ONE SEASON WONDERS: My Sister Eileen

On Wednesdays, I look at shows that lasted one season or less. Today I am looking at early 1960s flop My Sister Eileen!

MY SISTER EILEEN

Programming Details:
October 15, 1960 - April 12, 1961
26 episodes
CBS

Starring: Elaine Stritch, with Shirley Bonne and Jack Weston, Rose Marie, Raymond Bailey, Leon Belasco
Based on Short Stories by: Ruth McKenney, Developed by Dick Wesson

Plot: Ruth and Eileen Sherwood (Stritch & Bonne) are sisters who have moved from Ohio to New York City and are trying to make it. Ruth works for a publishing company while Eileen is trying to make it as an actress. Ruth works with Bertha (Marie) and for Mr. Beaumont (Bailey) and the sisters have to deal with their frustrated landlord, Mr. Appopoplous (Belasco) and an opportunistic reporter, Chick (Weston), who becomes a friend.

Brief Pilot Review:
My Sister Eileen was first presented in Spring 1960 on the Aloha-Goodyear Theater with a different actress playing Eileen so the first actual episode of the series doesn't feel as much like a pilot though there is still some exposition. The premise, about the girls getting mixed up, feels a little creepy because it has to do with Chick "discovering" Eileen by secretly taking photographs of her sunbathing. Although there are strong performances galore, the episode's premise is one big misunderstanding all the way through. I know that was common for TV shows back then but for a first episode, it feels a little too much. Nowadays, I think TV shows do too much exposition. Back then, I think it needed a little more exposition.

 

It's fun to see a young Elaine Stritch because so much of what I know from her work is from when she was much older. She still has the same bite and wit though even at a young age while Shirley Bonne is strong too. I wish we could have seen more of Stritch and Bonne together in this first episode since the series is about the two of them and I think they had the potential to have nice chemistry. Rose Marie is strong in a small role here but it's good this show only lasted one season so Marie was free to do The Dick Van Dyke Show.

What Went Wrong:

It might not be remembered much now but My Sister Eileen was actually a fairly well known property when the TV show premiered in 1960. There were the original New Yorker stories, a play, two movies and the Broadway musical Wonderful Town. The series premiered on Wednesday nights on CBS in the Fall of 1960 against the more established Hawaiian Eye on ABC and Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall on NBC. The show was just sort of there. I ran a full season as many shows did back then and then just didn't return for a second season. Back then, networks didn't have as quick a hook like they did for many years after although they've sort of gone back to the days of being more patient with diminishing ratings in today's TV landscape.

Of the two stars, it was of course Elaine Stritch who went on to have a very long career, most notably on stage. Shirley Bonne retired from acting in 1970 but is still alive today. And of course Rose Marie immediately segued to The Dick Van Dyke Show as I already noted. The title "My Sister Eileen" means very little these days. Of all the properties related to it, musical Wonderful Town has had the longest legs but even that show doesn't get done all that often anymore. It's a mid-century slice of life that is pleasant and simple and a capture of a different time.

Tomorrow: A look at the seventh season of That 70s Show!

Next Wednesday: A look at 1970s flop The Associates!