A Touch of Grace
| A Touch of Grace | |
|---|---|
 Counterclockwise from top: Shirley Booth as Grace Simpson, J. Patrick O'Malley as Herbert Morrison, Warren Berlinger as Walter Bradley, and Marian Mercer as Maya Bradley in a promotional image for A Touch of Grace. | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Based on |
For the Love of Ada by Vince Powell & Harry Driver |
| Starring |
Shirley Booth J. Patrick O'Malley Warren Berlinger Marian Mercer |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Saul Turteltaub |
| Producer(s) | Bernie Orenstein |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Grace Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | ABC |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | January 20 – April 21, 1973 |
A Touch of Grace is an American sitcom that was based on the British series For the Love of Ada starring Shirley Booth and J. Patrick O'Malley centering on a widow who moves in with her daughter and son-in-law and her romantic relationship with an elderly man. It aired on ABC from January 20 to April 21, 1973.[1][2]
Cast
- Shirley Booth...Grace Simpson
- J. Patrick O'Malley...Herbert Morrison
- Warren Berlinger...Walter Bradley
- Marian Mercer...Myra Bradley
Synopsis
Recently widowed, in her 60s, living off her Social Security checks, and struggling to make a new life for herself, Grace Simpson moves in with her daughter and son-in-law, Myra and Walter Bradley. Grace is perky and young at heart, in sharp contrast to the stodgy and conservative Myra and Walter, and her presence disrupts their lives. Although Grace dates a lot, her steady boyfriend is Herbert Morrison, who works as a gravedigger. Myra and Walter disapprove of Grace's relationship with Herbert.[1][2][3]
Production
A Touch of Grace marked the return of Shirley Booth to television after the end of her long and successful run as the star of Hazel from 1961 to 1966,[4] and it was also her last television series.[5] Saul Turteltaub was the executive producer of the sbow, and Bernie Orenstein produced it.[1] Episode directors included Carl Reiner and Bill Hobin.[6][7] Writers included Turteltaub, Orenstein, Jeff Harris, Rick Mittleman, Bernie Kukoff, David Pollock, Elias Davis, and George Tibbles.[1][6][8]
A Touch of Grace was based on the 1970-1971 British television series For the Love of Ada.[2] It was an unusual show for its time, as it focused on an older couple falling in love at a time when American television networks were relentlessly pursuing a youthful viewership demographic.[5] Critics viewed it as well written and well acted, and a good showcase for Shirley Booth's talents without the silliness of Hazel.[5]
Broadcast history
A Touch of Grace premiered on ABC on January 20, 1973.[2] It faced tough competition in its time slot from CBS's All in the Family and drew low ratings despite its critical acclaim.[5] It was cancelled after the broadcast of its thirteenth episode on April 21, 1973.[1][2] The show aired at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday throughout its run.[2]
ABC broadcast reruns of the show in prime time on Saturday evenings on April 28, 1973, and from May 12 to June 16, 1973.[7]
Episodes
| Season # | Episode # | Title | Plot/Notes | Original air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "A Touch of Grace" | Grace moves in with Myra and Walter, and the status-conscious Myra is dismayed when she brings home a gravedigger – Herbert – who is courting her. Britt Leech guest-stars. | January 20, 1973 |
| 1 | 2 | "The Weekend" | Grace decides to sneak away to spend a weekend at a bay-side lodge with Herbert, scandalizing Myra and Walter. John Fiedler guest-stars. | January 27, 1973 |
| 1 | 3 | "The Working Girl" | Grace decides to look for a job, making the image-conscious Myra worry about how she will appear with Grace working – and then the job Grace takes shocks Myra. Fritzi Burr and Emily Yancy guest-star. | February 3, 1973 |
| 1 | 4 | "Lover's Quarrel" | Herbert refuses to take Grace to the annual 60-plus dance, leading to a big argument between them. Roy Roberts and Bill Ballance guest-star. | February 10, 1973 |
| 1 | 5 | "Pregnant Conversation" | Feeling that life is passing by quickly, Grace pressures Myra to have a child and make her a grandmother. Florence Lake and Doris Packer guest-star. | February 17, 1973 |
| 1 | 6 | "The Apartment" | Myra and Walter decide to generate more income by renting out the downstairs, but by the time they are finished turning it into an apartment, they have made it un-rentable. Zack Taylor, Amy Farrell, Sue Marrow, and Gay Waters guest-star. | February 24, 1973 |
| 1 | 7 | "The Driving Lesson" | After Grace decides to finally learn to drive, her driving lessons have the household in an uproar. Stephen Hood and Bob Duggan guest-star. | March 3, 1973 |
| 1 | 8 | "Saturday Night at the Movies" | Grace and Herbert go out to the movies on a Saturday night, and the police raid the theater they are at for showing pornographic films. Gino Conforti, Gordon Jump, and Bo Kaprall guest-star. | March 17, 1973 |
| 1 | 9 | "The Lodge" | Herbert's lodge holds a surprise testimonial dinner for him. Arte Johnson, Tom Bosley, and Herbie Faye guest-star. | March 24, 1973 |
| 1 | 10 | "The Reunion" | The hero who saved Grace's late husband's life during World War II comes to visit but overstays his welcome, and Grace must figure out a polite way to get him to leave. Ian Wolfe guest-stars. | March 31, 1973 |
| 1 | 11 | "The Commercial" | Grace does a spur-of-the-moment radio commercial, then gets caught for lying on a form she filled out afterwards saying that she has no relationship with Walter or his supermarket. Milton Frome, Joby Baker, John Haymer, Tom Biener, and Brenda Elder guest-star. | April 7, 1973 |
| 1 | 12 | "The Accident" | Grace becomes involved in a scam to sue the bus company for $600,000 for a minor accident. Richard Dreyfuss, Ned Wertimer, and R .G. Brown guest-star. | April 14, 1973 |
| 1 | 13 | "The Engagement" | Herbert has asked Grace to marry him, and after months of pressure from Myra and Walter to decide without being able to make up her mind, she finally accepts. Jan Arvan guest-stars. | April 21, 1973 |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 McNeil, Alex, Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present, New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 861.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, Sixth Edition, New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, ISBN 0-345-39736-3, pp. 1058-1059.
- ↑ tvguide.com A Touch of Grace
- ↑ "The Southeast Missourian - Google News Archive Search". google.com. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- 1 2 3 4 "A Touch of Grace / Classic TV Shows / TVparty!". tvparty.com. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- 1 2 IMDb A Touch of Grace Full Cast and Crew
- 1 2 3 "CTVA US Comedy - "A Touch of Grace" (ABC)(early 1973) starring Shirley Booth". ctva.biz. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ tv.com A Touch of Grace Cast and Crew
- ↑ IMDb A Touch of Grace Episode List
- ↑ "A Touch of Grace". TV.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2 March 2015.
- ↑ tvguide.com A Touch of Grace Episodes