Father Knows Best is a TV series that aired on CBS from from October 3, 1954 to March 27, 1955, NBC from August 31, 1955 to June 11, 1958, and CBS from September 15, 1958 to June 1, 1959 for a total of six seasons. It is based on the radio show of the same name.
Cast & Character Origins
Characters | From | Date | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
Jim Anderson, Margaret Anderson, Betty “Princess” Anderson, James “Bud” Anderson Jr, Kathy “Kitten” Anderson | Father Knows Best (1949 Radio Show) | August 25, 1949 | Radio show |
Jim Anderson, Margaret Anderson, Betty “Princess” Anderson, James “Bud” Anderson Jr, Kathy “Kitten” Anderson | The Ford Television Theatre | May 27, 1954 | Anthology show |
(Note: After the radio show, a TV pilot called “Keep It in the Family” was made for the anthology show The Ford Television Theatre with a similar family structure to the radio show but different names. Jim Anderson is called Jim Warren, Margaret is called Grace, Betty is called Peggy, Bud is called Jeff, and Kathy is called Patty. The softer and less acerbic tone of this pilot became the template for the Father Knows Best TV series. The cast in the radio show, the pilot, and the final show were all different except for Robert Young who played the father in all three versions.
Outgoing Crossovers
Characters | Guest On | Date | Episode | Crossover Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Betty Anderson, Margaret Anderson | February 27, 1987 | S10E04: “Who Killed Maxwell Thorn?” | A | |
Margaret Anderson | November 2, 1988 | S01E02: “Guilt” | B |
(Note: Both outgoing crossovers of Margaret Anderson also include the character June Cleaver from Leave It to Beaver)