The Patty Duke Show

[seatownmedia]

I note that FETV has been running this interesting sitcom in the 5-6 am pst slot. For those not familiar, this sitcom ran from 1963 to 1966 on ABC. What was unique was Patty played two characters, Patty Lane and her Scottish cousin Cathy Lane. The filming used split screen and back head shots to make it seem real. Interesting concept for the time, though movies had used this technique previosly. Perhaps even tv had. Great fun and one of the best opening sitcom songs of all time IMO!

 

[KeithE4]

I note that FETV has been running this interesting sitcom in the 5-6 am pst slot. For those not familiar, this sitcom ran from 1963 to 1966 on ABC. What was unique was Patty played two characters, Patty Lane and her Scottish cousin Cathy Lane. The filming used split screen and back head shots to make it seem real. Interesting concept for the time, though movies had used this technique previosly. Perhaps even tv had. Great fun and one of the best opening sitcom songs of all time IMO!

It wasn't all that unusual for the time, although The Patty Duke Show used the split-screen more than other shows with one actor doing multiple characters. Other shows of the time that used the technique were F Troop (Larry Storch as Cpl Agarn and several of his cousins, as well as Ken Berry as Capt Parmenter and an outlaw), Bewitched (Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha and her cousin Serena), I Dream of Jeannie (Barbara Eden as Jeannie and her sister Jeannie), The Munsters (Fred Gwynne as Herman and his brother), and The Beverly Hillbillies (Max Baer as Jethro and his sister Jethrine, the latter being voice-overdubbed by Linda Kaye Henning).

 

[CTListener]

It wasn't all that unusual for the time, although The Patty Duke Show used the split-screen more than other shows with one actor doing multiple characters. Other shows of the time that used the technique were F Troop (Larry Storch as Cpl Agarn and several of his cousins, as well as Ken Berry as Capt Parmenter and an outlaw), Bewitched (Elizabeth Montgomery as Samantha and her cousin Serena), I Dream of Jeannie (Barbara Eden as Jeannie and her sister Jeannie), The Munsters (Fred Gwynne as Herman and his brother), and The Beverly Hillbillies (Max Baer as Jethro and his sister Jethrine, the latter being voice-overdubbed by Linda Kaye Henning).

If any of these people had brothers or sisters in the business, would their shows have still used this technique or gone the way of "The Dick Van Dyke Show," in which Jerry Van Dyke played Rob Petrie's brother Stacey?

 

[Ccook55]

In movies, Peter Sellers affected this in Dr. Strangelove in scene where Strangelove and President Muffley appeared in the same scenes.

 

[crainbebo]

It's been on one subchannel network or another the past few years (Antenna TV ran it from 2013-15), but after entering local syndication it was seen in the late '80s and early '90s on Nick at Nite. The original, before it became 36-minute Friends reruns.

 

[Route66Fan]

The show was also on This TV & Light TV as well.

 

[installLSC]

It's been on one subchannel network or another the past few years (Antenna TV ran it from 2013-15), but after entering local syndication it was seen in the late '80s and early '90s on Nick at Nite. The original, before it became 36-minute Friends reruns.

It also aired in afternoons a while on Nickelodeon, as it did on CBN in the mid-80s. When Patty Duke passed away in 2016, I noted how online comments about loving the show or having a crush on Patty were as likely to be from the 80s/90s airings as the 60s airings.

 

[landtuna]

It also aired in afternoons a while on Nickelodeon, as it did on CBN in the mid-80s. When Patty Duke passed away in 2016, I noted how online comments about loving the show or having a crush on Patty were as likely to be from the 80s/90s airings as the 60s airings.

How could anyone not love Patty Duke? In addition to TV I saw her live with then-husband John Astin in summer stock "Boeing Boeing". They were both terrific!