TOO CLOSE FOR COMFORT {A.K.A. THE TED KNIGHT SHOW}: THE RETURN OF MR. WONDERFUL (TV)
Summary
One in this series of comedies about Henry Rush, a dyspeptic cartoonist, his photographer wife Muriel, and their daughters Jackie and Sara, who all share a townhouse in San Francisco. Sara gets her first credit card and is quite excited, although Henry is worried about the potential consequences. Muriel’s mother Iris comes to visit unexpectedly, making Henry uncomfortable. She explains that she flew into town to see her ex-boyfriend Paul Devarow, much to everyone’s surprise, as he previously scammed Iris and left her, breaking her heart. He recently called her and implied that he may propose marriage to her that weekend, making her excited. Iris also discovers that apparently Sara accidentally left her credit card at home, and Henry insists on keeping it for the time being to see how long it takes before Sara notices it is missing. Paul makes a dramatic entrance and makes poetic gestures towards Iris. He claims he was in China for months on business. Finally Iris talks to Paul about the question he mentioned earlier, and he says he will ask it over dinner that night, and invites the rest of the family as well. After a long dinner, the Rushes return home, noting that Paul did not ask the question the entire time. Muriel receives a phone call from Iris explaining that she and Paul stopped by his hotel room, where he asked her to spend the night with him, and she accepted. The next morning Henry and Muriel are upset that Iris spent all night with Paul. Jackie and Sara inquire about Iris but Henry and Muriel do not tell them anything; Sara does not seem to have noticed that her credit card is missing. Iris returns home in the morning, inebriated after a night out with Paul, and Henry and Muriel chide her for her reckless behavior. She regales the family with the details of her night out, and Paul arrives soon thereafter. Henry and Muriel try to pressure Paul into asking his question, and he agrees to do so when Iris returns. Paul asks for privacy when Iris returns, and Henry and Muriel exit. Finally he proposes marriage to her, but she politely declines, explaining that she feels as though it’s too late for her to acclimate to Paul’s fast-paced and luxurious lifestyle, and that she has a good life and family on her own. Realizing that he would be unwilling to change his lifestyle for her, Paul accepts her refusal, although secretly he is immensely relieved that she refused. Iris says goodbye to the family before she returns home. Finally Henry reveals that he has Sara’s credit card and lectures her about responsibility before she points out that the credit card in question actually belongs to him, and that she has had possession of her own card the entire time. Commercials deleted.
Details
- NETWORK: Syndication
- DATE: November 17, 1984 7:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 0:22:10
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:08276
- GENRE: Comedy
- SUBJECT HEADING: Comedy
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV series, 1980-1983; Syndication, 1984-1987
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Earl Barrett … Executive Producer, Director, Developed by
- Arne Sultan … Executive Producer, Developed by
- Volney Howard III … Supervising Producer
- George Yanok … Producer
- Janet Grushow … Associate Producer
- Brian Cooke … Created by, Based on the Thames Television program “Keep It in the Family” created by
- Mickey Rose … Writer
- Johnny Mandel … Music by
- Ted Knight … Cast, Henry Rush
- Nancy Dussault … Cast, Muriel Rush
- Deborah Van Valkenburgh … Cast, Jackie Rush
- Lydia Cornell … Cast, Sara Rush
- JM J. Bullock … Cast, Monroe Ficus
- Lou Jacobi … Cast, Paul Devarow
- Audrey Meadows … Cast, Iris Martin