, it is very inside dry humor and being a continuing dramedy, you really can't miss an episode, that is why it also failed mostly after it's intial run. It ran on CBS latenight, locals, and even TV land when they used to be creative. But it was a smash landing Louise Lasser on the cover of "Newsweek", unheard of in those days.

I won't let this book be rushed, but I am anxious, but it needs a few more interviews with cast, crew, production people, photo clearances, clearing the title. I have a publisher, but they are very understanding. Plus all books must go through professional proof readers several times before press. The average time to complete a well researched accurate reference book is approx 5 years from start to finish, this has been longer, but again luckily I have my 2 hour phone interview with Bonnie who was so sweet and very forth coming.

I wasn't kidding, I will contact you when ready, mail you a free copy as I come and go off these boards sometimes for months at a time.

Your support for the project and other friends here is so much appreciated from the heart, plus I am working on the Christmas episode guide book and helping a few others with research. Whew!