This show’s title referred to the three steps up to the balcony of the New York tenement slum of Mary Claire “Poco” Thurmond (played by Phyllis Hill, Diana Douglas and Kathleen Maguire successively), where one could see the sky and escape the garbage below.
Poco certainly needed this optimistic outlook, as the small-town girl found plenty of dilemmas in her efforts to become a model and carry on a romance with Bill Morgan (played by Walter Brooke, Gene Blakely and Mark Roberts in turn), a writer who liked to help people.
In the debut episode, Bill aided a frightened woman married to an evil psychiatrist with underworld connections. Such altruism impressed Poco, who eventually married him despite many obstacles.
Among other characters, Jason Cleve (Lauren Gilbert), Nan Waring (Beth Douglas), and Jennifer Allen (Lori March) – formerly a competitor for Bill’s affections – were pals of Poco’s. Vince Bannister (John Marley) was a gangster who harassed Poco a lot.
NBC broadcast at least one episode in colour.
Mary Claire “Poco” Thurmond
Phyllis Hill (1)
Diana Douglas (2)
Kathleen Maguire (3) Bill Morgan
Walter Brooke (1)
Gene Blakely (2)
Mark Roberts (3) Vince Bannister
John Marley Barry Thurmond
Roger Sullivan Jennifer Allen
Lori March Alice Trent
Laurie Vendig Jason Cleve
Lauren Gilbert Nan Waring
Beth Douglas Beth Waring
Madeline Belgard
