Dear Phoebe

I used to watch this after school when I was about 14 or 15; enjoyed it quite a bit.

Lawford and Henderson (both gone now) were quite good as a romantic (sort of) duet. Charles Lane was a great pick as editor.

Henderson played a female sportswriter (in 1954?) and Lawford played a "Dear Abby" type before there was a Dear Abby (in the papers, anyway).

(Caveat: my time line may be a little off, but I believe that the TV show preceded the advice column by about a year.)

Presumably, the ratings weren't good. Otherwise, I can't figure out why it did not last longer.

One memorable spot went something like this: Lawford had budgeted 45 cents a day for lunch (it was 1954). He ordered something called a "hashburger" and a drink for 35 cents and, somehow or other, wound up with 7 and a half cents for tips to the waitress and cook. The cook came out of the kitchen and wanted to see who had left him a 3 and 3/4 cent tip...