After her parents’ deaths, newly orphaned 15-year-old Annette McCloud (Annette Funicello) moves away from the small farming community of Beaver Junction, Nebraska to the town of Ashford to live with her wealthy uncle Archie (Richard Deacon) and aunt Lila (Sylvia Field), at 149 Elm Street.
Archie and Lila have a live-in housekeeper named Katie (Mary Wickes).
Annette first befriends Jet Maypen (Judy Nugent), the farm girl who delivers eggs and milk to the families in town. Through Jet, Annette meets Steve Abernathy (Tim Considine) – the most popular boy in town – and his sister Val (Doreen Tracey).
She also makes friends with Mike Martin (David Stollery), a high school senior who is the soda jerk at the Malt Shop; Olmstead ‘Steady’ Ware; Madge Markham (Cheryl Holdridge); Kitty Blaylock (Sharon Baird) and Moselle Corey (Shelley Fabares).
The richest and prettiest girl at Old South High School – where Annette is in tenth grade – is Laura Rogan (Roberta Shore), who the boys call “the slickest chick that ever hit this old town”. Laura takes an instant dislike to Annette when she sees Steve being kind to her. The tension between Annette and Laura provides the primary subplot of the series.
Annette aired as 19 short segments on the final season of The Mickey Mouse Club. The series was adapted from Janette Sebring Lowrey’s 1950 book Margaret.
Steven Abernathy
Tim Considine Mike
David Stollery Annette McCloud
Annette Funicello Drew Stafford
Steve Stevens Val Abernathy
Doreen Tracey Olmstead ‘Steady’ Ware
Rudy Lee Moselle Corey
Shelley Fabares Jet Maypen
Judy Nugent Laura Rogan
Roberta Shore Uncle Archie
Richard Deacon Kitty
Sharon Baird Katie
Mary Wickes Court Whitney
Barry Curtis Aunt Lila
Sylvia Field Madge Markham
Cheryl Holdridge Jimmy Smith
Tommy Cole
Episodes
The Newcomer | Annette Meets Jet | An Invitation | The Escort | The Party | Paying the Piper | The Missing Necklace | What Happened at School | Almost a Fight | Steady Gets an Idea | The Explosion | The Turned Down Invitation | Annette Makes a Decision | The Hayride | The Barbecue | The Fight | The Farewell Letter | Mike to the Rescue | The Mystery is Solved
Annette first befriends Jet Maypen (Judy Nugent), the farm girl who delivers eggs and milk to the families in town. Through Jet, Annette meets Steve Abernathy (Tim Considine) – the most popular boy in town – and his sister Val (Doreen Tracey).
