Occasional Wife

*Occasional Wife*
Occasional Wife
	Main Cast
Genre	Sitcom
Created by	Lawrence J. Cohen; Fred Freeman
Written by	Richard Baer; Peggy Chantler Dick; Lawrence J. Cohen; Robert Riley Crutcher; Stan Cutler; William Davenport; Martin Donovan; John Erman; Fred Freeman; Lila Garrett; Bernie Kahn; Gene Thompson; Martin Ragaway; Shorty Rogers
Directed by	Jerrold Bernstein; Bob Claver; Danny Dayton; Paul Junger Witt; Richard Kinon; Russ Mayberry; Gary Nelson; Ernest Pintoff
Starring	Michael Callan; Patricia Harty
Narrated by	Vin Scully
Theme music composer	Ernest Pintoff; Howard Greenfield
Composers	Ernest Pintoff; Shorty Rogers
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	30
Production
Executive producer	Harry Ackerman
Producer	Bob Claver
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	Screen Gems
Original release
Network	NBC
Release	September 13, 1966 –; August 29, 1967

Occasional Wife is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 13, 1966 until August 29, 1967.^[1]

Plot

Peter Christopher is a New York bachelor who enjoys the single life but is blocked in his professional advancement without a wife. Peter's boss, baby-food manufacturer Max Brahms, is a strong believer in marriage and family. Peter asks young hat check girl Greta Patterson to pose as his wife at company functions. In return, Peter rents Greta an apartment in his building. Greta uses the fire escape to slip into Peter's apartment whenever his boss visits unexpectedly. A man who lives on the floor between Peter's and Greta's apartments bemusedly watches them as they pass.

Cast

Michael Callan as Peter Christopher^[2]
Patricia Harty as Greta Patterson^[2]
Jack Collins as Max Brahms^[2]
Stuart Margolin as Bernie^[2]
Chris Noel as Marilyn^[2]
Bryan O'Byrne as Man-in-the-Middle^[2]
Jack Riley as Wally Frick^[2]
Sara Seegar as Mrs. Christopher^[2]
Susan Silo as Vera^[2]
Joan Tompkins as Mrs. Brahms^[2]
Vin Scully as Narrator (uncredited)^[1]

Callan and Harty married in 1968.^[1]

Episodes

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"Pilot"	Ernest Pintoff	Lawrence J. Cohen & Fred Freeman	September 13, 1966 (1966-09-13)
Peter, a young executive, finds his road to success blocked by the lack of a wife, so he begins a platonic relationship with Greta, who poses as his wife.
2	"Occasional Trouble"	Richard Kinon	Robert Riley Crutcher	September 20, 1966 (1966-09-20)
Peter's mother sees Greta kissing her boyfriend and thinks her son's wife is being unfaithful.
3	"The Rivalry"	Bob Claver	Lawrence J. Cohen & Fred Freeman	September 27, 1966 (1966-09-27)
Spending the weekend at the home of a wealthy client becomes a contest as Peter and his rival vie for favor.
4	"He Who Burns Bridges"	Richard Kinon	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	October 4, 1966 (1966-10-04)
Peter must retrieve his letter of resignation from his boss' office before it is read.
5	"I Do, We Don't"	Bob Claver	Lawrence J. Cohen & Fred Freeman	October 11, 1966 (1966-10-11)
Peter's mother insists that he and Greta repeat their marriage vows since she missed the original "marriage ceremony."
6	"The Promotion"	Bob Claver	Peggy Chantler Dick	October 18, 1966 (1966-10-18)
Peter jeopardizes his potential raise and promotion by chasing after a beautiful blonde.
7	"No Cookie for Dessert"	Jerry Bernstein	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	October 25, 1966 (1966-10-25)
A sharp-eyed girl figures out Peter's phony marital setup and threatens to tell his boss.
8	"Danger! Woman at Work"	Richard Kinon	William Davenport	November 1, 1966 (1966-11-01)
Greta fraternizes with her new boss, upsetting both Peter's business and social life.
9	"A Friend of the Family"	Bob Claver	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	November 15, 1966 (1966-11-15)
Mr. Brahms jumps to an erroneous conclusion when Greta is hospitalized with a virus.
10	"Marriage Counselor"	Richard Kinon	Richard Baer	November 22, 1966 (1966-11-22)
Mr. Brahms sees Greta at a discothèque with a strange man and tells Peter about it.
11	"No Talent Scouts"	Bob Claver	Richard Baer	November 29, 1966 (1966-11-29)
Peter is given the uncomfortable task of finding a Broadway role for the untalented daughter (Sally Field) of a client.
12	"That's How They Got Capone"	Richard Kinon	Peggy Chantler Dick	December 6, 1966 (1966-12-06)
Peter and Greta do their best to avoid signing a joint tax return.
13	"GP Loves UU"	Bob Claver	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	December 13, 1966 (1966-12-13)
An Italian Count searches for an American girl who will adore and support him.
14	"Miss Greta Regrets"	Richard Kinon	Peggy Chantler Dick	December 20, 1966 (1966-12-20)
Peter and Greta play musical chairs in a restaurant while trying to date simultaneously in two rooms.
15	"Peter by Moonlight"	Richard Kinon	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	December 27, 1966 (1966-12-27)
Peter underwrites a small garment business.
16	"Alias Peter Patterson"	Bob Claver	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	January 3, 1967 (1967-01-03)
Peter becomes the object of affection of a shy, unattractive girl.
17	"Fair Play for Gypsies"	John Erman	Richard Baer	January 17, 1967 (1967-01-17)
Mr. Brahms has a gypsy fortune teller fired after she says that Greta is single.
18	"A Couple of Home-Cooked Meals"	Gary Nelson	Lila Garrett & Bernie Kahn	January 24, 1967 (1967-01-24)
Peter and Greta complicate matters by making separate dinner plans.
19	"One Plus One Equals Too Many"	Russ Mayberry	Gene Thompson	January 31, 1967 (1967-01-31)
Peter gets a new job and fires Greta.
20	"Kangaroo Kandidates"	Gene Reynolds	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	February 7, 1967 (1967-02-07)
Mr. Brahms gets Peter and Wally into competition to join his exclusive club.
21	"The New Secretary"	Jerry Bernstein	Peggy Chantler Dick	February 14, 1967 (1967-02-14)
An important customer sees Peter at lunch with his new secretary.
22	"The Business Trip"	Jerry Bernstein	Peggy Chantler Dick	February 21, 1967 (1967-02-21)
Greta agrees to accompany Peter on a business trip to her hometown.
23	"Engagement, Christopher Style"	Gene Reynolds	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	February 28, 1967 (1967-02-28)
Peter tries to break an engagement to a madcap heiress without losing his job.
24	"Instant Fatherhood"	Danny Dayton	Martin A. Ragaway	March 21, 1967 (1967-03-21)
A young woman that Peter sponsored as an immigrant arrives from Italy with marriage on her mind.
25	"The Soft Spot"	Bob Claver	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	March 28, 1967 (1967-03-28)
Peter's job catches the eyes of efficiency experts brought in by the company.
26	"The Secret Powdered Milk Affair"	Bob Claver	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	April 4, 1967 (1967-04-04)
Government agents run a security check on Brahms employees and discover all is not what it appears in Peter's marriage.
27	"My Occasional Brother's Keeper"	Jerry Bernstein	Gene Thompson	April 11, 1967 (1967-04-11)
One fib leads to another and Peter soon finds himself playing host to a stranger.
28	"An Affair to Forget"	Paul Junger Witt	Lawrence J. Cohen & Fred Freeman	April 18, 1967 (1967-04-18)
Suspicions arise that make it seem that Greta is having an affair with Mr. Brahms.
29	"Oil Be Seeing You"	Bob Claver	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	April 25, 1967 (1967-04-25)
Greta attempts to rescue Peter from a terrible financial investment.
30	"So Little Time"	Richard Kinon	Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan	May 9, 1967 (1967-05-09)
Peter and Greta are hard pressed to prevent his mother from discovering the truth.

Production

Fred Freeman and Lawrence J. Cohen created the show. Ernst Pintoff was the director.^[3] Harry Ackerman was the executive producer for the series, which was produced by Screen Gems in association with NBC.^[4] Thirty episodes were filmed in color with a laugh track. Lever Brothers and Brown & Williamson were among the sponsors.^[5]

The series was broadcast from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays.^[2] It first experienced good ratings, tying at #18 with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in the Nielsen ratings. The series then fell to #64 in the ratings after having to compete against ABC's popular series The Invaders and the CBS staple The Red Skelton Show. Occasional Wife was canceled after one season.^[6]

Critical response

Jack Gould, writing in The New York Times, highlighted Harty's work, saying "she made a viewer more aware of what was right than wrong" with the show.^[3] Noting that the story line was a "well-worn gambit", he complimented the creators and the director for dealing with it in a "warmly understated" way.^[3] He added that Callan should become a "worthy foil" for Harty.^[3] Gould ended his review by urging the ending of "stop-action camera nonsense, wherein an offstage narrator tries to be coyly amusing between scenes".^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 612. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. pp. 749–750. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Gould, Jack (September 14, 1966). "TV: Patricia Harty, an Appealing 'Occasional Wife'". The New York Times. p. 95. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
^ Gent, George (February 19, 1966). "Wife is not a wife in new N.B,C. show". The New York Times. p. 55. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
^ Leszczak, Bob (November 2, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. pp. 143–144. ISBN 978-0-7864-6812-6. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
^ "Television Obscurities – 10 Of The Most Outlandish TV Concepts Ever". tvobscurities.com. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2008-08-29.

Brooks, T. & Marsh, E. (1979). The Complete Directory To Primetime Network TV Shows. New York: Ballantine Books, pp. 454–455
Brooks, T. (1987). The Complete Directory To Primetime TV Stars. New York: Ballantine Books, p. 141
Tucker, D. C. (2010). Lost Laughs of '50s and '60s Television: Thirty Sitcoms That Faded Off Screen. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, pp. 171–177

External links

Occasional Wife at IMDb

[tt-1] McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 612. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.

[brooks-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. pp. 749–750. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.

[nyt-3] Gould, Jack (September 14, 1966). "TV: Patricia Harty, an Appealing 'Occasional Wife'". The New York Times. p. 95. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

[4] Gent, George (February 19, 1966). "Wife is not a wife in new N.B,C. show". The New York Times. p. 55. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

[sss-5] Leszczak, Bob (November 2, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. pp. 143–144. ISBN 978-0-7864-6812-6. Retrieved May 16, 2023.

[6] "Television Obscurities – 10 Of The Most Outlandish TV Concepts Ever". tvobscurities.com. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2008-08-29.

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