The Brian Keith Show
The Brian Keith Show (originally titled The Little People) is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 1972 to March 1974. The series stars Brian Keith and Shelley Fabares.
| The Brian Keith Show | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | The Little People (1st season) |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Garry Marshall |
| Starring |
|
| Theme music composer | Jerry Fielding (1st season) Artie Butler (2nd season) [1] |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 47 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Garry Marshall |
| Producer(s) | Bruce Johnson |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Miguel Productions Warner Bros. Television |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 15, 1972 – March 29, 1974 |
Synopsis
Keith plays Dr. Sean Jamison, a pediatrician running a free clinic for children in Hawaii. Shelley Fabares stars as his daughter who also works as pediatrician alongside her father.[2] The first-season supporting cast included Stephen Hague as Alfred Landis and Sean Tyler Hall as Stewart, two neighborhood youngsters. Keith's wife Victoria Young played Nurse Puni. Michael Gray appeared the first season as Ronnie Collins, a student doctor, and Moe Keale played Officer O'Shaughnessy. Keith drove a tiny 1970 Citroën Méhari jeep as his main automobile.
In the fall of 1973, with the renaming of the series to The Brian Keith Show, Gray, Hague, and Hall left the cast. Nancy Kulp and Roger Bowen joined the series in the roles of wealthy landlady, Mrs. Millard Gruber, and the allergist, Dr. Spencer Chaffee.[3]
Guest stars included Edward Binns, Victor Buono, Christopher Connelly, Jackie Coogan, Jack Elam, Nina Foch, Dawn Lyn, Pat Morita, Douglas Mossman, Merlin Olsen (as himself), Dick Van Patten, Reta Shaw (as Miss Gormley), Ronnie Schell, Robert Sterling, Dub Taylor, David Wayne (as Uncle Timothy Jamison), and Chris Hanks (as the kid bouncing an airless ball).[2]
Production notes
Bruce Johnson was the producer of the series, a Warner Bros. Filming took place at an estate at the foot of Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii. Several episodes were directed by Earl Bellamy. Some episodes were written by Garry Marshall about the time that he was launching Happy Days on ABC.[2]
In its first season, the series aired on Fridays following the top-10 hit Sanford and Son. It was broadcast at 8:30 pm opposite CBS's The Sonny and Cher Show and ABC's The Partridge Family. In the second season, it aired at 9:30 pm Friday opposite CBS Friday Night Movies and ABC's short-lived sitcom Adam's Rib.[4] After its cancellation in March 1974, reruns of The Brian Keith Show continued from April 5 to August 30, 1974.
Cast
- Brian Keith as Dr. Sean Jamison
- Shelley Fabares as Dr. Anne Jamison
- Victoria Young as Nurse Puni
- Roger Bowen as Dr. Austin Chaffee
References
- Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, Second Edition; Volume 1.. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company. pp. 135. ISBN 9780786464777. Retrieved 2016-08-14.
- "The Brian Keith Show (1973-1974), or The Little People (1972-1973)". Classic Television Archives. Archived from the original on April 30, 2009. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
- Alex McNeil, Total Television, New York: Penguin Books, 1997, p. 484
- McNeil, Total Television, appendix