Product Details

• Actors: Brian Keith, Sebastian Cabot, Anissa Jones, Johnny Whitaker, Norman Alden
• Directors: James Sheldon, William D. Russell
• Writers: Austin Kalish, Cynthia Lindsay, Don Fedderson, Dorothy Cooper, Doug Tibbles
• Format: Box set, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono)
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Number of discs: 5
• Studio: Mpi Home Video
• DVD Release Date: June 27, 2006
• Run Time: 750 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B000EXZFS0
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #31,234 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Television > Funny Families > Family Affair

• For more information about "Family Affair - Season 1" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Though it never garnered much critical acclaim during its network run (1966-71), the TV comedy-drama Family Affair has been a viewer favorite for decades thanks to its gentle tone, adorable cast, and simple but sweet storylines; the charm of the show has been well preserved on this debut season set. The appeal of Family Affair came from the relationship between wealthy bachelor engineer (gruff character actor Brian Keith), his manservant Mr. French (Sebastian Cabot), and the three children (Johnny Whitaker, Kathy Garver, and Anissa Jones) of his late brother, who have come to live with them. The stories in the first season may have been lightweight--Cissy (Garver) doesn't want to go to boarding school ("The Matter of School"); Buffy (Jones) loses her Mrs. Beasley doll ("Mrs. Beasley, Where Are You?"), Bill and Jody (Whitaker) try to go on a trip ("One for the Little Boy")--but there's no denying that Keith, Cabot, and the young cast approach the material with honesty and genuine emotion, which undoubtedly provides some of the reason for the program's enduring appeal. The set's five discs include all 29 episodes of the 1966-67 season, a gallery of production stills, and a featurette starring the now grown-up Garver, who provides some tidbits of information about the show's genesis, as well as her own reminiscences about the series. --Paul Gaita

Product Description

Family Affair was a popular situation comedy and a regular top 20 hit show for CBS-TV during its five-year run from 1966-71. Brian Keith stars as bachelor Bill Davis, a highly-paid engineering consultant who lives in a posh Manhattan apartment with his proper English manservant, Mr. Giles French (Sebastian Cabot). Davis’ carefree existence is turned upside down when his brother and sister-in-law die suddenly in a tragic plane accident, leaving their three children orphaned. Davis becomes an instant father figure to six year-old twins, Buffy and Jody (Annisa Jones, Johnnie Whitaker) and their big sister, Cissy (Kathy Garver). Despite their reservations, Davis and French grow attached to the children. Through humorous trial and error, coupled with big doses of love and patience, the five become a real family. Not only was the series a household favorite, but Buffy’s best friend and confidante, Mrs. Beasley was a huge star in her own right. The talking Mrs. Beasley doll was first introduced in 1967. Coloring books, paper dolls, games and a Family Affair lunch box soon followed. Just like Buffy, the highly collectible Mrs. Beasley was a source of friendship and comfort to little girls everywhere. Family Affair Season 1 contains 30 episodes on 5 discs.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic TV show gets classy treatment on DVD, June 25, 2006

By	Pageturner in NYC (Manhattan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Affair - Season 1 (DVD)

I remember loving this TV show when I was very young and so I approached re-viewing it 40 years later with much trepidation because I was not sure how it would hold up. I didnt remember this sitcom being heavy with jokes and punchlines, so I worried that it might have aged badly. I'm very relieved to say that the 30 episodes in this set are wonderful and the entire cast is restrained, believable and talented. This is one of those heart-warmer comedies that aren't made any more. Its humor comes from the situations rather than a goofy setup or (worse yet) impossibly adult wisecracks coming out of the mouths of young children. When bachelor Bill Davis (Brian Keith) inherits the three children of his late brother and sister-in-law (Anissa Jones, Johnnie Whittaker and Kathy Garver), he and his butler (er "gentleman's gentleman, Mr. French, played by Sebastian Cabot)find themselves suddenly having to raise three kids. Be forewarned, the first few episodes are real tear-jerkers as the kids continually believe they will be sent away to another relative. The DVD's picture is vibrant--it was one of the first color TV shows besides BONANZA-- and the stories are captivating.

The only confusing part of the DVD experience is that each episode begins with a pre-opening credits sequence--sometimes the scene that plays is a scene you'll see later in the episode and sometimes its the actual beginning of the episode, so don't be too quick to speed past the opening sequence. The DVD doesn't have chapter breaks within each episode. Sadly, there's no commentaries (only Garver and Whittaker are still alive from the core cast) but on the final disk, Garver hosts a special feature that takes you behind the scenes of the show and she's just as effusive and attractive as she was when she was first cast in the show--she was 18 when she was cast as 15-year-old Sissy. She also explains how Brian Keith agreed to do the TV show as long as he could film all his scenes one right after another (much the way Fred MacMurray did on MY THREE SONS), so he would only have to commit to a few months filming a TV show rather than a much lengthier filming period. This meant that many of the cast filmed their reaction shots to sequences weeks later. Even with this knowldge, its almost impossible to spot any odd continuity; it plays seemlessly--which is certainly high praise for William D. Russell, who directed all by the first episode.

Guests stars during this first season (1966)includes Myrna Loy, with reoccurring appearnaces by Heather Angel as another nanny, Miss Faversham. John Williams appears in episodes 18--26 as Mr French's brother, who looks after the family when his brother is called away (Cabot was ill at the time--can anyone explain why Cabot is wearing a bandage on his hand for almost half of the first season's episodes?).

Best episodes for season one include: the first show, "Buffy"; "Take Two Aspirin" (ep #11, when Uncle Bill is in Mexico and Fench gets the flu); "The Thursday Man" (ep #13, which deepens the characters of Sissy and Mr French); "All Around the Town" (ep #17, where the twins get lost in the city); and "Once In Love With Buffy" (ep #21 when Aunt Fran returns and wants Buffy and Sissy to come live with her).

This is a DVD set well worth owning.

NOTE: One of the other reviews posted on Amazon complained that there was no list of the episodes on each disk. My set contained a glossy insert that listed all teh shows and noted which disk they were on. Maybe it was left out of his set. (Although, thanks for the helpful list of season one's episodes.)

44 of 49 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars GREAT!, March 29, 2006

By	60's fan "dvd" (Cedartown, Ga. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Affair - Season 1 (DVD)

Brian Keith and the whole cast made this show a winner. It was funny and the whole family could watch. I am glad that this and other shows of the 60's are being released on DVD. It gives me something to watch. TV has lost it's innocence.

49 of 56 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Can't wait for this beloved show!, March 20, 2006

By	fivemile13 (Webster, New York USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Family Affair - Season 1 (DVD)

I am so excited to actually be able to see this neglected gem once again. It hasn't been re-run on any networks, even cable, in years and years. Looking forward to Cissy's romance in Tahiti, Jody clipping Mr. French's beard, the substitute Mr. French (played by John Williams--not the orchestra conductor but the actor who did the "Masterpieces of Music" commercial ("I'm sure you recognize this lovely melody as 'Stranger in Paradise,' but did you actually know it is based on the Polovtsian Dance number 2 by Borodin?"), stickball in the park, Uncle Bee-iill, Buffy and her beloved Mrs. Beasley, and the excitement of New York in the 60's. IT'S ABOUT TIME!!!! Now let's get out a few more 60s favorites like "That Girl!"