Bill Bixby wasn't just a guy with a nice suit and a decent haircut. In 1969, he became the face of a specific kind of American vulnerability that television didn't really know what to do with yet. Most people remember The Courtship of Eddie's Father for that incredibly catchy theme song—"People let me tell you 'bout my best friend"—but if you actually sit down and watch the pilot today, it’s surprisingly heavy. It isn't just a sitcom. It’s a study in grief, parenting, and the awkward transition from the rigid 1950s nuclear family to the messy reality of the 1970s.
Television was changing. Fast.
The show, which ran on ABC from 1969 to 1972, followed Tom Corbett, a magazine editor and recent widower, as he navigated life with his young son, Eddie, played by Brandon Cruz. It was based on a 1963 movie starring Glenn Ford, but the TV version had a different soul. It felt more intimate. Less "Hollywood." Bixby and Cruz had this chemistry that you just can't fake, mostly because Bixby took the kid under his wing in real life, too. They were close. You can see it in the way they look at each other during those long, unscripted-feeling conversations at the end of each episode.
Breaking the Sitcom Mold with Tom Corbett
Back then, sitcoms usually had a "problem of the week" that got solved with a joke and a hug. While The Courtship of Eddie's Father had those elements, it leaned into the uncomfortable silence of a house where a mother was missing. Tom Corbett wasn't a bumbling dad. He was capable, professional, and deeply lonely.
The show was produced by James Komack, who had a very specific vision for how dialogue should sound. He wanted it to feel like real life. This meant characters talked over each other. They used slang. They had "Mrs. Livingston," the Japanese housekeeper played by Miyoshi Umeki, who provided a calm, philosophical anchor to the household. Umeki was already an Academy Award winner (for Sayonara), and she brought a level of dignity to a role that, in lesser hands, could have been a walking stereotype. She wasn't just the help; she was the emotional glue.
Honestly, the show was kind of progressive for its time. It tackled race and culture without being preachy. It showed a single father who was actually parenting, not just waiting for a woman to come home and fix dinner. Tom Corbett was doing the work.
The Realism of Brandon Cruz
Brandon Cruz was a revelation. Most child actors in the late sixties were "stagey." They hit their marks and shouted their lines. Cruz felt like a kid you’d actually meet at a park. He was inquisitive, sometimes annoying, and constantly trying to find a new wife for his dad—hence the "courtship" in the title.
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But the "courtship" was almost a secondary plot point. The real heart was the friendship.
They did something interesting with the cinematography, too. They used a lot of location shooting around Los Angeles, which gave it a gritty, realistic texture compared to the flat, brightly lit sets of The Brady Bunch. When Tom and Eddie are walking along the beach or through a park, it feels like a documentary of a specific moment in time. The colors are muted. The air feels a bit hazy. It’s pure 1970s aesthetic before the 70s even fully arrived.
Why the Theme Song Matters
"Best Friend" was written and performed by Harry Nilsson. If you know anything about Nilsson, you know he was a bit of a chaotic genius—a favorite of The Beatles and a man who could write a melody that stayed in your brain for decades. The song set the tone perfectly. It wasn't about a father and a son; it was about two people who genuinely liked each other.
- It wasn't a march or a jingle.
- It was a mid-tempo, piano-driven pop song.
- The lyrics emphasized companionship over authority.
That shift in perspective—from "I am your father" to "You are my best friend"—was a radical departure from the Father Knows Best era. It signaled to the audience that the power dynamic in the American family was shifting. Kids were becoming people with their own agency and opinions.
The Tragic Shadow Over the Legacy
It’s hard to talk about The Courtship of Eddie's Father without mentioning the tragedy that followed Bill Bixby. He was a man who seemed to have it all, but his life was marked by immense loss. Years after the show ended, Bixby’s own son, Christopher, died at the age of six. Not long after, his ex-wife committed suicide. Bixby himself died of complications from prostate cancer in 1993.
Knowing this makes the show almost painful to watch now. When you see Tom Corbett comforting Eddie about the loss of his mother, you’re seeing a man who would eventually have to live through that nightmare in reverse.
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Fans of the show often point to Bixby’s performance as the gold standard for "TV dads." He was firm but incredibly gentle. He never talked down to Eddie. He explained the world to him with a level of honesty that was rare for primetime. Whether they were talking about death, dating, or why people are mean, the dialogue felt earned.
The Supporting Cast was Top Tier
James Komack didn't just stop at the leads. You had James Komack himself appearing as "Uncle" Norman Tinker, the quirky, slightly bohemian photographer who worked with Tom. He was the comic relief, sure, but he also represented the burgeoning "counterculture" influence that was bleeding into corporate America.
Then there was Kristina Holland as Tina Rickles, Tom’s secretary. She was sharp, independent, and wasn't just there to fetch coffee. The workplace dynamics at the magazine (Tomorrow magazine, a fictionalized version of something like Look or Life) gave the show a sophisticated, urban vibe. It felt like a show for adults that kids happened to love, rather than a "kids' show."
Misconceptions and Forgotten Facts
People often confuse this show with other "single dad" tropes of the era, like My Three Sons or The Andy Griffith Show. But those shows were rooted in small-town or traditional values. The Courtship of Eddie's Father was strictly cosmopolitan. It was about living in an apartment, working in a skyscraper, and navigating the complexities of a modern city.
Another thing people forget? The show was a hit but was canceled after three seasons mostly due to behind-the-scenes friction and a shift in network priorities. It didn't "fail." It just ran out of steam in a changing corporate environment.
The show also pioneered the "tag" ending. You know the one. The screen freezes on a shot of Tom and Eddie laughing, usually with a bit of voiceover dialogue that summarizes the lesson of the day. It’s a trope now, but back then, it was a way to leave the audience feeling warm after a potentially heavy thirty minutes.
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How to Watch it Today
Finding the show isn't always easy. It’s not constantly looping on the major streaming platforms like The Office or Friends. However, it does pop up on networks like MeTV or Catchy Comedy (formerly Decades).
If you want the full experience, the DVD sets are the way to go because they haven't been edited for modern commercial lengths. You get the full, breathing room of the original edits.
What We Can Learn from Tom and Eddie
There's a lot of talk today about "gentle parenting." If you look closely, Tom Corbett was doing it in 1970. He listened. He asked questions. He validated Eddie’s feelings.
If you're a fan of television history, or just someone who appreciates a story about the bond between two people trying to make sense of a broken world, this show is a masterclass. It’s a reminder that even when things are "sorta" falling apart, having a best friend makes it bearable.
Next Steps for the Classic TV Fan:
- Watch the Pilot Episode: Compare it to the 1963 film. The difference in tone tells you everything you need to know about how the 60s ended.
- Listen to Nilsson’s "The Point!": If you liked the theme song, this album is by the same artist and carries that same whimsical yet melancholy energy.
- Track Down Bill Bixby's Interviews: He was an incredibly articulate man who took the craft of acting very seriously, which is why his performance as Tom Corbett remains so grounded.
- Look for the "Mrs. Livingston" Episodes: Pay attention to how the show handled her Japanese heritage; for 1969, it was remarkably respectful and nuanced.