My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1 | Fred MacMurray, William Demarest

My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1 | Fred MacMurray, William Demarest | Couldn't Wait!

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My Three Sons: The...

	My Three Sons: The First Season, Vol. 1 Fred MacMurray, William Demarest Paramount, 2008 average customer review:based on 65 reviews view larger image
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When one thinks of cutting edge television, My Three Sons does not immediately leap to mind, but this beloved Boomer-era staple (it ran for 12 seasons, which, for a family sitcom, is second in longevity only to The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet) broke the nuclear family mold. Fred MacMurray's Steve Douglas was a widower, raising his titular brood--college-bound Mike (Tim Considine), middle son Robbie (Don Grady), and youngest son Chip (Stanley Livingston)--with the help of his gruff, but soft-hearted father-in-law, Bub (William Frawley). In the first episode, when a door-to-door cosmetics salesman asks to see the woman of the house, Bub laughs, "Boy, do you have the wrong house." Also not par for the sitcom course is the avant-garde use of sound effects. In one episode, sibling rivalry over a girl results in a "cold war" between Mike and Robbie. Their dinner table sniping as Steve tries to broker peace is punctuated by the sounds of guns firing and bombs exploding. Which is to say that My Three Sons has aged nicely, and has much to offer beyond nostalgia. No offense to the great William Demarest, who replaced an ailing Frawley in 1965, but the series' "Bub" years were the best. Save for the episode in which comedian George Gobel is a guest at the house, the situations are grounded in reality, and the writing often surprises with twists that subvert sitcom convention and stereotypes. "Countdown" cleverly unfolds in real time as the family's Monday morning routine plays out against a televised satellite launch. In another episode, a fraternity rejects Mike, not because they are snobs (the usual sitcom portrayal), but because they believe Mike isn't serious enough about his education. Some episodes simply bring home the laughs, as in "The Little Ragpicker," in which a realistic looking dummy causes a new neighbor to think the worst about the Douglases. But there is genuine pathos in "Bub in the Ointment," in which Bub's "Irish temper" and lack of tact embarrass the kids, until Steve reminds Mike of the sacrifices Bub made to move in with the family after his daughter died. The boys talk, act, and fight like brothers, and Steve, while a pipe-puffing font of sage fatherly advice, is sometimes at a loss, and is allowed to be testy and impatient with his "wild bunch." The split season is unfortunate, but these inaugural 18 episodes are a healthy serving for those who want a taste of this iconic series. --Donald Liebenson

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Humor, wisdom, warmth - delightful

Years ago I watched My Three Sons in reruns, but had never seen the first season. We have now purchased the first volume, have watched the beginnings of this excellent TV series and we are delighted with it. Unlike so many more recent sitcoms which portray dads as clueless or worse, My Three Sons features Fred MacMurray (always excellent) as a widowed father who is very human, but also committed to his family and wise - who loves his sons and leads his family with a firm but kind hand. All of the actors do a fine job, and we are especially enjoying Tim Considine (of Disney fame) as the eldest son (he did not appear in the later seasons). The episodes don't always follow the typical sitcom formula: some of them are very creative in the way in which they advance their respective story lines.
Best of all: the warm, realistic and often humorous family banter between the members of the Douglas family. Even our 16-year-old son has been laughing out loud at these episodes.
The stories portrayed in My Three Sons seem realistic and possible - not unlike those in my own home and life when I was growing up years ago. Did you ever "camp out" in your backyard at night? Don't miss the episode, "Raft on the River," in which Steve (MacMurray) and youngest son Chip camp out in a backyard "raft" during a storm!
The series is appropriate for all ages, highly recommended, and we are looking forward to receiving the second volume. Watch this series, and you will find that your outlook is brightened!

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Couldn't Wait!

I wish that I could of waited till the whole first season was out but I just couldn't. This is one of my all time favorite shows and alot of the Black and White shows I have never seen... when color came along thats all the reruns they would show was the colored ones, so this has really been fun to watch these old B&W shows...Fred MacMurray and William Frawley were great together..just clean fun Television the way it should be...buy this, you won't be sorry if you love old television the way I do...

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