90 Bristol Court

90 Bristol Court is the umbrella title of an

While they were promoted as a single programming block under the title 90 Bristol Court, the three components — Karen, Harris Against the World, and Tom, Dick and Mary — were individual series with separate casts, writing, and production staffs, with the core production companies, Kayro-Vue and Universal Television (which also produced The Munsters for CBS that season), being the only common component.^{[1][2][3][4][5]} The only on-air continuity from one series to the next other than the title and common street address was provided by Guy Raymond, who portrayed handyman Cliff Murdock, often seen greeting the residents in all three series as they approached their apartments.^[5]

Development of 90 Bristol Court began in August 1963.^[5] In January 1964, Television magazine reported that the three sitcoms making up 90 Bristol Court would be Old Gang of Mine (also referred to as That Old Gang of Mine), Harris Against the World, and Tom, Dick and Mary,^[5] and that Karen was under development as a stand-alone series.^[5] By March 1964, Old Gang of Mine had been dropped, and Karen had been included in 90 Bristol Court.^[5]

90 Bristol Court got its name from the fact that the program ran 90 minutes and the initials of Ninety Bristol Court spelled "NBC." The programming idea behind it was that viewers would be inclined to stay tuned to NBC for 90 straight minutes if they were watching three half-hour situation comedies marketed as a single block of programming and having a common theme of taking place in the same locale than they would if NBC aired a 90-minute drama or

Originally, NBC planned for the 90 Bristol Court sitcoms to air in the order of their main characters' ages, with Karen first, Tom, Dick and Mary next, and Harris Against the World concluding the programming block.[5] However, 90 Bristol Court′s producers decided that Tom, Dick and Mary was more sophisticated than Harris Against the World and therefore was a better fit for the 8:30–9:00 p.m. programming block, so the shows instead aired with Karen first at 7:30 p.m., Harris Against the World following at 8:00 p.m., and Tom, Dick and Mary at 8:30 p.m.^[5]

Critical reception

When it premiered, television critics savaged 90 Bristol Court.^[5] Cleveland Amory of TV Guide gave it one of the kinder reviews, writing that "none of the three shows is, by itself, terrible; but, with the exception of the middle one [Harris Against the World] neither are they, on the average, strong enough to do anything more than grin and bore you."^[5] He found a few positives in Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick and Mary, but with regard to Karen he wrote that "in none of the episodes we've seen has there been a single redeeming feature" except for the theme song.^[5] Larry Wolters called 90 Bristol Court a "mess of unpalatable comic fodder," describing it as "three excursions into idiocy in a row" that constituted "cruel and inhuman punishment."^[5] Cecil Smith called it "as synthetic in concept as a $15 suit"^[5] and wrote that he believed viewers "will probably choose the segment that fits their particular taste and turn to it as they would any other situation comedy" rather than watch all three as NBC hoped.^[5] Jack Gould wrote, "Not a jolt of originality in story, characterization, or direction attended any of the opening installments of 90 Bristol Court," adding that 90 Bristol Court offered "a decided viewer convenience: It will be only necessary to tune out one program to skip three shows."^[5]

Broadcast history

First broadcast October 5, 1964, 90 Bristol Court was among the last new programs to premiere in the 1964–1965 season.^[5] It faced formidable competition opposite the venerable To Tell the Truth, I've Got a Secret, and The Andy Griffith Show on CBS and a fledgling Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea on ABC.

Karen survived as a stand-alone series, but all ties to 90 Bristol Court vanished from Karen — including the handyman character Cliff Murdock — after the January 4, 1965, episode.[5] Karen lasted the rest of the 1964-65 television season, but did not long outlive 90 Bristol Court. NBC canceled Karen in February 1965.^[5] Its last new episode aired on April 19, 1965,^[1] and its last primetime rerun on August 30, 1965.^[7][8]

The exterior sets for 90 Bristol Court survived until sometime around 1981 and were used in the television series The Rockford Files, Banacek, Emergency!, Adam-12, and The Hardy Boys.^[6]

Shows

Karen

Karen, the first of the three sitcoms set at 90 Bristol Court, presented the exploits of 16-year-old Karen Scott (played by Debbie Watson) and her tomboyish little sister Mimi (Gina Gillespie). The two girls' activities continually confounded and frustrated their parents (Steve and Barbara, portrayed by Richard Denning and Mary LaRoche).

The theme song was performed by the

Harris Against the World

The second series starred Jack Klugman as Alan Harris, a resident of the apartment complex who worked at a large Hollywood studio. Patricia Barry portrayed Harris's wife Kate, and Claire Wilcox and David Macklin played their children Deedee and Billy Harris.

The series showed Harris's frustrations with his bosses, work, finances, family, and people in general as he deals with the various setbacks in his life (not the least being Kate's spendthrift ways and her regularly "finding" Harris part-time jobs to pay for them).

Tom, Dick and Mary

The third series centered on newlyweds Tom and Mary Gentry (Don Galloway and Joyce Bulifant). Tom was an intern, Mary was a medical secretary, and their combined income was not enough to afford their new apartment at 90 Bristol Court. Tom's best friend Dick Moran (Steve Franken), also an intern, moved in to share the expenses, but often became an irritant to the newlyweds as he "played the field" in the world of romance.

References

Footnotes