Shows We Loved - A Family Affair
November 27th 2010 20:51
If you do, then you probably recall with some fondness A Family Affair.
The story of a highly paid consulting engineer, Bill Davis' carefree existence as a swinging bachelor was just about perfect.
Maintaining an elegant apartment off Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, he had his domestic needs cared for by a very English gentleman's gentleman, Mr. French.
Into this life of independence came three young orphans, whose parents, Davis' relatives, had died tragically in an accident - which we never really needed to (or in fact ever did) find out about.
Airing between 1966 and 1971, A Family Affair starred Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot as Mr French, Kathy Garver as Cissy, Annissa Jones as Buffy and John Whittaker as Jodie not to mention Buffy's bespekled sidekick - Mrs Beasley.
The series while successful was canceled after the fifth season when CBS began leaning towards more adult-oriented sitcoms and the show almost picked up by ABC, but the network instead decided to go with the now iconic yet similarly themed The Brady Bunch.
Unfortunately tragedy followed the show’s cast and several deaths befell its stars.
Anissa Jones died of a drug overdose in 1976 at age 18. Sebastian Cabot died of a stroke in 1977 at age 59 while 1997, two months after the suicide of his daughter, and having lived with cancer for some time, Brian Keith committed suicide by gunshot.
It show however will be etched in our minds for the endearing fatherly qualities both Uncle Bill and at times Mr French emparted.
Production and scripting is classic 60's mass consumption television - yet for all its foibles it endured and can be looked back on as classic family entertainment we loved.
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