PAUL LYNDE SHOW, THE - THE COLLECTION (ABC 1972-73) VERY RARE!!! Paul Lynde, John Calvin, Elizabeth Allenas, Jane Actman, Pamelyn Ferdin

One of the most popular titles sought by collectors today is, ironically, one of the least popular titles of the 1970s: “The Paul Lynde Show,” a sitcom which limped its way unloved through a single season but which somehow gained a cult following thanks entirely to the stature of its zany star.

The series was created in 1972 by producer William Asher for ABC and Screen Gems. His long-running hit “Bewitched” was finally wrapping up. Asher and then-wife Elizabeth Montgomery were contractually obligated to another season of Bewitched for the network but Montgomery was not interested in continuing the series (as she and Asher were on the verge of divorcing) and The Paul Lynde Show was created to fulfill the contract. Lynde had appeared numerous times on Bewitched as Samantha’s wacky warlock Uncle Arthur. For Lynde, the chance to star in his own show was a career dream come true.

For the show, Lynde played a conservative, put-upon lawyer whose family life was strained by his relationship with his slacker son-in-law (John Calvin). The series also starred Elizabeth Allenas his wife, Jane Actman and Pamelyn Ferdin as his daughters, and the comedy team of Anne Meara and Jerry Stiller as his parents.

Notable guest stars included Dick Van Patten, Charlotte Rae, Herb Voland, Mabel Albertson, James Gregory, Tom Bosley, Gordon Jump, Thelma Carpenter, Jodie Foster, Kenneth Mars, Arthur O'Connell, Ray Walston, David White, Anson Williams, Jo Anne Worley, Alan Hale Jr., Henry Jones and Bernie Kopell.

The series was scheduled against NBC’s “Adam-12″ and CBS’s “The Carol Burnett Show.” Ratings were dismal from the beginning and “The Paul Lynde Show” was cancelled after 26 episodes. Side Note: For all of his labors, Lynde did received a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor in a Comedy Series; when he lost to Redd Foxx, he became so angrily disruptive during the award ceremony that security guards had to escort him from the event.

Please Note: The series was filmed in color; however, this 6-disc set contains a combination of color and B&W episodes. it is not the complete series, missing three out of the 26 episodes.

Our copy of "The Paul Lynde Show" was acquired from another collector.  It's quality comes from old analog VHS recordings, so it will not have the crisp look of today's digital playbacks.  Video and sound quality on some episodes is not up to Rewatch Classic TV standards, but we offer it to our customers because, as far as we know, this is the ONLY set available featuring episodes from the series. 

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Number of DVDs: 6

Number of Episodes: 23 out of 26

Quality: 8.5/10

Running Time: 9 hrs 12 min (approx)

Aspect Ratio: Full Screen 1.33:1

NOTES: This is a fan-made DVD set. Not    a studio release