Visit our more in-depth September 2017 look at the series, in honor of its 50th anniversary, here.
Welcome to a new Sitcom Tuesday! Today, I’m thrilled to present my selections for the best episodes from the brilliant single season multi-camera classic, He & She (1967-1968, CBS). This show has not been released on DVD, but I have syndicated copies of 25 of the 26 installments in my collection, and I am more than happy to help subscribed readers obtain particular episodes.
Cartoonist Dick Hollister lives in New York with his daffy wife Paula, a social worker at a travel agency. Their best friends include egotistical Oscar North, star of Jetman, the TV adaptation of Dick’s cartoon, Harry Zarakartos, a firefighter who works in the building adjacent to the Hollister’s window, and Andrew Hummel, an elderly handyman who seems to do more damage than repairing.
He & She stars RICHARD BENJAMIN as Dick Hollister, PAULA PRENTISS as Paula Hollister, JACK CASSIDY as Oscar North, KENNETH MARS as Harry Zarakartos, and HAMILTON CAMP as Andrew Hummel.
If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I’ve mentioned He & She several times over this past year. Simply, it’s one of the greatest single season sitcoms ever produced. Shot with multiple cameras in front of a live audience, television historians often cite the smartly written He & She as the missing link between The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966, CBS) and The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970-1977, CBS). At a time when most sitcoms were shot with a single camera and centered around the silly, rural, or supernatural, the realistic He & She featured a sophisticated (and childless) working couple, played by real life marrieds Benjamin and Prentiss, as they went about their quirky lives amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City. Though a critical darling, He & She was an anachronism in the 1967 TV landscape, and unfortunately never found a sizable audience. Shortly after its cancelation, the series was nominated for five Emmy Awards: Best Leading Actor (Benjamin), Best Leading Actress (Prentiss), Best Supporting Actor (Cassidy), and two for Best Writing. The series won in the latter category. Following the ratings war of early 1970 that resulted in a shift towards programming that targeted the hip, young, metropolitan demographic, CBS realized what a blunder they’d made in canceling He & She, and aired reruns as a summer replacement, where it found a new and appreciative audience. The series was truly ahead of its time.
He & She aired a few times on cable in the ’80s and ’90s, and that’s from where my recordings come. I have 25 of the 26 installments in my possession, and I screened the missing one at the UCLA Archives this March. You can read about it here. (If anyone does own a copy of this episode, Number 15: “Easy Way Out,” I’d love to add it to my collection!) In my audit of the series, I was figuratively floored at how mature and sophisticated the scripting was — with stories that, in addition to being truly original, balanced true-to-life situations with charmingly heightened hijinks. Essentially, EVERYTHING A GOOD SITCOM SHOULD BE. Meanwhile, the ensemble shared excellent chemistry — from the sardonic Benjamin, to the utterly indescribable Prentiss, and the deliciously vain Cassidy (the inspiration for the Ted Baxter character). Though a few episodes don’t work as well as they should, every single installment has laugh-out-loud moments and bits that truly impressed me. But, I have picked twelve episodes that I think exemplify the series’ strongest installments. For new fans, this list will give you a place to start. For seasoned fans, there might be a few surprises.
Here are my picks for the twelve best episodes of the series. (They are in AIRING ORDER.) Note that every single episode is directed by Jay Sandrich, excluding the first three aired, which are credited to creator Leonard Stern.
01) Episode 2: “The Second Time Around” (Aired: 09/13/67)
Dick and Paula plan to renew their vows on their anniversary.
Written by Jim Parker & Arnold Margolin
Even better than the pilot episode in introducing the characters, this installment matches requisite ’60s romance (but with a mature slant — seeds of Mad About You) with snappy dialogue and riotous antics. Dick and Paula’s attempt to renew their vows is threatened by a frugal accountant, an ultimatum-making boss, a pair of rival best mans, and a fire alarm that occurs at the worst possible time. Clever, original, funny episode — with some genuinely sweet (but not sticky) moments. (And this series is always supreme in the ‘little things’ — like how when Harry runs off with the rings, Oscar steps up to the plate with a pair of gaudy Jetman rings.)
02) Episode 4: “The Phantom Of 84th Street” (Aired: 09/27/67)
Oscar’s original Picasso is stolen from the Hollisters’ apartment.
Written by Arnold Margolin & Jim Parker
The second and final episode to feature Orestes Ponopolis, the Greek immigrant that Paula helped stave off deportation in the pilot, this installment features many delectable bits, like Orestes’ confusion of the word “friends” with “freaks.” But the BEST moment is Oscar’s silent (but violent) temper tantrum when Dick alerts him in the dressing room about his stolen painting. The shrine Oscar has to himself is unbearably funny, and Cassidy is absolutely brilliant, as is the whole cast, in this original and highly memorable excursion. Very funny!
03) Episode 7: “Dick’s Van Dyke” (Aired: 10/18/67)
Dick and his buddies make a bet to see who can keep their facial hair the longest.
Written by Allan Burns & Chris Hayward
Husbands (or in the case of That Girl, boyfriends) growing beards is typical sitcom fodder. This series gives the premise a unique twist by having Paula actually approve of the facial hair (and the word “sexy” is indeed bantered about). The comedy comes from, and we’re borrowing from another sitcom premise, Paula’s strange and sudden allergy. If Dick wants to enjoy a connubial homecoming with his wife — and it’s explicitly stated that he does — he’ll have to shave and lose the bet with Andrew and his accountant, Murray Mouse (who has a wife named Minnie). Clever, adult, hilarious!
04) Episode 9: “Vote Yes Or No” (Aired: 11/01/67)
Dick and Paula find themselves on opposite sides of a political debate.
Written by Chris Hayward & Allan Burns
This episode isn’t quite as hysterical as the few above, but it’s so tightly written: brilliantly interweaving the characters into a cohesive story with an appealing fluidity and an amusing build. Dick, his boss (Mr. Nugent), and the newspaper, are in support of a politician who intends to deny firemen their intended raises. Paula, sticking up for Harry, decides to protest outside Dick’s building — chasing Dick’s boss into an elevator where she, Mr. Nugent, Oscar and Dick are trapped between floors. Guess who comes to the rescue: Harry.
05) Episode 11: “The Coming Out Party” (Aired: 11/15/67)
Paula plays matchmaker for her single coworker and Dick’s doctor.
Written by Chris Hayward & Allan Burns
This is the episode that won the series an award for Best Writing. Paula sets her friend (played by Mariette Hartley) up with their doctor (John Astin) at a spontaneous party designed to matchmake the two. But their romance turns sour following an argument — the night before Astin’s character is scheduled to take out Dick’s tonsils. Benjamin is hilarious as he frantically tries to calm the over-hyped Astin and reunite the feuding lovebirds. As usual, the dialogue is particularly snappy with an abundance of laugh-out-loud lines. Fresh storytelling that provides great comedy; superb!
06) Episode 12: “Deep In The Heart Of Taxes” (Aired: 11/22/67)
Dick learns of Paula’s undeclared horse racing winnings when they are audited.
Written by Joe Bonaduce
I featured this episode in my second Wildcard Wednesday post back in June of last year! This episode impresses in its seamless merging of two seemingly unrelated stories: Dick’s creation of a new villain for Jetman and the Hollisters’ impending audit, for which Paula reveals that she has undeclared winnings from the horse races. The connection is shockingly unexpected — the auditor is a dead ringer for the cartoon villain that has the country divided. Now the question is, will this coincidence work in their favor? Again, such a creative premise and execution!
07) Episode 17: “45 Midgets From Broadway” (Aired: 01/03/68)
Jetman is to be made into a Broadway musical starring Oscar North.
Written by Arnold Margolin & Jim Parker
One of the best remembered installments — especially by Broadway buffs — this installment features performances of several original numbers by the series’ own musical comedy man, Jack Cassidy. In addition to the wonderfully catchy and Broadway-caliber songs, this episode boasts a realistic knowingness of the theatre, as the installment concerns Oscar’s disastrous performance in the Jetman out-of-town tryouts. (Also, watch for Stuart Margolin’s hilarious performance as the frustrated composer — realistic and so very funny.)
08) Episode 18: “A Rock By Any Other Name” (Aired: 01/10/68)
The Hollisters exchange birthday gifts: she gets an expensive fur coat and he gets a rock, which he then proceeds to lose.
Teleplay by Milt Rosen & Arne Sultan | Story by Treva Silverman & Peter Meyerson
I featured this episode in a Wildcard Wednesday post this March on sitcom episodes focused on birthdays. Here’s an excerpt of what I wrote: “It’s the perfect example of the series at its smartest. Dick makes a fuss about he and Paula buying each other cheap gifts for their upcoming mutual birthdays. Dick forgets and buys Paula an expensive fur coat, only to learn that Paula has gifted him with a rock. (A very special rock, mind you, with a sweet and clever backstory.) Of course, sitcom hijinks necessitates that Dick then loses the rock. With sharp dialogue, an outstandingly premise, and nice slapstick thrown in, this is great situation comedy.” Clip here.
09) Episode 23: “Dog’s Best Friend” (Aired: 02/21/68)
The Hollisters dog-sit for their separated friends.
Written by Milt Rosen
Here is an interesting episode with a sophisticated premise. Dick and Paula’s married friends (played by the equally funny Larry Storch and Bonnie Scott, That Girl‘s original best friend) split up, so the Hollisters, depsite Dick’s initial refusal, agree to keep their dog. Expectedly, Dick ends up developing an emotional attachment to the pet, just as the couple reunites and comes to take him back. While the beginning of the episode is quite funny, this episode is surprisingly sentimental, as Benjamin gives a stirring monologue in the second act about his childhood dog. Mature premise; achingly real script.
10) Episode 24: “It’s Not Whether You Win Or Lose, It’s How You Watch The Game” (Aired: 02/28/68)
Dick and Paula must scramble together 30 tickets for a college football game.
Written by Peggy Elliot & Ed Scharlach
This episode is riotously funny from start to finish. Following a mix-up, Dick and Paula have to find some way to scrounge up 30 tickets to the Northwestern-Michigan State game (the Hollisters and the Benjamins are alumni of the former) for a college reunion. There are several stand out moments. The bit where Paula outlines for Dick how she is going to get the tickets is a comic tour de force, and Dick’s hopeful delight at the potential injury of his classmates is hysterical. And the build-up to the shenanigans that occur outside of the game is wonderfully executed. Again, such clever writing — smart and funny!
11) Episode 25: “Knock, Knock, Who’s There? Fernando, Fernando Who?” (Aired: 03/06/68)
Harry sees Paula in a compromising position with Fernando Lamas.
Written by Allan Burns & Chris Hayward
As the only episode of the series centered around a famous guest star, this installment works in spite of Lamas’ brief appearance. The opening scene with Dick, Paula, Harry, and Faith playing musical car seats at the drive-in movie is a hoot, and it’s the connection between Harry’s jealousy with Dick’s jealousy over Paula’s dalliance with Fernando that really makes the episode work as a narrative. Harry is told to have faith in Faith, just as Dick tries to be nonchalant about Paula’s potentially scandalous moment with the Latin star. Not a phenomenal episode, but a tight and original one.
12) Episode 26: “What’s In The Kitty?” (Aired: 03/13/68)
Dick and Paula host the Nugents for a disastrous dinner party.
Teleplay by Arne Sultan, Milt Rosen, & Leonard Stern | Story by Paul Mason
The final episode of the series, this episode introduces us to Norma Nugent (Alice Ghostley), wife of Dick’s boss Norman (Harold Gould), when the pair spend a disastrous evening having dinner with the Hollisters. When a stray cat is ill, Dick fears that something may be wrong with the fish that he and Paula are serving for dinner (since the cast feasted on the meal earlier in the day). Hijinks ensue. (Once again, the strength of this episode lies in the details — like Norma and Norman’s silly nicknames: Bunny and Bobo. I’ll leave you to find out which is which.)
Other notable installments include: “The Old Man And The She,” the pilot episode, which features some GREAT physical comedy in the second act, “He And She Vs. Him,” which gives Prentiss some riotous Lucy-like antics in which to engage (closest contender — would be #13), “Don’t Call Us,” which features a truly original story, but a little too much saccharine for my tastes, “The White Collar Worker,” which begins with a very funny story, but again, gets a trifle too sweet in the second act, and “What Do You Get For The Man Who Has Nothing?” which features nice work by the ensemble.
*** The MVE Award for the Best Episode from He & She goes to…..
“A Rock By Any Other Name”
RELEASE THIS SHOW ON DVD, HBO. (I know you own the rights.)
Come back next Tuesday for the best from the first season of The Mothers-In-Law! And tune in tomorrow for another Wildcard Wednesday post!
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He & She! I really think you are a reincarnated soul to be so young and to have such an astute appreciation of so many diverse things as Old Broadway shows, vintage movies, and classic TV such as this show, which I recall with fondness. It’s people like you who will be responsible for getting HBO at least aware that there are people like me who want more classic stuff like this released. I know that sometime in the future you will cover one of my all-time favorites, The Mary Tyler Moore Show. (When you get to the seventies).
Hi, Leslie! Thanks for reading and commenting!
I’ve contacted CBS, Warner Bros, and HBO (all three have owned/rumored to have owned HE & SHE at some point), and the only one I haven’t heard back from is HBO. The real trick would be getting some company like TimeLife to put it out, but they didn’t have any plans (or interest, I don’t think) when I contacted them.
I am about three months ahead here, and I just finished writing about my favorites from the final season of MTM yesterday! Look for the series to begin in mid-July, following THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW and HERE’S LUCY!
RHODA will definitely be covered sometime next year as well. PHYLLIS is still up in the air. If the series doesn’t warrant inclusion on Sitcom Tuesday, I’ll probably end up doing what I did for GOOD MORNING, WORLD (and coming up, 1985’s MARY) and feature a few of my favorites in a Wildcard post. But, we’ll see!
Funny, about a month ago, I watched about 3 episodes of Phyllis. I watched the show when it originally aired and thought it was just OK, but I admit to laughing out loud while watching these. The late Judith Lowery and Barbara Colby were two highlights in a series that seemed jinxed from the start.
I just got a set of syndicated copies (as they aired on ALN) for $10, and have watched about 1/3 of the series these past few days.
I probably will give them a week (maybe two, have to see more of the second season to judge) on Sitcom Tuesdays, because I consider it of similar quality to THE MOTHERS-IN-LAW, which I’ve decided to feature (and rightfully so, I believe).
Although, interestingly, I think the two shows have the opposite problem. The problem with TMIL is everything but the two stars, while the problem with PHYLLIS actually IS the star — the writers cut off her funny bone (the same thing that happened to Rhoda) by softening her edges.
I think the best that I have seen is “Phyllis And The Little People,” later ripped-off completely, though equally well-executed, by THE GOLDEN GIRLS.
Which three episodes of PHYLLIS did you watch, Leslie?
The three I saw were the first show, from season 1, and the two-part show from season 2, where Mother Dexter marries Arthur Lanson (Burt Mustin). The main problem with this show was that the writers took a brittle, sarcastic and very funny secondary character, and make her a sympathetic main focus . This could have worked better if the focus was on Bess as the sympathetic protagonist, with Phyllis doing more of what Phyllis did best on MTM. Lisa Gerritsen was wonderful as Bess in MTM right from the start. A completely natural, likeable actress who, in Phyllis, turns out to be the only character Mother Dexter treats with any respect. Barbara Colby’s tragic murder put a pall on the entire series right from the start. I still think of it while watching Phyllis today, and even when I see her as Sherry in MTM.
Yes, that two-parter is another highlight.
I also adore Colby and her two episodes on MTM. The first is regarded as a classic, as it should be, but her second is probably one of the series’ funniest and underrated installments — joke after joke after joke. I think the second (of her three) PHYLLIS episodes illustrates a nice chemistry between she and Leachman, which naturally could have developed into something much stronger. But the role itself wasn’t funny. And when Liz Torres came in, another capable performer, she seemed to give up searching for the humor, opting instead to play it as is — straight.
Mother Dexter brought the show its big laughs. Unfortunately, I don’t even think she’s in half of the 48 episodes.
I’m in agreement with you about the realism in Gerritsen’s performance. I’m not big on children in sitcoms, but she’s certainly one of the best. (One of the strongest things about the short-lived MY WORLD AND WELCOME TO IT.) But I don’t think having her as a focal point would have worked either; again, she simply wasn’t funny ENOUGH to be the center.
But you’re absolutely right — Phyllis needed someone off of which to play. Rhoda in RHODA had that with both Brenda and Ida. The mistake those writers made was getting her shacked up with Joe too quickly. I think, with hindsight, of course, it would have been best to keep Rhoda single for a little while, playing off her bad dates and her crazy family — then building to a serious relationship. We knew Rhoda as a single girl. Altering that status altered her character. But they knew a wedding would be event TV, and it certainly was!
Funnily enough, I think an interesting course for PHYLLIS to have taken is making it MTM’s husband/wife show, keeping the spotlight on her, but maintaing a balance that would allow the writers to keep her character quirky and comedic. It didn’t work for Rhoda, but we’ve always known Phyllis as a domestic perfectionist. Casting Lars would have been impossible, but then again, the whole idea of spinning PHYLLIS off seems doomed from the start. (Like Sue Ann Nivens, Phyllis is too rich a character to have around every single week.)
Liz Torres was fine as Julie, but I feel she had mabye the most thankless job in television at the time. Everyone who saw those first three shows would inevitably compare her to Barbara Colby. It is to the producer’s credit that the first three shows were presented as a kind of tribute to Barbara, but the knowledge of her violent death only a short time before certainly was on most viewer’s minds at the time. A bad way to start a new show designed to be a light-hearted sitcom. Richard Schall, who’s performances I enjoyed on MTM very much just annoyed me on season 1 of Phyllis. Sort of a cross between Ted Baxter and the supremely annoying “character” Jerry Van Dyke played in the early installments of The Judy Garland Show.
I thought Schaal was a very capable performer, but he was sort of typecast on the MTM shows in obnoxious roles on TMTMS, RHODA, and PHYLLIS. The Ted Baxter character immediately comes to mind with regard to his role in the latter. (Unfortunately, he lacked both Knight’s pathos and strong writing to ever be as likable.) Reportedly, one of the reasons they switched offices for the second season is because Schaal was displeased with his material and opted not to return. He and Valerie Harper split soon after, as well.
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Small error. The doctor played by John Astin in “The Coming Out Party” is an MD, not a DDS. Dentists remove teeth, not tonsils.
Hi, Jim! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I have amended the above post.
Regarding “45 Midgets and Broadway,” it’s worth noting that there really had been a super-hero Broadway musical a year or so before this episode aired, IT’S A BIRD – IT’S A PLANE – IT’S SUPERMAN, in which one of the featured actors was a fellow named Jack Cassidy, who played an oily reporter at the DAILY PLANET who had contempt for Supes and a yen for Lois.
Yes, you’re correct. The show was adapted for television in 1975 with HE & SHE’s own Kenneth Mars in Cassidy’s role.
Not a big fan of the score, but there are a few standouts, most notably Lavin’s “You’ve Got Possibilities.”
Your post about He & She echoes my thoughts exactly. I checked my collection to see if I had that episode you said you’re missing (Number 15: “Easy Way Out”). Unfortunately, I don’t (I’m missing that one and two others). Although, I do have one episode with extended opening credits, which is a nice bonus. Here’s one more vote for HBO releasing the entire series.
Hi, Jack! Thanks for reading and commenting.
Be sure to check out my more recent piece on HE & SHE. I think it makes an even better case as to why this show deserves to be released in some capacity. http://jacksonupperco.com/2017/09/06/he-she-turns-50-why-i-love-the-single-season-60s-gem/
My name is Tracey Smith. I wrote an article on this series a few years back. I interviewed Paula, Richard, Allan Burns, and Leonard Stern. I am glad that you have paid attention to it—although we disagree slightly on episodes. Well done!
Hi, Trace! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I had the pleasure of reading your seminal piece on the series from TELEVISION CHRONICLES back in 2017, when I was researching my second article on HE & SHE, which was more of a critical analysis than a history. (You can find it here.)
I compiled this list before I found your essay, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that the company’s favorite episodes were some of mine, as well (especially “A Rock By Any Other Name”). About which episodes do you disagree? From memory, the only entry singled out in your piece that I didn’t highlight was “Don’t Call Us,” which (to use vernacular we’ve since established on this blog) I find to be a “Victory In Premise” — more notable for its narrative ideas than its character interests.
My favorite episode is probably The White Collar Worker. Never get tired of that one.
Yeah? That’s an interesting pick. I think that one starts with another Victory in Premise but gets maudlin in the second act, calling upon sentiment that’s not-so-earned by the characters. (I think there are a few episodes about three quarters into the season that are similarly sentimental, sans motivation.)