Today marks the 50th anniversary of the short-lived drama series Sons and Daughters, starring Gary Frank and Glynnis O’Connor as 1950s high school students in love. It debuted on CBS on Wednesday, September 11th, 1974 at 8PM ET. Less than two months later, the show was off the air, cancelled after just nine episodes. I published an in-depth article about the show in October 2004. I’ve also written a detailed episode guide for the show.
Sons and Daughters grabbed my attention the first time I read about it in the 1974 fall preview issue of TV Guide. Why? I can’t say for sure. Maybe it was the picture in TV Guide showing Glynnis O’Connor smiling and resting her head on Gary Frank’s shoulder. I don’t know. Whatever it was, I learned as I could about the show by reading contemporary newspaper articles. I was able to get my hands on a copy of the pilot telefilm titled Senior Year and eventually all nine episodes.
Copyright 1974 TV Guide/Universal City Studios, Inc.
If I’m being totally honest, I was underwhelmed when I finally sat down and watched Sons and Daughters. I even put it aside after just two episodes. In fairness to the show, it was made in a different time for a different audience. Is it possible I had built the show up in my imagination? Possibly. But there’s also the fact that the show was produced in the 1970s and set in the 1950s. I wasn’t alive for either of those decades. I imagine viewers watching in 1974 who remembered the 1950s were able to enjoy the show more than I did in in 20-whatever when I tried to watch it.
I did ultimately watch all nine episodes and I can appreciate the show even if I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. The acting is superb. Gary Frank and Glynnis O’Connor are phenomenal in their roles. So too are the rest of the cast and guest stars.
If you remember watching Sons and Daughters during the brief period it was on the air in 1974, please share your recollections in the comments. Later today, to commemorate the 50th anniversary, I’ll share a CBS press release promoting the series premiere. Be sure to check back.
Happy Days started in January of that year. It’s possible they were trying to cash in on the same nostalgia. The show was on against Little House on the Prairie and replaced with Tony Orlando and Dawn.
The only thing I remember about Sons and Daughters was that it was short-lived. As well as the local newspaper TV critic writing that he thought it would be. It probably was a good show but I never saw it. Having read the Little House books and being a Micheal Landon fan from Bonanza, I was watching Little House on the Prairie. Just like millions of other kids, I am sure.
as I stated before here… that 1974 commenced a slide in focus—I mean without any real catchy themes or sound/ style or settings to photograph….// why would they create any thing memorable..??/ documentary ../ NATURE stuff was pre digital age photography.. Notice reproductions of these 1974 things are weakly preserved…not attractive to the eye at all..**.it was just a few years later when GEO magazine was introduced as the state of the art of magazine color plates…No one had the vision at Eastman KODAK back then either–and digital tech has gotten us here right now in 2024!