Loosely based on the 1947 motion picture of the same title "The Farmer's Daughter " that starred Joesph Cotton and Loretta Young that won Loretta Young the Best Actress Oscar for her role as Katy Holstrum. Fast forward sixteen years later and we have the television version based on the movie of the same title. This was one of the most wholesome family oriented sitcoms of the 1960's that lasted three seasons during it's initial run.
Under executive producer Harry Ackerman along with producers James Fonda, Bob Claver, and Peter Kortner along with associate producer Paul Junger Witt, the series starred Inger Stevens in the title role as Katy Holstrum who becomes the housekeeper and the governess for Minnesota congressman Glen Morley(William Windom) who was a widow with two sons Steve Morley(Mickey Sholdar) and Danny Morley(Rory O'Brien) along with the congressman's mother Agatha Morley(Cathleen Nesbitt) and Charles the Butler (Phillip Coolidge in the first season only). The series was produced by Associated Arts Productions in association with Screen Gems and the ABC Television Network. During it's three season run, a total of 101 episodes were produced with 73 episodes in black and white from September 20, 1963 until May 28, 1965. The third and final season produced 28 episodes in color from September 13, 1965 until April 22, 1966
It was sponsored by Lark Cigarettes and Clairol for whom the two leading stars often appeared at the show's end, promoting the advertisements products. Other sponsors for the show were the Colgate-Palmotive Company and the Quaker Oats Company. During it's three year run, "The Farmer's Daughter" was nominated for four Prime Time Emmys for Outstanding Conedy Series, Outstanding Actress and Actor in a Comedy Series and won Inger Stevens the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 1964. The guest star roster included Peter Graves, Harold Gould, David White, John McGiver, Jeanette Nolan, Shelley Morrison, Paul Lynde, Ellen Corby, Patricia Barry, Barry Atwater, Edward Mulhare, and David Hedison just to name a few that appeared on the series.
Some of the best episodes of the series would include the two part pilot episode "The Speechmaker", "Where's Katy", "Comes The Revolution", "The Playboy Of Capitol Hill", "The Next Mrs, Morley", "Real Life Congressman", "Katy and the Prince", "The Waiting Game","Love On the Picket Line", "Rich Man,Poor Man", "Here Comes The Bride's Father", and "To Have and to Hold" just to name a few, On the November 5, 1965 episode "To Have And to Hold"(season 3, episode 7) finally saw Glen Morley and Katy Holstrum walk down the aisle of martial bliss (just in time for the ratings sweeps) that garnered huge ratings but after the wedding episode the ratings plummeted and by the spring of 1966, ABC canceled the series after three seasons and 101 episodes. ABC kept in reruns until August 29, 1966.
Under executive producer Harry Ackerman along with producers James Fonda, Bob Claver, and Peter Kortner along with associate producer Paul Junger Witt, the series starred Inger Stevens in the title role as Katy Holstrum who becomes the housekeeper and the governess for Minnesota congressman Glen Morley(William Windom) who was a widow with two sons Steve Morley(Mickey Sholdar) and Danny Morley(Rory O'Brien) along with the congressman's mother Agatha Morley(Cathleen Nesbitt) and Charles the Butler (Phillip Coolidge in the first season only). The series was produced by Associated Arts Productions in association with Screen Gems and the ABC Television Network. During it's three season run, a total of 101 episodes were produced with 73 episodes in black and white from September 20, 1963 until May 28, 1965. The third and final season produced 28 episodes in color from September 13, 1965 until April 22, 1966
It was sponsored by Lark Cigarettes and Clairol for whom the two leading stars often appeared at the show's end, promoting the advertisements products. Other sponsors for the show were the Colgate-Palmotive Company and the Quaker Oats Company. During it's three year run, "The Farmer's Daughter" was nominated for four Prime Time Emmys for Outstanding Conedy Series, Outstanding Actress and Actor in a Comedy Series and won Inger Stevens the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy Series in 1964. The guest star roster included Peter Graves, Harold Gould, David White, John McGiver, Jeanette Nolan, Shelley Morrison, Paul Lynde, Ellen Corby, Patricia Barry, Barry Atwater, Edward Mulhare, and David Hedison just to name a few that appeared on the series.
Some of the best episodes of the series would include the two part pilot episode "The Speechmaker", "Where's Katy", "Comes The Revolution", "The Playboy Of Capitol Hill", "The Next Mrs, Morley", "Real Life Congressman", "Katy and the Prince", "The Waiting Game","Love On the Picket Line", "Rich Man,Poor Man", "Here Comes The Bride's Father", and "To Have and to Hold" just to name a few, On the November 5, 1965 episode "To Have And to Hold"(season 3, episode 7) finally saw Glen Morley and Katy Holstrum walk down the aisle of martial bliss (just in time for the ratings sweeps) that garnered huge ratings but after the wedding episode the ratings plummeted and by the spring of 1966, ABC canceled the series after three seasons and 101 episodes. ABC kept in reruns until August 29, 1966.