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That Girl Vol. 1

That Girl Vol. 1

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A most enjoyable nostalgic trip back in TV history!
Review: It was indeed a pleasure to re-visit one of the most under-appreciated situation comedies of the late 1960s. Marlo Thomas has spent much of her latter career trying to distance herself from her character in "That Girl," the lovable, adorable Ann Marie. Why? She gave us one of the finest comedic performances in television history -- on par with Lucille Ball's best work in "I Love Lucy." In fact, "That Girl" had many similarities to "I Love Lucy." A whacky, but intelligent girl gets in all kinds of funny mishaps. This set features one such mishap when Ann gets her toe caught in a bowling bowl. Also, has there ever been a more unique "teaser" at the beginning of a television show than ways to get someone to point at Ann and say "That Girl?" It was worth watching the show just for the funny teasers. Also underrated was Ted Bessell as patient love interest Don Hollinger. He was the perfect straight man and played off Thomas' natural comedic flair perfectly. When he died suddenly several years ago, Thomas said of Bessell: "I will love him until the day I die." There was real chemistry between these two on the screen. And let's not forget the great contribution of Lew Parker as Ann Marie's dad. He's wonderful in the several episodes in which he appears on this set. "That Girl" was a true original. Well-acted, produced, directed and written. You won't be wasting your money on this set.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Complete Seasons are Needed!
Review: That Girl is a very good show and I remember watching reruns on television when I was a kid and thinking it was funny and that Marlo Thomas and Ted Bessell very good as Ann and Donald. I like that you can watch episodes of That Girl on DVD but when are complete seasons going to be put out on DVD? That would be much better!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: That Girl is smart and fun to watch.
Review: That Girl is fun to watch. She is beautiful and she is smart. And the series is okay for children to watch. Donald and Ann are friends we all would have liked to have had. Buy the episodes now, before they are gone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: That Girl is smart and fun to watch.
Review: That Girl is fun to watch. She is beautiful and she is smart. And the series is okay for children to watch. Donald and Ann are friends we all would have liked to have had. Buy the episodes now, before they are gone.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Marlo Thomas as "That Girl": Think Women's Lib Lite
Review: You have to give Marlo Thomas, daughter of television legend Danny Thomas ("Make Room for Daddy"), for starting a definite trend in situation comedies with "That Girl," which aired on ABC from 1966 to 1971; a lot of us remember the show from when ABC showed reruns during the day from 1969 to 1972). In the wake of "That Girl" came other comedies about Independent Women such as "The Doris Day Show," "The Mary Tyler Moore Show," and "Rhoda." Marlo Thomas played Ann Marie, a perky young actress who left the home of her father (Lew Parker) and mother (Rosemary DeCamp) in Brewster, New York, to make it on her own in New York City. Since all she could find where roles in television commercials and small parts in plays here and there, she had to support herself with a lot of odd jobs around town. This provided ample opportunity for new venues for comic encounters between new characters and "That Girl." Along for the ride was Donald Hollinger (Ted Bessell), a junior executive at "Newsview" magazine who spent all five seasons trying to get "That Girl" down the aisle.

This first DVD gives us nine choice episodes from the show's entire run:

(1) The pilot episode "Don't Just Do Something, Stand There" (September 8, 1966) begins our saga as Ann is working as a candy clerk and meets Donald. When he sees her again she is doing a perfume commercial where she gets kidnapped by two robbers. Donald thinks this is real and comes to her rescue with predictable results.

(2) "Anatomy of a Blunder" (Episode 5, October 6, 1966), has Ann bringing Donald home to meet her parents but making the mistake of stopping for a nice little picnic along the way.

(3) "Counter Proposal" (Episode 113, Season premier for Season 5, September 25, 1970) completes the informal "Donald Trilogy" that opens this disc with the moment when Donald finally asks Ann to marry him. That is the good news; the bad news is that his co-worker Bob Howard (Ronnie Schell) talks Donald into buying an engagement ring second hand from Mr. Franklin (Avery Schreiber). Note: This is the first episode to feature lyrics for the "That Girl" theme song.

(4) "Call of the Wild" (Episode 50, January 25, 1968) has Ann insulted when she is hired to be the Creamy Soap Girl because the producer (Jesse White) sees her as having the sort of face that will not make housewives jealous. Consequently, Ann is convinced she has no sex appeal, and that is not something for "That Girl" to take without a fight.

(5) "Nobody Here But Us Chickens" (Episode 90, October 9, 1969) continues the bad commercial gigs as Ann is hired by Major Culpepper (Slim Pickens) to be the Dancing Chicken for his friend chicken chain. When the Major tries to hit on her in his car, Ann hits the road (guess how she is dressed).

(6) "The Snow Must Go On" (Episode 93, October 30, 1969) finds Ann and Donald stuck with her parents at Kennedy Airport during a blizzard. Of course Ann has a Broadway audition to go to and nothing short of complete and total disaster will stop her.

(7) "This Little Piggy Had a Ball" (Episode 28, March 23, 1967),
has Ann enduring one the peculiar tribulations of sit com stars, getting something stuck in something at the wrong time. Just cross Lucy's bowling ball with Laura Petrie's toe, and you get the idea. Rob Reiner plays Carl and Teri Garr is Estelle in this episode.

(8) "Pass the Potatoes, Ethel Merman" (Episode 31, season premier for 2nd season, September 7,1 967) has the legendary Broadway star herself picking Ann for a walk on role in "Gypsy." You know this sounded like a good idea at the time. Merman would return later that season and become "The Other Woman" for Ann's father.

(9) "Those Friars" (Episode 127, January 8, 1971) features not only Danny Thomas but also "Mr. Television" himself, Milton Berle as guest stars. Strangely enough, the two television legends play themselves. It seems that Ann's uncle, an old vaudevillian has died, and the two pop out to try and buy the old trunk left to her in Uncle Harry's will.

I am not particularly enamored of the "That Girl" television series and its ability to end each and every teaser with the title phrase, but whoever selected these nine episodes did a pretty good job. There is no special "wedding" episode of the series because Donald only got as far as a stage party (plus Thomas did not want to send the wrong message to young women by making that the end of the series), but these episodes are certainly representative of what this show was about. You also have an impressive set of guest stars and it was a nice touch saving daddy for the last one. Yes, your favorite might not be included in these nine episodes--mine was "I Ain't Got Nobody," when Ann's face was put on someone else's body in the centerfold of "Playpen" magazine--but there is not a bad episode in this bunch.


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