Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Forgotten TV: THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW
I took a lot away from this show--one of the secrets of being an adult was knowing the ways of the flirtatious Bob Collins, a photographer who chased his models every week. Although I was 7-9 when this show aired, I remember it fairly well. Adored by his secretary,(Ann B. Davis) Bob was also joined in the cast by Rosemary DeCamp, as his sister, and Dwayne Hickman, as his nephew (who learned to chase girls too). The series was the first ever mid-season replacement and ran for about three years in the late fifties.But coming into it at a fairly advanced age, I think Bob Cummings soon seemed a bit old (for the networks at least) to be chasing models and they never were able to develop other story lines.BACHELOR FATHER was another show that mimed the girl-chasing theme, if a little less leeringly at around the same time. Apparently girl-chasing men were popular in the early days of TV.
Check with Todd Mason for more forgotten films and TV shows.
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15 comments:
Also known as LOVE THAT BOB, wasn't it? A classic.
Yes, it was. I thought it was a subsequent show but it was an alternate name. Not sure why.
One of the earliest shows I remember watching. Ann B. Davis was great.
LOVE THAT BOB for pretty much the same reason half-hour GUNSMOKE repeats on CBS were retitled MARSHALL DILLON while the new GUNSMOKE hours were playing, only the Cummings show began syndicating before THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW ended its network run...but the same desire to not confuse the viewer, including the ratings household viewer, between the repeats and the new episodes.
You forgot the Geezer Alert, Patti.
Jackie was a big fan of this (apparently) when she was a kid, especially Ann B. Davis as Schultzie.
Jeff M.
Oh...yes, the new THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW in 1961, wherein he was a superannuated Thomas Magnum, may actually have been an even stronger reason for the retitle, though you would've thought the network and producers might not've wanted to confuse the viewers of the new adventure series by giving it the same title as the "purer" sitcom...but it was in the planning stages, presumably, as the syndie repeat package was being offered, as well.
Patti - OK, I admit this isn't a series I've heard of before. I think it's at least partly because I'm not usually an eager TV watcher...
And you will live longer for it. According to a study released today, people who spend hours sitting, especially in front of a TV, die younger. Sitting is especially bad for women.
Although my grandmother did nothing but sit and lived into her nineties.
I loved this show as a kid, too! I'm with James on Ann B. Davis.
She was and the actress of Beverly Hillbillies among others imitated her chasing Jethro.
Judging by the popularity of Charlie Sheen's character on Two and a Half Men, not much has changed.
The sleaze factor is upped a bit.
Count me among the many who Loved That Bob.
I remember the opening. Bob faces the viewer/camera and says, "Hold it! I think you're gonna love this picture." Then he points one of those large Flashgun Casey cameras at the viewer and sets off a flashbulb. And didn't Joy Lansing show up a lot? I'm also getting memories of Rosemary DeCamp flogging laundry detergent, but maybe that was another show.
Or maybe ..."like this picture..."
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