Tammy

1 9 6 5 – 1 9 6 6  (USA)
26 x 30 minute episodes

The story of Tammy Tarleton (Debbie Watson), a winsome 18-year-old country girl who moved back and forth between her family – who lived on a houseboat on the Louisiana bayou – and the wealthy Brent’s.

Tammy shared the houseboat with her old codger grandfather Mordecai Tarleton (Denver Pyle) and scallywag Uncle Lucius (Frank McGrath) who both claimed to be 1/32 Cherokee Indian. The Tarleton’s did a lot of fishing and also raised farm animals – including Nan the goat and Enoch the mule.

Tammy was also a secretary for the mega-wealthy Brent family who lived on a plantation known as “The Bowers” (she could type 200 words a minute from training she got at Seminola Secretary School). The Brents were very kind to Tammy and very tolerant of her southern ways and patterns of speech.

However, Mr Brent (Donald Woods) had a right-hand man, Dwayne Whitt (George Furth), who was a lot less accepting and would rather have had the very prim and proper Gloria Tate (Linda Marshall) from next door get the secretarial job.

The Tates were snobs without an ounce of humility, especially the matriarch of the family, Lavinia Tate (Dorothy Green), who disliked Tammy immensely, and especially hated her “swampisms.” Lavinia was especially upset when her son Peter (David Macklin) took an interest in pretty Tammy.

Later in the series, cousin Cletus (Dennis Robertson) and his guitar came to live with them on the houseboat.

This ABC series aired on Friday nights at 8 pm between September 1965 and July 1966. Four episodes were edited together to make a 1967 movie titled Tammy and the Millionaire.

Tammy Tarleton
Debbie Watson
Grandpa Mordecai Tarleton
Denver Pyle
Uncle Lucius
Frank McGrath
John Brent
Donald Woods
Steven Brent
Jay Sheffield
Lavinia Tate
Dorothy Green
Gloria Tate
Linda Marshall
Peter Tate
David Macklin
Dwayne Whitt
George Furth
Cousin Cletus Tarleton
Dennis Robertson
Mrs Brent
Doris Packer

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