Jerry Mayer Movies

All the regular cast members of the once-popular sitcom The Facts of Life are on hand for this made-for-TV movie spin-off. Charlotte Rae stars as Edna Garrett, housemother for the girls of the preppy Eastland School for Young Women. Her four principal charges are Blair (Lisa Whelchel), Jo (Nancy McKeon), Tootie (Kim Fields) and Natalie (Mindy Cohn). This time around, Mrs. Garrett and the girls spend their summer vacation in Paris, learning the intricacies of Gallic culture, gourmet cooking and romance. It's strictly for fans of the series: others beware. Originally telecast September 25, 1982, The Facts of Life Goes to Paris was followed five years later by another made-for-TVer, The Facts of Life Down Under. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Making its ABC bow on September 10, 1977, after two preview pilot episodes on April 24, 1976, and May 7, 1977, Tabitha was a spin-off of the popular fantasy sitcom Bewitched (previously seen on the same network from 1964 to 1972). The title character was the daughter of sexy witch Samantha Stevens and her mortal husband, Darrin Stevens. Tabitha was "born" on Bewitched in 1966 and later played by child actress Erin Murphy. Although by rights Tabitha Stevens should have been at most eleven years old when her own series debuted, she was redefined as a grown woman in her early twenties -- and accordingly, was played by adult actress Lisa Hartman. The 1976 pilot episode, which starred Liberty Williams, had Tabitha working as an editorial assistant at a trendy San Francisco magazine. In the series itself, Tabitha was employed as a production assistant on the L.A.-based talk show "The Paul Thurston Show." Though she kept her magical witch powers (inherited from mom Samantha) under wraps for the most part, Tabitha could and did conjure up a spell or two to get herself and her co-workers out of various jams. The supporting cast featured a pre-Vega$, pre-Spenser Robert Urich as the vainglorious, thick-witted Paul Thurston; Mel Stewart as Tabitha's boss, TV producer Marvin Decker; David Ankrum as Tabitha's younger brother, Adam, who, unlike his sister, had no magical powers, but who knew Tabitha's "secret," and did a good job keeping it; and Karen Morrow as Tabitha's Aunt Minerva, a flighty full-fledged witch who enjoyed casting spells on the doltish Thurston. Although Adam and Aunt Minerva were carryover characters from Bewitched, they were not played by the original actors. Conversely, Bewitched veteran Bernard Fox occasionally reprised his famous role as wacky Dr. Bombay, the witches' favorite general practitioner. Only 12 half-hour episodes of Tabitha were seen before ABC made the series vanish into thin air on January 14, 1978. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Jerry needs money for a new motorcycle, but Bob intends upon following Polonius' advice: "Neither a borrower nor a lender be." Fortunately, Howard is willing to extend Jerry the necessary funds. Unfortunately, the loan results in a serious rift between the two friends -- and Bob, who has been cold-shouldered by Jerry, is disinclined to mend any fences. Semi-regular Merie Earle plays a dual role. Written by Jerry Mayer, "A Pound of Flesh" first aired on January 25, 1975. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Bob and his colleagues gear up for their annual doctor's tennis tournament. Naturally, Emily assumes that she will be teamed with Bob. What she hadn't counted on was Bob's overriding desire to win -- a desire that, so far as he is concerned, may be unfulfilled with Emily around. Others in the cast are Paula Shaw as Tammy Ziegler and Howard Platt as Dr. Newman. Written by Jerry Mayer, "Serve for Daylight" originally aired on December 14, 1974. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

In addition to his usual duties, Bob takes on a job as staff psychiatrist for a major Chicago insurance company. Bolstered by a huge salary and better working conditions, Bob performs his job well -- all too well, in fact. John Anderson guest-stars as Colton, with Edward Winter as Wes Greenfield, Jerry Fogel as Paul Hollander, and Mary Robin Redd as Susan Wick. Originally telecast on October 19, 1974, "The Gray Flannel Shrink" was written by Jerry Mayer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Carol goes on vacation, Emily offers to fill in as receptionist. Everybody on the "professional" floor is in favor of the idea, except Bob, who worries that Emily's presence will foment marital discord. Once she reports to work, Bob's predictions come true -- along with several unexpected complications. Featured in the cast are Teri Garr as Miss Brennan, Rhoda Gemignani as Joan Rossi, and Nora Marlowe as Mrs. Manning. Written by Jerry Mayer, "Emily in for Carol" first aired on October 13, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Tired of running minor errands for newsroom boss Lou Grant (Edward Asner), Mary (Mary Tyler Moore) demands to be given more responsibilities within her role as associate producer. With a sharkish smile, Lou agrees to accede to her demands. Mary's first assignment under this new arrangement is to hire a new sportscaster -- which, of course, will oblige the soft-hearted heroine to fire the present sportscaster, Ed Cavanaugh (Dick Gautier). "Hi There, Sports Fans" was originally broadcast on October 13, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Leslie Nielsen guest-stars as Colonel Buzz Maxwell, a man whose record of combat casualties is much too high for the tastes of Hawkeye (Alan Alda) and Trapper (Wayne Rogers). Hoping to coerce Maxwell into retirement, the two doctors conspire with Radar (Gary Burghoff) to convince the Colonel that he is suffering from battle fatigue. When this scheme is nearly foiled by gung-ho Frank (Larry Linville) and Hot Lips (Loretta Swit), it is up to camp commander Henry Blake (McLean Stevenson) to save the day. "The Ringbanger" first aired on January 21, 1973. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Feeling the need for a bit of peace and quiet to clear his mind, Bob checks into a hotel room alone. Not unexpectedly, Howard jumps to the conclusion that Bob and Emily have called it quits. Featured in the cast are such seasoned farceurs as Alan Hewitt (Mr. Warner) and Bernie Kopell (Dr. Arnold), this is also the final appearance of Patrica Smith as neighbor Margaret Hoover. Listed in most syndicated program logs as the 24th episode of The Bob Newhart Show, "I Want to Be Alone" was aired as the series' 11th offering, on December 2, 1972. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Gloria announces that she's pregnant, both Mike and Archie blanche in terror. Not only did Mike enter into matrimony with the understanding that there wouldn't be any children, but he just plain can't afford to be a father. As for Archie, he is dead set against Gloria bringing a "little Meathead" into the world. The ending of this episode is especially poignant, with Archie revealing a heretofore well-hidden tender and compassionate side. Written by Jerry Mayer, "Gloria Is Pregnant" originally aired on February 16, 1971; at the time, the series' producers felt it wise to withhold information on the episode's content, thus TV Guide carried no synopsis whatsoever. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Endora's latest spell causes Darrin to speak in nothing but clichés. Normally, Samantha would come to the rescue, but she is saddled with a problem of her own: Tabitha's new warlock tutor Professor Phipps (Jay Robinson) has a disturbing habit of bringing storybook characters to life. A hint of the fun to be had in this episode is the presence in the cast of Todd Barin as the Artful Dodger. First telecast on January 15, 1970, "The Phase Is Familiar" was written by Jerry Mayer. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Thanks to a spell cast by warlock Professor MacAllister, Darrin becomes the lucky marketer of "the Fuzz," a cute little doll which is literally irresistible. Anticipating a huge financial windfall, Darrin embarks upon a shopping spree, while Samantha and Tabitha, both immune to the Fuzz's charms, try to cure Darrin's enthusiasm before it's too late. Frequent Bewitched supporting actor Cliff Norton is seen as MacAllister. Written by Jerry Mayer and Paul L. Friedman, "One Touch of Midas" originally aired on January 23, 1969. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

When Samantha decides that her house needs painting, helpful Aunt Clara summons up the spirit of the best painter she knows: Leonardo Da Vinci (John Abbott). Trying to undo her misfire spell, Clara inadvertently places Darrin in a Renaissance costume, leading his newest client to mount an ad campaign using the image of the Mona Lisa. Naturally, Da Vinci is outraged at this desecration of his masterpiece, and it is up to Samantha to straighten things out. Written by Jerry Mayer and Paul L. Friedman, "Samantha's Da Vinci Dilemma" was first shown on December 28, 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi