TV Show spotlight

The New Loretta Young Show

1963

TV Show

Ended

1 Season

English

The New Loretta Young Show, is an American television series, which aired for twenty-six weekly episodes on CBS television from September 24, 1962 to March 18, 1963, features Loretta Young in a combination drama and situation comedy about a free-lance writer in suburban Connecticut named Christine Massey, the widowed mother of seven children. The program is the only one in which Young starred as a recurring character. Her previous anthology series on NBC placed her in the role of hostess and occasional star. Young is the first star to garner both Academy and Emmy awards, one of a relatively few to make the transition from motion picture to television. Though it followed the popular The Andy Griffith Show on CBS, The New Loretta Young Show, sponsored by Lever Brothers, proved unable to sustain the needed audience in competition at 10 p.m. Eastern time on Mondays with the ABC medical drama Ben Casey starring Vince Edwards and Sam Jaffe, which entered its second season. NBC fielded David Brinkley's Journal at the same time, reflections of the news correspondent David Brinkley. The New Loretta Young Show was hence quietly dropped at the end of winter in 1963. Young had formed LYL Production Company for the series, an indication that she did not expect a premature end to the program. Norman Foster directed most of the episodes; John London and Ruth Roberts were the producers.

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Insights

IMDb7.0/10

Director: Various•Genres: Drama, Family

Plot Summary

Set in a suburban Los Angeles community, the series follows the life of Christine Cobbs, a young woman who, after her husband's death, becomes the guardian of her two young sons and takes on the role of a wife and mother figure for the wealthy, widowed newspaper publisher, Peter Stallard, and his children. The show explores themes of family, responsibility, and navigating societal expectations during the early 1960s.

Critical Reception

While the show provided a platform for Loretta Young to return to television, critical reception was mixed. It was often seen as a more traditional, family-friendly drama that appealed to a specific demographic, but some critics found its storylines and themes to be somewhat dated or predictable compared to other offerings of the era. Audiences generally responded positively, appreciating its wholesome content and the presence of its star.

What Reviewers Say

Praised for Loretta Young's elegant performance and its focus on family values.
Criticized by some for its conventional and sometimes saccharine storylines.
Seen as a safe and comforting viewing option for its target audience.

Google audience: Audience reception information for this specific show on Google is not readily available. However, based on its broadcast era and themes, it likely resonated with viewers seeking traditional family programming and appreciated Loretta Young's established stardom.