What Might've Been: The John Forsythe Show (1965)

 Three years after Bachelor Father had ended, and, I believe, was in syndication at that time, John Forsythe returned, this time in a self-titled sitcom for Universal & NBC that underwent a mid-season makeover that ultimately killed the show.

Air Force Major John Foster (Forsythe) inherits an all-girls school, which would've been all well & good, except that viewers weren't interested. The show aired opposite I've Got a Secret on CBS, and the 2nd half of Twelve O'Clock High on ABC. At the end of January of 1966, the series was retooled to use the school as a cover so that Foster and his wingman, Ed Robbins (Guy Marks, ex-The Joey Bishop Show) could go on spy missions for the government. The John Forsythe Show was cancelled two months later.

Forsythe was also joined by Ann B. Davis (ex-The Bob Cummings Show), Elsa Lanchester, and even had his own daughters appear in a few episodes shot during the summer before they went back to school. Pamelyn Ferdin was one of the students.

In this outing, post-format change, Ed steps into the ring to settle a dispute with a man involved in an accident (Peter Palmer, "Li'l Abner"). David Lewis (Batman) guests as well.

A year later, Marks would resurface as Tim Conway's sidekick on Rango, and it would take three years for Forsythe to land another series (To Rome With Love).