# The Farmer's Daughter (TV series)

The Farmer's Daughter is an American sitcom, loosely based on the 1947 film, that was produced by Screen Gems Television and aired on ABC from September 20, 1963, to April 22, 1966. It was sponsored by Lark Cigarettes and Clairol, for whom the two leading stars often appeared at the show's end, promoting the products; the commercials were also filmed. The Farmer's Daughter also enjoyed a brief run in syndication when it aired on CBN Cable in the 1980s.

## Overview

The series stars Inger Stevens as Katy Holstrum, a young Swedish woman who becomes the housekeeper for widowed congressman Glen Morley. He has two sons, Steve (age 14) and Danny (8) at the time of the premiere. The congressman's mother is Agatha Morley.
The first and second seasons of the series were filmed in black-and-white, and two episodes of the third season were also filmed in black-and-white; the remaining 28 episodes of the third season were filmed in color. The last episode of the second season featured the two lead characters becoming engaged.
On the November 5, 1965, episode (just in time for sweeps), Katy Holstrum and Glen Morley were married in a wedding ceremony attended by 300 guests. Network censors objected to the original script of the honeymoon episode that had Glen bringing his new bride to a hotel room with twin beds and then saying, "But I asked for a double bed!" Forbidding use of the word "bed," the censors allowed it to be replaced with "accommodations," along with a glance at the bed.
After the wedding episode, the show's ratings, which were already declining, fell, and ABC canceled The Farmer's Daughter. In the penultimate episode, "Is He or Isn't He?", Katy adopts Glen's sons, providing the series closure as well as a happy ending. After the final April 22, 1966 episode, reruns of the show continued until September 2, 1966. The reruns began with a repeat of the wedding episode.
Unlike the 1947 film, Katy never ran for (nor was elected to) Congress in the series.

## Cast

* Inger Stevens as Katrin "Katy" Holstrum (later, Morley)
* William Windom as Glen Morley
* Mickey Sholdar as Steve Morley
* Rory O'Brien as Danny Morley
* Cathleen Nesbitt as Agatha Morley
* Philip Coolidge as Cooper, the butler (1963–1964)
* Florence Ravenel as Millie, the cook (1963–1964)
* Inger Stevens (holding baby) and Beverly Garland, 1963.
* The Farmer's Daughter wedding
* Cathleen Nesbitt in The Farmer's Daughter

## Episodes
### Season 1 (1963–64)

All episodes in black-and-white
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | 1 | "The Speechmaker: Part 1" | Ralph Nelson | John McGreevey | September 20, 1963 (1963-09-20) |
| 2 | 2 | "The Speechmaker: Part 2" | Don Taylor | Steven Gethers | September 27, 1963 (1963-09-27) |
| 3 | 3 | "Where's Katy?" | Don Taylor | Charles Woolf | October 4, 1963 (1963-10-04) |
| 4 | 4 | "An Enterprising Young Man" | William D. Russell | Steven Gethers | October 11, 1963 (1963-10-11) |
| 5 | 5 | "An Affair of State" | Don Taylor | Jerry Davis & Lee Loeb | October 18, 1963 (1963-10-18) |
| 6 | 6 | "The Washington Spotlight" | William D. Russell | Budd Grossman | October 25, 1963 (1963-10-25) |
| 7 | 7 | "The Stand-In" | Gene Nelson | Steven Gethers | November 1, 1963 (1963-11-01) |
| 8 | 8 | "Comes the Revolution" | Mel Ferrer | John McGreevey | November 8, 1963 (1963-11-08) |
| 9 | 9 | "Miss Cheese" | William D. Russell | Jerry Davis | November 15, 1963 (1963-11-15) |
| 10 | 10 | "The Editorial Wheel" | Paul Nickell | Jerry Davis | November 29, 1963 (1963-11-29) |
| 11 | 11 | "I Am the Most Beautiful" | Mel Ferrer | Steven Gethers | December 4, 1963 (1963-12-04) |
| 12 | 12 | "One Rainy Night" | Paul Nickell | Jerry Davis | December 11, 1963 (1963-12-11) |
| 13 | 13 | "The Simple Life" | William D. Russell | Steven Gethers | December 18, 1963 (1963-12-18) |
| 14 | 14 | "The Gypsy Love Song" | Mel Ferrer | Steven Gethers | December 25, 1963 (1963-12-25) |
| 15 | 15 | "Mrs. Golden's Opportunity" | Paul Nickell | Jerry Davis & Lee Loeb | January 1, 1964 (1964-01-01) |
| 16 | 16 | "Nobody's Perfect" | Paul Nickell | William Cowley | January 8, 1964 (1964-01-08) |
| 17 | 17 | "Mr. Smith and the Birds" | Paul Nickell | Jerry Davis & Lee Loeb | January 15, 1964 (1964-01-15) |
| 18 | 18 | "Cousin Helga Came to Dinner" | Paul Nickell | Meyer Dolinsky | January 22, 1964 (1964-01-22) |
| 19 | 19 | "Marriage is for Real People" | Don Taylor | Steven Gethers | January 29, 1964 (1964-01-29) |
| 20 | 20 | "Katy and the Imagemaker" | Paul Nickell | Peggy Chandler Dick | February 5, 1964 (1964-02-05) |
| 21 | 21 | "The Playboy of Capitol Hill" | Gene Reynolds | William Cowley | February 12, 1964 (1964-02-12) |
| 22 | 22 | "Bless Our Happy Home" | Gene Reynolds | Jerry Davis & Lee Loeb | February 19, 1964 (1964-02-19) |
| 23 | 23 | "Katy and the Prince" | Paul Nickell | Walter Black | February 26, 1964 (1964-02-26) |
| 24 | 24 | "The Swinger" | Gene Reynolds | Steven Gethers | March 4, 1964 (1964-03-04) |
| 25 | 25 | "Katy Gets Arrested" | Gene Reynolds | Jerry Davis & Lee Loeb | March 11, 1964 (1964-03-11) |
| 26 | 26 | "The Turkish Delight" | Don Taylor | Jerry Davis & Lee Loeb | March 18, 1964 (1964-03-18) |
| 27 | 27 | "Christopher Columbus Who?" | Don Taylor | Arnold Horwitt | March 25, 1964 (1964-03-25) |
| 28 | 28 | "The One Eyed Sloth" | Peter Kortner | Steven Gethers | April 1, 1964 (1964-04-01) |
| 29 | 29 | "Young and in Love" | William D. Russell | Peggy Chandler Dick | April 8, 1964 (1964-04-08) |
| 30 | 30 | "The Morley Report" | Jerry Paris | Meyer Dolinsky | April 15, 1964 (1964-04-15) |
| 31 | 31 | "The Octopus" | William D. Russell | John McGreevey | April 22, 1964 (1964-04-22) |
| 32 | 32 | "The Next Mrs. Morley" | Paul Nickell | Charles Woolf | April 29, 1964 (1964-04-29) |
| 33 | 33 | "Rendezvous for Two" | William D. Russell | Steven Gethers | May 6, 1964 (1964-05-06) |
| 34 | 34 | "My Son, the Athlete" | William D. Russell | Peggy Chandler Dick & Mike Adams | May 13, 1964 (1964-05-13) |
| 35 | 35 | "Mismatch Maker" | Don Taylor | Steven Gethers | May 20, 1964 (1964-05-20) |
| 36 | 36 | "A Locket for Agatha" | Don Taylor | Lee Loeb | May 27, 1964 (1964-05-27) |

### Season 2 (1964–65)

All episodes in black-and-white
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 37 | 1 | "The Waiting Game" | Don Taylor | Steven Gethers | September 18, 1964 (1964-09-18) |
| 38 | 2 | "The Mink Machine" | Don Taylor | Stan Cutler | September 25, 1964 (1964-09-25) |
| 39 | 3 | "Real Live Congressman" | William D. Russell | William Cowley | October 2, 1964 (1964-10-02) |
| 40 | 4 | "Past Perfect" | Don Taylor | Steven Gethers | October 9, 1964 (1964-10-09) |
| 41 | 5 | "Scandal in Washington" | William D. Russell | Jerry Seelen & Jack Raymond | October 16, 1964 (1964-10-16) |
| 42 | 6 | "Love on the Picket Line" | William D. Russell | Richard Powell | October 23, 1964 (1964-10-23) |
| 43 | 7 | "The Name of the Game" | William D. Russell | Richard Powell | October 30, 1964 (1964-10-30) |
| 44 | 8 | "Help Not Wanted" | Don Taylor | Mae Day & Peggy Chandler Dick | November 6, 1964 (1964-11-06) |
| 45 | 9 | "Big Sultan, Little Sultan" | William D. Russell | Peggy Chandler Dick | November 13, 1964 (1964-11-13) |
| 46 | 10 | "Katy's 76th Birthday" | Don Taylor | Jerry Davis | November 20, 1964 (1964-11-20) |
| 47 | 11 | "The Neutral" | Don Taylor | Stan Cutler | November 27, 1964 (1964-11-27) |
| 48 | 12 | "Speak for Yourself, John Katy" | William D. Russell | Peggy Chandler Dick | December 4, 1964 (1964-12-04) |
| 49 | 13 | "Matter of Honor" | Fred de Cordova | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | December 11, 1964 (1964-12-11) |
| 50 | 14 | "The Helping Hand" | Leonard Horn | Stan Cutler | December 18, 1964 (1964-12-18) |
| 51 | 15 | "Like Father, Like Son" | Bob Claver | Peggy Chandler Dick | December 25, 1964 (1964-12-25) |
| 52 | 16 | "Another Country Heard From" | Gene Nelson | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | January 1, 1965 (1965-01-01) |
| 53 | 17 | "Follow the Leader" | Gene Nelson | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | January 8, 1965 (1965-01-08) |
| 54 | 18 | "The Oscar Hummingbird Story" | Gene Nelson | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | January 15, 1965 (1965-01-15) |
| 55 | 19 | "The Nesting Instinct" | Gene Nelson | Peggy Chandler Dick | January 22, 1965 (1965-01-22) |
| 56 | 20 | "A Plague on Both Their Houses" | Alan Rafkin | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | January 29, 1965 (1965-01-29) |
| 57 | 21 | "Katy by Moonlight" | Gene Nelson | Phil Leslie & Keith Fowler | February 5, 1965 (1965-02-05) |
| 58 | 22 | "Exit Katy" | William Colleran | Peggy Chandler Dick | February 12, 1965 (1965-02-12) |
| 59 | 23 | "Rich Man, Poor Man" | Gene Nelson | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | February 19, 1965 (1965-02-19) |
| 60 | 24 | "Crime of Passion" | Fred de Cordova | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | March 5, 1965 (1965-03-05) |
| 61 | 25 | "Why Don't They Ever Pick Me?" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | March 12, 1965 (1965-03-12) |
| 62 | 26 | "Katy's New Job" | Herb Wallerstein | Peggy Chandler Dick | March 19, 1965 (1965-03-19) |
| 63 | 27 | "Katy's Campaign" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | March 19, 1965 (1965-03-19) |
| 64 | 28 | "The Woman Behind the Man" | Fred de Cordova | Joanna Lee & Howard Merrill | April 2, 1965 (1965-04-02) |
| 65 | 29 | "Katy the Diplomat" | Edmond Levy | James Allardice & Tom Adair | April 16, 1965 (1965-04-16) |
| 66 | 30 | "Katy's Castle" | William D. Russell | Warner Law | April 23, 1965 (1965-04-23) |
| 67 | 31 | "Never Listen to Rumors" | William D. Russell | Phil Leslie | April 30, 1965 (1965-04-30) |
| 68 | 32 | "Ja, Ja, a Thousand Times, Ja" | William D. Russell | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | May 7, 1965 (1965-05-07) |
| 69 | 33 | "Nej, Nej, a Thousand Times, Nej" | William D. Russell | Peggy Chandler Dick | May 14, 1965 (1965-05-14) |
| 70 | 34 | "The Hottest Ticket in Town" | William D. Russell | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | May 21, 1965 (1965-05-21) |
| 71 | 35 | "Why Wait 'Till November?" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | May 28, 1965 (1965-05-28) |

### Season 3 (1965–66)

The third and fourth episodes in black-and-white, the remainder in color
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 72 | 1 | "Here Comes the Bride's Father" | Richard Kinon | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | September 13, 1965 (1965-09-13) |
| 73 | 2 | "Babe in the Woods" | Richard Kinon | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | September 20, 1965 (1965-09-20) |
| 74 | 3 | "Stag at Bay" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | September 27, 1965 (1965-09-27) |
| 75 | 4 | "Sleeping Beauty Revisited" | Bob Claver | Peggy Chantler Dick | October 11, 1965 (1965-10-11) |
| 76 | 5 | "Forever is a Cast Iron Mess" | Richard Kinon | Phil Leslie | October 18, 1965 (1965-10-18) |
| 77 | 6 | "Powder Puff Invasion" | Herb Wallerstein | Peggy Chandler Dick | October 25, 1965 (1965-10-25) |
| 78 | 7 | "To Have and to Hold" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | November 5, 1965 (1965-11-05) |
| 79 | 8 | "Crisis at Crystal Springs" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | November 12, 1965 (1965-11-12) |
| 80 | 9 | "A Sonny Honeymoon" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | November 19, 1965 (1965-11-19) |
| 81 | 10 | "High Fashion" | Richard Kinon | Joseph C. Cavella | November 26, 1965 (1965-11-26) |
| 82 | 11 | "The Platinum Swizzle Stick" | Richard Kinon | Warner Law | December 3, 1965 (1965-12-03) |
| 83 | 12 | "Steve, Boy Lovelorn" | Bob Claver | Peggy Chandler Dick | December 10, 1965 (1965-12-10) |
| 84 | 13 | "Jewel Beyond Compare" | Richard Kinon | Stanley H. Silverman | December 17, 1965 (1965-12-17) |
| 85 | 14 | "Glen-a-Gogh-Goh" | Seymour Robbie | Stanley H. Silverman | December 24, 1965 (1965-12-24) |
| 86 | 15 | "Simple Joys of Nature" | Richard Kinon | Warner Law | December 31, 1965 (1965-12-31) |
| 87 | 16 | "Moe Hill and the Mountains" | Richard Kinon | Joseph C. Cavella & Carol Cavella | January 7, 1966 (1966-01-07) |
| 88 | 17 | "Oh, Boy, Is the Honeymoon Over?" | Sam Freedle | Peggy Chandler Dick | January 14, 1966 (1966-01-14) |
| 89 | 18 | "The Fall and Rise of Steven Morley" | Bob Claver | Warner Law | January 21, 1966 (1966-01-21) |
| 90 | 19 | "Have You Ever Thought of Building?" | Sam Freedle | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | January 28, 1966 (1966-01-28) |
| 91 | 20 | "Katy in a Capsule" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | February 4, 1966 (1966-02-04) |
| 92 | 21 | "Lo, the Smart Indian" | Herb Wallerstein | Stanley H. Silverman | February 11, 1966 (1966-02-11) |
| 93 | 22 | "Steve, Boy Bohemian" | Richard Kinon | Peggy Chandler Dick | February 18, 1966 (1966-02-18) |
| 94 | 23 | "Alias Katy Morley" | Sam Freedle | Don Richman & Janet Carlson | February 25, 1966 (1966-02-25) |
| 95 | 24 | "Anyone for Spindling?" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | March 4, 1966 (1966-03-04) |
| 96 | 25 | "Twelve Angry Women" | Richard Kinon | Janet Carlson & Don Richman | March 11, 1966 (1966-03-11) |
| 97 | 26 | "The Last to Know" | Richard Kinon | Don Richman & Janet Carlson | March 18, 1966 (1966-03-18) |
| 98 | 27 | "My Papa, the Politician" | Sam Freedle | Peggy Chandler Dick | March 25, 1966 (1966-03-25) |
| 99 | 28 | "The Wife of Your Friend May Not Be a Friend of Your Wife" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | April 1, 1966 (1966-04-01) |
| 100 | 29 | "Is He or Isn't He?" | Jerrold Bernstein | Peggy Chandler Dick | April 8, 1966 (1966-04-08) |
| 101 | 30 | "Half an Anniversary" | Bob Claver | Stan Cutler & Martin Donovan | April 22, 1966 (1966-04-22) |

## Production

While the first two seasons were black & white, the third season brought some changes to the format, as the series began filming episodes in color. However, the third and fourth episodes had been shot in black-and-white.

## Reception

In its first season (filmed in black-and-white), The Farmer's Daughter competed against The Twilight Zone on CBS and the short-lived Larry Blyden series Harry's Girls on NBC. The series never reached the top 30 in ratings, but during its first two years it earned respectable ratings and proved to be moderately successful.

### Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
| 1964 | Golden Globe Award | Winner | Best TV Star - Female | Inger Stevens |
| 1964 | TV Guide Award | Winner | Favorite Female Performer | Inger Stevens |
| 1964 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy or Variety | Jerry Davis, Steve Gethers, Lee Loeb, and John McGreevey |
| 1964 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Comedy | - |
| 1964 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy | Paul Nickell, William D. Russell, and Don Taylor |
| 1964 | Emmy Award | Nominated | Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Series (Lead) | Inger Stevens |