This CBS sitcom starred Doris Day as Doris Martin in a number of different scenarios.
In the first season, Doris was a widowed mum who relinquished her career as a singer in San Francisco to run her father’s Mill Valley ranch with the help of her two young sons, Billy (Philip Brown) and Toby (Todd Starke).
Her father, Buck Webb (Denver Pyle), was also assisted on the ranch by hired hand, Leroy B. Simpson (James Hampton) and housekeeper, Aggie (Fran Ryan) who was later replaced by Juanita (Naomi Stevens).
In the second season, Doris began work as an executive secretary for a glossy magazine in San Francisco called Today’s World – “The Now Magazine”.
Although she originally commuted from the ranch, Doris and the children – and a large sheepdog named Nelson – eventually moved to San Francisco and took up residence at 965 North Parkway in apartment 207 (above Palucci’s Italian Restaurant).
Her landlords were restaurant owners Angie (Kaye Ballard) and Louie Palucci (Bernie Kopell), and her boss at the magazine was Michael Nicholson (McLean Stevenson). Myrna Gibbons (Rose Marie) was a secretary with whom she became friendly.
One of the most popular characters on the show was Doris’s prissy set-in-his-ways bachelor neighbour, Willard Jarvis, played by the very funny Billy De Wolfe.
In the third season, Doris was a reporter at the magazine working for assistant editor Ron Harvey (Paul Smith), and by the fourth season, she was romantically involved with Dr Peter Lawrence, played by Peter Lawford, and the children, the dog, and the entire cast from previous seasons disappeared.
Throughout the entire series – which was produced by Day’s son, Terry Melcher – the theme song was Que Sera Sera, sung (naturally) by Doris Day.
Doris Martin
Doris Day
Billy Martin
Philip Brown
Toby Martin
Todd Starke
Buck Webb
Denver Pyle
Leroy B. Simpson James Hampton
Myrna Gibbons
Rose Marie
Cy Bennett
John Dehner Michael Nicholson
McLean Stevenson
Jackie Parker
Jackie Joseph
Ron Harvey
Paul Smith Juanita Naomi Stevens Willard Jarvis
Billy De Wolfe Aggie Thompson
Fran Ryan Angie Palucci
Kaye Ballard Louie Pallucci
Bernie Kopell Dr Peter Lawrence
Peter Lawford Nelson the Sheepdog
Lord Nelson
In the second season, Doris began work as an executive secretary for a glossy magazine in San Francisco called Today’s World – “The Now Magazine”.
