Karen
GenreSituation comedy
Created byJoe Connelly
Bob Mosher
Directed byEarl Bellamy
StarringDebbie Watson
Richard Denning
Mary LaRoche
Gina Gillespie
Theme music composerJack Marshall
Bob Mosher
Opening theme"Karen", performed by the Beach Boys
ComposerJack Marshall
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes28
Production
ProducersJoe Connelly
Bob Mosher
Running time22–24 minutes
Production companiesKayro-Vue Productions
Universal Television
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseOctober 5, 1964 (1964-10-05) –
April 19, 1965 (1965-04-19)
Karen (Debbie Watson) thinks one of her teachers (Miguel Landa) is the mystery person who sent her an expensive bracelet, in the 1965 episode "Who's Seymour?"

Karen is an American sitcom that stars Debbie Watson in the title role of 16-year-old Karen Scott, and Gina Gillespie as her tomboyish little sister Mimi. It aired from 1964 to 1965.

Synopsis

Karen centers on the social life of 16-year old Karen Scott, a typical mid-1960s American teenager who lives in a fashionable apartment complex at 90 Bristol Court in Los Angeles, California, with her tomboyish younger sister Mimi and parents Steve and Barbara. Karen and the impish Mimi are a counterpoint to one another, each girl confounding the tolerant and loving Steve and Barbara in her own way. Karen is focused on having fun, and her impulsiveness often leads to misadventures when she ignores her parents' advice. Karen's friends include Janis, Candy, Peter, Spider Gibson, and David Rowe III. Cliff Murdock is the building superintendent and handyman at 90 Bristol Court.[1][2][3]

Cast

90 Bristol Court

Karen was one of three 30-minute sitcoms broadcast Monday nights under the umbrella title 90 Bristol Court; the other two were Harris Against the World, which followed Karen, and Tom, Dick and Mary, which completed the 90-minute programming block. Despite all three shows being set at the same Los Angeles apartment complex with the address 90 Bristol Court, the only connection the three series had was the character of handyman Cliff Murdoch (portrayed by Guy Raymond), who greeted the residents and visitors to 90 Bristol Court. After the last episodes of Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick and Mary aired on January 4, 1965, 90 Bristol Court ceased to be a programming entity, and handyman Murdoch disappeared from Karen as well.[3]

Production

The Beach Boys performed Karen′s theme song, also entitled "Karen."[4][5]

Broadcast history

The show premiered on NBC as 90 Bristol Court: Karen on October 5, 1964, and continued under that title through the broadcast of January 4, 1965. It drew low ratings: For the November-to-December 1964 reporting period, the Nielsen ratings ranked it 87th among the 96 prime-time network television shows. Tom, Dick and Mary fared only slightly better, and Harris Against the World had even lower ratings than Karen. In mid-November 1964 The New York Times reported that NBC planned to cancel both and Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick and Mary, effective in early January 1965.[6][3] Their last episodes aired on January 4, 1965.[3]

With the demise of Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick and Mary and with them the 90 Bristol Court programming concept, the 90 Bristol Court umbrella title was dropped from Karen and handyman Cliff Murdock disappeared from the show. From January 11, 1965, until the end of its run, the show ran as a stand-alone series, titled simply Karen. Although Karen outlasted the other two 90 Bristol Court shows, NBC announced in February 1965 that it would not renew Karen for the 1965-1966 season.[3] The last of the 28 original episodes of Karen aired on April 19, 1965. NBC then broadcast prime-time reruns of Karen in its regular time slot, the last of them on August 30, 1965. Karen aired at 7:30 p.m. on Monday throughout its run.[1][2][3][6]

Peter Tewksbury wrote, produced, and directed all three episodes that aired as part of 90 Bristol Court on November 23, 1964, and used the philosophy of Henry David Thoreau regarding simple living as a starting point for each of them: On Karen, Thoreau influenced Karen and her complicated love life when she mistakenly made three dates for the same Saturday night; on Harris Against the World, Thoreau inspired Harris to take his family fishing, only to find that he has to renew his driver's license that day; and on Tom, Dick and Mary, Dick used Thoreau's philosophy as he attempted to fix several broken household appliances.[3]

Episodes

SOURCES [3][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Karen's Mixup"David AlexanderJoe Connelly & Bob MosherOctober 5, 1964 (1964-10-05)
Alternative title "Karen." The pilot for the series. In a mixup at the airport, Karen mistakes an Italian sculptor several years her senior for another Italian man who was supposed to be her blind date, and she brings the sculptor home instead. Guest stars: Lee Bergere, Anthony Hall, and Vito Scotti.
2"Surfer's Aide"David AlexanderJoe Connelly, Thomas Knickerbocker, Mort Lewis & Bob MosherOctober 12, 1964 (1964-10-12)
Against her father's wishes Karen takes up surfing and starts dating surfer Hoot Dubbins — who is a real swinger — and much trouble ensues. Guest star: Yale Summers.
3"The Wig"Hollingsworth MorseWilliam Raynor & Myles WilderOctober 19, 1964 (1964-10-19)
Karen and two of her girlfriends try to pool their money to buy a wig. Guest stars: Jack Bannon and Eve McVeagh.
4"Home, James"Jeffrey HaydenWilliam Raynor & Myles WilderOctober 26, 1964 (1964-10-26)
Karen already has a car and a driver's license, but she pretends she can't drive when Jim Fraser offers to teach her how to drive. Guest star: Buck Taylor and Larry Thor.
5"No Boys Allowed"Bruce BilsonRonny PearlmanNovember 2, 1964 (1964-11-02)
Karen's parents ban her from dating when her grades begin to slip, so she promises her parents that she and Janis will not let boys distract them from their studies. Guest stars: Allan Hunt, Frank Gardner, and John Hubbard.
6"Beethoven or Baseball"David AlexanderRick MittlemanNovember 9, 1964 (1964-11-09)
Karen thinks she's in love with a boy named Jerry Clark. Guest star: Michael Bregan
7"Father-Daughter Dance"Sidney SalkowStory by : John O'Dea & Sidney Salkow,
Teleplay by : William Raynor & Myles Wilder		November 16, 1964 (1964-11-16)
Steve has to scrap his Friday night bowling plans because he promised to take Karen to the Father-Daughter Dance. Guest stars: Bert Freed, Herbert Anderson, and Annette Corman.
8"Karen's Simplicity Complex"Peter TewksburyPeter TewksburyNovember 23, 1964 (1964-11-23)
Henry David Thoreau's philosophy of simple living influences Karen when her complicated romantic life leads her to mistakenly make three dates for the same Saturday night. Guest stars: Leo Slezak and Don Connor.
9"Bristol Court to Broadway"UnknownUnknownNovember 30, 1964 (1964-11-30)
Karen competes with Emily Fluger to be the bass drum player in the high school band — but lessens her chances of making the band when she loses the school′s drum while on her way to the band tryout. Guest stars: Beverly Washburn and S. John Launer.
10"Teacher's Romance"Norman AbbottTom Adair & James AllardiceDecember 7, 1964 (1964-12-07)
After seeing her history teacher in tears, Karen assumes that the problem is romance, so she decides to play matchmaker. Guest stars: Jeanne Bal, Richard Anderson, and Hap Holmwood.
11"Hollywood Bound"George Stevens Jr.Joe Connelly & Bob MosherDecember 14, 1964 (1964-12-14)
Trouble begins when Karen uses her birthday check to buy an Afghan hound. Guest stars: Parley Baer, Bobo Lewis, and Peter Adams.
12"The Infernal Triangle"David AlexanderStory by : Elon Packard,
Teleplay by : Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher & Norman Paul		December 28, 1964 (1964-12-28)
While lunching with her friends at a fancy restaurant, Karen spots her father dining with a lovely divorcée. Her father's lunch is innocent — but Karen suspects something far more sinister. Guest stars: Sandra Warner and Ramsay Hill.
13"New Year's Eve"Richard L. BareAl Bertino & Richard KinneyJanuary 4, 1965 (1965-01-04)
The last episode of Karen to air as part of 90 Bristol Court. Karen's New Year's Eve date has to leave town. Guest star: Bobo Lewis.
14"Good Neighbor Policy"Hollingsworth MorseStory by : Phyllis Bounds Deitege,
Teleplay by : Al Bertino, Joe Connelly, Richard Kinney & Bob Mosher		January 11, 1965 (1965-01-11)
The first episode of Karen to air as a stand-alone series. The Scotts get new neighbors — and lots of trouble. Guest stars: Joyce Van Patten, Edward Binns, and Heather North.
15"The Formal"Eddie FeldmanWilliam Raynor & Myles WilderJanuary 18, 1965 (1965-01-18)
Steve begins to regret not buying Karen a new formal. Guest star: Dennis Patrick.
16"Karen Robs the Cradle"Hollingsworth MorseRick Mittleman, William Raynor & Myles WilderJanuary 25, 1965 (1965-01-25)
Karen and her girlfriends compete for the attention of the new boy at school. Guest stars: Clive Clerk, Lurene Tuttle, Mollie Howerton, and Vicki Draves.
17"Avery's Coming"George Stevens Jr.Jimmy Begg & MacDonald MacPhersonFebruary 1, 1965 (1965-02-01)
Karen tries to get out of a date her parents set up. Guest star: Jay Ripley.
18"Who's Seymour?"Sidney MillerBill Davenport & Charles TannenFebruary 8, 1965 (1965-02-08)
An expensive charm bracelet with a loving inscription on it arrives in the mail for Karen. Candy believes that it came from an adult secret admirer, becomes obsessed with who the man is, and decides it is the girls' French teacher, Mr. Dumont. The girls don't know that Karen's parents bought the bracelet to reward Karen for her B+ average at school. Guest stars: Miguel Landa, Jan Avery, Steven Geray, Gil Lamb, Jackie Russell, and Freddy Raye.
19"Young at Heart"David ButlerAlbert Beich & William H. Wright,
Suggested as an idea by: Joe Connelly & Bob Mosher		February 15, 1965 (1965-02-15)
Karen decides to rejuvenate her "aging" mother. Guest star: Harriet MacGibbon.
20"Holiday in Ski Valley"Jeffrey HaydenDale & Katherine EunsonFebruary 22, 1965 (1965-02-22)
Karen and her new friend spend a gloomy holiday at a ski resort. Guest stars: Bonnie Franklin and Irene Tedrow.
21"Civic Duty"David FriedkinJackson Beck & Rick MittlemanMarch 1, 1965 (1965-03-01)
Karen's handsome new teacher inspires her romantically. Guest star: Linden Chiles.
22"Karen the Babysitter"John ErmanStory by : Jackson Beck & Rick Mittleman,
Teleplay by : Joe Connelly, Bob Mosher, William Raynor & Myles Wilder		March 8, 1965 (1965-03-08)
To prove she can handle responsibility, Karen tries baby-sitting. Guest star: Michel Petit.
23"Sergeant Grandma"John RichR.S. Allen & Harvey BullockMarch 15, 1965 (1965-03-15)
Grandma uses old-fashioned strictness while looking after the girls. Guest stars: Josephine Hutchinson, Betsy Hale, and Allan Hunt.
24"Substitute Father"Hollingsworth MorseJohn WhedonMarch 22, 1965 (1965-03-22)
Steve gets jealous when Karen takes her homework problems elsewhere. Guest stars: Don Hamner, Morgan Brittany (credited as "Suzanne Cupito"), and Charla Doherty
25"Big Bad Jim"Bernard GirardCalvin Clements and Rick MittlemanMarch 29, 1965 (1965-03-29)
Karen tries to find out why she's having trouble getting dates. Guest stars: David Draper, Ann Doran, and Murray MacLeod.
26"The Beverly Beat"Leslie Goodwins & Ida LupinoJerry Davis & Lee Loeb and Rick MittlemanApril 5, 1965 (1965-04-05)
As gossip columnist for the school newspaper, Karen puts some spice in the news. Guest stars: Beverly Lunsford, Roger Ewing, and Grace Albertson.
27"The Understudy"UnknownUnknownApril 12, 1965 (1965-04-12)
Karen fails to learn her part for the school play. Guest star: Murray MacLeod
28"Mimi's First Love"Norman AbbottGeorge TibblesApril 19, 1965 (1965-04-19)
Mimi has a sudden interest in music — and other romantic things.

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, Fourth Edition, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, ISBN 0 14 02 4916 8, p. 445.
  2. 1 2 Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–present (Sixth Edition), New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, p. 546.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Television Obscurities 90 Bristol Court Accessed 6 November 2021
  4. ↑ Karen Theme Song And Lyrics, TV Themes, September 1, 2020 Accessed May 28, 2022
  5. ↑ IMDB Soundtracks Karen (1964–1965) Accessed May 28, 2022
  6. 1 2 3 Classic TV Archive Karen (1964–65)
  7. ↑ Television Obscurities TV Guide 365: Monday, October 12th, 1964 Accessed 7 November 2021
  8. ↑ Television Obscurities TV Guide 365: Monday, October 19th, 1964 Accessed 7 November 2021
  9. ↑ Television Obscurities TV Guide 365: Monday, October 26th, 1964 Accessed 7 November 2021
  10. ↑ Television Obscurities TV Guide 365: Monday, November 2nd, 1964 Accessed 7 November 2021
  11. ↑ Karen (television listing), Three Fresno Bee (Fresno, California), November 29, 1964, Page 123 Accessed 8 January 2022
  12. ↑ Television Obscurities TV Guide 365: Monday, November 30th, 1964 Accessed 7 November 2021
  13. ↑ Karen (television listing), St. Louis Post-Dispatch, November 30, 1964, Page 54 Accessed 8 January 2022
  14. ↑ Karen (television listing), Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, November 30, 1964, Page 47 Accessed 8 January 2022
  15. ↑ Karen (television listing), Arizona Republic (Phoenix, Arizona), November 30, 1964, Page 36 Accessed 8 January 2022
  16. ↑ Television Obscurities Retrow Review Karen (1964) – “Who’s Seymour?”, February 23, 2017 Accessed 7 November 2021

Bibliography

  • Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (2003) ISBN 0-345-45542-8
  • TV Guide Guide to TV 2006 (2006) ISBN 0-7607-7572-9
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