Hazel (TV series)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Hazel | |
|---|---|
 Title screen from a first season color episode |
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| Genre | Sitcom |
| Directed by | E.W. Swackhamer William D. Russell |
| Starring | Shirley Booth Don DeFore Whitney Blake Bobby Buntrock Ray Fulmer (1965-1966) Lynn Borden (1965-1966) Julia Benjamin (1965-1966) |
| Theme music composer | Jimmy Van Heusen (music) Sammy Cahn (lyrics) |
| Opening theme | Hazel |
| Country of origin |  United States |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 5 |
| No. of episodes | 154 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | NBC (season 1 – season 4) CBS (season 5) |
| Picture format | Full screen |
| Original run | September 28, 1961 – September 5, 1966 |
| External links | |
| IMDb profile | |
| TV.com summary | |
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- For the British television series of a similar name, see Hazell (TV series).
Hazel was a Screen Gems television series about Hazel Burke, a fictional live-in maid. The series dramatizes her relationships with her employers, friends, and neighbors. The show was broadcast from 1961 to 1966. It aired on NBC for its first four seasons, in black and white for the first, and in color for the next three, and then in color on CBS for its final season. The title character was portrayed by Shirley Booth. Hazel was based on a popular single panel comic strip by cartoonist Ted Key that appeared in the Saturday Evening Post. The first season of Hazel was released to DVD in 2006.
In its first season, Hazel won such ratings as to force the cancellation of its principal competitor, the new ABC sitcom Margie, starring Cynthia Pepper, set during the Roaring Twenties.
Contents |
[edit] Plot
Hazel is a live-in maid in the home of corporate lawyer George Baxter, his wife Dorothy, their son Harold, and the family dog Smiley. The series dramatizes Hazel's life in the Baxter home, her relationships with the Baxters, and her friendships with others in the neighborhood like Barney, the postman, Mitch, a taxi driver, and Rosie, another maid in the area. Some episodes take Hazel outside the Baxter house and follow her life in the community. In the first episode, for example, she spearheads a drive for the construction of a neighborhood playground, and, in another episode, she participates in a televised bowling tournament.
Major dramatic changes occur with the show's move to CBS from NBC at the opening of the 1965-1966 season. George and Dorothy depart for the Middle East in conjunction with George's work (DeFore and Blake were dropped from the cast) while Harold and Hazel move in with George's younger brother, Steve, Steve's wife Barbara, and their daughter Suzie. Hazel provides housekeeping services for her new family. It was a huge hit.
[edit] Characters and cast
[edit] Main characters
- Hazel Burke, a live-in maid in the Baxter home. Hazel worked for Dorothy's family before Dorothy's marriage to George and was not enthusiastic about the Baxter marriage. Hazel not only manages the household chores with professional competence but plays a big part in managing the lives of the Baxters as well. Played by Shirley Booth.
- George Baxter, whom Hazel called "Mr. B". George often finds himself in a contest of wills with Hazel. Played by Don DeFore.
- Dorothy, also called "Missy", is George's wife. She is an interior decorator and has a studio in the Baxter garage. Played by Whitney Blake.
- Harold, aka "Sport", the Baxter's school age son. Harold brings a stray dog (eventually named Smiley) into the family. Played by Bobby Buntrock.
- Steve, George's younger brother and a real estate agent. Played by Ray Fulmer.
- Barbara, Steve's wife. Played by Lynn Borden.
- Suzie, Steve and Barbara's daughter. Played by Julia Benjamin.
[edit] Recurring characters
- Rosie, a maid and Hazel's friend and confidante. Played by Maudie Prickett.
- Barney, the Baxters' postman and occasionally Hazel's escort. Played by Robert Williams.
- Mr. Griffin, George Baxter's blustering, impatient boss. Played by Howard Smith.
- Deirdre Thompson, George's snobbish sister from Boston. Played by Cathy Lewis.
- Herbert Johnson, the Baxters' dotty neighbor. Played by Donald Foster.
- Harriet Johnson, Herbert Johnson's wife. Played by Norma Varden.
- Mitch Brady, a taxi driver and sometimes Hazel's date. Played by Dub Taylor.
[edit] Reception
The show was considered to be an instant hit when it debuted, and its first season was fourth in the 1961-1962 Nielsen's ratings. Shirley Booth received two Emmys, (1962 and 1963) for "Hazel" and an Emmy nomination for her third season (1964). The actress received a Golden Globe nomination for Best TV Star (1964), and two nominations for the TV Land Award, Favorite Made-for-TV Maid. (2004 and 2006).
[edit] References
The story of how Hazel came to be made is told for the first time in Love Is The Reason For It All...The Shirley Booth Story by Jim Manago, with radio research by Donna Manago, and foreword by Ted Key. BearManor Media, ISBN 978-1-5939-3146-9
