1 9 6 8 – 1 9 6 9 (USA)
20 x 30 minute episodes
When photographer Gene Blair (Garry Marshal) loses all his shots of local San Francisco hippies, he snaps some photos of his 5′ 7″ 140-pound talent-scout brother Timothy (Peter Kastner) and sends them to a London magazine.
Because Tim has long hair in the photos, the head of the London Modelling Agency, David Courtney (Nicholas Parsons) thinks he has found the new Twiggy and demands that “Timmie” come to London for more modelling.
All of this is just fine by 23-year-old Timothy, who has recently fallen for visiting British actress Julie Renfield (Patricia Brake) and is only too happy to move to London to get closer to her.
Of course, that means Timothy has to maintain his “Timmie” charade, and hilarity was supposed to ensue.
It didn’t, and the show, which debuted on ABC in September 1968, was gone by the end of January 1969. Only 17 of the 20 episodes recorded actually aired.
The series aired on Thursday nights at 7:30 PM. Sponsors included Yardleys of London. Almost every episode contained an original song written by Carole Bayer Sager.
The network had better luck with the cross-dressing theme more than a decade later, when Peter Scolari and Tom Hanks donned dresses for Bosom Buddies, which lasted just shy of four years.
Timothy “Timmie” Blair
Peter Kastner
Gene Blair
Garry Marshal
Julie Renfield
Patricia Brake
Sondra Wolston
Jenny Till
David Courtney
Nicholas Parsons