Synopsis
Includes:
Family Affair: Our Friend Stanley (1967)
Family Affair: Freddie (1967)
Family Affair: You Like Buffy Better (1967)
Family Affair: Best of the Breed (1967)
Family Affair: Fat, Fat, The Water Rat (1967)
Family Affair: Birds, Bees and Buffy (1967)
Family Affair: First Love (1967)
Family Affair: Go Home, Mr. French (1967)
Family Affair: Arthur, the Invisible Bear (1967)
Family Affair: The Candy Striper (1967)
Family Affair: The Other Cheek (1967)
Family Affair: Star Dust (1967)
Family Affair: The Toy Box (1967)
Family Affair: Take Me Out of the Ballgame (1967)
Family Affair: Somebody Upstairs (1967)
Family Affair: The Great Kow-Tow (1968)
Family Affair: The Fish Watchers (1968)
Family Affair: The Day Nothing Happened (1968)
Family Affair: A House in the Country (1968)
Family Affair: Member of the Family (1968)
Family Affair: His and Hers (1968)
Family Affair: The New Cissy (1968)
Family Affair: The Family Outing (1968)
Family Affair: Mr. French's Holiday (1968)
Family Affair: Family Reunion (1968)
Family Affair: A Matter of Tonsils (1968)
Family Affair: A Man's Place (1968)
Family Affair: The Mrs. Beasely Story (1968)
Family Affair: The Baby Sitters (1968)
Family Affair: Family Portrait (1968)
Family Affair: Our Friend Stanley
An old plotline from the "Little Rascals" films of the 1930s is given a fresh coat of paint in this episode. Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) become friends with Stanley Winters, a physically challenged youngster. It now falls to Bill (Brian Keith) to convince Stanley's overprotective mother Estelle (Sally Forrest) to allow the boy to at least try leading a normal life despite his handicap. Featured in the cast is Gary Dubin, who later showed up as the troublesome Punky Lazaar on The Partridge Family. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Freddie
Diane Brewster, best remembered as schoolteacher "Miss Canfield" on Leave It to Beaver, makes her final acting appearance in this episode as Bill's former hometown sweetheart Freddie. Arriving from Terre Haute to pay Bill (Brian Keith) a visit, Freddie becomes enchanted by youngsters Buffy (Anissa Jones), Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Cissy (Kathy Garver)--which unfortunately serves only to remind her that she and her husband have never had any children of their own. The subsequent crisis arising from this situaiton is solved in a manner that is both touching and credible (qualities often missing from TV sitcoms of the mid-1960s). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: You Like Buffy Better
The plot of this episode is feuled by the sibling rivalry between twins Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker). When Cissy (Kathy Garver) accuses Bill (Brian Keith) of favoring Jody, Bill vows to be more equitable, spending extra-special time with Buffy (including preparing her for a ballet audition). As a result, both Cissy and Jody seethe with jealousy! Featured in the cast is Gregg Fedderson, son of series producer Don Fedderson and later a semi-regular in the role of Cissy's boyfriend Greg Bartlett. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Best of the Breed
Richard Bull, who later played the long-suffering Nels Oleson on Little House on the Prairie, is here cast as Mr. Lewis, the pompous landlord of the apartment building where the Davis family resides. When Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) bring home a stray mutt, Lewis insists that they remove the dog forthwith, pointing to a clause in the lease that allows only "pedigreed" pets. And in a related development, Cissy (Kathy Garver) is invited to join an exclusive club--but first she must cut of all contact with a less affluent friend (Terry Burnham). By episode's end, everyone's pretentions are punctured--spectacularly so thanks to the twins' doggie pal. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Fat, Fat, The Water Rat
Buffy (Anissa Jones) wants to join a club made up of neighborhood youngsters that have an aversion to "fancy" kids. To help Buffy along, Bill (Brian Keith) allows her to dress in ratty old clothes, and--much to the dismay of Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot)--also dons "hobo" duds himself. This gets Bill in dutch with blue-collar worker Tim Callahan, the father of two of the club members, who is offended because he thinks the Davises are making fun of poor folks. Cast as Mr. and Mrs. Callahan are two former child stars,Jackie Coogan (fresh from his "Uncle Fester" duties on The Addams Family) and Marcia Mae Jones. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Birds, Bees and Buffy
Season Two of Family Affair begins as seven-year-old twins Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) ask their Uncle Bill the Inevitable Question: "Where do babies come from?" Worried that the real facts of life may be inappropriate for the twins, both Bill and Mr. French come up with fanciful answers--and subsequent contradictory responses to the question from the kids' classmates and teachers, to say nothing of Miss Faversham (Heather Angel) and her "cabbage leaf" yarn, needlessly make a confusing situation even more so. The only person keeping calm throughout the crisis is Cissy (Kathy Garver), who comes up with the "perfect" answer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: First Love
This episode finds both Bill (Brian Keith) and Buffy (Anissa Jones) suffering from the pangs of unrequited love. Bill is in ardent pursuit of attractive geologist Lisa Lowell (Lee Meriwether), a widow from his home town, but she remains oddly impervious to his charms. And at the same time, second-grader Buffy pines over classmate Andy (Joel Davison), who is in the sixth grade and thus an "older man" beyond her reach! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Go Home, Mr. French
Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) is approached with a job offer by his former employer, the Duke of Glenmore. Upon discovering that his former sweetheart Lorna Frasier (Anna Lee) is working as a nanny in the Duke's household, Mr. French is most interested in the offer, but is also reluctant to leave the service of Bill Davis (Brian Keith). Thinking only of Mr. French's future happiness, Bill and the kids employ the time-honored sitcom subterfuge of making it appear that French is no longer needed. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Arthur, the Invisible Bear
Like many another seven-year-old, Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) has invented an invisible friend--in his case, a giant bear named Arthur. When Jody starts getting in trouble at school and blaming "Arthur" for his mischief, Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) consults child psychologist Dr. Dorothy Cramer (Adrienne Marden) for advice. Theorizing that Jody is using Arthur to release his pent-up anger, Dr. Cramer suggest that Bill pretend to "accept" the nonexistent bear into the Davis household--which turns out to be a major error in judgement! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Candy Striper
Cissy (Kathy Garver) goes to work as a hospital volunteer, while Buffy (Anissa Jones) joins the Brownies. Before long, both girls have run afoul of "The Rules": Cissy gives water to a patient without consulting a doctor, while Buffy is short the Brownies' age of admission by several months. Ultimately, and surprisingly, 7-year-old Buffy proves a bit more mature in handling her problem than 16-year-old Cissy. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Other Cheek
Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) is being harrassed at school by a bigger, older bully. Making the situation doubly delicate is the fact that Jody's tormentor is a girl named Jeannie (Claire Wilcox), and of course he can't hit her back. Bill (Brian Keith) suggests that Jody try to reason with Jeannie--but this not only fails to work, but also leads to a crisis involving the girl's parents (Sean McClory, Kathleen O'Malley). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Star Dust
Martha Hyer is appropriately cast as glamorous Hollywood movie star Carol Haven, who sweeps into the lives of Bill Davis (Brian Keith) and his family. Falling in love with Bill, Carol insists that she is willing to give up her career in order to assume the new roles of wife and mother. Bill of course is delighted--but it soon becomes obvious that Carol's heart is still firmly entrenched in the Hollywood Hills. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Toy Box
Tired of tripping over the toys that the twins (Anissa Jones, Johnnie Whitaker) have left lying around the apartment, Bill (Brian Keith) issues an ultimatum: If he finds one more toy on the floor, he will never allow the kids to play with it again. This leads to a major crisis when Buffy's beloved doll Mrs. Beasley is in danger of being forever exiled to the toy box. And somehow or other, the toy situation is linked with Bill's dismay over the fact that Cissy (Kathy Garver) has begun dressing hippie-style. This episode was written by Arthur Marx, the son of comedian Groucho Marx. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Take Me Out of the Ballgame
Bill (Brian Keith) inadvertently lives his life vicariously through his nephew Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) when the boy decides to join the neighborhood stickball team. Determined that Jody become a second baseman--a position to which he himself had unsuccessfully aspired when he was a boy--Bill tirelessly trains the youngster for his team tryout. Ultimately, however, it is Jody's sister Buffy (Anissa Jones) who proves to be the better ballplayer...a fact that seems to bother Bill more than it does Jody! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Somebody Upstairs
Joan Blondell guests as Laura London, a Mermanesque Broadway musical star who moves into the apartment one floor above Bill's. Both Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Cissy (Kathy Garver) are fascinated by Laura's flamboyant celebrity lifestyle, and before long the girls are dreaming of their own showbiz careers (You haven't lived until you've heard the combined singing efforts of the Misses Jones and Garver!). Unfortunately, these dreams begin to interfere with their schoolwork, prompting Bill (Brian Keith) to brings the girls back to earth. Featured in the cast as Laura London's maid is Ernestine Wade, the former "Sapphire" of Amos 'N' Andy fame. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Great Kow-Tow
Keye Luke guest stars as Grandfather Chang, a venerable Chinese gentleman whose interest in life is renewed by his friendship with twins Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker). Unofficially "adopted" by Mr. Chang, the kids reciprocate by adopting Chinese behavior and customs--or at least they make a noble effort. This episode boasts a stellar cast of Asian character actors, notably Keye Luke and Benson Fong, who'd previously appeared in the "Charlie Chan" films as Lee and Tommy Chan respectively, and who would later essay recurring roles on the existential TV western Kung Fu. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Fish Watchers
While posing as a hard-hat to ferret out a thief at one of his construction sites, Bill (Brian Keith) befriends fellow worker Scott Norvell (Ray Baxter), whose hobby is raising tropical fish. In a well-meaning effort to promote family togetherness, Scott relays his fascination with exotic fish to Buffy (Anissa Jones), Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Cissy (Kathy Garver), but the scheme backfires when the kids' little finny friends begin multiplying at an alarming rate. This episode reunites three actors from the 1966 film hit The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming: Brian Keith, Johnnie Whitaker and Ray Baxter. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Day Nothing Happened
The weekend has arrived, and Bill (Brian Keith) looks forward to a long-planned a hunting trip, while Cissy (Kathy Garver) is set to go out on a date and Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) are anxious to build a snowman. But when a raging blizzard strands Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) in Long Island, Bill is stuck with taking care of the kids--who in turn are stuck in the apartment. The result: No hunting, no date, a messy "indoor" snowman and a busted TV! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: A House in the Country
Theorizing that an apartment in downtown Manhattan is no place to raise three children, Bill (Brian Keith) decides to purchase a big house in the suburbs. Upon visiting their prospective new home, Cissy (Kathy Garver), Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) express an abundance of pleasure and satisfaction. This, however, is merely an expert job of acting: The kids would rather stay in New York, but they play along with Bill because they think a suburban life is what HE really wants! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Member of the Family
Entering a school art exhibit, Cissy (Kathy Garver) sets about painting a picture she calls "Members of the Family." Among those caricatured in the early stages of the painting are Cissy, Buffy (Anissa Jones), Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and Uncle Bill (Brian Keith)--but not Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot), who feels terribly hurt over his apparent exclusion. Incidentally, the artwork seen in this episode was actually done by series regular Kathy Garver). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: His and Hers
In a situation predating The Brady Bunch by a full year, Bill (Brian Keith) meets Margaret Williams (Coleen Gray), an attractive widow with three children of her own. Remarkably, Margaret's kids are virtual clones of Bill's nephew Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) and nieces Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Cissy (Kathy Garver) (there's even a set of twins!) At first, the kids are delighted that they're all so much alike--but delight turns into despair and downright hatred when the Williamses and the Davises spend a weekend together. The scene in which Buffy's counterpart greedily tries to claim Mrs. Beasley as her own may be the most harrowing in the series' history! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The New Cissy
Cissy (Kathy Garver) is upset because all the boys at school ignore her, except for nerdy Wendell Owen (Charles Herbert). Taking the advice of several professional models who happen to be friends of her Uncle Bill (Brian Keith), Cissy undergoes a complete fashion makeover, whereupon the boys fall over themselves trying to make her acquaintance--but as it turns out, this isn't what Cissy really wants at all. And in a related development, little Buffy (Anissa Jones) is dogged by a goonish 7-year-old admirer of her own! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Family Outing
Ever the advocate of family togetherness, Bill (Brian Keith) takes the kids and Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) along on a camping trip. Predictably, Bill and Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) love the "great outdoors", but Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Cissy (Kathy Garver) do not--and don't even ask how poor Mr. French feels about living the pioneer life. Later on, Bill and Jody are involved in a mini-crisis when Jody thinks he's caught a fish that Bill has actually hooked. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Mr. French's Holiday
Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) had planned to take his meticulously organized vacation in an Old West tourist town all by himself. Unfortunately, circumstances dictate that he must bring Buffy (Anissa Jones) and Cissy (Kathy Garver) along for the ride. As a result, French's plans are ruined -- but this turns out not to be such a bad thing after all. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Family Reunion
Bill (Brian Keith) takes the kids back to Terre Haute for a family reunion. The youngsters have a wonderful time visiting old haunts and renewing old friendships--especially Cissy (Kathy Garver), who reconnects with her erstwhile former beau Harvey (Jim Henaghan). And as usual, Aunt Fran (Louise Latham) angles to have the children remain in Indiana with her permanently, and this time it looks like they may be open to the suggestion. As it turns out, however, not every memory in Terre Haute is a happy one, particularly those which remind the children that they will never see their parents again. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: A Matter of Tonsils
Surprisingly, Buffy (Anissa Jones) accepts the news that she needs to have her tonsils removed calmly and in stride. Not so surprisingly, Bill (Brian Keith) and Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) look forward to Buffy's hospital stay with fear and loathing. Nor does it get any better for the Family Affair parental units when the doctor announces that Jody (Johnnie Whitaker) likewise needs a tonsilectomy! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: A Man's Place
Ann Sothern guests as Florence Cahill, a former flame of Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot). Now widowed, Florence dreams of opening a gourmet restaurant--and she persuades French that being a restauranteur is something that he has always wanted as well. The question: Will French opt to leave the service of longtime employer Bill Davis (Brian Keith)? And if so, will the kids ever warm up to French's replacement, the strict, severe Mr. Smyser (Laurie Main). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: The Mrs. Beasely Story
No synopsis available.
Family Affair: The Baby Sitters
Cissy (Kathy Garver) has been assigned to babysit the twins while Uncle Bill (Brian Keith) is in Hong Kong on business and Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot) is likewise occupied elsewhere. But when Cissy has a chance to go to a concert, she prevails upon her friend Sharon (Sherry Alberoni) to look after the kids. This sets off a chain reaction of hilarious havoc: Sharon comes down with the measles, Sharon's mother (Doris Singleton) assumes the babysitting duties before she too must leave, and the twins end up in the care of Sharon's father (Walter Sande). and his poker-playing buddies. Somehow this messes straightens itself out in a roundabout fashion that also solves Bill's problems with a nagging toothache! ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
Family Affair: Family Portrait
Bill's current girlfriend Eileen Moran (Pippa Scott) is worried that Bill (Brian Keith) is not spending enough time with the kids. Acting on Eileen's advice, Bill gives up his professional globetrotting to remain at home permanently. Trouble is, the youngsters are so accustomed to Bill's occasional absences that their own well-ordered lifestyles are thrown into disarray! This is the final episode of Family Affair's second season. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
