"The Courtship of Eddie's Father" follows the best friend, father-son relationship of widower magazine manager Tom Corbett (Bill Bixby, "My Favorite Martian", "The Incredible Hulk") and his young son Eddie (Brandon Cruz, "The Bad News Bears"). Eddie wants a new mother and cleverly schemes to find the ideal person for his father. Episodes center around this theme, as Eddie interferes with his father's relationships, before evolving into compassionately raising Eddie. The pair are delicately cared for by their wise Japanese housekeeper Mrs. Livingston (Miyoshi Umeki, "Sayonara"). Rounding out the cast is Tom's free-spirited art director Norman Tinker (series producer James Komack, "Welcome Back, Kotter" producer) who is Eddie's "uncle" and Tom's ditzy secretary Tina Rickles (Kristina Holland).
The sitcom ran for three seasons (1969-1972) loosely based upon the 1963 film of the same name. The father-son actors share a great chemistry and Bixby received an Emmy in demonstrating a father's love for his son. The show transformed Bibxy in real life from a Hollywood playboy to become a surrogate father to Cruz, with him saying he was truly "like a second father". Bixby's Tom Corbett was named in 2014 as #15 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time". The series was cancelled when Bixby and Komack fell out as the show began losing it's father-son dynamic when Komack's character increasingly became featured. The show is also remembered for it's opening scenes of the father and son bonding to the tune of Harry Nilsson's "Best Friend". It has went on to become an iconic representation of a father-son relationship. All three seasons have been released on home media.
Reflecting upon the series, "The Courtship of Eddie's Father" is truly a gem. From the start, the inspiring, heartwarming father-son bond is genuine and magnetizing. I think it's probably the most touching bond by any TV characters. Clearly it's the strength of the show. The moral-driven plots are top notch, and even the opening and closing tag scenes of Tom answering Eddie's questions about life are moving. One of the best is found in the second episode where Eddie asks how far is the horizon and relates it to his late mother with Tom. Amazingly touching.
Mrs. Livingston's character was strong support with her delicate care of the pair and offering sage advice, sometimes comical. I enjoy Norman's character's dry wit and quips intermixed within stories. But, as the executive producer put himself into more of starring role, it evaporated the father-son dynamic that made the show. Eddie even became a non-factor in some later episodes. Bill Bixby, seeing this, protested and the series later came to an end as a result. Tina was a fine supplement to the cast with humor coming from her naivety.
The father-son centered episodes where Eddie learns a valuable life lesson is TV at its finest. The moral-driven stories are well-crafted and engaging with some light humor. There are many situations that serves as almost a parenting manual as how to raise a child. I think the world would be a better place if every parent watched "The Courtship of Eddie's Father".
I've selected episodes that handle various life lessons and their moral theme:
"Pain"- Facing your fears; bullying
"Bully for You"- Handling a female bully
"Gentleman Friend"- Consideration for others and self
"Any Friend of Dad's"- Other's feelings; be a gracious host
"An F for Mrs. Livingston"- Impact of showing love
"Member of the Wedding"- Consequences
"A Night Out for the Boys"- Respect
"Mother of the Year"- Abilities
"Who Pulled the Blues Right Out of the Horn"- Family differences
"The Library Card"- Responsibility
"How Do You Know If It's Really Love?"- Love
"The Road to You Know Where Is Paved with You Know What"- Evaluating advice
"Guardian for Eddie"- Having one's best interests
"The Promise"- Power
"A Five-Pound Monkey on His Stomach"- Commitment
"Don't Look Now, But Your Scorpio Is Rising"- Uniqueness
"Money Is a Five-Letter Word"- Outside pressure
"The Business Trip"- Responsibility
"Eddie's Will"- What people mean to one another
"Hello, Mrs. Bessinger, Goodbye"- Sense of place
"Love is for Sharing"- Sharing
"When the Shoe Is on the Other Foot, It Doesn't Fit"- Equal doesn't have to mean the same
"The Secret Box"- Important things are kept in special places; being adopted is special
"Fear Is for Understanding"- Be stronger than your fears
"Gifts Are for Giving"- Giving
"The Ghetto Girl"- Fairness
"The Hospital"- Trust conquers fear
"The Rift"- Handling anger
"Dear Mr. Cooper"- Respecting privacy
"The Magic Mrs. Rickles"- The meaning of magic
"To Catch a Thief"- Doing the right thing
"Discipline is Four Letter Word Spelled Love"- Importance of discipline
"My Son, the Artist"- Don't overreact to mistakes; Understanding different opinions
"Tell it Like I'm Telling You It Is"- Problem solving.
"A Very Different Drummer"- You don't have to always do things normally to do the right thing.
"Or Else"- Working out differences
"Thy Neighbor Loves Thee"- How to be a good neighbor
"The Choice"- Life is a series of choices
"The Karate Story"- Facing your fears
"It's All Write With Me"- One's sense of place
"A Little Help From My Friend"- Worrying
