Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Forgotten TV Shows: HE AND SHE




HE AND SHE starred Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss and Jack Cassidy and ran during the 1967-68 TV season. He was a cartoonist, she a social worker, and Cassidy played the character from his cartoon on a TV show. It seemed very sophisticated at the time with more naturalistic acting and plots, following in the DICK VAN DYKE tradition.

I guess not everyone liked it because it only lasted one season. But I adored it. And especially Paula Prentiss. She went away too soon. That voice, that height, those eyes. Today we at least would have heard her voice in PIXAR movies.

Todd Mason has other links to forgotten movies.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Patti - Oh, my goodness, I haven't thought of that show in forever! And you're right about Paula Prentiss...

Dana King said...

Margot posted my comment before I had a chance. Except for the Oh, my goodness part. I'm not much of an oh, my goodness kind of guy.

You're both right about the show and Paula Prentiss, though.

Anonymous said...

Good choice! I was in love with Paula Prentiss ever since WHERE THE BOYS ARE. Jackie always liked her because she was tall. She was often teamed with the late Jim Hutton because he was 6'5" and she was 5'10". And I liked HE AND SHE a lot.

She's been married to Richard Benjamin for 50 years. I wish she was still acting.

Jeff M.

James Reasoner said...

I remember liking this one a lot. Paula Prentiss was beautiful, and Jack Cassidy was pretty funny in his role.

George said...

I adored Paula Prentiss, too, Patti. But for different reasons.

Al Tucher said...

Even as a kid I had the good sense to have a major crush on Paula Prentiss.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Me too. If a tall, dark woman with a deep voice had come along, who knows!

Naomi Johnson said...

I loved this show! I couldn't believe it went away so soon. I thought Prentiss and Benjamin were the most darling couple.

Yvette said...

I loved this show too, Patti. Hadn't thought about it in many years. Thanks for the reminder.

Paul Prentiss was made for television, I always wondered why she went away so soon.

Maybe she was too quirky? Remember this was in the era before Meg Ryan broke the 'quirky' barrier.

Or maybe it's as simple as this: Prentiss didn't fit any known mold. Hollywood never knows what to do with an eccentric female type. The whole idea seems to frighten them.

Unknown said...

Judy and I both loved this show. We still talk about it now an then. Prentiss and Benjamin were great, and Jack Cassidy was hilarious. I also thought Kenneth Mars and Hamilton Camp were wonderful.

Anonymous said...

I have no recollection of this at all. 67-68 season? Hmmm. I self-employed, had a gardening route in Laguna Beach, lived in a house with four other guys, I don't think we even had a TV set. About all I remember from then is working, reading, drinking beer and playing darts in a couple of leagues. Had an old VW bug. Hung out on the beach in the afternoon after work, played volleyball and played Hearts with my buds. Good days, but no TV.

Kitty said...

I loved the one and only season of Lotsa Luck, a 1973-74 comedy starring Dom DeLuise. I bought 2 copies on DVD, gave one to my 9-y-o grandson, and now he loves it, too. I still remember the theme song:
I used to buy a pickle.
It used to only cost a nickle.
A bus ride used to only used cost a dime...
Lotsa luck!

pattinase (abbott) said...

I was nineteen, just married and they were our role models. Ken Mars was a fireman, right. Camp, the guy Benjamin worked for.

pattinase (abbott) said...

Vaguely remember that show.
I used to sing the verse
My mother gave me a nickel
To buy a pickle
I didn't buy a pickle
I bought some chewing gum
DA DA DA DA DA Chewing gum
Da Da Da chewing gum
and so on.

Cheap LED TV said...

Oh wow, I remember seeing a few episodes of this show.

Anonymous said...

Patti, that was the version we learned in summer camp.

Jeff M.

Todd Mason said...

http://socialistjazz.blogspot.com/2011/11/tuesdays-overlooked-films-andor-other_15.html

Your current link is to the previous week's list...

And thanks! Bill Crider, as he notes, has been particularly happy about what scraps appear from and about this series over the years. It was a working model for the MTM Productions shows, too, of course.

Cap'n Bob said...

Odd, but I have memories of the show even though I was in Nam in 1967-68. Maybe I saw it when I got back in the latter part of '68. I did love Paula Prentiss. Wasn't she in CATCH 22, also?

pattinase (abbott) said...

She sure was along with several other military-based comedies. Maybe they showed them over there. My brother-in-law was there in 67-68 too. The Marines.