The common perception of "The Doris Day Show" is that it weakened as it went along, with most writers claiming that Seasons Two and Three are its strongest. Tom Santopietro is especially harsh toward Season Five in his published analysis of Doris Day's work, describing it as pointless and lame. (Did he even really watch Season Five, I wonder? It wasn't on DVD when he wrote his book, his text is short on specifics and never mentions the season's several overt gay references...). I was also a little skeptical about Season Five after Season Four, which is a pretty shaky ride and probably the weakest year of the series. Fortunately, the 1972-1973 season is a total delight; it irons out many of Season Four's wrinkles and in my opinion is the most enjoyable of them all.
We're still dealing here with an essentially light, breezy comedy, and this season does not try to change that basic spirit. But things click in a way they hadn't previously. One advantage is that the rougher edges of Jackie's and Cy's characters have been smoothed over and their characters fleshed out a bit more. Jackie is still marginal, but we get a sense of her quirky personality through more dialogue and those hilarious hairdos. Totally transformed is Cy; whereas in Season Four he was little more than an incompetent boor, in Five he's softened a bit and has a more plausible interaction with Doris Martin. The two actually exhibit great camaraderie, and while they're no Mary Richards and Lou Grant, they play off of each other well. Doris clearly finds working with John Dehner a treat and ad libs off of him wittily and often hilariously.
The writing of Season Five is the most consistent of the entire series. There are no giant clunkers here (like the Orient Express or 'Fat Farm' episodes of Season Four), although some plots work better than others. The producers have scratched the idea of Doris jetting all over the planet and concentrate instead on her balancing the demands of a high-profile career with a romantic life. What surprised me was the degree to which this season casts Doris Martin as a progressive, open-minded, Gloria Steinem-esque feminist, how upfront the show is about that, and how provocative it must have been for its time. Some commentators have criticized the show for presenting Doris with a constantly shifting group of romantic partners; Season Five begins with her old flame Peter but she ends up dating a whole series of men, only to finally become engaged (sort of...) to Jonathan. What people have missed is that Doris and Peter have an open relationship, something they all but state in the season's first episode, and that Doris's romantic activity is actually quite racy by the standards of the early 70s. We're a long way from America's eternal virgin here. Shocking news flash: Doris Martin sleeps around. There are also several references to Doris's gay neighbors, Lance and Lester, and when we finally meet them they're simply the most flaming, campiest things you have ever seen. Even Mary Richards's social circles in Minneapolis never went quite that far! This was 70s San Francisco, after all, and Doris clearly delights in its progressiveness. One regret is that we don't see more of Doris's neighbors, which in addition to the partying gayboys include a funny Jewish couple and a pair of constantly kissing newlyweds.
It's also apparent that CBS upped the show's budget, since we now have location shots in and around the Today's World building and some terrific new sets. Doris's wardrobe is, as always, a thing of wonder; she found a 70s aesthetic that works for her and is dressed to the nines in every scene. This season's fashion show is the longest and most elaborate of any season, with a huge, complex set and a large in-house audience. This season has its casualties, however: the Palluccis have vanished and Mr Jarvis appears in only three episodes, which are actually among the funniest of the bunch.
Then there's Doris. She sports her own (real) long hair this season and looks great, although there are also those mandatory shiny synthetic 70s wigs. In the fashion show she appears in a stunning bikini negligée that fully displays her fantastic, shapely body, at which point your jaw will drop as you realize that this is a woman just short of 50. Her acting is quite brilliant this season, relaxed and in good spirits, and most importantly perfectly at home with the character and plots. Her fun is obvious and infectious. If you don't believe me, compare any episode from this season with one from Seasons Two or Three--the difference in her performance is striking. This is what the show should have been from the beginning.
My only regret is that it took five seasons to get to this point; had this format been in place from the beginning, `The Doris Day Show' could have been top-notch TV. In the end, it's variable, but this season presents it at its best.
One final note: this season contains two episodes--the fashion show and and a cute episode involving two of Doris's real-life dogs--for which Doris Day herself recorded voice-overs in 2006. It's wonderful to hear her discuss these shows, but fans should not expect any great insights from her commentary. She's in her 80s now and sounds it, and moreover doesn't remember many specifics about the show. One senses that in the thirty-five years since it went off the air, she's moved on. But how great that she agreed to be recorded at all!
Buy this now--it's a treat.
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