He & She

He & She

Dick Benjamin, Paula Prentiss, and Jack Cassidy, 1967
Genre Situation comedy
Created by Leonard Stern
Starring Richard Benjamin
Paula Prentiss
Jack Cassidy
Hamilton Camp
Kenneth Mars
Theme music composer Jerry Fielding
Country of origin United States
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 26
Production
Executive producer(s) Leonard Stern
Producer(s) Arne Sultan
Arnie Rosen
Production company(s) Talent Associates,
in association with CBS
Distributor Warner Bros. Television Distribution (North America)
CBS Television Distribution (internationally)
Release
Original network CBS
Audio format Monaural
Original release September 6, 1967 (1967-09-06) – March 13, 1968 (1968-03-13)

He & She is an American sitcom that aired on the CBS television network as part of its 1967–1968 lineup, originally sponsored by General Foods and Lever Brothers.

He & She is widely considered by broadcast historians to have been ahead of its time.[1] Its sophisticated approach to comedy was viewed as opening doors to the groundbreaking MTM family of sitcoms of the 1970s, beginning with The Mary Tyler Moore Show in 1970. The character of Oscar was openly the pattern for the Ted Baxter character, for which creator Leonard Stern granted permission.[1]

CBS aired reruns of He & She in prime time from June to September 1970.

Synopsis

He & She stars real-life married couple Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss as Dick and Paula Hollister, a successful cartoonist and his wife, a social worker. Hollister's cartoon "Jetman" had in fact been so successful that it was now a network television series starring egomaniacal actor Oscar North (Jack Cassidy) as the titular Jetman. North constantly argues with Hollister over the interpretation and direction of the Jetman character. Folksinger-actor Hamilton Camp played the role of handyman Andrew Hummel at the apartment building where the starring characters lived, and Kenneth Mars played firefighter Harry Zarakartos, who would often drop in on the Hollisters' apartment by a plank connected to the firehouse across the street.

Writers Chris Hayward and Allan Burns, who created the series The Munsters, were hired by executive producer Leonard Stern (co-writer and producer of Get Smart) as story editors for He & She, for which they won the 1968 Emmy Award for comedy writing.[2] The show received four other Emmy nominations that year, including nominations for Prentiss, Benjamin, and Cassidy. Burns would go on to be a writer and co-creator (among others) of The Mary Tyler Moore Show, of which He & She is considered a major forerunner. The show also earned three of the four Writers Guild nominations for Best Writing in a Comedy.

Despite the strong lead-in of Green Acres (a top-25 prime-time show that season), He & She was cancelled after one season, although selected episodes were later rerun as a summer replacement series by CBS in 1970. USA reran episodes and later in 1998 TV Land ran selected episodes of the series, but it has not been seen since then. Cast members, such as Richard Benjamin, felt that the Green Acres lead-in actually hurt the show because the two series were so different in their rural and urban approaches.

The series was also a pioneer in the portrayal of the working wife, which was not yet in vogue on television.

Episode list

Scene from the show's first episode
No. in
series		 Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Old Man and the She"Leonard SternLeonard Stern & Arne SultanSeptember 6, 1967 (1967-09-06)
Paula enlists the help of Dick in aiding the cause of an elderly Greek gentleman who faces deportation.
2"The Second Time Around"Leonard SternJim Parker & Arnold MargolinSeptember 13, 1967 (1967-09-13)
On their sixth anniversary, Dick and Paula plan a big second wedding, but confusion ensues with the presence of two best men.
3"How to Fail in Business"Leonard SternMartin A. RagawaySeptember 20, 1967 (1967-09-20)
Dick and Paula decide to purchase their apartment building but are soon inundated with complaints from their neighbors.
4"The Phantom of 84th Street"Jay SandrichArnold Margolin & Jim ParkerSeptember 27, 1967 (1967-09-27)
Oscar's $65,000 painting is stolen from Dick and Paula's apartment, while a friend inexplicably gives Paula a herd of goats.
5"One of Our Firemen is Missing"Jay SandrichAustin & Irma KalishOctober 4, 1967 (1967-10-04)
Instead of working at the firehouse, Harry decides to help Dick and Paula, but is then dismissed from his job as a result.
6"Before You Bury Me Can I Say Something?"Jay SandrichJim Parker & Arnold MargolinOctober 11, 1967 (1967-10-11)
After undergoing his routine physical, Dick mentions to Paula that he is having his will drawn up, leading to frenzied explanations that he is in good health.
7"Dick's Van Dyke"Jay SandrichAllan Burns & Chris HaywardOctober 18, 1967 (1967-10-18)
As part of a bet stemming from a 10-day vacation, Richard and his friends sport beards upon their return and see who can keep their facial hair the longest.
8"The Background Man"Jay SandrichAllan Burns & Chris HaywardOctober 25, 1967 (1967-10-25)
Dick hires an attractive, but klutzy woman to help him draw his comic strip, and Paula develops pangs of jealousy over the new business arrangement.
9"Vote Yes or No"Jay SandrichChris Hayward & Allan BurnsNovember 1, 1967 (1967-11-01)
Dick and Paula are at odds when he and his boss campaign against an increase in pay for firemen, causing Paula to picket his offices.
10"He and She vs. Him"Jay SandrichChris Hayward & Allan BurnsNovember 8, 1967 (1967-11-08)
Suffering from writer's block, Dick is subsequently sued for plagiarism by a comic book rival, who also happens to be a former boyfriend of Paula's.
11"The Coming-Out Party"Jay SandrichChris Hayward & Allan BurnsNovember 15, 1967 (1967-11-15)

Paula's friend Dorothy begins dating Dick's dentist, Dr. Krillman, but the two end their relationship the night before Dick's tonsillectomy.

Note: In 1968, this episode won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing Comedy Series.[3]
12"Deep in the Heart of Taxes"Jay SandrichJoe BondaduceNovember 22, 1967 (1967-11-22)
Dick and Paula are audited by the IRS with Dick unaware that Paula has kept him in the dark about her undeclared horse racing winnings.
13"Don't Call Us"Jay SandrichChris Hayward & Allan BurnsNovember 29, 1967 (1967-11-29)
After Dick and Paula get an unlisted phone number, Paula forgets it, which makes them unreachable in an emergency and prevents their attendance at a party for a princess.
14"North Goes West"Jay SandrichChris Hayward & Allan BurnsDecember 13, 1967 (1967-12-13)
After Oscar decides to move to California for the Jetman TV show, Dick and Paula make plans to move until Oscar throws a going-away party for himself.
15"Easy Way Out"Jay SandrichArnold MargolinDecember 20, 1967 (1967-12-20)
Paula's poker party is unexpectedly raided by the police, resulting in Oscar running away to protect his reputation.
16"Poster Boy"Jay SandrichJim Parker & Arnold MargolinDecember 27, 1967 (1967-12-27)
When a wanted poster of a neighborhood burglar closely resembles the apartment handyman Andrew, he becomes the chief suspect in Oscar's eyes.
17"45 Midgets From Broadway"Jay SandrichArnold Margolin & Jim ParkerJanuary 3, 1968 (1968-01-03)
When Jetman is made into a Broadway musical, Oscar is cast in the lead, but is a disaster, resulting in Dick, Paula and the show's backers brainstorming to fix the show.
18"A Rock by Any Other Name"Jay SandrichTeleplay: Milt Rosen & Arne Sultan
Story: Treva Silverman & Peter Meyerson		January 10, 1968 (1968-01-10)
After Harry loses a rock that Paula gave Dick the day he proposed on Cape Cod, Dick has a copy made, but then the original is found in the same place.
19"Goodman, Spare That Tree"Jay SandrichAllan Burns & Chris HaywardJanuary 24, 1968 (1968-01-24)
Paula's cousin from Texas arrives with an olive tree that she insists will make a fortune, but authorities have other plans.
20"The White Collar Worker"Jay SandrichJim Parker & Arnold MargolinJanuary 31, 1968 (1968-01-31)
After a penniless, uninsured minister hits Dick and Paula's new car, he offers to do handiwork for the couple, which leads to disaster.
21"Along Came Kim"Jay SandrichArne Sultan & Milt RosenFebruary 7, 1968 (1968-02-07)
Dick and Paula's Korean foster son comes for a visit, but he confuses Harry for his foster father, leading to havoc.
22"What Do You Get for the Man Who Has Nothing?"Jay SandrichChris Hayward & Allan BurnsFebruary 14, 1968 (1968-02-14)
Oscar entertains Harry for three days so that Dick and Paula can redecorate Oscar's apartment for a surprise birthday party.
23"Dog's Best Friend"Jay SandrichMilt RosenFebruary 21, 1968 (1968-02-21)
Dick and Paula agree to watch a couple's dog after the latter's marriage breaks up, but the dog proceeds to drive Dick crazy.
24"It's Not Whether You Win or Lose, It's How You Watch the Game"Jay SandrichPeggy Elliott & Ed ScharlachFebruary 28, 1968 (1968-02-28)
After a misunderstanding, Dick and Paula forfeit 30 tickets that were reserved for the Northwestern-Michigan State game, causing them to scramble for replacements.
25"Knock, Knock, Who's There? Fernando, Fernando Who?"Jay SandrichAllan Burns & Chris HaywardMarch 6, 1968 (1968-03-06)
While Dick is out of town, Harry jumps to conclusions when he sees Fernando Lamas massaging Paula's leg.
26"What's in the Kitty?"Jay SandrichTeleplay: Milt Rosen, Arne Sultan & Leonard Stern
Story: Paul Mason		March 13, 1968 (1968-03-13)
Dick and Paula host his boss for a dinner party, but the trio endures a sick cat, a poison scare and a mouse.

References

  1. 1 2 VanDerWerff, Todd (March 10, 2014), He & She: The Great '70s sitcom that aired in 1967, The A.V. Club, retrieved August 9, 2014.
  2. ↑ "He & She" (1967) - Awards
  3. ↑ The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. 2003. p. 1418. ISBN 0-345-45542-8.
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