User reviews

... or if not that, Ted Bessell as one of the most sexually frustrated men of 1960's New York City. If the Mary Tyler Moore show had first aired in 1966 instead of 1970, it would have been this show. American culture changed that quickly. Marlo Thomas plays a young woman, Ann Marie, from the village of Brewster, New York who comes to the big city to become an actress, which is a tough career to break into, thus she takes a series of quirky jobs to get by which often become the central theme of certain episodes. In the very first episode she meets Donald (Ted Bessell), a writer for a magazine, and they are a couple for the next five years, a couple that - apparently - never has sex.

Back home, Ann's dad (Lew Parker) never quite trusts Donald's intentions with his daughter, and believes that girls should live at home until married. Thus a mainstay of the show is dad bursting in on Ann and Donald, either incidentally or intentionally, only to find them in what appears to be a compromising position (Ah ha! I've got him!) that in the end has a logical and platonic explanation.

If you didn't live through this period in history, you might think of the 1960's and believe it was nothing but an endless parade of hippies, pot smoking, and student/police confrontations over the Vietnam War. The fact is, most people in 1960's America were still living in the 1950's at the time, and women were still largely accepted only in traditional professions - teaching, nursing, secretarial work, acting - you know, jobs that involve either serving men or children. So That Girl was about as far as network TV could go with this topic - a young woman living in her own apartment pursuing a career in ANYTHING in New York City - without raising middle class eyebrows.

It was bright, funny, and innocent, sometimes to the point of being naive, but I'll always look back fondly on "That Girl" of my youth.

'That Girl' is a 60s sitcom that holds up much better than most when viewed almost 40 years later.

Altho Marlo Thomas provides most of the zaniness that sitcoms often seek to provide, my favorite role was actually Ted Bessel's Don Hollinger. The character of Don was, for the most part, a very calm, composed influence on the show. He seldom got flustered in the face of Ann's occasional hysterics or her father's often stern disapproval. Despite the 'character of his character', he was no straight man. Each episode has several intelligent witticisms or truly amusing wry comments from Don.

The series stayed remarkably consistent through the entire run, in my opinion never 'jumping the shark', as so many long running sitcoms are prone to.

Don and Ann set a good example for a mature and caring relationship, even in the face of comedy script episodes and antics.

Highly recommended.

I wonder how many preteen boys had a crush on Marlo Thomas like I did during the run of this program. She was soooo beautiful, and Ted Bessell seemed like an awfully lucky guy to me, except that he had to live in constant fear of Ann Marie's father, which was realistic enough as Mr. Marie was rather menacing, which by the time the series ended I realized was because he considered the Donald Hollister character a threat to his daughter's virginity. (Wonder how much different, if any, Danny Thomas was about that issue in real life?) In retrospect, this show requires suspension of disbelief even more than most sitcoms, as Ann, a supposedly struggling actress, had a better apartment and nicer clothes than many steadily-employed New Yorkers could have possibly have afforded, then or now. It's a shame that the show only went as far as Donald's bachelor party; it would seem to have been better if they had actually shown the wedding with the implication that "they all lived happily ever after" and that this show, after all really was a modern fairy tale. A fun aspect of the show was seeing how they were going to work the words "that girl" into the opening sequence.

Four years before the debut of the Mary Tyler Moore Show, this was the first show to feature an independent woman who wanted to make it on her own without having to rely on her parents or her boyfriend. This was a great show with a great cast that really worked well together. The other thing that I really loved about this show was the fact that the humor was very broad and that Ann, even though she was independent, often found herself in some very awkward situations. I especially loved the last season in which we really saw Ann's relationship with Donald really blossom as they finally became engaged. Too bad it ended before they walked down the aisle.

This is a charming, funny and lovely show. A pleasure to watch anytime. I didn't know about this show until it came out on DVD and now I love it. I'll buy every season. The main characters Ann and Donald (her boyfriend) have such chemistry. The show is basically about Ann Marie (an actress starting out) and her life in New York with work, friends and family. Marlo Thomas and her writers ensured the same consistent thread of quality in every show so the show has continuity. I find most shows that have stars as producers or in some power capacity are higher quality as they care about the show and characters. Marlo produced this show via her Daisy Production company as we learn in the first season booklet. I was disappointed to hear that everyone on the show wanted the show to continue but she didn't so she shut down after a few seasons. I think this show is a classic TV show. Ted Bessell as her boyfriend is perfect and they make a great on screen couple. Casting for this show was excellent.

If you are looking for sex in the city or Seinfeld this isn't it. This is a charming TV show that makes me long for the 1960's when life was a bit more simple and pleasurable and less rushed. I'd highly recommend this if you are looking for something just fun to watch but keep in mind it is from the 60's.

Scripted Television in the 1960s was, for the most part, designed to make people forget the news reports of the day. Either it was about some *previous* war, the Old West, or some sort of fantasy with a witch, a genie, a martian, a family of monsters, a horse that talked, a nun that flew, or some other oddity that clearly could never happen in real life.

Enter, "That Girl."

While the other shows of the era were trying to take people away from the standards of modern city living, Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) was facing it head-on, as an aspiring actress from Brewster, a commuter town that was just a train ride away from Grand Central on the Harlem line.

Ann was looking for her big break in New York and took all sorts of odd jobs to survive while she looked. She also had the help of her boyfriend Donald Hollinger (Ted Bessell) a writer for a weekly news based periodical, and her ever present father Lew (Lew Parker) who supposedly was running a restaurant back at the home town, yet somehow managed to be in Ann's apartment in nearly every episode.

What made the show unique was that a single woman was at the center of it. Ann Marie wasn't anyone's wife or housekeeper and wasn't responsible for anyone besides herself. That may not seem like much, but during this era of television, it was a breakthrough! And despite the two male supporters in her orbit, she was the astronaut exploring her world in her way.

The chemistry between Ms. Thomas and Mr. Bessell was undeniable and the two of them made it feel like a real romance was happening. Add in Ann's odd neighbor Ruthie, married to Don's co-worker, Jerry and you had a workable set of characters. And let's give credit to Bernie Kopell, who always did quality work, no matter the situation.

New York City itself was another character in the series, as Ann would sometimes audition for theatrical parts, shoot commercials and work in various places around town. And even when she didn't get the job, she never let it get her down. It's that kind of determination that made the show seem so positive.

Despite never using any special effects or gimmicks, like most of the rest of the sitcoms of that era were doing, there was a certain kind of magic that happened here. And there were laughs, as Ms. Thomas was helped by such comedy icons as Jesse White who played her agent, Dabney Coleman, another of her neighbors, and Ruth Buzzi, who played another of Ann's pals, when she wasn't cutting it up on "Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In."

"That Girl" is a sweet and charming look at NYC through the eyes of someone who loved it more that it did her. And even though it may not have been the funniest comedy, it had something to say to women about going for what you want at a time when society either said the opposite or nothing at all. That's why it's an important show in the History of Women on Television.

To many of us born in the fifties and becoming teen-age girls by the mid-late 60's, THAT GIRL was THE show to tune in to and see the hair and fashions and enjoy the comedy. My very favorite episode is when Donald tries to teach Ann to drive his manual (stick) shift car!!! The chemistry between the two actors is just great. Marlo Thomas is adorable in this series. The show was well casted and polished. My best friend in the 60's and I never missed an episode on Tuesday nights and now they are available on wonderful DVDs to enjoy again and again. Hollywood did not spoil Marlo, as she went on to author several wonderful books and of course, carry on her father's work for St.Jude Hospital for the children. She is to be admired.

I first saw That Girl repeated in a daytime slot during school holidays in the early 1980s in Australia. I was first attracted to the show as Siegfried from Get Smart (Bernie Kopell) was in it... He was in the first scene I saw. I soon realised Ann and Donald were the leads but still enjoyed the series.

I loved the cool retro look of the show - especially Ann's hairstyles, constant new outfits, and elaborate makeup. Her neat apartment seemed really cool and the New York setting and depiction of the writing and acting worlds seemed very sophisticated.

Years later I discovered the Mary Tyler Moore show which became a big favourite of mine. I then bought seasons 2 and 5 of That Girl from a DVD discount bin. Often when one of these shows is discussed, the other will be mentioned. Usually That Girl is said to be the first series with an independent woman as the lead. Too bad she isn't really that independent. Donald helps her out of nearly every one of the crazy misunderstandings that happen through each episode. And if Ann really pays for that apartment and all those clothes that is a major suspension of disbelief given she does a string of casual little jobs and bit part acting assignments - usually getting fired or giving up each new job by the end of the episode. The series plays more like her father Lew pays the rent - I mean he often drops in like he owns the place even though he supposedly runs a restaurant in upstate New York.

Donald meanwhile runs a car and has his own apartment in Manhattan, wears lots of nice new clothes, and is constantly taking Ann for meals out. I mean how much do magazine writers really earn?

Most episode stories are very thin with much padding and repetition, and the same story ideas resurface again and again (Lew disapproves of Donald, Ann's latest menial job with a mean boss, some other misunderstanding). The show looks great and the leads are very appealing but the writing and characterisation is light years from the Mary Tyler Moore show.

Bernie Kopell is mostly wasted too. He was really funny in one episode where his character went out and got drunk.

Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas, Danny Thomas' daughter in case you've never heard) is a single lady living in Manhattan. Her ambition is to make it as an actress on Broadway but between small gigs on children's television, commercials and experimental theater, she must work other jobs. These include news stand salesclerk (where she meets someone special), waitress, door-to-door shoe hawker, and more. On one of her first days in NYC, she meets Don Hollinger (Ted Bessell) and its an auspicious beginning. They both want to buy the same rolltop desk for sale in the same building and Don interrupts a commercial Ann is shooting after hours. But, in short order, they go to dinner. Pretty soon, they are stepping out steadily and, after a disastrous picnic, meet Ann's folks. While Ann's mother (Rosemary DeCamp) is loving and kind, Ann's father, Lew (Lew Parker, hilarious) is a prickly restaurateur. He, Ann, and Don often clash on many topics. Also, Ann is on very friendly terms with the couple across the hall, Judy and Leon, and Don's co-workers include Bernie (Bernie Kopell) before he went to the Love Boat. By the fifth season, will Ann and Don finally tie the knot? This will always be one of my favorite shows from childhood. First, it was and is very funny, with Thomas exhibiting very comedic talents as zany Ann. Bessell is a perfect foil and Parker is a delight, too. Secondly, Ann was a single lady decorating her own apartment, pursuing her own dreams, choosing her own friends and more. Yes, most gals like me wanted to get married AT SOME POINT but, first, we wanted to live the good life by our own merits! Naturally, Ann's costumes are terrific, her hairstyle was one we tried to copy, and her tastes became our tastes. Dear Marlo Thomas, as Ann's alter ego, YOU WILL ALWAYS BE A HEROINE TO ME. After all, you were one of the first to show women everywhere that women's goals and ambitions MATTERED!

My issues with this show 1. She was too naive. Men hit on her all the time, and her biggest frustration was to be NICE TOO THEM 2. Donald? He was always present when men hit on her or when she told him they did. HE DID NOTHING. He was also too NAIVE Why was she so worried about hurting the feelings of these men?, and they were predators! She was suppose to be so liberated. So come on Anne tell these jerks to lay off, and you have a boyfriend. This show had mixed messages- she was liberated? Some what, but she was naive.....Very!!! And Donald was wishy washy as a boyfriend. I'm not saying he should have been the strong boyfriend, after all she was liberated?? But he should've of. She showed jealousy when a female showed interest in him. Mixed reactions for this show. She rarely stood up for herself, always worried she would hurt these predator men's feelings. That's not being liberated Anne !!!!

"That Girl" is one of those shows that I enjoyed during it's first run on ABC and in it's reruns over the years, but it's been many years since i saw this as it has not been on TV in a while. The re-discovery of this on DVD reveals that it is even better than I remember it. The cast in all instances is first-rate, and the scripts are crisp, funny, full of heart and do not date one bit. Marlo Thomas supposedly had a hand in most of the aspects of this classic series, and I say a great job well done. Like John Forsythe in "Bachelor Father", this show was her baby and no show could have had a better mother. ME-TV has just begun re-running this as of this writing, and my partner and I were laughing out loud at many of the antics on the marathon which launched the series on New Year's Day. The film quality of the show has been so beautifully preserved that it looks brand-new. The 1960s background makes the series a kind of time capsule back to those fashions and some of the early episodes especially feature some great location footage shot in N.Y.C. which add to the "theatrical" look of this series. Each episode has the look of a mini-movie, being shot with one camera. The laugh-track is present but not overdone or intrusive. The format of the single girl trying to make it on her own would be echoed a few years later in the super-classic "Mary Tyler Moore" show. "That Girl" had great writing throughout it's five seasons, and Ms. Thomas wisely opted out of the show before it became stale as so many other long-running shows of the period did. She also avoided knuckling under to the network by not having Ann and Donald marry. This was her personal decision and in retrospect, a wise one. Marlo Thomas herself, being the daughter of the great Danny Thomas, had to prove herself with this series and boy, did she ever. Having "Make Room For Daddy", one of the great shows of it's own era, and "That Girl", one of the greats of the 60s, one hopes that there will be another generation of the Thomas family to give us yet another great series to enjoy. If this review sounds like a love letter to Marlo Thomas, so be it. It is.

For the first time, I am watching. I see I am late, but I liked it. So here is my opinion. I was drawn in by the pilot. It was hilarious. As I proceeded to watch other shows, some of the episodes have nothing to do with Ann being an actress. That was disappointing. I wish they connected each episode to the life of an aspiring actress. Not that I stopped watching.

I am disappointed with father character. In several shows, it is the mother always interfering and annoying. In this show, father fulfils that role. I wish they create more realistic parents, or just do away with the parents. From what I see, parents' are not always that intrusive in the lives of adult children. I could be wrong.

Marlo Thomas was superb. Donald and Ann really come alive.

I wish I had watched during it's original run.

I loved the series as a child during its first run. Buying the DVDs seemed like a great way to bring back the fun of the 60s and early 70s. In retrospect, Marlo Thomas is a fine actress and comedienne but the majority of the episodes portray her as a scatterbrained, flighty, bird brain air head! If I had been Donald I would have broken up with her after the first few dates! The character is beyond annoying! She gets on your nerves and one just wants to slap her most of the time. There are some episodes that are charming where her character is lovable and endearing but these are the exception! And forget the independence nonsense. She couldn't do anything without Donald. He was the glue that held the show together, in my opinion. Taking nothing from Marlo Thomas's portrayal, I'm sure Miss Thomas is a nice lady but I want to shake "That Girl" into sanity. They really should have gotten married at the end since I don't think anyone but Don could tolerate her excitability and air headedness for more than 5 minutes!

It's a mod ,and light romantic comedy made this show charming. It takes me back to my happy place. A seven year old in the living room watching our brand new TV set {in color} tuned in to "That Girl "!!!!! I sanged along s-m-i-l-i-n-g as the song plays then wait _ as she tousels her pretty long brunette hair. This classic show was one of my favorites in TV Land & is such a delightful memory of the 60's -70's era. Actually it ran from 1966 -1971 to be exact. Loved the theme music as she walks the New York streets... I felt like I was right there with Marlo/Ann Marie letting out her umbrella or was that MTM ??? l admired her balance of independence on having agents & temp jobs to inviting her handsome magazine executive ,guy friend Mr. Donald Hollinger better known as "her beau " fiance 'over for dinner. The sixties slang: "Ann" sure could host a swell party too! #ThatGirl ; )

6-13-2015

I Have been watching that girl on metv in Denver Colorado, and thank god that girl Marlo Thomas has re-awakened such loving memories and feelings! i even love the theme song!I i grew up in the 70's and as a teen no matter how crummy my days were that girl Marlo AND Ted were really encouraging for me. my looking forward to such a loving relationship they both had, and i really could feel the love they both exuded on TV. I looked forward to growing up and moving out and being independent and selecting my own clothes and style

even today at 57 years old as of 6-12-2015 i am still looking for that type of love relationship Ted and Marlo portrayed. better yet i am still working on being the type of woman i want to be regardless of the harsh realities of love and life disappointments.

I had no idea Ted died back in 1996. their love and friendship was so heartfelt for me, and i wonder how close if at all they were after the show...finally the story writing and presenting was so cleaver, how the credits were in the opening of the show, in stop sign fashion, man i long for that creativity in the shows of today...and if i had 1/2 the relationship she had with her father on that girl, i might not have needed so much therapy..thank you that girl, you made a difference in my life, and god bless your heart and soul Ted....you are missed.love you both from the 420 state of Colorado

One TV Encyclopedia I consulted claims that since THAT GIRL was canceled in mid-season in 1971, there are "lost episodes" which were never aired, having to do with Ann and Don's wedding plans. IS ABC/TVLAND holding out on us? Can any one confirm or debunk this? As I recall-being 10 years old at the time---the couple spend that entire season looking at furniture, dreaming of a new house, pricing the wedding dress, etc. Also, I find it strange, given that the two are engaged during the last season, that Marlo Thomas supposedly demanded the marriage never take place? What was she going to do; have Ann leave Don at the altar?

I always found it fascinating that during the era of the 60s with flower power, free and easy sex a show like That Girl could gain such popularity. True career girl Ann Marie had a steady boyfriend in Donald Hollinger, but there was never a hint they ever did anything. If they had her father would have been there johnny on the spot.

Whatever success That Girl had it was due to the charm of Marlo Thomas in the lead. She was the image of every fresh and eager young person who wanted to make it big in the place that if you make it there, you make it anywhere.

A father like Lew Parker as Lew Marie would have driven me nuts. Parker is from Brewster, New York one of those commuter towns only an hour or two from Broadway. But he shows up so often I suspect he sublet an apartment. No one, man nor beast, was going to harm daddy's little girl. Did this man not have a living of his own to make?

Ted Bessell came over from Gomer Pyle, got his discharge from the Marines to play the boyfriend. Having only one boyfriend for Thomas kind of robbed the show of something. Not that a few men weren't interested, but you knew it wouldn't go anywhere.

That Girl was certainly a strange show for the decade it came out.

I love this light hearted comedy. Marlo Thomas is so sweet. Her wardrobe was very hip! She wore the coolest clothes. The show had many guest stars like her dad Danny Thomas, Ethel Merman, Milton Berle,and Sid Caesar. Ted Bessell was the perfect choice to play Ann Marie's boyfriend. They had a wonderful chemistry on screen and remained close friends till his death in 1997. Season 1 & 2 are available on DVD now. So go and buy them and enjoy! The show took our minds off of what was really going on in the world. The Vietnam war was raging, the civil rights movement was tearing the nation apart, and Dr. Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy were murdered during the shows run from 1966-1971.

I've been looking for a certain episode, #8, Little Auction Annie for ages. I'm probably the world's biggest That Girl fan and would love to see it on TV Land, instead of some of the so-so shows they've got on now! Any other That Girl fans out there: we should start a campaign to get TV Land to put on That Girl!

I have seen some of the DVD's out with select That Girl shows on....I'd love to see a season-by-season release of all of the shows, however. Anyone know if that is out yet? Or does anyone have episode #8 on VHS or DVD? I love trivia about the show and would play That Girl trivia with anyone interested!

Aspiring actress Ann Marie (Marlo Thomas) is a single gal living alone in New York City. Her father Lew Marie is worried. She encounters magazine writer Donald Hollinger (Ted Bessell) over the purchase of a desk and the confusion whether she needs rescuing or not. The cold openings often ends with the words That Girl and someone pointing at Ann Marie.

Before The Mary Tyler Moore Show, there was That Girl. Single gal sitcoms are a staple of modern network TV but it wasn't always so. Once upon a time, girls were supposed to go from their parents' house to their husbands' house. With times changing, this genre was always going to be a thing but I'm still giving this show an extra point. Marlo Thomas is fun although I want Ann Marie to be less clueless sometimes. Too often, she gets dumb down. The good part is that she's always chipper and hopeful despite all the setbacks. It's light fun. It's also interesting that the show ends without her getting married.

This was a good show in its day,but for the overall comical perspective,especially in several of the episodes,it really lags and slows up the pace. It did have however some good laughs and some good acting and not to mention some of the dialogue for some of the scripts pertaining to the episodes. Premiering on ABC's Thursday night prime- time schedule on September 8,1966 until the final episode of the series airing on March 19,1971 producing 136 episodes,all in color,"That Girl",was about at the time,beginning the forefront of women's liberation and this show was the pioneer of that too,and this was done four years before the debut of The Mary Tyler Moore Show. This was a milestone in women's liberation at its peak,and was the first show to feature an independent woman who wanted to make it on her own without having to rely or her boyfriend or her parents for support and she did that too. The character of Ann Marie(Marlo Thomas)was a very strong willing independent female making a living for herself against the harsh realities of life in New York City. However,she is in between acting and finding other means of employment(such as acting and modeling)and has time to be with her boyfriend Donald Hollinger(Ted Bessell),and has time to spend once in a while with her parents,Lou and Helen Marie(Lew Parker and Rosemary DeCamp)while living independently in her apartment complex(apartment number 4D)in New York's Upper West Side of Manhattan.

There were times when Ann would find herself in awkward situations which were awkward,but at the same time she always gets Donald to help her. The rest of it was okay,which included some special guest stars including comedian George Carlin making his TV debut on this series. The last season of the series,1970-1971,saw Ann and Donald's relationship finally began to blossom as they finally become engaged as they walked down the aisle of marriage,and the episode where they do become enagaged was in the show's final episode. "That Girl",was produced by the team of Sam Denoff,Bill Persky,Bernie Orenstein,and Saul Turteltaub,under the supervision of its star and creator,Marlo Thomas,who was executive producer of this series under her production company,Daisy Productions,and the other team of executives that were in charge of production:Danny Thomas,Sheldon Leonard,and Ronald Jacobs. However,it was Danny Thomas,who gave executives over at ABC-TV the greenlight for this series,and from there ran for five seasons and 136 episodes in it's original prime-time slot. The show would have stayed on another couple of seasons,just to see Ann and Donald lived as a married couple,but it never got off the ground.However,after the success of "That Girl",Mario Thomas went on to produced an array of children's educational shows for ABC-TV in the early 1970's,but as for her co-star Ted Bessell,he should have stick with her,but instead made the biggest mistake of his career when he star in the one of the worst TV shows ever made..."Me And The Chimp".

"That Girl" was so successful in it's five year-run that it won Marlo Thomas in 1967 the Golden Globe for Best Female Actress in a Comedy Series,and was nominated for four Prime-Time Emmys in 1967, 1968, 1970 and 1971 for Best Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series(Ted Bessell),and for Outstanding Direction,and Outstanding Writing in a Prime-Time Comedy Series. Not to mention when ABC canceled the series in 1971, it enjoy a resurgence in 1973 as an animated Saturday Morning cartoon series that was produced by Daisy Productions/Rankin-Bass Entertainment Group with Marlo Thomas providing the voice of Anna Marie in the animated version based on "That Girl" that premiered on ABC's Saturday Morning schedule. Even after 50 years, the series "That Girl" paved the way for the likes of other shows that presented strong independent women making it for themselves. Happy 50th Anniversary That Girl!!! Revised 3/30/2016

Does Donald ever wear anything but a suit and tie? I'm watching all the reruns and I've never seen him wear anything else. Ever. Am I missing something? Doesn't he ever dress casually/? And Ann wasn't independent! She depended on Donald and her father all the time. It seems like every word out of her mouth is "Donald"!!