Tammy is an American sitcom, starring Debbie Watson in the title role. Produced by Universal City Studios,[1] 26 color half-hour episodes were aired on ABC from September 17, 1965, to March 11, 1966.
| Tammy | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Robert V. Barron Cid Ricketts Sumner |
| Directed by | Leslie Goodwins Sidney Miller |
| Starring | Debbie Watson Denver Pyle Donald Woods Dorothy Green |
| Theme music composer | Jay Livingston Ray Evans |
| Opening theme | "Tammy" |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Dick Wesson |
| Production locations | Universal Studios, Universal City, California, United States |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production companies | Uni-Bet Productions Universal Television |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | September 17, 1965 – March 11, 1966 |
| Related | |
| Tammy and the Millionaire | |
Tammy was loosely based on the three Tammy films; Tammy and the Bachelor (1957) starring Debbie Reynolds; Tammy Tell Me True (1961); and Tammy and the Doctor (1963) both starring Sandra Dee.[2] The films themselves were adaptations of novels by Cid Ricketts Sumner. The series was also partially influenced by other rural-themed TV sitcoms such as The Beverly Hillbillies.[3] In particular, there are similarities between Tammy's Cletus Tarleton and The Beverly Hillbillies' Jethro Bodine. The full series of 26 B/W and colour episodes have been released on DVD. The boxset includes 5 DVDs originally marketed for a German audience. The title is TAMMY - THE COMPLETE SERIES (ABC 1965-66).
Synopsis
editThe premise of the program revolves around Tammy Tarleton, an 18-year-old country girl who moves back and forth between her country family, which lives on a bayou houseboat, and the wealthy Brents, who own a plantation and pancake business. Tammy is hired as a secretary by a powerful industrialist with a handsome young son named Steven. Lavinia Tate, a high society neighbor wants her own daughter, Gloria, to marry Steven, so she repeatedly, but unsuccessfully, tries to smear Tammy’s reputation.[2]
As with Gidget, there are many differences between the series and films that inspired it. In the films, Tammy's full name is Tambrey Tyree, shortened to Tammy. The name Tyree was changed to Tarleton. Also, Tammy Tyree had no family other than her grandfather, who was occasionally picked up by revenuers for fabricating "corn-likker".
Tammy lasted for one season (26 episodes), and was cancelled in 1966.
Main cast
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- Tammy Tarleton — Debbie Watson
- Grandpa Mordechai Tarleton — Denver Pyle
- Uncle Lucius — Frank McGrath
- John Brent — Donald Woods
- Steven Brent — Jay Sheffield
- Dwayne Whitt — George Furth
- Cousin Cletus Tarleton — Dennis Robertson
- Lavinia Tate — Dorothy Green
- Gloria Tate — Linda Marshall
- Peter Tate — David Macklin
- Mrs. Brent — Doris Packer
- Tee Pee, Indian girl — Peggy Mondo
Episodes
edit| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Tammy Leaves Home" | Sidney Miller | George Tibbles | September 17, 1965 | |
|
Tammy is in trouble when she's tricked into inviting her riverfolk relatives to a white-tie affair. | |||||
| 2 | "The Aristocratic Tates" | Jerry Paris | George Tibbles | September 24, 1965 | |
|
Tammy is scorned by Lavinia Tate as not well-born for her son until the Tate kinfolk arrive. | |||||
| 3 | "Tammy Plays Cupid" | Jerry Paris | George Carleton Brown & Frank Gill Jr. | October 1, 1965 | |
|
Tammy tries to bring romance into her grandfather's life. | |||||
| 4 | "The Poker Game" | Gene Nelson | David Braverman & Bob Marcus | October 8, 1965 | |
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Uncle Lucius insists on joining a high-stakes poker game with a man who has vowed to get even with him. | |||||
| 5 | "The Tarleton Land Grant" | Sidney Miller | George Tibbles | October 15, 1965 | |
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Lavinia Tate is planning on taking the Tarleton property for back taxes until Grandpa finds an ancient document. | |||||
| 6 | "Prophet and Loss" | Sherman Marks | Robert V. Barron & Jack Marlowe | October 22, 1965 | |
|
Lavinia Tate's stock investments are affected by the prophecy of Tammy's Aunt Hannah. | |||||
| 7 | "Will the Real Dwayne Whitt Please Stand Up?" | Sherman Marks | Story by : Ben Starr Teleplay by : Gail Ingram & Ben Starr | October 29, 1965 | |
|
With an assist from Tammy, Dwayne gets a writing assignment, and weekends at the houseboat to absorb the authentic atmosphere. | |||||
| 8 | "Still Waters" | Tom Montgomery | Paul David & John L. Greene | November 5, 1965 | |
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Tammy's visiting Uncle Cully takes a job as a gardener to John Brent after he's warned to stay away from stills. | |||||
| 9 | "Mind Your Manners" | Sherman Marks | Story by : Dorothy Cooper Teleplay by : Dorothy Cooper and Frank Gill, Jr. & George Carleton Brown | November 12, 1965 | |
|
When Lavinia Tate learns that Tammy has organized a surprise birthday party for John Brent, she decides to take over the event as hostess. | |||||
| 10 | "Grandpa's Old Flame" | Ezra Stone | Gene Thompson | November 19, 1965 | |
|
Grandpa learns that his former fiancee is coming to see him based on her impression that he is rich. | |||||
| 11 | "The Riverfyin' of Billy Joe Morgan" | Leslie Goodwins | Sam Locke & Joel Rapp | November 26, 1965 | |
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Tammy and Steven Brent are left in charge of an obstreperous young house guest. | |||||
| 12 | "Grandpa's Secret Love" | Leslie Goodwins | Sam Locke & Joel Rapp | December 3, 1965 | |
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Since Grandpa's new dog is a secret, John and Dwayne think his endearments are meant for a pretty girl entering the houseboat. | |||||
| 13 | "Cletus Comes Callin'" | Leslie Goodwins | George Tibbles | December 10, 1965 | |
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The stranger Grandpa rescues from the river turns out to be Tammy's wheeler-dealer cousin. | |||||
| 14 | "The Enoch Bowl" | Sherman Marks | Story by : Stuart Jerome Teleplay by : William Raynor & Myles Wilder | December 17, 1965 | |
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The Tarleton mule quits eating when an antique collector makes off with his bowl. | |||||
| 15 | "A Severe Case of Matrimony" | Sherman Marks | Michael Fessier | December 24, 1965 | |
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Lavinia uses her handsome cousin to make Tammy look like a giddy youngster. | |||||
| 16 | "T' Know Me Is T' Love Me" | Claudio Guzman | Martin Grupsmith & Safford Lynne, Story By Jay Selby & Jessica Benson | December 31, 1965 | |
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Cletus discovers oil seeping from the ground and predicts the Tarleton's will be millionaires. | |||||
| 17 | "The Law and Mr. Tarleton" | Paul Harrison | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | January 7, 1966 | |
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Amos Potts tickets the Tarleton mule for illegal parking. | |||||
| 18 | "Lavinia's Wedding Day" | Charles Rondeau | Ben Starr & George Tibbles | January 14, 1966 | |
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Tammy and Cletus arrange Lavinia's nuptials with the wrong bridegroom. | |||||
| 19 | "Two for Tee Pee" | Sherman Marks | David Braverman & Robert Marcus | January 21, 1966 | |
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An Indian chief arrives to make Cletus keep a promise and marry his daughter. | |||||
| 20 | "Blue Nose, Wet Nose" | Sherman Marks | Elroy Schwartz | January 28, 1966 | |
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Lavinia Tate goes all out to have her ill-behaved poodle defeat her rival's dog at obedience trials. | |||||
| 21 | "The Monster from Catfish Bend" | Sherman Marks | William Raynor & Myles Wilder | February 4, 1966 | |
|
Cousin Cletus battles to land Big Luke, a 300-pound catfish. | |||||
| 22 | "Larnin' Works Wonders" | David Butler | Peter Barry & Sandra Gould | February 11, 1966 | |
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To keep his teaching credentials, Dwayne Whitt holds classes on Grandpa's houseboat. | |||||
| 23 | "Tammy Goes to Paris" | Sherman Marks | George Tibbles | February 18, 1966 | |
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Lavinia invites herself and Gloria along on John Brent's trip to France. | |||||
| 24 | "The Cinemazation of Tammy Tarleton" | Charles R. Rondeau | Sam Locke & Joel Rapp | February 25, 1966 | |
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Tammy is chosen to act in a TV commercial, but Lavinia plots to get the assignment for her daughter Gloria. | |||||
| 25 | "Uncle Lucius Returns" | Sherman Marks | Story by : Ben Starr Teleplay by : Ben Starr & Andre Stojka | March 4, 1966 | |
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Grandpa Tarleton and his brother Lucius quarrel bitterly at their reunion. | |||||
| 26 | "Uncle Lucius, the Business Man" | Earl Bellamy | Gail Ingram & Mort Green | March 11, 1966 | |
|
The Tarletons enter Beulah, a cow that only gives milk when Uncle Lucius sings her favorite song, in a milking contest. | |||||
Tammy and the Millionaire
editIn 1967, Universal Pictures released a cinema movie called Tammy and the Millionaire which included all the main TV cast (except Cletus Tarleton) and was, in fact, a re-edit from four half-hour 1965 Tammy TV episodes.[4]
International airings
editTammy was originally broadcast in several countries, including Japan, Germany, and Australia. The Tammy series was especially popular in Germany.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b Vincent LoBrutto, TV in the USA, A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas (3 volumes), page 314, ABC-CLIO, 2018
- ^ a b Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946 – Present, 1st Edition, page 612, Ballantine Books, 1979
- ^ Michele Hilmes, Only Connect: A Cultural History of Broadcasting in the United States, page 199, Wadsworth/Thompson Learning, 2002
- ^ Leonard Maltin, Leonard Maltin’s TV Movies Video Guide, 1991 Edition, page 1143, Plume, 1990
External links
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