90 Bristol Court
Encyclopedia
90 Bristol Court is the umbrella title
of a short-lived NBC experiment comprising three situation comedies
set in a Southern California
apartment complex located at the title address. The 90-minute block aired Monday nights and consisted of Karen (7:30-8:00pm), Harris Against the World (8:00-8:30pm), and Tom, Dick, and Mary (8:30-9:00pm).
While they were promoted as a single programming block, the three components were individual series with separate casts, writing and production staffs. Besides the umbrella title/address, the only on-air continuity from one series to the next was provided by Guy Raymond, who portrayed handyman Cliff Murdoch, often seen greeting the residents as they approached their apartments.
Premiering October 5, 1964, 90 Bristol Court faced formidable competition opposite the venerable To Tell the Truth
, I've Got a Secret
, and Andy Griffith Show on CBS and a fledgling Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
on ABC
. NBC’s programming experiment came to an end on January 4, 1965 as Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick, and Mary, victims of low Nielsen ratings
, aired their final episodes. Karen lasted the 1964-1965 television season but was not renewed for a sophomore year; its last episode was a rerun broadcast on August 30, 1965.
) and her tomboyish little sister Mimi (Gina Gillespie
). The two girls’ activities continually confounded and frustrated their parents (Steve and Barbara, portrayed by Richard Denning
and Mary LaRoche).
The theme song was performed by the Beach Boys. Upon the demise of 90 Bristol Court, Cliff Murdoch, the handyman who appeared in all three series set at the complex, disappeared from the remaining episodes of Karen.
as Alan Harris, a resident of the apartment complex who worked at a large Hollywood studio. Patricia Barry portrayed Alan’s wife Kate, and Claire Wilcox and David Macklin played their children Deedee and Billy Harris.
The series showed Alan’s frustrations with his bosses, work, finances, family, and people in general as he deals with the various setbacks in his life (not the least being Kate’s spendthrift ways and her regularly “finding” Alan part-time jobs to pay for them).
and Joyce Bulifant
). Tom was an intern, Mary was a medical secretary, and their combined income was not enough to afford their new apartment. Tom’s best friend Dick Moran (Steve Franken), also an intern, moved in to share the expenses, but often became an irritant to the newlyweds as he "played the field" in the world of romance.
Umbrella title
An umbrella title is a formal or informal name connecting a number of individual items with a common theme. It is most often used in lieu of listing separately the separate components or providing a convenient "label" for a collection of disciplines.-Academia:...
of a short-lived NBC experiment comprising three situation comedies
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
set in a Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
apartment complex located at the title address. The 90-minute block aired Monday nights and consisted of Karen (7:30-8:00pm), Harris Against the World (8:00-8:30pm), and Tom, Dick, and Mary (8:30-9:00pm).
While they were promoted as a single programming block, the three components were individual series with separate casts, writing and production staffs. Besides the umbrella title/address, the only on-air continuity from one series to the next was provided by Guy Raymond, who portrayed handyman Cliff Murdoch, often seen greeting the residents as they approached their apartments.
Premiering October 5, 1964, 90 Bristol Court faced formidable competition opposite the venerable To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth
To Tell the Truth is an American television panel game show created by Bob Stewart and produced by Goodson-Todman Productions that has aired in various forms since 1956 both on networks and in syndication...
, I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret
I've Got a Secret is a panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?...
, and Andy Griffith Show on CBS and a fledgling Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (TV series)
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea is a 1960s American science fiction television series based on the 1961 film of the same name. Both were created by Irwin Allen, which enabled the movie's sets, costumes, props, special effects models, and sometimes footage, to be used in the production of the...
on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. NBC’s programming experiment came to an end on January 4, 1965 as Harris Against the World and Tom, Dick, and Mary, victims of low Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, aired their final episodes. Karen lasted the 1964-1965 television season but was not renewed for a sophomore year; its last episode was a rerun broadcast on August 30, 1965.
Karen
Karen, the first of the three sitcoms set at 90 Bristol Court, presented the exploits of 16-year-old Karen Scott (played by Debbie WatsonDebbie Watson (actor)
Debbie Watson, is an American movie and television actress.-Career:Born in Culver City, Los Angeles County, California, Watson got her start on television, starring as the boy-struck teenage girl Karen Scott in the 1964 sitcom TV series Karen, the only portion of the largely unsuccessful "90...
) and her tomboyish little sister Mimi (Gina Gillespie
Gina Gillespie
Gina Gillespie is a former American actress who had a brief but extensive career in television and film during her childhood and youth.- Early life :...
). The two girls’ activities continually confounded and frustrated their parents (Steve and Barbara, portrayed by Richard Denning
Richard Denning
Richard Denning , was an American actor who starred in such movies as Creature from the Black Lagoon and An Affair to Remember , and on radio with Lucille Ball as her husband George Cooper in My Favorite Husband , the forerunner of television's I Love Lucy, for which Denning was replaced by Ball's...
and Mary LaRoche).
The theme song was performed by the Beach Boys. Upon the demise of 90 Bristol Court, Cliff Murdoch, the handyman who appeared in all three series set at the complex, disappeared from the remaining episodes of Karen.
Harris Against the World
The second series starred Jack KlugmanJack Klugman
Jacob Joachim "Jack" Klugman is an American stage, film and television actor known for his roles in sitcoms, movies, and television and on Broadway...
as Alan Harris, a resident of the apartment complex who worked at a large Hollywood studio. Patricia Barry portrayed Alan’s wife Kate, and Claire Wilcox and David Macklin played their children Deedee and Billy Harris.
The series showed Alan’s frustrations with his bosses, work, finances, family, and people in general as he deals with the various setbacks in his life (not the least being Kate’s spendthrift ways and her regularly “finding” Alan part-time jobs to pay for them).
Tom, Dick and Mary
The third series centered on newlyweds Tom and Mary Gentry (Don GallowayDon Galloway
Donald "Don" Galloway was an American actor of stage, film and television, a political libertarian and journalist, perhaps best-known for his role as Raymond Burr's protégé, Detective Sergeant Ed Brown, on the long-running crime drama Ironside...
and Joyce Bulifant
Joyce Bulifant
Joyce Bulifant is an American television actress, notable for her sunny "little girl"-like Southern lilt of a voice. She was a frequent panelist on the television game show Match Game, more often than not giving bizarre answers that seldom matched the contestants.-Life and career:Bulifant was born...
). Tom was an intern, Mary was a medical secretary, and their combined income was not enough to afford their new apartment. Tom’s best friend Dick Moran (Steve Franken), also an intern, moved in to share the expenses, but often became an irritant to the newlyweds as he "played the field" in the world of romance.