A Look Back at WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME (1972-74)

Everyone remembers the classic 60's prime-time cartoons like THE FLINTSTONES, THE JETSONS and JOHNNY QUEST. Then in the late 80's and early 90's FOX started giving us THE SIMPSONS, KING OF THE HILL, FUTURAMA and FAMILY GUY. But there was a time in between these two eras, the early 70's, when there was one prime-time animated comedy, WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME, produced by Hanna-Barbera.

The series premiered on September 12, 1972 on NBC, in the 10:30 p.m. time slot. It ran for two seasons and produced 48 episodes. The series aired for the last time on October 8, 1974.

It was the first animated series to run more than one season since THE FLINTSTONES. The series was actually originated as a back door pilot the segment "Love and the Old-Fashioned Father," on the romantic anthology series LOVE, AMERICAN STYLE, and was inspired by ALL IN THE FAMILY.

About WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME:

Harry Boyle was your average man. Lived in the suburbs. Worked in sales. Had a wife, two sons and one daughter. Most of the episodes centered on the generation gap between Harry and his children.

Like ALL IN THE FAMILY, there where may contemporary conversation dealing with the politics of the day. Harry  was an typical conservative  and was often at odds with his feminist daughter Alice or his "long haired" and lazy adult son Chet. His wife Irma, was usually taking the liberal side of the conversation too. Only Harry's younger son Jamie was sympathetic to his fathers opinions and beliefs. But don't get Harry wrong. He loves his family and will support them whenever he can.

   

WAIT UNTIL YOUR FATHER GETS HOME is one of the first TV memories I have. Even after watching the episode above, I remembered the opening theme song, even though it had been 40 years since I last saw the series.

CAST:

• Tom Bosley........................................ as Harry
• Joan Gerber...................................... as Irma
• Kristina Holland................................as Alice
• David Hayward/Lennie Weinrib....... as Chet
• Jackie Earle Haley/Willie Aames...... as Jamie
• Jack Burns........................................ as Ralph

Notable Guest stars include:

Don Adams, Phyllis Diller, Gene Eugene, Monty Hall, Don Knotts, Rich Little, Allan Melvin, Joe E. Ross, Isabel Sanford, Jonathan Winters, Casey Kasem, Pat Morita, and  Ken Clark.