Caught this again on ME-TV today. This was really the second of a two-parter that allowed this series to not need to change its name when eldest son Mike got married and moved away. They had planned this for a while, having Ernie become a neighborhood friend of Chip's who lived with foster parents, making his first appearance on Halloween in 1963, two years before this episode aired in September 1965.
Viewers were aware that the actor, Barry Livingston was the real-life younger brother of Stanley Livingston, who of course, portrayed Chip on this series. Barry had, for his age, considerable acting experience, including a guest role on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and 16 episodes as a neighbor to the Nelsons on Ozzie and Harriet.
This episode focuses on the Douglas clan battling the red tape of bureaucracy as Steve is told he cannot adopt Ernie because there is no mother-figure in the house. I guess I won't spoil too much by saying that they worked it out with a "legal fiction" whereby Uncle Charley was decreed to be "the lady of the house" after a caseworker observed how he was always there, handled the cooking, cleaning, and even the sewing for the boys, and also much of the discipline. So Steve was able to adopt Ernie.
There was a subplot where Robbie is trying hard to encourage a romance between Miss Coulter, the case worker (played by Vera Miles) and his dad. Look for Jack Webb's favorite Dragnet female guest star, Virginia Gregg as the social worker helping with the adoption case.
The rest of the episode focused on the young boys trying to get their two dogs to not fight. Ernie's dog was afraid of the bigger Tramp, and took to snarling at him most of the time. As a result, within hours of the return from the court where they were told they were now "brothers" Ernie and Chip were quarreling. Realistically quarreling. There were no hyper-dramatic "I wish you weren't my brother" type lines. They were just arguing about whose dog was at fault. Of course, those difficulties were put to rest when they returned from a supper out and found the two dogs sleeping side-by-side.
This was only the third episode in color, and the third to air on CBS after the move from ABC. Even though the series stayed on the air for another 7 seasons, Mike and Sally, Steve's oldest son and his new wife never came back for a visit and were virtually never mentioned again. I think there should have been at least one Christmas special with the eldest son and wife-and kids(?) coming for a visit.
As with many episodes in this series, the funniest lines came from Uncle Charley-here when he was loudly complaining to the boys about various ways they were making his life complicated, not knowing Steve and the social workers were meeting in the next room. I guess because showing the adoption seems to huge in this series, I feel happy to give it an 8-it had a really serious, positive event taking place and a fair number of laughs.
Viewers were aware that the actor, Barry Livingston was the real-life younger brother of Stanley Livingston, who of course, portrayed Chip on this series. Barry had, for his age, considerable acting experience, including a guest role on The Dick Van Dyke Show, and 16 episodes as a neighbor to the Nelsons on Ozzie and Harriet.
This episode focuses on the Douglas clan battling the red tape of bureaucracy as Steve is told he cannot adopt Ernie because there is no mother-figure in the house. I guess I won't spoil too much by saying that they worked it out with a "legal fiction" whereby Uncle Charley was decreed to be "the lady of the house" after a caseworker observed how he was always there, handled the cooking, cleaning, and even the sewing for the boys, and also much of the discipline. So Steve was able to adopt Ernie.
There was a subplot where Robbie is trying hard to encourage a romance between Miss Coulter, the case worker (played by Vera Miles) and his dad. Look for Jack Webb's favorite Dragnet female guest star, Virginia Gregg as the social worker helping with the adoption case.
The rest of the episode focused on the young boys trying to get their two dogs to not fight. Ernie's dog was afraid of the bigger Tramp, and took to snarling at him most of the time. As a result, within hours of the return from the court where they were told they were now "brothers" Ernie and Chip were quarreling. Realistically quarreling. There were no hyper-dramatic "I wish you weren't my brother" type lines. They were just arguing about whose dog was at fault. Of course, those difficulties were put to rest when they returned from a supper out and found the two dogs sleeping side-by-side.
This was only the third episode in color, and the third to air on CBS after the move from ABC. Even though the series stayed on the air for another 7 seasons, Mike and Sally, Steve's oldest son and his new wife never came back for a visit and were virtually never mentioned again. I think there should have been at least one Christmas special with the eldest son and wife-and kids(?) coming for a visit.
As with many episodes in this series, the funniest lines came from Uncle Charley-here when he was loudly complaining to the boys about various ways they were making his life complicated, not knowing Steve and the social workers were meeting in the next room. I guess because showing the adoption seems to huge in this series, I feel happy to give it an 8-it had a really serious, positive event taking place and a fair number of laughs.
