"Father Knows Best" (1954) TV series 1954-1960

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | unknown

Release Date:

3 October 1954 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

The popular radio show comes to life in this hit sitcom about a wise family man, Jim Anderson, his common-sense wife Margaret and their children Betty...

Plot Keywords:

TV Series Reunion | Sister Sister Relationship | Teenage Girl | Teenage Boy | Fictional City

Awards:

Won 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 14 nominations

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 5 of 44)

Robert Young	...	James 'Jim' Anderson / ... (118 episodes, 1954-1960)
Jane Wyatt	...	Margaret Anderson (117 episodes, 1954-1960)
Billy Gray	...	James 'Bud' Anderson Jr. / ... (105 episodes, 1954-1960)
Elinor Donahue	...	Betty 'Princess' Anderson / ... (104 episodes, 1954-1960)
Lauren Chapin	...	Kathy 'Kitten' Anderson / ... (104 episodes, 1954-1960)

Also Known As:

I Told You So (USA) (alternative title)

Runtime:

30 min | USA:30 min (203 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Western Electric Recording) | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Australia:G | New Zealand:G

Filming Locations:

Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

When the sitcom first aired in 1949 on NBC radio at 8:30 p.m. on Thursdays, it was sponsored by Maxwell House. When the series moved from NBC radio to CBS television in October 1954, Robert Young was the only member of the radio cast to make the transition to the TV sitcom adaptation.

Quotes:

Margaret Anderson: Well, I suppose Father knows best.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Perfect Strangers: Father Knows Best?: Part 2 (#5.8)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Waiting

One of the Best

Critics of this type of show are quick to point out how "unrealistic" it was. After all no episode dealt with drug addiction, teen pregnancy,dropping out of school, or any of the other "relevant" topics that pass for entertainment today. Instead this program concentrated on the, now passe, issues of family love, warmth, charity, and decency. I challenge any parent, of whatever generation, to contrast an episode of this show with any "Married with Children" or the majority of today's teen oriented sitcoms and decide which world view they would wish for their children. Perhaps this show and others of its era (e.g. Andy Griffith) was overly hopeful in its portrayal of family and community, but isn't it better to aspire to the values of Father Knows Best than succumb to the spirit of the age we live in?