To Rome With Love
Encyclopedia
To Rome With Love is an American sitcom
that aired on CBS
from September 1969 to September 1971.
ed college
professor
, Michael Endicott, who decided to leave his native Iowa
following the death of his wife and accept a new position as an instructor at the American Overseas School of Rome
.
The culture shock
of his children in reacting to their new environment, and, to an extent, his own, provided the main humor in the series. Family situations provided most of the rest. Early on, much of this came from Endicott's single sister Harriet who followed them to Rome
, apparently for the sole purposes of dissuading them from living there and to cajole them into returning to Iowa. Harriet soon departed, but her place was taken shortly afterward by Andy Pruitt, Endicott's father-in-law and the children's grandfather. He came to Rome for a brief visit with them but wound up staying indefinitely.
as Aunt Harriet did not catch on with viewers and as a result, she was phased out of the series shortly after the premiere. Nevertheless, the network agreed to renew the show for a second season. To Rome With Love was switched to Tuesdays at 9:30 in September 1970. In order to give Forsythe a strong co-star, Walter Brennan
joined the cast as Michael Endicott's father-in-law, Andy Pruitt. However, the second season did even worse than the first. In January, 1971, in an attempt to salvage the series, CBS shifted the show to Wednesdays to make room for a new CBS sitcom: All In The Family
. The move did not help and the series was canceled in the spring of 1971.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
that aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from September 1969 to September 1971.
Synopsis
To Rome With Love is the story of a widowWidow
A widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
ed college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, Michael Endicott, who decided to leave his native Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
following the death of his wife and accept a new position as an instructor at the American Overseas School of Rome
American Overseas School of Rome
The American Overseas School of Rome is a private international school in Rome, Italy, accredited by the United States-based Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. It has three divisions: Elementary School, Middle School and High School. It primarily caters to the international...
.
The culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
of his children in reacting to their new environment, and, to an extent, his own, provided the main humor in the series. Family situations provided most of the rest. Early on, much of this came from Endicott's single sister Harriet who followed them to Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, apparently for the sole purposes of dissuading them from living there and to cajole them into returning to Iowa. Harriet soon departed, but her place was taken shortly afterward by Andy Pruitt, Endicott's father-in-law and the children's grandfather. He came to Rome for a brief visit with them but wound up staying indefinitely.
Reception
Originally airing on Sunday nights, the show never garnered the ratings CBS had hoped for. Also, Kay MedfordKay Medford
Kay Medford , was an American character actress and comedienne.She was born Margaret Kathleen O'Regan in New York City to James and Mary O'Regan, first-generation Irish-American parents, both of whom had died by the time she was 15 years old...
as Aunt Harriet did not catch on with viewers and as a result, she was phased out of the series shortly after the premiere. Nevertheless, the network agreed to renew the show for a second season. To Rome With Love was switched to Tuesdays at 9:30 in September 1970. In order to give Forsythe a strong co-star, Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan
Walter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
joined the cast as Michael Endicott's father-in-law, Andy Pruitt. However, the second season did even worse than the first. In January, 1971, in an attempt to salvage the series, CBS shifted the show to Wednesdays to make room for a new CBS sitcom: All In The Family
All in the Family
All in the Family is an American sitcom that was originally broadcast on the CBS television network from January 12, 1971, to April 8, 1979. In September 1979, a new show, Archie Bunker's Place, picked up where All in the Family had ended...
. The move did not help and the series was canceled in the spring of 1971.
Cast
- John ForsytheJohn ForsytheJohn Forsythe was an American stage, television and film actor. Forsythe starred in three television series, spanning four decades and three genres: as single playboy father Bentley Gregg in the sitcom Bachelor Father ; as the unseen millionaire Charles Townsend on the crime drama Charlie's...
as Michael Endicott - Kay MedfordKay MedfordKay Medford , was an American character actress and comedienne.She was born Margaret Kathleen O'Regan in New York City to James and Mary O'Regan, first-generation Irish-American parents, both of whom had died by the time she was 15 years old...
as Harriet Endicott (first season only) - Walter BrennanWalter BrennanWalter Brennan was an American actor. Brennan won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor on three separate occasions, which is currently the record for most wins.-Early life:...
as Andy Pruitt (second season only) - Peggy Mondo as Mama Vitale
- Vito ScottiVito ScottiVito Scotti was a veteran character actor who played many roles, primarily from the late-1940s to the mid-1990s. He was known as a man of a thousand faces, for his ability to assume so many divergent roles in more than 200 screen roles, in a nearly 50 year career. He was known for his resourceful...
as Nico - Joyce MengesJoyce MengesJoyce Menges was an actress 1972 to 1975. She starred Robert Butler's Now You See Him, Now You Don't as well as in the TV show To Rome With Love starring John Forsythe. Joyce's son is Jimmy Tamborello, the composer for the electronic indie pop band, The Postal Service.-Filmography:-External links:...
as Alison Endicott - Susan NeherSusan NeherSusan Neher is an American actress, active as a child, best known for originating the role of Joanie Cunningham on Happy Days in its first iteration as a segment of the anthology series Love, American Style...
as Penny Endicott - Melanie FullertonMelanie FullertonMelanie Fullerton was an actress in the late 60's and early 70's. She starred in Night of the Lepus along with Stuart Whitman as well as co-starred in To Rome With Love with John Forsythe, Vito Scotti, Joyce Menges, and Susan Neher.-Filmography:...
as Mary Jane "Pokey" Endicott