Hazel (1961–1966 American sitcom)

Origins

The series was adapted from a one-panel comic strip created by Ted Key. The cartoon appeared for many years in The Saturday Evening Post, usually placed near the back of the magazine. The television version expanded the single-panel premise into episodic domestic comedy.

Cast and characters

The lead role of Hazel Burke, a competent and opinionated live-in maid, was played by Shirley Booth. She works for the Baxter family: George "Mr. B" Baxter, a lawyer, is portrayed by Don DeFore; his wife Dorothy "Missy" Baxter, an interior decorator, is played by Whitney Blake; and their son Harold "Sport" Baxter is played by Bobby Buntrock. The family pet is a large, shaggy dog named Smiley.

Regular supporting characters include George’s client Harvey Griffin (Howard Smith), neighbor Rosie (Maud Prickett), the local postman Barney Hatfield (Robert Williams), Hazel’s boyfriend Mitch (Dub Taylor), George’s sister Deirdre Thompson (Cathy Lewis), and the Baxter neighbors Herbert and Harriet Johnson (Donald Foster and Norma Varden). In the final season the Baxters’ household is joined by George’s brother Steve (Ray Fulmer), his wife Barbara (Lynn Borden) and their daughter Susie (Julia Benjamin).

Premise and typical episodes

Hazel centers on the domestic situations that arise in a comfortable, predominantly white upper-middle-class household. Episodes often focus on Hazel’s practical solutions to everyday problems—preparing elaborate meals, finding homes for stray animals, or handling household purchases. A recurring comic device is Hazel’s ability to bend Mr. B to her will, sometimes by offering tiny samples of her desserts. One memorable plotline involves Hazel persuading her employer to buy a color television set for her room.

Final season and ending

For the show's fifth and final season, production moved to CBS, and the Baxter household underwent a status change: Mr. B is sent away on an extended assignment in the Middle East, and Hazel and Harold take up residence with Steve and Barbara Baxter and their daughter. The arrangement lasted one season; Shirley Booth’s health and her wish to step away from acting were factors in the program’s conclusion.

Awards

Shirley Booth received critical recognition for her performance as Hazel. She won two Emmy Awards for the role and earned additional nominations. Her work on the series is frequently cited as the program’s principal strength and was the basis for multiple honors during the show’s run; the acting performance remains the most celebrated element of the series.

Typical episodes ran about half an hour, following the sitcom format of the period and focusing on character-driven domestic comedy.