Too Young to Go Steady (TV series)

Too Young to Go Steady is an American television situation comedy that was broadcast on NBC from May 14, 1959, until June 25, 1959.^[1]

Premise

Tom Blake, an attorney, and his wife, Mary, were the parents of teenagers Pam and John Blake. At age 14, Pam was "trying to make the transition from tomboy to young lady."^[2] She and her girlfriend, Timmy, dealt with feelings of love and infatuation. Tom and Mary "were generally understanding" as they raised their son and daughter.^[2] Topics of episodes included Pam's failing to win a part in her school's play.^[3]

Cast

• Pam Blake - Brigid Bazlen^[1]
• Tom Blake - Donald Cook^[1]
• Mary Blake - Joan Bennett^[1]
• John Blake - Martin Huston^[1]
• Timmy Barnes - Lorna Gillam^[4]

Pilot

Don Ameche was originally cast as Tom Blake. The New York Times reported one week before the premiere broadcast that Cook had replaced Ameche in the cast. The Times said, "It was reported that Mr. Ameche had withdrawn after a dispute over his authority to approve the scripts and the director of the show."^[5] Other actors in the pilot were Polly Rowles as Mary, Tuesday Weld as Pam, Doug Lambert as John, and Joyce Bulifant as Timmy.^[4][6] The pilot was financed by CBS.^[7]

Production

Too Young to Go Steady was broadcast live in black and white from New York by Talent Associates in association with Screen Gems.^[6] David Susskind was the executive producer.^[1] Ronald Alexander created and produced the series and was one of its writers and one of its directors. Other directors included Frank Pacelli^[6].and Peter Tewksbury.^[8] It was broadcast on Thursdays from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time,^[5] replacing The Oldsmobile Theater^[8] (also known as Oldsmobile Music Theatre).^[9] General Foods and Oldsmobile were among the sponsors.^[6] Competition for the series included Yancy Derringer on CBS.^[10]

Critical response

Ben Gross wrote in a review in the New York Daily News that Too Young to Go Steady was "pleasant mass or family entertainment".^[11] The review acknowledged that the family-themed concept was much like that of other TV shows, but it added that the writing made the show better than average. Gross also praised the four main actors, singling out Bazlen as "a standout".^[11]

References

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. 858. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
2. 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. p. 1041. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
3. "Best Bets on TV". Wisconsin State Journal. Wisconsin, Madison. May 21, 1959. p. Section 2, page 11. Retrieved October 7, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
4. Terrace, Vincent (October 9, 2018). Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, 1945-2018. McFarland. p. 240. ISBN 978-1-4766-3349-7. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
5. "Chevalier Plans Milestone Show". The New York Times. May 7, 1959. p. 67. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
6. Leszczak, Bob (November 16, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. pp. 187–188. ISBN 978-0-7864-6812-6. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
7. Scheuer, Steven H. (May 17, 1959). "A Master of Timing". The Sunday Press. New York, Binghamton. p. 12. Retrieved October 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
8. "Thursday (May 14)". Ross Reports. May 11, 1959. p. 40. Retrieved October 9, 2023.
9. Ewald, William (April 21, 1959). "The Untouchables Swift And Crackle". Los Vegas Daily Optic. New Mexico, East Las Vegas. United Press International. p. 3. Retrieved October 17, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
10. Hyatt, Wesley (October 6, 2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. p. 91. ISBN 978-1-4766-0515-9. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
11. Gross, Ben (May 15, 1959). "Susskind's New Series Is Okay-- but Is It Art?". Daily News. New York, New York City. p. 58. Retrieved October 9, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.