A trio of feature films based on a modest novel led to a short-lived 1965 sitcom. So where did Tammy go wrong?
ABC scheduled the show in between The Flintstones & The Addams Family, both entering what would be their final seasons, on Friday nights. Seeing as I've never seen the show, I honestly don't know why it failed.
Star Debbie Watson became the 3rd actress to essay the part of Tammy, whose family surname had been changed from Tyree in the books and movies to Tarleton for unknown reasons, after Debbie Reynolds & Sandra Dee essayed the role in the movies. In fact, Universal cobbled together four episodes of the series to create the film, "Tammy & The Millionaire", released a year after the series ended. Denver Pyle, otherwise a recurring player on The Andy Griffith Show, was cast as Tammy's grandfather, and would play similar roles later on in The Doris Day Show & The Dukes of Hazzard. Watson, however, had flopped in her first starring gig, Karen, a year earlier, also from Universal, for NBC, and would later assume the role of Marilyn Munster in the feature film, "Munster Go Home". She didn't land any more leading roles post-Tammy, however.
Gilmore Box offers the intro:
ABC had similar problems with the Sally Field beach comedy, Gidget, which didn't even finish the season. Maybe if the two shows switched nights......
No rating.
2 comments:
TAMMY was second in the timeslot, at least at mid-season: 75th out of 99 shows, with a 14.6 rating. Way behind WILD, WILD WEST, which was 23rd with a 21.4 rating, but ahead of NBC's HANK, which was 88th with 11.5 rating.
The low rating would have probably resulted in cancellation anyway, but TAMMY also lost viewers from THE FLINTSTONES (which had a 16.1 rating at midseason) and was even further below the show that followed it, THE ADDAMS FAMILY (18.4).
That does explain everything. Thanks, Hal.
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