It won 2 Golden Globes and the hearts of millions.
It helped re-launch a television career for the son of a sales clerk and a department store owner.
The Courtship of Eddie’s Father originally aired from 1969 to 1972, and was a cute family comedy about a young boy (named Eddie, of course), who in the simpliest of terms tried to help his single father find love following the death of his wife.
Based on the 1963 movie featuring Glen Ford and Shirley Jones, the made for television series starred Bill Bixby and Brandon Cruz.
Playing the role of Tom Corbett the program ran from 1969 through to 1972 and also starred Miyoshi Umeki who played Mrs Livingstone – a Japanese housekeeper who was diplomatic and full of sage advice.
While popular, the show’s storylines were hackneyed even by 70s standards and it was its catchy theme song which probably stayed with viewers long after the show was cancelled after Bixby had a falling out with producers and directors.
In spite of this – the program (and original screenplay) did leave a modern day legacy – and those familiar with the film Sleepless in Seattle could be forgiven for seeing more than a parallel.
For the trivia buffs, Bixby’s character ‘Tom Corbett’ was ranked #15 in TV Guide’s list of the “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time” and the theme song
for the series was performed by the legendary Harry Nilsson.
