The Doris Day Show (1968–1973) User Reviews (22)

The sit-com that tries to find itself

[lugonian · 6/10 · 19 July 2002]

THE DORIS DAY SHOW (CBS, 1968-73), stars Doris Day in her only weekly comedy series. An actress whose screen career lasted twenty years (1948-1968), ranging from musicals, comedies and heavy dramas, at this point. By 1968, her career was virtually over, until finding herself working for the little screen called television.

THE DORIS DAY SHOW, premiering on CBS in September of 1968, opens with her signature theme song, "Que Sera Sera." The first season finds the widowed Doris Martin (Doris Day), living with her white haired, bearded father, Buck Webb (Denver Pyle) on the family ranch with her two blond-haired sons, Billy (Philip Brown) and Toby (Todd Starke), the little guy with a buck tooth. With similarities to the recent TV show, GREEN ACRES, Doris is a city girl now back on the farm. Supporting her father is the hired hand country boy, LeRoy B. Simpson (James Hampton). There's also a housekeeper, Aggie (Fran Ryan), and later Juanita (Naomi Stevens). The first season followed the tradition of other sit-coms of that time, sugar sweetness with country humor, never rising above the number one TV show of that time, THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW. The second season found Doris Martin still living on the farm, but now commuting to San Francisco and working as a secretary for Mr. Nicholson (MacLean Stevenson) at TODAY'S WORLD MAGAZINE. Also in support is Myrna Gibbons (Rose Marie, best known as Sally Rogers in THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW). Rose Marie became an added plus in the show, although her character, a single woman always looking for the Mr. Right, was actually no different from her role on Van Dyke's show. Myrna and Doris were given a second banana character in the carnation of Ron Harvey (Paul Smith), a bachelor co-worker on the trail of beautiful female companionship. With this change, the show was slowly finding itself. For season three, Doris moves from her father's farm, taking her the boys and their sheepdog, Lord Nelson, to an apartment in San Francisco over an Italian restaurant run by Angie and Louie Palucci (Kaye Ballard and Bernie Kopell). Doris continues to work at TODAY'S WORLD MAGAZINE. Denver Pyle, no longer a series regular, appeared occasionally mostly in guest spots. While still working woman, Doris manages to find quality time with her boys. Up to this time, THE DORIS DAY SHOW improved, showing both humor and heart to the character and plots, but it was still trying to find itself.

As a youngster growing up during this period, I always enjoyed programs like this, especially whenever they included kids. The big change came with seasons four and five when Mrs. Doris Martin, still working at TODAY'S WORLD MAGAZINE and living in the same apartment on top of Palucci's Italian Restaurant, becomes Miss Doris Martin, a bachelor girl. The format shifted gears, eliminating the Martin boys, their dog, and contradicting everything from the previous seasons. Regardless, the show finally found itself. Of course there were occasional characters reprising their roles from the previous seasons, namely Kaye Ballard, Van Johnson and Billy DeWolfe (hilarious as Mr. Jarvis), so obviously this is the same character and same show with different format. Another difference, being true to life, is Doris now working as a staff writer for a new boss, Cy Bennett (the mustached John Dehner), supported by new co-worker pal, Jackie (Jackie Joseph). Changing her employer from a handsome and easy-going man to a stuffy middle-aged miser was a fine change, which found Doris at wits with her stingy boss. The final two seasons is the format that lasted the longest.

This new format would have worked had Doris Martin remained what she has been previously. Having the boys mentioned as being sent away to boarding school would have explained the emptiness of her apartment. It's surprising it wasn't renamed THE NEW DORIS DAY SHOW. What did happen was Doris Day succeeded in making this dramatic change work. For most, the working girl/family episodes from the second and third seasons are the best. The worst episodes are those with Doris as the only model in the annual fashion shows. A musical show showcasing Doris's fine singing voice would have been preferable, almost as nostalgic as the two Christmas episodes (1970 and 1971) which made them so enjoyable. One episode I remember most but like the least is "Young Love" from Season Three, where Doris appears in the opening segment, comforting a troubled teen named April (played by Meredith Baxter), who tells her story via flashback, taking up the entire episode. In Seasons Four and Five, Doris Martin found a romantic love interest, a middle-aged doctor, played by silver-haired Peter Lawford.

An episode, which I feel might be the one closest to Doris Day's heart, is the one in which she goes on trial for releasing a group of dogs locked in an automobile parked in the hot sun with shut windows. After being taken to court by the owner, she, of course, gets acquitted following her plea in the courtroom for the safety of dogs and other creatures, and her willingness to do what she did again even if it meant serving jail time. No doubt this could be Doris Day's personal favorite since it's more Doris Martin being Doris Day, an animal rights activist.

All episodes of THE DORIS DAY SHOW were produced on film and in color. Interestingly, seldom revived in syndication. Unseen on cable since the 1980s, all 128 episodes are currently available on DVD.

From Mayberry to M.A.S.H

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 25 March 2017]

This show ran from 1968 until 1973, and I hadn't seen it on TV probably since its initial run until the DVDs came out. The show aired at a time when American culture was going through a great transition. When Doris Day first went on the air Bonanza and The Andy Griffith Show were the top television draws. By the time it went off the air it was All in the Family and M.A.S.H. Thus it is amazing that Doris Day stayed on the air for five years during this time when her clean-cut image probably set her apart from the crowd, and then walked away from her show - the show was not canceled due to poor ratings. In fact, it did quite well throughout its run.

It will take you back to a simpler time, but then so did Doris Day's films and I still find those enjoyable. The show did make major changes to accommodate the changing times. Initially it had a rural setting with Doris being a widow with two sons who played a major part in the show. First the show had her moving to San Francisco. Next she and her sons moved to a more "hip" apartment. By season four the kids and her widowhood status had disappeared and she was single. Her father and her sons just vanished into thin air, never to be mentioned again.

Also, Doris evolved from a secretary to an associate editor. However, she kept her name and the second apartment she had when her sons had existed. It was very confusing. I'd still recommend it, just remember that culture changed so fast in the U.S. during this time that it even had an effect on how Doris Day was presented.

Love this show (but with some changes)

[qualityguyftl · 7/10 · 24 November 2009]

You all know the backdrop of this series so I won't bore you with it. I love this show and I too like the season 2 and 3 shows the best. As far as format changes go, I think they did a really good job going from season 1 to 2 to 3. It was a logical progression, Doris gets a job, then she moves the family into town etc. I hate the way they changed the format in season 4 and 5. Had I been around at that time to put my two cents in I would have done several things. 1. In season 4 I would have left things exactly as they were in season three and brought in the Peter Lawford character as Doris's serious love interest and possible step father for the boys. This along with the normal goings on would have brought yet another logical advancement. 2. In season 5 I would have Doris and Peter get engaged, Doris gets a new Boss and is promoted to a staff writer position at the magazine. The season finale would have been Doris and Peter's wedding with the entire cast from all the seasons in attendance. This could have been a huge ratings getter and a great way to end the series. I just don't know what they were thinking when they did 4 and 5. There are some episodes that are good but the show is missing the heart it had in 1,2, and 3. As was stated by another poster we cant go back and change history but thankfully there is enough good in seasons 1 2 and 3 that I watch them all the time. A must for Doris Fans.

WHAT WILL BE WILL BE DELIGHTFUL!

[pebrogan · 26 December 2001]

Doris Day, the number one female box-office attraction of all-time, smoothly segued into television in September of 1968. Although she had not planned to do a series, her late husband Marty Melcher had committed her to a deal with the eye network and as Day always said, "...a deal is a deal..." Despite stellar ratings the first week, the series faltered somewhat during the following weeks as viewers became frustrated at seeing Doris, who had achieved tremendous cinema success as a working, strong-minded woman, relegated to living on a farm. She was a delight as a widow with two young sons, a father, farm hand and housekeeper, but the scripts gave her little to do but smile. She took control of the show during the second season, had her character, Doris Martin get a job at a magazine in San Francisco, and ratings shot through the roof. The second through fifth seasons were certainly notable for many reasons. "The Doris Day Show" averaged 35-35 million viewers each Monday evening. It was largely due to Day's tremendous likeability and effortless skill as an actress and comic. The situations, while often uproariously funny, were never so slapstick that they bordered on caricature. She wisely surrounded herself with a wonderful supporting cast and guest stars that complimented her inherent skills. Maclean Stevenson, Rose Marie, Kaye Ballard, Bernie Kopell, Billy DeWolfe and others, were all given ample opportunity to shine, Day never feeling she wanted all the focus to be on her. There were wonderful guest stars and a look-see at the series will give you a chance to watch a young Jodie Foster and a venerable Estelle Winwood, well into her 80's at the time she appeared on the series several times. Henry Fonda, Day's "Midnight Lace" co-star John Gavin, Lew Ayres, Tony Bennett, Peter Lawford, and Patrick O'Neal are just a handful of those who graced the tube with the freckle-faced dynamo. Continuing her big-screen role as an independent woman who wouldn't take flack from anyone, instead building a successful career in what was often a man's world, prior to the so-called cutting edge "Mary Tyler Moore Show", Day was a woman of strength and determination although never submerging her femininity and becoming hard or cold. Occassionally Doris Day even let lose with a song or two, harmonizing with Bennett to "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", chirping with Larry Storch to "Harvest Moon" or singing a perfectly beautiful "Silver Bells" during a Christmas episode. Always garbed beautifully, Day had a great time sending up her own image as in an episode where her character, Doris Martin, won a Doris Day look-alike contest. While the show underwent some changes of cast and locale each season, her character continued her job at Today's World, and always maintained her integrity and sense of humor. In the Spring of 1973, following a successful five year run of almost 130 episodes, Day decided not to renew her contract for another season feeling that she had done what she could with the role. Offers continued to pour in for various series but Day felt the series stood on its own merits. A look at the show today shows that she was savvy in walking away when she did. It remains funny, charming, very watchable, and Day remains a surefire treat, the glue that keeps everything nicely together.

The series has aged well (Season 1)

[mathmaniac · 10/10 · 30 August 2017]

I don't think this generation realizes how successful an actress and singer Doris Day was in the 50s and 60s (for starters). She starred in movies with some of the greatest leading men of the day. She was a talented jazz singer. She was a fashion icon. She seemed to have no 'dark side' or addictions. And then she had this television series.

From what I've read in scattered reviews of books about her, she didn't want to be a television actress. However, the ineptitude of her husband's managing her career put her so deep in debt that she had to perform in a television series because he had signed a contract obligating her to do so. Such is the danger of power of attorney!

Scriptwriters veered toward the sickeningly sweet dialogue and plots sometimes. When I watched the old 'Doris Day Show,' season 1, there was not much of that defect in the stories. Later, I think the writers fell into bad habits, but early on, Doris just seems to play Doris. That person is just a really nice person, one you love and want to know.

I enjoy seeing these old episodes of Season 1. Doris loves her animals and she loves her family! You would think these themes would be enough. Less talented writers forgot these important things but for a while, the series had the actress coming through as a very natural self, with high aspirations for her parenting role and a commitment to live on the ranch with her family. Nostalgic? Yes. But it's that lovely nostalgia that doesn't prompt you to laugh but instead miss all those 'family values' that used to rule television.

America's and Canada's Sweetie

[gooelf50 · 7/10 · 27 November 2006]

There wasn't much of a plot to speak of in this series, but I can recall watching it religiously every week. In retrospect, it was the dazzling good looks and charming personality of Doris that drew an audience. She played a part in the romantic dreams of every young man from the 1940s to the 1980s. Doris had it all; great looks, lovely figure, demurely sexy personality, wonderful singing voice, and a beautifully soft nature with occasional glimpses of a fiery temper. Her eyes were like two spoonsful of the Pacific ocean and her blonde hair and freckles were captivating. I haven't seen much of her since the series ended, but gather that she now runs a hotel in California where only people with pets can be guests. Given her well known love of animals and her generous nature, what else would you expect? I'd like to see her as a guest on the Tonight Show or the Letterman show. There are still a lot of us out here who love the lady and would like to see her one more time.

The Ultimate feel good show

[girvsjoint · 9/10 · 4 July 2019]

Doris Day was like a ray of sunshine, a breath of fresh air, warm and wonderful, and that's how she is in this show, and from all reports that's how she was in real life! I love Doris Day and I love this show, it's as simple as that, think the first two seasons were probably the best, I loved Denver Pyle as her Father, even though in reality he was only two years older than Doris, how many viewers know that I wonder? It's just a sweet gentle fun show, like the lady herself, They probably wouldn't make a show like this today, but then they couldn't, there's no one to replace Doris Day!

Format change ruined it for me.

[g-hbe · 7/10 · 12 July 2020]

We've just come to the end of the complete series of The Doris Day Show, and I'm afraid I consider it to be a downhill ride from series (season) 2. The early shows were really nice, with a cosy setting, gentle humour and a bit of moral messaging at the end of each show. All this changed when Doris moved to San Fransisco. A loud, in-your-face opening credit sequence replaced the gentle childrens' chorus of the first two seasons and she became the high-power journalist traveling to exotic locations, holding highly-unlikely fashion shows and greeting 'special guest stars'. John Dehner as her new boss Cy Bennett never seemed comfortable and there was often some not-entirely-funny contretemps between him and Doris. We made it to the end, but with a certain sense of relief. My score is an overall one for the whole run.

I still love to watch this show when it is on!

[appleimacdude · 10/10 · 24 July 2004]

I had not seen the Doris Day show since I was very little (about 5) when it was on the air. I saw it listed in the TV Guide oh-so-many years later, and it was fascinating to watch! I love the scenery of the farms (though perhaps so-so writing) -- and later the scenery of her Plymouth Barracuda convertible driving through the beautiful scenery of the city -- this show is worth watching for the cast itself, which consisted of very talented people in comedy. It is worth noting that Doris Day said she did not know she had been signed up for a comedy series until her husband suddenly died - she quickly became producer after the first few scripts.

Pretty Good Show

[plinda820 · 7/10 · 16 March 2020]

Because of the coronavirus I've been staying home and binge watching a lot of classic TV shows and found this one. I remember watching it when I was younger. It's actually a cute show, one of the few shows in that era that features African-American actress. In season 5 there's a young Glen Turman playing a photographer. The first season has a plot where Doris and her young boys were picked for a photoshoot for a milk advertisement. They wanted to show a family with 2 boys and 2 girls so each boy was allowed to bring a female friend home from school and one of the boys brought home a little black girl. Doris and her family found nothing wrong with it but the advertiser was livid. Needless to say they never mention why, tiptoed around it but it was very interesting for that time.

Parts of it date poorly, but it was a solid show that doesn't get enough credit.

[kenhymesmusic · 9/10 · 26 December 2019]

If you ignore the first season, this show deserves a lot of credit. It clearly paved the way for MTM. Five years in, CBS still wanted the show, but Day quit when her deal had run its course. But Day is justifiably seen as a conservative figure (she was politically more or less a right winger, and her movie roles convey pretty old fashioned ideas about women), so we tend to ignore her influence in increasing the visibility and range of (white) female characters.

When this topic has come up, i've often pointed out how reactionary some counter culture figures actually were. The Beatles were quite misogynistic, as were most rockers, and the original lyrics of Get Back feature anti-Pakistani sentiments. Taxman is basically a libertarian anthem.

I'm not scoring points here... I happen to be on the left end of things myself. What I'm pointing to is that we retrofit people's later views or their public image onto their work and their significance. Whatever Day thought about feminism, she opened up a lot of space for women in Hollywood.

Changes

[cmartinez-35575 · 6/10 · 24 December 2020]

One of the best shows ever produced that changed so much every season. Never saw the show when it was first on but watching it now makes me wonder why all the changes. I miss the setting of the first season and don't know why they had to ditch the farm. So far I'm starting season 3 and already not a fan. I'll check back once I'm done with the remainder of the shows. I will say Doris was a looker in these shows even in her early 50's.

Doris Day Quit CBS, She Was Not Fired

[oliverpenn · 27 February 2005]

"Raysond" wrote this in his/her review: "due to low ratings and a sorry time slot) to let it go and from there "The Doris Day Show" was canceled by CBS. Also during this time the career of singer/actress/producer Doris Day was over and to this day in 1973 officially retired from the entertainment industry where she is living peacefully somewhere in her private estate in Hollywood."

Nothing could be far from the truth. Yes, CBS dealt Doris Day a "Ft. Knox Hand" (that's what VARIETY called it) to Miss Day for her to do a TV series. But, unlike what was reported by Raysond, the series was consistently in the Top 20 it's entire run. Doris Day called it quits with CBS. She had never wanted to do television in the first place: her husband secretly signed her to the CBS contract without her permission. He died, and as Day has said, "I was delivered to CBS." From what I have read, CBS wanted Doris to re-sign and continue the show, but she declined. She did, however, live up to her contract and did the two musical specials that her late husband promised.

Most people are not aware, but Doris' film career was far from over in 1968. Her three films that year ("Ballad of Josie," "Where Were You When The Lights Went Out" and "With Six You Get Eggroll") should have landed her among the top ten box office stars, but with the news that she would be doing a TV show, Quigley's Poll didn't bother. The fact is, Doris Day's 1968 films out-grossed several of the stars who made the list.

What ever will be will be!

[SanDiego · 19 October 2000]

How this show lasted five years is amazing considering each year the show was about something else. Her trademark theme song said it each week: 'What ever will be will be!' The show aired between 1968 and 1973, a time when women's roles changed in society and on television. "The Doris Day Show" reflected these changes beginning with Doris as a "modern housewife:" a widowed mother of two living in the country, and evolved into a pre-Mary Richards role model for single women in the work place (the first ever on television!) Because each year brought a different look (and different cast) to the show, it is difficult to sell in syndication but perhaps Nick-at-Night which prides itself in the evolution of such shows will have fun with it some day. (My suggestion: Do one of those five nights a week summers where Monday has the first year, Tuesday has the second year, and so forth...each year really was an entity unto itself.) The bottom line is that it features America's sweetheart Doris Day and that's really all that it needed. What ever will be will be.

I Don't Remember This Show Being This Good!

[nneprevilo · 5 August 2005]

I didn't watch much of the Doris Day Show when it was on, I hated the idea that America's top female movie star was forced to do TV. Because I'm a Doris Day collector, I purchased THE DORIS DAY SHOW First Season.

Now, I remember. I saw the first couple of shows and quit watching. Now watching the later shows from the first season, I can't believe how good this is! Leave it to Doris Day to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. Her acting is incredible -- she doesn't miss a trick. As Jack Lemmon said about Day, "It was elevating to act with her." AND THAT BODY! Doris Day had the best figure in Hollywood. Don't get me wrong, I thought that Marilyn Monroe was voluptuous, but Doris' figure was perfect. She could wear anything and look terrific.

I'm looking forward to the rest of the seasons. On this collection, there are some fun extras, including Doris' two appearances on the TV classic, What's My Line?"

Looking back, Doris Day was robbed. She never got nominated as Best Actress in a comedy by the Emmys. Clearly, she was better than Lucille Ball in the messy and overplayed, "Here's Lucy" and as good or better than the actresses that WERE being nominated during this period. But I must point out, this series was done during the "I hate Doris Day" period in the USA. Everybody frowned on Day as being "too clean" and "a virgin." Of course all of that was nonsense and looks silly today, but that was the atmosphere in which Doris filmed this series.

The Emmys often ignored the best. Remember, the marvelous Esther Rolle was never nominated for her formidable work on "Good Times."

Cute, But Confusing

[Sargebri · 25 October 2005]

When I was a kid this was my first exposure to Doris Day. I was only two when this show first aired and I used to watch it every week. However, it was fairly confusing due to the fact that it changed situations almost every season. In the first season she was the typical widowed mom raising her two kids in an almost carbon copy of "Green Acres", but without the surrealism of that show. In the second season we see her become a writer for a magazine, which she would remain, with slight variations for the next few years. However, in the final season, the show pretty much becomes another version of "Mary Tyler Moore" with her now playing a single girl and without the kids that she had for the first few years. However, despite these changes Doris Day retained the charm and grace that made her one of the most popular stars in television.

Also, one thing that is quite ironic is the fact that this show was set in San Francisco, which was the same locale as her former co-star, and close friend, Rock Hudson's series "McMillan and Wife". That fact could have led to all sorts of guest star possibilities.

Too good to be true!

[tfreeman-1 · 27 June 2005]

I am delighted that a show that I remember fondly from my childhood is available on DVD at last. I grew up in Adelaide, Australia in in the 1970s and even though it took a few years for the rest of the world to get to us "television-wise", we did enjoy shows like "The Ghost and Mrs Muir", "Love on a Rooftop", "F-Troop", "Julia", "The Bob Newhart Show" and so on. The Doris Day Show was one of these great memories for me. Sadly, "Nick at Nite" has been canceled here and so we have no way of seeing these classic sit-coms, and certainly never on network TV! I hope that there is a rush on these DVDs. Their sure popularity may mean that the other episodes will be produced - the only chance that other generations will get a chance to see these classic shows. Oh, and the classic outfits! Gotta love that opening credit sequence of Doris stepping across the street through the traffic!

WHO WROTE IT?

[ivan-22 · 4 July 2002]

Two decades ago, when they showed it for the last time, I was glued to the set every day, not only because Doris Day is one of the greatest actresses and most likable screen presences ever, but because the writing was so good. Yet there are no writing credits listed. I had a decided preference for the urban part of the show. The part where she is in the country struck my as pure corn. When she moves to the city where Anthony Benedetto left his heart, it becomes a different show. I love the season where she is living over the Italian restaurant and Kaye Ballard plays an Italian matron to the hilt. I love the episodes with Billy de Wolfe. He's a cranky, prissy bachelor listening to a cello recital and takes noisy neighbor Doris to task for perturbing his quietude. As Doris says in her book, she and Billy were friends and she tried to help him in his last illness. Great show, great memories. But we should know who wrote it. The writers are the real stars.

Doris is great in ANY situation!

[tarah-5 · 4 September 2005]

I have been captivated by Doris Day since I was a little girl. My grandfather played "Romance on the High Seas" and when I heard her sing "It's Magic" I was under her spell! I lack only 8 movies to having all of her films. I was so excited when The Doris Day Show was recently released. Although it isn't her best work, I was still pleased. It is so nice to be able to enjoy a comedy show without having to change the channel because of foul language, immorality, etc. Most of the shows are predictable, but family values shine through them all. Doris Day plays Doris Martin, a widow. She has two young sons and has moved in with her father on a farm. It is very apparent that Mrs. Martin loves her sons and wants only the best childhood for them. Grandpa sometimes has different opinions than Doris, but they always show respect for each other. The Doris Day Show is viewable by children of all ages. It is not laced with sexual innuendos, foul language, sexuality, etc. I wish that someone could recreate today that in a show!

Pure Corn, Plain and Simple

[gregorybnyc · 11 July 2005]

Doris Day was my first movie star. I just loved watching her. She was beautiful, smart, funny, had one of the best figures of any Hollywood actresses of her generation, and showed a tremendous amount of versatility. But as her husband/manager's personal fortune (and Doris's along with it) began to overwhelm his judgment, he secretly signed Day to a CBS contract that included a TV series and music specials. Day, as well all know, was a pro and honored the contract. By then she had little choice. Her husband had lost all her money and died.

By the time THE DORIS DAY SHOW appeared in 1968, I was in my late teens and not watching TV at all. So I missed all five seasons of the show (I only saw parts of episodes) and it never cropped up on reruns where I lived. So I was delighted when the first season of the show was released on DVD.

Well that delight has turned into stupefication. This is one of the dreariest, formula TV comedies I've ever seen. Let me say that Doris is always game, gracious and watchable. But she's stranded in a storyline that is so full of saccharine nonsense, you're left wondering why there weren't any special features to relieve the tedium.

The writing is simply god-awful (shockingly, the young James L. Brooks is given credit for one episode during the first season), and misses the point of Doris Day's wonderful comic persona. Living on a farm, a la Green Acres, isn't very original. As someone said earlier, the show's borrowing formulas from every other sitcom on TV. it's a testament to Day's magnetic appeal that she rises above the tiresome formula, radiating that unique blend of charm and spunk that gave her such wide audience appeal. I lasted through the first 15 episodes, before finally calling it quits.

I understand the show improves in seasons two and three, and if they are released, I'll get them from Netflix and then only one DVD at a time in case they are as hopeless as this first season was.

Doris Day was a major movie star, and TV let her down badly. How do you take one of the great career girls of American movies and turn her into a Mom in Podunk???

Her first and only weekly series of the late 60's-early 70's

[raysond · 11 February 2003]

Its amazing that this series hasn't been seen since the 1980's where it contineously played three times a day on the CBN Network(The Christian Broadcasting Network). But in a sense,"The Doris Day Show",was a disaster waiting to happen,and during the show's seven year run(which ran on CBS-TV,1968-1973)it shows. Where did the producers get off having a major Hollywood star(in her first and only weekly television series)go from being a simple country girl with two boys who lived on a farm outside of the city(which went by the formula of Petticoat Junction and Green Acres)with there uncle(played by Denver Pyle of The Dukes of Hazzard fame later on),and from there go from leaving the country(in which the show's producers by the next season wrote off the two boys from the show and leaving Doris to carry the weight of the series)to live in the big city and by making it on her own(which also went by the basic formulas of The Lucy Show/Here's Lucy/two-thirds of the Lucy trilogy,That Girl,and not to even mention The Mary Tyler Moore Show)as a single girl looking for love and the right opportunity which sometimes came alone. However,when the series premiered in September of 1968 on the CBS Network,the producers came up with the ideas for the series,and also gave way for Doris to have control of the entire status of production for the show(the second woman in Hollywood after Lucille Ball to do so since to gain control of her own TV series through her husband's production company-Irwin Productions). During the shows' first season,it went up against the Number One show in America in 1968, "The Andy Griffith Show",and also stiff competition for ratings during seasons three through five with "The Mary Tyler Moore Show",and "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In",not to mention "ABC's Monday Night Football"..

By the late 1960's,Doris Day's film career was officially over and her attention was toward the next phase.........television. However,the show had some tough competition and went up against some very heavy hitters including Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In,The Flip Wilson Show, The Mod-Squad,Gunsmoke,and not to even mention by the early 70's presence of ABC's Monday Night Football which by 1973,the producers of the series knew it was time(due to low ratings and a sorry time slot)to let it go and from there "The Doris Day Show" was cancelled by CBS. Also during this time the career of singer/actress/producer Doris Day was over and to this day in 1973 officially retired from the entertainment industry where she is living peacefully somewhere in her private estate in Hollywood. However,she is still acting and spends her time as an animal activist for certain causes.

I would be amazed if TVLand brought back the series since it needs to seen.

Three reasons to watch this show: Day, Day and Day

[aramis-112-804880 · 23 May 2023]

Doris Day was an amazing personality. She conquered movies, being one of the most popular stars of her era. And she was in movies ranging from frivolous musicals to Hitchcock. A beautiful singer, she had hit records. Late in life, she had a popular TV show that went through several permutations with constantly changing cast members, yet which nevertheless remained popular.

The show wasn't popular because times were simpler. Things have been complicated lately because of computers, but a few years ago I made a meal for two consisting of chicken breasts, black-eyed peas, broccoli and biscuits (from a bag) and gravy (from a bag) that tasted like they were made from scratch, in thirty minutes. If my farming grandparents wanted peas they had to grow them. If they had a (rare) chicken dinner they had to chop wood for the stove . . . And they had to kill and pluck one of their chickens. Ask those whiners these days who think things were simpler in the good ol' days to do any of that. Work was hard, money was scarce, people died younger. Oh, and my farming grandparents probably never heard of broccoli, substituting turnip greens and mustard greens instead. I was a generation removed from them but basically grew up on what today is written off as "soul food."

Day in her day was a beloved actress, singer, dancer and personality. But her TV show, while popular, wasn't very funny. It needed the laugh track.

It started out with Day on a farm with her father (Denver Pyle), a hand (James Hampton) and two kids. She went to the city later, working with or for people like Billy de Wolfe and John Dehner. I suppose it must have been trying to keep her "current" but it proves the sole reason rhe show stayed afloat was Day's own buoyant persona.

That's the dividing line between those who loved the show and those who hated it: what is your Doris Day threshold?

Sweetness and light aren't popular as of this writing. TV shows and movies are dark, thematically and physically. If that's your preference, this show isn't for you. Though watching it may inspire you to become a better person.