Occasional Wife

Occasional Wife is an American sitcom which aired on NBC beginning September 13, 1966 and running until May 9, 1967 (repeats were aired through August 29). It was originally on NBC's Tuesday night schedule, airing from 8:30–9:00PM ET/PT. Reruns were aired on Comedy Central in 1992.

Occasional Wife
Main Cast
GenreSitcom
Created byLawrence J. Cohen
Fred Freeman
Written byRichard Baer
Peggy Chantler Dick
Lawrence J. Cohen
Robert Riley Crutcher
Stan Cutler
William Davenport
Martin Donovan
John Erman
Fred Freeman
Lila Garrett
Bernie Kahn
Gene Thompson
Martin Ragaway
Shorty Rogers
Directed byJerrold Bernstein
Bob Claver
Danny Dayton
Paul Junger Witt
Richard Kinon
Russ Mayberry
Gary Nelson
Ernest Pintoff
StarringMichael Callan
Patricia Harty
Narrated byVin Scully
Theme music composerErnest Pintoff
Howard Greenfield
Composer(s)Ernest Pintoff
Shorty Rogers
Country of originUnited States
Original language(s)English
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes30
Production
Executive producer(s)Harry Ackerman
Producer(s)Bob Claver
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time30 minutes
Production company(s)Screen Gems
Release
Original networkNBC
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseSeptember 13, 1966 (1966-09-13) –
August 29, 1967 (1967-08-29)

Synopsis

The lead character was Peter Christopher, a bachelor who enjoyed the single life, but was blocked from professional advancement by not having a wife. Peter's boss, baby-food manufacturer Max Brahms, was, because of his product, a strong believer in marriage and family. Christopher asked a young hat check girl, Greta Patterson, to pose as his wife at company functions. In return, Peter set up Greta in an apartment two floors above his own in a Manhattan building. Greta would use the fire escape to slip into Peter's 7th floor apartment from her apartment on the 9th floor whenever his boss would drop by unexpectedly. As a silent running gag, Bryan O'Byrne played the "Man in the middle" who bemusedly watching the comings and goings of the two from his 8th floor vantage point. The sitcom's uncredited narrator was the well-known sports announcer Vin Scully.

The series first experienced good ratings, tying at #18 with The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in the Nielsen ratings. The series then fell to #64 in the ratings after having to compete against ABC's popular series The Invaders and the CBS staple The Red Skelton Show. Occasional Wife was canceled after one season.[1]

The series was also notable for being one of the first sitcoms to completely eliminate the use of the laugh track, which set the series apart from other sitcoms on at the time. Its practice of not using canned laughter has now become an industry standard with most modern day single camera sitcoms.

Cast

Episodes
No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Pilot"Ernest PintoffLawrence J. Cohen & Fred FreemanSeptember 13, 1966 (1966-09-13)
Peter, a young executive, finds his road to success blocked by the lack of a wife, so he begins a platonic relationship with Greta, who poses as his wife.
2"Occasional Trouble"Richard KinonRobert Riley CrutcherSeptember 20, 1966 (1966-09-20)
Peter's mother sees Greta kissing her boyfriend and thinks her son's wife is being unfaithful.
3"The Rivalry"Bob ClaverLawrence J. Cohen & Fred FreemanSeptember 27, 1966 (1966-09-27)
Spending the weekend at the home of a wealthy client becomes a contest as Peter and his rival vie for favor.
4"He Who Burns Bridges"TBATBAOctober 4, 1966 (1966-10-04)
Peter must retrieve his letter of resignation from his boss' office before it is read.
5"I Do, We Don't"Bob ClaverLawrence J. Cohen & Fred FreemanOctober 11, 1966 (1966-10-11)
Peter's mother insists that he and Greta repeat their marriage vows since she missed the original "marriage ceremony."
6"The Promotion"Bob ClaverPeggy Chantler DickOctober 18, 1966 (1966-10-18)
Peter jeopardizes his potential raise and promotion by chasing after a beautiful blonde.
7"No Cookie for Dessert"Jerry BernsteinStan Cutler & Martin DonovanOctober 25, 1966 (1966-10-25)
A sharp-eyed girl figures out Peter's phony marital setup and threatens to tell his boss.
8"Danger! Woman at Work"Richard KinonWilliam DavenportNovember 1, 1966 (1966-11-01)
Greta fraternizes with her new boss, upsetting both Peter's business and social life.
9"A Friend of the Family"Bob ClaverStan Cutler & Martin DonovanNovember 15, 1966 (1966-11-15)
Mr. Brahms jumps to an erroneous conclusion when Greta is hospitalized with a virus.
10"Marriage Counselor"Richard KinonRichard BaerNovember 22, 1966 (1966-11-22)
Mr. Brahms sees Greta at a discothèque with a strange man and tells Peter about it.
11"No Talent Scouts"Bob ClaverRichard BaerNovember 29, 1966 (1966-11-29)
Peter is given the uncomfortable task of finding a Broadway role for the untalented daughter (Sally Field) of a client.
12"That's How They Got Capone"Richard KinonPeggy Chantler DickDecember 6, 1966 (1966-12-06)
Peter and Greta do their best to avoid signing a joint tax return.
13"GP Loves UU"Bob ClaverStan Cutler & Martin DonovanDecember 13, 1966 (1966-12-13)
An Italian Count searches for an American girl who will adore and support him.
14"Miss Greta Regrets"Richard KinonPeggy Chantler DickDecember 20, 1966 (1966-12-20)
Peter and Greta play musical chairs in a restaurant while trying to date simultaneously in two rooms.
15"Peter by Moonlight"Richard KinonStan Cutler & Martin DonovanDecember 27, 1966 (1966-12-27)
Peter underwrites a small garment business.
16"Alias Peter Patterson"Bob ClaverStan Cutler & Martin DonovanJanuary 3, 1967 (1967-01-03)
Peter becomes the object of affection of a shy, unattractive girl.
17"Fair Play for Gypsies"John ErmanRichard BaerJanuary 17, 1967 (1967-01-17)
Mr. Brahms has a gypsy fortune teller fired after she says that Greta is single.
18"A Couple of Home-Cooked Meals"Gary NelsonLila Garrett & Bernie KahnJanuary 24, 1967 (1967-01-24)
Peter and Greta complicate matters by making separate dinner plans.
19"One Plus One Equals Too Many"Russ MayberryGene ThompsonJanuary 31, 1967 (1967-01-31)
Peter gets a new job and fires Greta.
20"Kangaroo Kandidates"Gene ReynoldsStan Cutler & Martin DonovanFebruary 7, 1967 (1967-02-07)
Mr. Brahms gets Peter and Wally into competition to join his exclusive club.
21"The New Secretary"Jerry BernsteinPeggy Chantler DickFebruary 14, 1967 (1967-02-14)
An important customer sees Peter at lunch with his new secretary.
22"The Business Trip"Jerry BernsteinPeggy Chantler DickFebruary 21, 1967 (1967-02-21)
Greta agrees to accompany Peter on a business trip to her hometown.
23"Engagement, Christopher Style"Gene ReynoldsStan Cutler & Martin DonovanFebruary 28, 1967 (1967-02-28)
Peter tries to break an engagement to a madcap heiress without losing his job.
24"Instant Fatherhood"TBATBAMarch 21, 1967 (1967-03-21)
A young woman that Peter sponsored as an immigrant arrives from Italy with marriage on her mind.
25"The Soft Spot"TBATBAMarch 28, 1967 (1967-03-28)
Peter's job catches the eyes of efficiency experts brought in by the company.
26"The Secret Powdered Milk Affair"TBATBAApril 4, 1967 (1967-04-04)
Government agents run a security check on Brahms employees and discover all is not what it appears in Peter's marriage.
27"My Occasional Brother's Keeper"Jerry BernsteinGene ThompsonApril 11, 1967 (1967-04-11)
One fib leads to another and Peter soon finds himself playing host to a stranger.
28"An Affair to Forget"Paul Junger WittLawrence J. Cohen & Fred FreemanApril 18, 1967 (1967-04-18)
Suspicions arise that make it seem that Greta is having an affair with Mr. Brahms.
29"Oil Be Seeing You"Bob ClaverStan Cutler & Martin DonovanApril 25, 1967 (1967-04-25)
Greta attempts to rescue Peter from a terrible financial investment.
30"So Little Time"TBATBAMay 9, 1967 (1967-05-09)
Peter and Greta are hard pressed to prevent his mother from discovering the truth.

Footnotes
  1. "Television Obscurities – 10 Of The Most Outlandish TV Concepts Ever". tvobscurities.com. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2008-08-29.
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References
  • Brooks, T. & Marsh, E. (1979). The Complete Directory To Primetime Network TV Shows. New York: Ballantine Books, pp. 454–455
  • Brooks, T. (1987). The Complete Directory To Primetime TV Stars. New York: Ballantine Books, p. 141
  • Tucker, D. C. (2010). Lost Laughs of '50s and '60s Television: Thirty Sitcoms That Faded Off Screen. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, pp. 171–177
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