Shark Bytes

THE COURTSHIP OF EDDIE'S FATHER is like every show produced by James Komack's company, it starts great, but Komack sabotages it. WELCOME BACK, KOTTER, it tried to continue of without star/guiding light Gabe Kaplan, CHICO AND THE MAN continued its run after the suicide of Freddie Prinze and COURTSHIP has Komack's all-encompassing presence in fort and behind the scenes. If you don't believe me, check the JTS pages on the former two series.

This was a nice, wholesome(if a little corny) show. Brandon Cruz was a cute-acting child star, and to see him now, all tough-looking and gruff-acting in his punk band, is pretty funny. At least he wasn't like so many other former child stars who couldn't handle adulthood. He gets teased about "Eddie"
sometimes at gigs and he's fine with it!

RE: James Komack - I once saw a show called something like “Welcome Back Kotter – Behind the Scenes”. James Komack (Uncle Norman on Courtship) was the executive producer and Marcia Strassman (Kotter’s wife) said that Komack deliberately told her and Gabe Kaplan lies about one another in order to keep a rift between them. I don’t recall the reason but I suppose it was related to salaries. She said it made the relationship between her and Gabe K very uncomfortable. After a couple years the two of them figured out what he was doing, and they made a point of letting him know they were on to him by doing things like Marcia S sitting on Gabe’s lap and the two of them laughing in his face when they saw how much it bugged him. How bizarre – working with someone who dreams up ways to make you hate your co-workers. The guy must be very creepy.

This show was boring and awful. The opening segment was about an eight year old asking questions a four year old would know the answer to.

You could tell how irritated Tom was with Eddie trying to answer the questions of his obivously retarded kid.

Of course Eddie was way behaved because his Japanese governess threatened to send him to Kamikazee camp if he didn't behave.

A waste of time for a comedy and no point as a drama. A real parent would say "mind your own business kid."

I can't say whether or not this show JTS, but, I do remember it fondly. I was four when it came on, but, with my name also being Eddie, how could I not like it?

I was supposed to be on this show when I was nine. My agent said I had the role of the bully wrapped up. Then I was suddenly "replaced" by Willie Aames. Shark jump in my mind anyway. Granted Brandon was taller then me, so maybe it wouldn't have been so believable. But still! They promised! Seriously though, got to spend some time around the set Meet Bill Bixby. Great experience. He was wonderful to me.
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One of the best shows I've ever watched...I was 13-15 years old when this show aired and I went away from this show saying when my time comes to be a Dad (if it did) I'd want to behave just like Tom! I have been blessed with two sons and if they had ever watched this show I suspect without arm-twisting they would say I fathered in a way similar to Tom (minus the avaitor glasses!)

During the second season of "Courtship of Eddie's Father", in one episode Eddie said he wanted to wear his father's glasses after his father got new glasses, but Tom told Eddie that he didn't need glasses.
In another episode during the second season, Eddie asked his father about getting glasses so he could look like his father.
I guess these 2 episodes were hints that Brandon Cruz needed glasses, because near the end of season 3 of "Courtship of Eddie's Father", we see Brandon Cruz wearing glasses in the closing "Peanuts" segment of episode # 69-"It's All Write With Me", which guest-starred Pat Harrington, Jr. from "One Day At A Time".
My question is if Brandon Cruz started wearing glasses when he was either 8 or 9 years old, why didn't we ever see Eddie Corbett wearing glases on the show itself?

Totally agree with previous poster "Jeff" (posted Sept. 11 2007) that this show's Achilles Heel was producer James Komack as allegedly kooky free spirit "Uncle" Norman. 1) Norman is supposedly a hippie, circa 1970. Portrayed by a man clearly in his late 40s? 2) Komack played the role as if he were playing himself...a middle-aged Jewish producer of TV schlock. 3) The character was completely superfluous from Day One.

The best thing about Courtship? The film clips of Bixby and Cruz just hacking around together while having man-to-man talks. It was apparent that they really liked each other and were having fun. Unfortunately, these high points were limited to 60-second bookends on either side of the actual episode. If the show had been ONLY those clips, Courtship would probably still be running today.

I haven't seen this show in over 35 years; yet, I still remember it!! Watching it as a little kid, I used to think the show was really gay- but as I got older (and TV got crappier) I realized the value of a wholesome show like this, and will always remember Bill Bixby as "Tom Corbett".
And is it just me, or was Mrs. Livingston (the Jap maid) the funniest thing on TV?! ("Ah, herro, Mr. Eddies' Father...")

In the 3rd season, Exec. Producer James Komack changed the shows direction by expanding the character of Norman (played by James Komack). Suddenly there a number of episodes about Eddie's "kooky" surregate Uncle. The show changed from being an above average family show about a father/son relationship to being another sitcom about a family with a goofy "relative". The ratings plunged and the show was cancelled. I have this mental image of Komack sitting behind his desk thinking "what this show needs is more ME"

Handbasket,
Yeah, that 'Miss Lister' was a strange ep- especially since Eddie seemed to be the only kid who was even slightly upset over her pregnancy- and Tom seemed the only parent who'd been in the dark about her true marital status before she talked with him. She didn't tell Eddie (or the other students) directly about that 'teaching name' deal when annoucing her pregnancy- just expected Tom to convey the message to Eddie.
Odd episode even for this show. Oh, and what was their deal with crediting the performers as 'was' instead of 'as' (e.g. 'Bill Bixby was Tom' ? Some kind of early 70's pretentious deal?

Anybody remember the episode where Eddie's teacher "Miss Lister" was leaving teaching to have a baby? Poor Widdle Eddie was all confused about her name being "Miss" Lister so Tom met with her and she explained that was her "teaching name", ha ha ha, so funny, just wait until the next millenium when half the brats will be having babies themselves.

So Brandon Cruz suffered puberty.How can a realistic fact of life make a show jump?It could have been an asset to the show really and it should have lasted longer.This show was yet another Tv version of a motion picture(1962 or 1963 Glenn Ford movie of the same name.)and this is usually a bad idea.I'm suprised it did as well as it had and it featured a great theme song!

Agreed. Brandon Cruz growing up ended the show.