"Sons and Daughters"
Originally Published October 24th, 2004
Premiering in the fall of 1974 on CBS, this dramatic series was set in the 1950s and followed a pair of high school students as they tried to deal with life and love. Only nine episodes were broadcast before the series was cancelled due to low ratings -- surprisingly several episodes were later edited into late-night cable telefilms. Gary Frank and Glynnis O'Connor starred.
On Friday, March 22nd, 1974 at 9PM, CBS aired a Friday Night Movie entitled Senior Year. The ninety-minute telefilm introduced viewers to Jeff Reed and Anita Cramer, played by Gary Frank and Glynnis O'Connor, two high school sweethearts whose romance is challenged after both face family crises. The two attended fictional Westwood high in Stockton, California. The telefilm was set in 1956.
Jeff's perfect family is torn apart when his father dies abruptly, forcing him to take on more responsibility as his mother tries to deal with her loss and propelling him into the role of father figure for his younger brother. Meanwhile, Anita learns that her mother has been seeing another man and her parents are splitting up. The two are hurt, unsure of the future, and perfect for one another.
As was common at the time, telefilm was a pilot for a potential series to premiere in the fall of 1974 [1]. One critic instantly noted the similarities between Senior Year and ABC's new hit sitcom, Happy Days, which had debuted in January of 1974 and became an instant hit [2]. When CBS announced its fall schedule on April 19th, an hour-long drama entitled Senior Year was scheduled for Wednesday evening [3]. Like many new shows, on all the networks, Senior Year was part of a trend away from violent programming, towards family-friendly fare like The Waltons and Happy Days.
The pilot telefilm was rebroadcast on Thursday, August 22nd, 1974, followed by the pilot telefilm for another new CBS show, The Manhunter [4]. Prior to its debut, Senior Year was retitled Sons and Daughters. It would retain all the stars from the telefilm and pick up right where Senior Year left off (although the name of the high school was changed to Southwest High).
Sons and Daughters was scheduled for the Wednesday 8-9PM timeslot opposite Little House on the Prairie on CBS and That's My Mama on ABC (plus the first half-hour of ABC's Wednesday Movie of the Week. All three shows were new fall entries, and all debuted on Wednesday, September 11th, setting the stage for a three-way battle for viewers intrigued by fresh programming. Little House on the Prairie won that battle, ranking 9th for premiere week, while Sons and Daughters and That's My Mama finished outside the top twenty [5].
As the series got underway, Jeff and Anita were still seniors at Southwest High, each with their own circle of close friends. Jeff's buddies included Stash, Moose and Charlie (played by Scott Colomby, Barry Livingston and Lionel Johnston, respectively). Anita's best gal pals were Evie and Mary Anne (Debralee Scott and Laura Siegel).
Also featured in the series were Anita's separated parents, Walter and Ruth (John S. Ragin and Jan Shutan), and Jeff's mother, Lucille (Jay W. MacIntosh), plus his younger brother Danny (Michael Morgan). Rounding out the cast was Cody (Christopher S. Nelson), a brainy underclassman who buddied around with the older students, hoping to use their influence to help him in his quest for the senior class presidency - once he got to that grade.
In the premiere episode, Jeff purchases a pricey locket to show his love for Anita, but she rejects the gift and Jeff. As if that wasn't enough drama, it turns out Danny (Jeff's brother) stole the locket after losing Jeff's money. In the next episode, Anita and Frank are spotted outside a motel and the rumors fly at school.
By early October it was apparent that Sons and Daughters was underperforming. CBS insisted that the show wasn't facing cancellation, but word in the industry was that the death blow could come within weeks. And come it did, in mid-October when it was announced that a new variety show, Tony Orlando and Dawn, would replace Sons and Daughters starting December 4th [6]. All that was left was to burn off remaining episodes of Sons and Daughters.
All told, a total of nine episodes were broadcast. In the October 23rd episode, an ex-girlfriend (Linda Purl as Julie) turns to Jeff for help when an older man impregnated her. Unable to talk to her parents and with the father skipping town, the only person she had left to go to was Jeff, which understandably upset Anita. Always trying to do the right thing, Jeff was ready to marry Julie to keep her parents from forcing her to have an abortion.
The final episode aired on November 6th and dealt with Jeff and Anita considering premarital sex. The episode left the series without any closure. In the month or so between the show's cancellation and the premiere of Tony Orlando and Dawn, its timeslot was filled with specials, including one featuring The Osmonds.
Both the programs Sons and Daughters competed against were renewed for the 1975-1976 season. ABC's That's My Mama would never become a huge hit and was canceled midway through its second season. As for NBC's Little House on the Prairie, it ranked an impressive 13th for the 1974-1975 season and would stay on the air for a total of nine seasons, finally ending in March of 1983.
Although Sons and Daughters failed, many of its actors and actresses later went on to modest fame in television. Gary Frank would co-star on Family as Willie Lawrence for several seasons and Glynnis O'Connor played Bobbie Lee opposite Robby Benson's Billy Joe McAllister in the made-for-TV movie Ode To Billy Joe, based on the popular Bobbie Gentry song.
Linda Purl, who had guest-starred in one episode, later played Fonzie's girlfriend on Happy Days. And Debralee Scott had a recurring role on Welcome Back, Kotter as Rosalie "Hotsy" Totsy. Additionally, four episodes of Sons and Daughters were later edited into a pair of made-for-TV movies entitled Love is Not Forever and Young Lovers and typically resigned to early morning timeslots.
Sons and Daughters never connected with the viewing public the way the lighter, more amusing Happy Days had. In addition to its continuing storylines and soap opera qualities, Sons and Daughters also dealt with more controversial content than Happy Days. The storylines were sincere and the series pulled no punches, tackling all the hurdles teenagers in the 1950s faced -- many of the same hurdles teenagers in the 1970s were facing.
Executive producer David Levinson had high hopes for the show, stating in the fall preview that he thought the series would reflect the values of the time (meaning the 1970s) by concentrating on the characters in the series. And reflect Sons and Daughters did, perhaps a bit too well. The series included episodes that dealt with abortion, teen pregnancy, premarital sex, adultery, and an exceptional scene between Anita and her mother discussing birth control. The controversial nature of the series was problematic.
One critic, in describing the content of Sons and Daughters, suggested its focus was on "the comitragedy of the sexual mores with which teen-agers of the '50s were saddled" [7]. Levinson realized that the CBS Standards and Practices Departments (the network censors) would only allow so much talk of sex, but nevertheless felt it was a necessary area to explore [8].
For a show such as Sons and Daughters, one that appealed to a select group of viewers to begin with, such controversial content was hardly helpful. Viewers who initially expressed interest in the series may have been turned off by its sincere look at teenage life. Although Happy Days touched upon social issues throughout its run, it did so in an amusing and careful manner (recall the "controversy" regarding Fonzie's leather jacket).
Finally, its timeslot didn't help a bit. NBC's Little House on the Prairie, a family-friendly series that appealed to viewers of all ages, simply crushed Sons and Daughters in the ratings.
Works Cited:
1 Brown, Les. "Say, Why Don't We Do a Series About..." New York Times. 24 Mar. 1974: 137.
2 Stein, Benhamin. "When Growing Up Was Not Absurd." Wall Street Journal. 26 Mar. 1974: 17.
3 Brown, Les. "TV Programming for Fall Cuts Down on Violence." New York Times. 20 Apr. 1974: 65.
4 "Television." New York Times. 22 Aug. 1974: 67.
5 Cyclops. "'Tis the Season to be Cutesy, Fa, la, la, la, and So Forth." New York Times. 29 Sep. 1974: 133.
6 Brown, Les. "Variety Shows to Make Winter Comeback on TV." New York Times. 12 Oct. 1974: 64.
7 Shull, Richard K. "Sons and Daughters Part of the Nostalgia Bag." Hartford Courant. 27 Oct. 1974: 29P.
8 Ibid.
Glad to have come across this site regarding Sons & Daughters. I remember it well, having watched every episode when they originally aired. I was very sorry to see it disappear, as quickly as it did, from the television schedule. I have always thought it was a mistake... that it would have done very well if it had been given more time. It will always be one of my all-time favorite series. I'm sure there are many others like myself, who enjoyed and remember "Sons & Daughters".
Regarding the series "Sons and Daughters", my husband and I both enjoyed the series and looked forward to watching it each week. We were afraid that it might be canceled, and we often commented that anyone seeing the first episode "The Locket" might have switched to another program. "The Locket" was not as dynamic as the rest of the episodes. In fact, it was kind of boring. Levinson made a mistake when he made that the first episode. He lost his audience. After watching the first show, even we questioned whether we would watch again, but we gave it a second chance. Glynnis O'Connor and Gary Frank did a great job acting in "Sons and Daughters." We started watching "Family" because Gary Frank was in it. I would buy the series if it came out on DVD.
Penelope, thank you for your comments about Sons and Daughters (and to Don, who posted last year). This show is one of my personal favorites and I very much wish the few episodes that were made were available on DVD. It seems unlikely, though, but we can hope.
Thank you so very much for this webpage as a tribute for "Sons and Daughters." I was only 9 when the show debuted (as such, I couldn't have hoped to understand the discussions of pre-marital sex or the ramifications of repressive 1950s sexual mores, et al). Even so, I remember that I liked the show because I had a tremendous affinity for the 1950s as a child, and "Sons and Daughters" treated the 1950s seriously where "Happy Days" didn't. I remember VERY well the episode when Jeff's mother dropped Danny off at the barbershop and went to run some errands--and then she was struck by a car driven by one of Jeff's schoolmates! The camera focused on Danny's serious face--that's all you could see as he got out of the barber's chair, still wearing the barber's sheet--and found his mother lying on the pavement outside with a crowd around her. I also recall another episode when "Evie" went on a date and because she wouldn't go "all the way," her date made her walk home. Evie's Dad then threw her out of the house for coming home late (as I understand it now, he didn't want his daughter to be "promiscuous").
I always think back to "Sons and Daughters" as being one of the best sitcoms on TV in the early 1970's. I thought that the stories were relevant to teenage problems in the 1950's. I loved the characters and the actors, especially Gary Frank and Glynnis O'Connor. I couldn't wait until the show came on I loved it so much. When it suddenly ended I was "shocked" and very disappointed. It was not a silly comedy like "Happy Days"...it was real and believable. I would definitely buy the whole nine episodes if it were available on DVD.
I also loved this show. I was a senior in high school and couldn't wait for Wednesday night to watch. It really covered some relevant issues for the 50's as well at the 70's. I would love to see them again.
I was 14 years old and staying up late to complete an 8th grade science project when I saw the TV movie "Senior Year." The affiliate in Houston had delayed it to a late night time slot for some reason. It was one of the first times I was drawn to an "adult-type" show. I thought Gary Frank was cool and Glynnis O'Connor was sweet and pretty. When the series came on in September, I watched every episode and even recall making audiotapes with my casette recorder. I loved the theme music and to this very day, I can recall it and have it running in my head. P.S. I always preferred "The Waltons" to "Little House on the Prairie."
I came across this site while doing a search to see if Senior Year was available on DVD. The movie was filmed in Stockton Ca and I was an extra and stand in for Glynnis O'Connor during filming. A friend and I heard about the casting for extras; at that time we were so fascinated with the 50's and dressed that way all the time even attending school in the attire. So needless to say we were thrilled when we went to the audition, dressed in our poodle skirts and saddle oxfords and was chosen for the movie. This was so much fun and several other friends from the high school drama club I was in also were chosen as extras. Those of us that were 18 or older got to do the filming that took place after 10pm and continued until the next morning. We had more fun than you could imagine, got to see first hand how movies were made and hang out with the cast. I have such fond memories of this movie that became the pilot for Sons and Daughters.
I was 13 when I saw the pilot for this wonderful show. It had a gentleness to it that most shows lack today. I also remember the theme song and occasionally hear it in my head. Glynnis O'Connor periodically pops on TV these days, most recently on episodes of "Law & Order". Thank you for this tribute page!
I remember Debralee Scott better as Mary Hartman's sister, and for her frequent appearances on "Match Game."
I loved the show Sons and Daughters. I was in high school when the showed was aired and watched it every week. I would love to see it again. I would definitely buy it on DVD! That was not mindless television!!!
I remember the show and was very sorry to see it taken off the air. Show cover real world issues and made you think.
This show is the reason I hated Happy Days.....Sons and Daughters was a drama that showed life in the 50s. Morality, very serious issues and fine acting. Happy Days was a moronic sit-com that had 70s hairstyles and was truely an embarresment. The fonz going ayyyyyyy was almost enough to make me hate my name! Really wish the series was somehow available for current viewing.
I remember this show barely, I believe that I saw the pilot right after the series was taken off the air. I thought that it was very worthwhile and it was a shame that it simply became one of those potentials axed before it could get a start. Such is the ways of television.
I also loved this program, I was in 8th grade when it was on, and it dealt with issues real to my age group. Thank you for posting such a great entry on the show.
I remember watching this show very well. I really liked it. Glynnis O'Connor was (and still is) cute. I identified with the Jeff character. I was 13 at this time. I liked the more realistic look at the 1950s. Thanks for remembering the show on this site.
Remember watching it for the authentic portrayal of the '50s. Was disappointed by it's cancellation. Thanks for the recalling.
Does anyone recall Glynnis O'Connor playing "Moonlight Sonata" on the piano in one episode of this series?
Don, that was in the second episode.
Thanks RGJ, I thought I remembered that but couldn't find any evidence of it on the net. I'm going to check it out.
Does anyone know if these episodes are available anywhere? A search of the Internet turned up very little.