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

Directors:

William D. Russell
Peter Tewksbury

Writers:

Ed James (characters)
Sumner Arthur Long (writer)

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:

Springfield | Family | Father Daughter Relationship | Father Son Relationship | Mother Daughter Relationship

Awards:

Won 6 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 14 nominations

Cast

Robert Young	...	James 'Jim' Anderson / ... (57 episodes, 1954-1977)
Jane Wyatt	...	Margaret Anderson (57 episodes, 1954-1977)

Also Known As:

I Told You So (USA)

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)

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

American Broadcasting Company (ABC)

Trivia:

The show took place in the town of Springfield. Even though they never specified the exact state in which the town was located, several times, characters mentioned Altoona, an actual city in Pennsylvania.

Quotes:

Bud Anderson: I saw your insurance chart once and it says the life expectancy of the average man is...
Jim Anderson: Bud, for your information, I look barely in my '40s. That hardly qualifies me for the home for the aged. Yet.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Everybody Loves Raymond: Father Knows Least (#2.2)" (1997)

Soundtrack:

Waiting

1950s Americana

The town was Springfield but we were never told the state. I always pictured the setting to be a very long way from either coast. Maybe Ohio, Indiana or Iowa. Wherever it was, it was far away from any of the country's real problems of the time.

There were no civil rights issues, no murders and no rapes in Springfield. Everyone was white, which was the norm for television of this era. Springfield was a make-believe fantasy by today's standards, but back then, it was the majority of real America.

With that said, I watched the show every week and wished I was a member of the Anderson family. Having belonged to a somewhat volatile family, I had the 30-minute escape every week to be a part of a caring, loving clan.

The kids had the normal 1950s problems of a white, middle-class family. Robert Young as the patriarch, Jim Anderson, showed an understanding that was not only appreciated by the rest of the family, but by the viewers, too. He was right up there with Andy Taylor and Ward Cleaver as the fathers America loved at the time.

Corny? To some it might be, but to many others, including myself, it was the family we wanted but never had.