The Tom Ewell Show

Did You Know?

• Eight episodes were shown as summer repeats from May 30, 1961, through July 18, 1961.
• The show was sponsored alternately by The Quaker Oats Company and Procter & Gamble.

Synopsis

Tom Potter is a bumbling real estate agent living at 611 Elm Street in Las Palmas, California. As the only male in his household, his life is dominated by his wife Fran; three daughters Carol, Debbie, and Sissie; his mother-in-law Grandma Irene Brady; the dog Mitzi; and a parakeet. He longs for male companionship but his attempts at male bonding often cause problems at home.

Production notes

Tom Ewell made his television debut in this series, having previously starred in films such as The Seven Year Itch and The Girl Can't Help It. The show was created by Madelyn Martin and Bob Carroll, Jr., and produced by Ewell's own company in partnership with them and Four Star Productions. Sherry Alberoni, who played Debbie, was a former Mouseketeer.

Critical reception

TIME magazine, in its October 10, 1960, edition, described the show as part of a parade of sitcoms depicting American family life as cute, and suggested it might be titled Father Knows Nothing, presenting Tom Potter as a bumbler trapped in a format of a harassed man beaten down by his wife, daughters, and mother-in-law. After the debut, the show struggled in ratings. In a December 4, 1960, Associated Press interview, Ewell said he had reviewed early reviews and found two main concerns he shared: the Tom Potter character was depicted as too much of a boob, with too much focus on his ineptness rather than real comedy, and the show attempted to play farce in a realistic situation, which defeated the effort. He promised changes in writing and acting beginning with the December 6, 1960, episode, and the pets Mitzi and the parakeet were dropped. The new approach did not save the series; an April 4, 1961, article indicated it would likely be dropped in July 1961, and a May 2, 1961, article confirmed it had been dropped.