My Three Sons Season 12 Episode 10 Katie's Career 22/11/1971

No sign of any of the three/four sons in this episode and only one of the triplets makes a brief appearance, a good thing this show was pre pay television otherwise  rebates for errant sons would have been demanded.

The theme of this show is clearly women leaving the home to find work and Katie Douglas gets some cockamamie idea in her head she wants to be a coffee shop singer while her husband Robbie is away, a plan Steve supports, he'll be sorry a little later though. She initially thinks she has turfed out in the audition but when the creepy mustachioed coffee shop owner Mr Leslie comes to the Douglas household to offer her the job her spirit is buoyed, but Uncle Charley and Steve do not trust him and eye him off warily. If I was mr Leslie I would be eyeing off Uncle Charley's dyed ginger hair, that's if you can even look directly at it because of the weird shine bouncing off it?

Barbara Douglas assures the family that Katie is fine under the supervision of mr Leslie but only two nights go by before Steve cannot contain his instinct to stick his beak in and on the third night he and Charley both end up going down to check up on Katie. Turn's out there's a Mrs Leslie, Mr Leslie is a good guy and Katie is a smash hit with the patrons. 

Unfortunately in the end Katie decides to quit the singing job due to one of the triplets coming down with the sniffles, this is a decision fully supported by the family. Katie now realizes that a woman's place is definitely in the home no matter how much fame, fortune or lustre of mustache is on offer. 

Two O'Clock Feeding, Season 9, Episode 27 05/04/1969

The excitement is palpable in the Douglas household because Ernie has run into his old pal 'Shorty' Crawford, in fact the whole Crawford family has moved into the area from the old Douglas stomping grounds of Bryant Park. Robbie is particularly keen to catch up with his friend Johnny Crawford as he was best man at his wedding to Betty, and they have a new baby, but Robbie has triplets, one feels Robbie is just waiting for a chance to gloat over his superior virility too his friend.

    

When Chip arrives he chastises the hapless Ernie for not getting the number of the Crawford daughter Susan, Chip has somehow calculated that the girl who ''Looked liked a june bug and walked like a stork'' is now ''A real groove!'' and suitable for dating. I feel Chip is way out of line to expect disrespect Ernie like this, I just hope he gets his comeuppance later on.

A catch up barbeque for the two families is arranged. As soon as Susan is through  the door Chip grabs the young ladies hand and whisks her off to another room, talk about your fast movers! I like Chip's ''go get 'em'' attitude but right in front of her parents? Bad form Chip. During the visit Johnny confides in Robbie that he and Betty are separating citing new baby stress as the reason. Robbie is deeply concerned for his friend and thinks the couple should stay together for the babies sake. One happy baby, two unhappy parents? Hmm I have my doubts but I'm prepared to see where Robbie is going with this.

Things swiftly come too a head as Robbie suggests Steve as the uber-father figure should intervene in the separation and mediate a resolution. Steve reluctantly agrees to do this but doesn't really need to do anything because Johnny and Betty suddenly notice how well the Douglas family cope with three babies and then decide that surely they can put aside their problems and deal with just one, all it takes is just a little bit of Douglas family magic!

Chip's pigeons come home too roost when his aggressive courting of Susan succeeds, she now likes Chip, but now he doesn't like her, well, reap what you sew young man! Steve insists that Chip continue to see Susan out of politeness which is only fair enough. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fS33Ui9nf_Y&feature=related

Chip Off the Old Block Season 1 Episode 1 29/09/1960

This story begins with the writer deftly pointing out that the Douglas household, is sadly, motherless. This is done by way of a traveling cosmetics salesman that calls on the house where the maid come grandfather, Bub, bizarrely explains that he is the ''nearest thing to a lady round here''  this is after mistakingly being called Madam by the salesman. Hmm, anyone else sensing a theme of sexual ambiguity in this? More about that later.

It seems number three son, Chip aged about 8, is under some duress both at school and home as he is being pressured into a relationship with his schoolmate 'Goof Eyes' Doreen Peters. After quite rightly and rudely resisting her advances, father Steve strangely instructs the boy to spend time with the tiny stalker under the mantle of ''being a gentleman'' and forbids any more rudeness. But is encouraging compulsive personalities in this way a good idea? We shall see.

The saga continues after Chip, who now a virtually prisoner in his own home is forced into meeting with Doreen after Bub declares ''She looks pretty cute to me!''. Meanwhile Steve has picked up his own stalker in the form of blonde Pam, she winkles information out of Steve like a pretty, buxom Gestapo android and before you can say restraining order, Steve is trapped in several dates with Pam as she most likely eyes off a new marriage and the family home and fortune. Chip points out that his father needs to take some of his own advice.

In conclusion Chip finally manages to convince Doreen to stop harassing him but Steve is unsuccessful in the same way with Pam, Steve is now probably set for a huge struggle with this potentially violent sociopath and I for one fear for the outcome. Also, Bub seems confused about his sexuality after proclaiming to be a man, then a woman, confessing an attraction for young ladies then finishing the show with an impression of a gay man, this will most likely be explored in further episodes.