If There Were a Season 13 of My Three Sons, What to Do About Robbie?

[biffbronson]

If My Three Sons had been renewed for a 13th season, for the 1972-73 TV year, what would you recommend as far as the situation of Don Grady no longer being available to play Rob Douglas?

In Season 12, Rob was referred to many times -- including an episode centered around persons who knew him while the character remained in the service in South America -- but Grady made no appearances. Katie Douglas and her triplets continued throughout, without husband & father Rob.

I've posted a few options for handling Grady's absence.

[stevea]

I might have chosen to have Tina Cole and the triplets written out of the show, explaining they joined Rob in Peru.

Ernie starts college and finds romance; this time no wedding arc; maybe a wedding to close the season or end the show.

Coax Tim Considine back to the show by giving him some director assignments or scripts to write. He and his family move to L.A.; they have two elementary-age boys but Sally (played by a new actress) is expecting a third child; early in the season, she gives birth to the third son (of course!).

[biffbronson]

I'm going with having Rob revealed to have died. I realize a character death can be wholly inappropriate for a sitcom, but Rob's active military service in a far-off land mitigates the impact.

Katie would have closure and eventually begin coming around to the prospect of having another man in her life. That's not an overnight type of thing; men could begin meeting her in everyday ways. Eventually she could remarry and he triplets would also benefit from a stepfather.

I think writing Katie and the triplets out of the series would not have been an option; Tina Cole had become quite an important cast member I think it's fair to say. Of course Don Grady as Robbie had become well-established as a lead character following Tim Considine's exit, but his absence in S12 & potentially onward was beyond the producers' control.

It's interesting that people old enough to have watched the black & white era with Tim Considine later considered the Robbie character to be lacking somewhat in leadership, with Mike Douglas gone, while in my case I was watching reruns of the color seasons for years before seeing the b & w's. It was never my feeling that Rob was too flighty or otherwise inadequate in some way to be taken seriously. As the oldest brother of the color era, it seemed inherent to me that he carried clout when he lectured Chip or Ernie or otherwise sought to exert control over them. It's true that Rob was a skirt-chaser to a degree, but sitcom plots pertaining to that are not a surprise as they would've been for a drama series.

My second choice would likely be replacement with another actor -- but keeping in mind Grady had played the character for a full decade, it seems to me such a long run would factor into acceptance by the viewers of someone else stepping in.

[rusty spike]

I'm into watching the end of the show (S 12) and while I enjoyed most of Season 11, the last season is very depressing to watch without Robbie (Don Grady). I even became irritated with Steve after he makes a special trip to SF to see Katie and the triplets. Why?

Because Katie was having a breakdown and she was in the middle of sharing her intimate thoughts and feelings about dealing with the struggle of living alone without her husband. And Steve cuts her off (after 90 seconds in the apartment)- "Katie, I really don't have the time. Now let me see the triplets."

Had the show continued (I think all were tired of doing the show save for Ernie and Doddie) I think it would have been prudent to allowed Katie to be single through Robbie's death or have him return as a different accident who suffered a disfiguring accident- hence another actor. Robbie could have been bandaged with severe head trauma.

Am I correct to believe that Don Grady would have never returned to the show; even with a boat load of $ ?