My Favorite Martian
| My Favorite Martian | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Science fiction Sitcom |
| Created by | John L. Greene |
| Starring | Ray Walston Bill Bixby Alan Hewitt Pamela Britton |
| Theme music composer | George Greeley |
| Composer | George Greeley |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 3 |
| No. of episodes | 107 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Harry Poppe |
| Producer | Jack Chertok |
| Camera setup | Single-camera |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production companies | Jack Chertok Television Productions, in association with The CBS Television Network |
| Distributor | Wolper Television Sales (1967–1968) Peter Rodgers Organization[1] Telepictures Corporation Warner Bros. Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Picture format | Black-and-white (1963–65) (75 episodes) Color (1965–66) (32 episodes) |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 29, 1963 – May 1, 1966 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | My Favorite Martians |
My Favorite Martian is an American science fiction sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963, to May 1, 1966, for 107 episodes. The show stars Ray Walston as Uncle Martin (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara.[2] The first two seasons, totaling 75 episodes, were in black and white, while the 32 episodes of season three were in color.
John L. Greene created the central characters and developed the core format of the series, which was produced by Jack Chertok.
Premise[]
A human-looking extraterrestrial in a one-man spaceship nearly collides at high altitude with the U.S. Air Force's rocket plane, the North American X-15. The spaceship's pilot is a 450-year-old anthropologist from Mars. Tim O'Hara, a young newspaper reporter for The Los Angeles Sun, is on his way home from Edwards Air Force Base, where he had gone to report on the flight of the X-15. Returning home to Los Angeles, O'Hara spots the same silver spaceship coming down quickly, after which it crash lands nearby.
Tim takes in the Martian, saying to other people that he is Tim's "Uncle Martin". The Martian refuses to reveal any of his special traits to humans, other than Tim, to avoid both publicity and human panic. Tim agrees to keep the Martian's Earth identity a secret while he attempts to repair his spaceship. "Uncle Martin" has various unusual powers: He can raise two retractable antennae from the back of his head and become invisible; he is telepathic and can read and influence minds; he can levitate objects with the motion of his index finger; he can communicate with animals; he can freeze people or objects, and he can speed himself (and other people) up to do any kind of work.
Also an inventor, "Uncle Martin" builds several advanced devices, such as a time machine that transports Tim and the Martian back to England in the Middle Ages and other times and places, such as St. Louis in 1849 and the early days of Hollywood, and brings Leonardo da Vinci and Jesse James into the present. Another device he builds is a "molecular separator" that can take apart the molecules of a physical object, or rearrange them (a squirrel is made into a human). Another device can take memories and store them in pill form to "relearn" them later. Other devices create temporary duplicates, or levitate Martin and others without the need of his index finger.
Tim and "Uncle Martin" live in a garage apartment owned by a congenial but scatterbrained landlady, Mrs. Lorelei Brown (a former WAVE as revealed in the first episode of season one) who often shows up when not wanted. The Martian and she have an awkward romance from time to time, but "Uncle Martin" never gets serious for fear of his ultimately going home to Mars. She later dates a vain, cold-hearted, plain-clothes police officer, Detective Bill Brennan, who dislikes "Uncle Martin" and is highly suspicious of him and his activities.
"Martin O'Hara's" real name is actually Exigius 12½. Revealed in the episode "We Love You, Miss Pringle", it was heard again when his real nephew, Andromeda (played by young actor Wayne Stam), crash-landed on Earth late in the show's third season. Andromeda, originally devised to bring younger viewers to the show, disappeared without explanation after this single episode, and was not referred to again in the live-action series' eight remaining episodes. Andromeda was, however, a regular on the later My Favorite Martians animated series. Andromeda had a single antenna, which Martin explained was because his baby antennae had fallen out and only one adult antenna had come in so far. "Uncle Martin" also reveals that on Mars he lives on Fulton Canal, which ultimately leads to comedic mix-ups and confusion with Canal Fulton, Ohio.
Cast[]
- Ray Walston as Uncle Martin O'Hara (the Martian)
- Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara
- Pamela Britton as Mrs. Lorelei Brown
- J. Pat O'Malley as Mr. Burns, Tim's boss (first season)
- Alan Hewitt as Detective Bill Brennan (second and third seasons)
- Roy Engel as Police Captain (third season)
Production[]
 | This section does not cite any sources. (June 2018) |
Development and distribution[]
The series was produced by Jack Chertok Television in association with CBS Productions. The show was originally syndicated by Wolper Pictures, then it moved to syndicator Telepictures, and finally by successor-in-interest to Warner Bros. Television Distribution. The Chertok Company retained ownership of all copyrights for the series; Rhino Entertainment held U.S. video distribution rights until August 2008. Australian entertainment company Umbrella Entertainment acquired distribution rights for Australia and New Zealand and released seasons one through three (the last in full color) in 2007 and 2008 on region free DVD. Those rights, together with video streaming, were acquired by Shock Video; in November 2017 Shock released a new complete boxed set of the series using restored show elements. In 2010, MPI Home Video acquired the series distribution rights for home video. In 2018, Pidax Video Germany acquired both streaming and DVD distribution rights for Germany and released the series the same year under its German title Mein Onkel vom Mars; As of early July 2013, Warner Bros. held domestic and international syndication rights for the series. Those rights have since returned to the Chertok Trust.
Music[]
The theme music for the series was composed by George Greeley and performed in part on an Electro-Theremin by Paul Tanner, a former member of Glenn Miller's band. It was influential in Brian Wilson's engagement of Tanner in 1965 and 1966 to work with the Beach Boys on their landmark hit, "Good Vibrations". Greeley also scored the series; an album of his music from the first two seasons was released by La-La Land Records in 2007 (dedicated to the composer, who died while the album was being prepared).
Filming[]
Unhappy with early script submissions from creator/producer Jack Chertok, the network hired script doctor Sherwood Schwartz to lend a hand. Schwartz changed the Tim-centric scripts to focus more on the Martian, as a fish out of water, on, as he termed it “this backwards planet.” The pilot featured Mrs. Brown's daughter Annabelle as Tim's love interest, but she was dropped to allow Tim to become more of a playboy. In a major change, Mrs. Brown, who was multi-talented, intelligent and suspicious in the pilot, became decidedly more scatterbrained.
The first two seasons were filmed in black-and-white (at Desilu), but the final season was shot in color (at MGM), resulting in minor changes in the set and the format of the show. In addition to the extraterrestrial powers indicated in the first two seasons, Martin was able to do much more in the final season, such as stimulating beard growth to provide Tim and himself with quick disguises, and levitating using his nose. Brennan's boss, the police chief, was involved in many episodes in the third season, generally as a device to humiliate the overzealous detective Brennan.
Comparison to other shows[]
My Favorite Martian, which premiered in the fall of 1963, was the first of "fantasy" situation comedies prevalent on American television in the mid-1960s featuring characters who could do extraordinary things, predating My Living Doll (1964–1965), Bewitched, (1964–1972) and I Dream of Jeannie (1965–1970).
Episodes[]
Series overview[]
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | ||||
| 1 | 37 | September 29, 1963 | June 28, 1964 | ||
| 2 | 38 | September 27, 1964 | June 27, 1965 | ||
| 3 | 32 | September 12, 1965 | May 1, 1966 | ||
Season 1 (1963–64)[]
| No. overall |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "My Favorite Martian (Pilot)" | Sheldon Leonard | John L. Greene | September 29, 1963 | |
| Covering the flight of an Air Force experimental aircraft, reporter Tim O'Hara discovers the wreckage of a small spaceship – and the surviving, genial Martian anthropologist who piloted it. | ||||||
| 2 | 2 | "The Matchmakers" | Sidney Miller | John L. Greene Paul David | October 6, 1963 | |
| Watching his boss's dog for the weekend provides an unexpected romantic jolt for Tim when the dog takes a fancy to that owned by a girl who suddenly gives Tim a chance as a result. | ||||||
| 3 | 3 | "There Is No Cure for the Common Martian" | Sidney Miller | James Komack | October 13, 1963 | |
| Uncle Martin's cold wreaks havoc when he disappears upon every sneeze and his antennae are stuck in the "up" position. | ||||||
| 4 | 4 | "Russians 'R' in Season" | Alan Rafkin | James Komack | October 20, 1963 | |
| After spying on him and discovering Uncle Martin, government agents think Tim is a Russian agent – forcing Uncle Martin to take a lie detector test. | ||||||
| 5 | 5 | "Man or Amoeba" | Alan Rafkin | Jerry Seelen Leo Rifkin | October 27, 1963 | |
| Uncle Martin tries to convince Angela's stubborn teacher that the facts he gave her about life on Mars and other planets for a book report is true. | ||||||
| 6 | 6 | "The Man on the Couch" | Sidney Miller | William Blinn Michael Gleason | November 3, 1963 | |
| Seeking comfort in cool air by sitting at the top of a water tower during a heat wave, Uncle Martin is mistaken for a suicidal jumper. | ||||||
| 7 | 7 | "A Loaf of Bread, a Jug of Wine, and Peaches" | Alan Rafkin | Earl Barret | November 10, 1963 | |
| Uncle Martin falls for an exotic dancer whose enchantment with his courtly ways enrage her policeman boyfriend. | ||||||
| 8 | 8 | "The Awful Truth" | Oscar Rudolph | Arnold Peyser Lois Peyser | November 17, 1963 | |
| When Uncle Martin gives Tim the ability to read minds for a full day, it helps Tim with a newspaper story but hurts him temporarily with his latest paramour. | ||||||
| 9 | 9 | "Rocket to Mars" | Leslie Goodwins | Austin Kalish Elroy Schwartz | December 1, 1963 | |
| Before Uncle Martin can install a crucial new part on his damaged spaceship, a junk dealer picks it up by mistake and sells it to a kiddie amusement park. NOTE: Episode was originally scheduled for November 24, 1963. However, the entire season was delayed by one week due to network coverage of the assassination and funeral of President Kennedy. | ||||||
| 10 | 10 | "Raffles No. 2" | Oscar Rudolph | Austin Kalish Elroy Schwartz | December 8, 1963 | |
| Martians lack fingerprints, and Uncle Martin needs one for his driver's license application. He figures he can replicate one of a random Earth man; Uncle Martin realizes too late the fingerprint he used was that of a wanted jewel thief. | ||||||
| 11 | 11 | "The Atom Misers" | Leslie Goodwins | James Menzies | December 15, 1963 | |
| Tim's assigned to a story about a teen physics prodigy Uncle Martin thinks can help him make an advanced material to continue repairing his spaceship. | ||||||
| 12 | 12 | "That Little Old Matchmaker, Martin" | Oscar Rudolph | Terry Ryan | December 22, 1963 | |
| Against his better judgment, Uncle Martin agrees to read the mind of a pretty but distant co-worker Tim's trying to woo. | ||||||
| 13 | 13 | "How to Be a Hero Without Really Trying" | Sidney Miller | Ed James Seaman Jacobs | December 29, 1963 | |
| A nosy boy (future Munsters co-star Butch Patrick) imagining he is from Mars helps Tim lure his comely adult sister on a picnic, where Uncle Martin has to help Tim rescue the boy from a high, unwieldy mountain side. | ||||||
| 14 | 14 | "Blood Is Thicker Than the Martian" | Oscar Rudolph | Al Martin Bill Kelsay | January 5, 1964 | |
| Uncle Martin fears Tim's visiting cousin Harvey will expose him – until Harvey exposes a wounding flaw of his own. | ||||||
| 15 | 15 | "Poor Little Rich Cat" | James Komack | James Komack | January 12, 1964 | |
| Tim, Uncle Martin, and an estate lawyer try to thwart a shady couple who may be trying to embezzle the six-figure fortune that the wife's sister left her cat. | ||||||
| 16 | 16 | "Rx for Martin" | James Komack | James Komack | January 19, 1964 | |
| Mars in unusually close-to-Earth orbit means Uncle Martin might fly even his wounded spaceship home, but he sprains his ankle and must convince doctors he can manage. | ||||||
| 17 | 17 | "Going, Going, Gone" | Oscar Rudolph | Austin Kalish Elroy Schwartz | February 2, 1964 | |
| Sunspots wreak havoc with Uncle Martin's metabolism and powers. | ||||||
| 18 | 18 | "Who Am I?" | Leslie Goodwins | Ben Starr | February 9, 1964 | |
| An accidental blow to the head causes amnesia for Uncle Martin and panic for Tim and a doctor. | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | "Now You See It, Now You Don't" | Leslie Goodwins | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | February 16, 1964 | |
| Tim and Uncle Martin help a longtime museum curator (Cecil Kellaway) prove to his board that a rare Egyptian piece he has just acquired is not fake. | ||||||
| 20 | 20 | "My Nephew the Artist" | Oscar Rudolph | Ben Starr | February 23, 1964 | |
| Uncle Martin's powers paint masterpieces in his bid to help Tim with household expenses, but Tim is believed to be their actual painter, arousing suspicion in the gallery where they are displayed. Cyril Delavanti and Richard Deacon guest star. | ||||||
| 21 | 21 | "Hitchhike to Mars" | Oscar Rudolph | Bill Freedman Ben Gershman | March 1, 1964 | |
| Uncle Martin plans to hitch a ride aboard a rocket flight to Mars, assuming he and Tim can convince the rocket's superstitious builder (Herbert Rudley) not to change the mission plan. | ||||||
| 22 | 22 | "Uncle Martin's Broadcast" | Oscar Rudolph | James Komack | March 8, 1964 | |
| A mishap with Uncle Martin's broadcast transmission power gets himself and Tim in jail. | ||||||
| 23 | 23 | "An Old, Old Friend of the Family" | Leslie Goodwins | John L. Greene | March 15, 1964 | |
| A foreign leader visiting for key negotiations wants the press kept out, but Uncle Martin thinks Tim can get to him. | ||||||
| 24 | 24 | "Super-Duper Snooper" | Leslie Goodwins | Al Martin Bill Kelsay | March 22, 1964 | |
| When Mrs. Brown takes a correspondence course in private investigation, Uncle Martin fears he is her first deep surveillance target. | ||||||
| 25 | 25 | "The Sinkable Mrs. Brown" | Oscar Rudolph | Al Martin Bill Kelsay | April 5, 1964 | |
| A shifty realtor tries to strong-arm Mrs. Brown into selling the house and full property. | ||||||
| 26 | 26 | "Martin and the Eternal Triangle" | Oscar Rudolph | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | April 12, 1964 | |
| A suspicious French clothier has eyes for Mrs. Brown, prompting Uncle Martin to try romancing her to thwart him. | ||||||
| 27 | 27 | "Danger! High Voltage!" | Leslie Goodwins | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | April 19, 1964 | |
| Martin's efforts to ground himself cause a city-wide power shortage. | ||||||
| 28 | 28 | "If You Can't Lick Them" | Oscar Rudolph | Blanche Hanalis | April 26, 1964 | |
| When a small boy sees Martin's antennae, it causes a nationwide fad to the Martian's dismay. | ||||||
| 29 | 29 | "Unidentified Flying Uncle Martin" | Leslie Goodwins | James Komack | May 3, 1964 | |
| To repair a fault with his ship, Martin is forced to take it out for a flight. | ||||||
| 30 | 30 | "How Are You Gonna Keep Them Down on the Pharmacy?" | Leslie Goodwins | James Komack | May 10, 1964 | |
| A vitamin deficiency causes unconsciousness to anyone in Martin's proximity. | ||||||
| 31 | 31 | "Miss Jekyll and Hyde" | Oscar Rudolph | Al Martin Bill Kelsay | May 17, 1964 | |
| Martin plays Pygmalion to get Mrs. Brown's brilliant niece (Marlo Thomas) off his trail. | ||||||
| 32 | 32 | "Who's Got the Power?" | Leslie Goodwins | James Komack | May 24, 1964 | |
| A thunderstorm short circuits Martin's ability to disappear – and reappear. | ||||||
| 33 | 33 | "Oh, My Aching Antenna" | Oscar Rudolph | Ted Sherdeman Jane Klove | May 31, 1964 | |
| Martin's efforts to look youthful are wreaking havoc on Mrs. Brown's vegetable garden. | ||||||
| 34 | 34 | "The Disastro-nauts" | Leslie Goodwins | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | June 7, 1964 | |
| Martin hopes to be the astronaut on an expedition to Mars, funded by a meatball tycoon (Alan Hale Jr.). | ||||||
| 35 | 35 | "Shake Well and Don't Use" | Oscar Rudolph | Al Martin Bill Kelsay | June 14, 1964 | |
| Martin's dinner party immobilizes Tim's boss. | ||||||
| 36 | 36 | "A Nose for News" | Alan Rafkin | William Blinn Michael Gleason | June 21, 1964 | |
| Martin covers a story for Tim and ends up stuck with a job on the paper. David White guest stars. | ||||||
| 37 | 37 | "Uncle Martin's Wisdom Tooth" | Oscar Rudolph | James Komack | June 28, 1964 | |
| The problem: how to extract Martin's impacted wisdom tooth. | ||||||
Season 2 (1964–65)[]
| No. series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original Airdate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | 1 | "Dreaming Can Make It So" | Oscar Rudolph | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | September 27, 1964 | |
| Martin's sudden tendency to dream in 2D nearly leads to catastrophe. | ||||||
| 39 | 2 | "The Memory Pill" | Oscar Rudolph | Benedict Freedman | October 4, 1964 | |
| A Martian pill erases Tim's memory of his extraterrestrial uncle. David White guest stars. | ||||||
| 40 | 3 | "Three to Make Ready" | Leslie Goodwins | Bruce Howard Bud Nye | October 11, 1964 | |
| Martin has mixed feelings about his latest chance to get home – which leads him to split into three. | ||||||
| 41 | 4 | "Nothing but the Truth" | Oscar Rudolph | Blanche Hanalis | October 18, 1964 | |
| Martin's test flight is jeopardized by a visit from Mrs. Brown's sister, her pragmatic husband, and imaginative son who swears he saw a spaceship. | ||||||
| 42 | 5 | "Dial M for Martin" | Oscar Rudolph | Fred S. Fox Iz Elinson | October 25, 1964 | |
| An accident turns Uncle Martin's head into a telephone receiver. Alan Hewitt joins the cast as Detective Bill Brennan. | ||||||
| 43 | 6 | "Extra! Extra! Sensory Perception!" | Leslie Goodwins | Rik Vollaerts | November 1, 1964 | |
| A visiting expert on ESP jeopardizes Martin's true identity. | ||||||
| 44 | 7 | "My Uncle the Folk Singer" | Oscar Rudolph | Lee Carson | November 8, 1964 | |
| Uncle Martin inadvertently becomes a folk singing sensation as he and Tim attempt to save a pretty girl's coffee house. Pat Priest guest stars. | ||||||
| 45 | 8 | "The Great Brain Robbery" | Oscar Rudolph | Rik Vollaerts | November 15, 1964 | |
| In an effort to help Tim with the rent, Martin decides to tutor a rebellious young boy. | ||||||
| 46 | 9 | "Double Trouble" | Oscar Rudolph | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | November 22, 1964 | |
| Martin and Tim frantically attempt to eliminate an accidental duplicate of Mrs. Brown – during its dinner date with Det. Brennan. | ||||||
| 47 | 10 | "Has Anyone Seen My Electro-Magnetic Neutron Converting Gravitron?" | Leslie Goodwins | Albert E. Lewin Burt Styler | November 29, 1964 | |
| A little boy comes away with a valuable souvenir after an impromptu joyride in the Martian spaceship. | ||||||
| 48 | 11 | "Don't Rain on My Parade" | Leslie Goodwins | James Komack | December 6, 1964 | |
| After being blasted with a supposed rain-making machine, Martin accidentally triggers it to start raining for days on end. | ||||||
| 49 | 12 | "Night Life of Uncle Martin" | Oscar Rudolph | Albert E. Lewin Burt Styler | December 13, 1964 | |
| When Martin pushes himself with insufficient sleep, his sub-conscious goes out on the town. | ||||||
| 50 | 13 | "To Make a Rabbit Stew, First Catch a Martian" | Leslie Goodwins | Albert E. Lewin Burt Styler | December 20, 1964 | |
| A Martian vitamin pill grows a neighbor's pet rabbit to human size – as it decides to crash Mrs. Brown's costume party. | ||||||
| 51 | 14 | "Won't You Come Home, Uncle Martin, Won't You Come Home?" | Leslie Goodwins | Bill Kelsey (t) Al Martin (t) Marty Roth (s) | December 27, 1964 | |
| Tim becomes the most hated man in California, courtesy of a Martian benevolence bulb. | ||||||
| 52 | 15 | "The Case of the Missing Sleuth" | Oscar Rudolph | Bill Freedman Ben Gershman | January 3, 1965 | |
| When Brennan mistakenly atomizes himself with Martin's invention, his disappearance draws the attention of a morose sleuth. Michael Constantine guests. | ||||||
| 53 | 16 | "How Are Things in Glocca Martin?" | Byron Paul | Albert E. Lewin, Burt Styler | January 10, 1965 | |
| Martin plays Cupid for Tim's great uncle and his long-lost lower-class love. Sean McClory and Virginia Gregg guest star. | ||||||
| 54 | 17 | "Gesundheit, Uncle Martin" | Oscar Rudolph | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | January 17, 1965 | |
| Martin's sneezing is effecting his short-term memory. | ||||||
| 55 | 18 | "Martian Report No. 1" | Oscar Rudolph | Blanche Hanalis | January 31, 1965 | |
| Eager to prove his theories on child-rearing, Martin adopts a young girl. | ||||||
| 56 | 19 | "Uncle Martin and the Identified Flying Object" | Byron Paul | Marty Roth Lissa Charrel | February 7, 1965 | |
| Martin's malfunctioning levitation finger has Mrs. Brown convinced she is living in a haunted house. | ||||||
| 57 | 20 | "A Martian Fiddles Around" | Oscar Rudolph | Albert E. Lewin Burt Styler | February 14, 1965 | |
| Mrs. Brown's violin-playing is causing the Martian to become transparent. | ||||||
| 58 | 21 | "Humbug, Mrs. Brown" | Oscar Rudolph | Al Martin Bill Kelsay | February 21, 1965 | |
| Martin's efforts to make Mrs. Brown more thrifty turn her into a miser. | ||||||
| 59 | 22 | "Crash Diet" | Byron Paul | Robert and Phyllis White | February 28, 1965 | |
| Martin reduces his spaceship to the size of a small toy – which is snatched up by a toy manufacturer. | ||||||
| 60 | 23 | "Gone, but Not Forgotten" | Byron Paul | Benedict Freedman | March 7, 1965 | |
| Martin's health monitor is mistaken for a quarter and deposited into a drink machine at police headquarters – where it loudly proclaims that it is a Martian in distress. | ||||||
| 61 | 24 | "Stop or I'll Steam" | Oscar Rudolph | Burt Styler Albert E. Lewin | March 14, 1965 | |
| Martin and Tim have an unwanted roommate – Det. Brennan. | ||||||
| 62 | 25 | "The Magnetic Personality and Who Needs It" | Oscar Rudolph | Burt Styler Albert E. Lewin | March 21, 1965 | |
| A reformed pickpocket is accidentally magnetized by a Martian invention. | ||||||
| 63 | 26 | "We Love You, Miss Pringle" | Oscar Rudolph | Blanche Hanalis | March 28, 1965 | |
| Martin suspects that one of Tim's former teachers has been an unsung hero to the students who fear her. | ||||||
| 64 | 27 | "Once Upon a Martian's Mother's Day" | James V. Kern | Bill Kelsay (t) Marty Roth (s) | April 4, 1965 | |
| Martin is taken with an elderly woman who is the spitting image of his own mother. Madge Blake guest stars. | ||||||
| 65 | 28 | "Uncle Baby" | James V. Kern | Marty Roth | April 18, 1965 | |
| Tim accidentally turns Martin into an infant. | ||||||
| 66 | 29 | "Uncle Martin's Bedtime Story" | Oscar Rudolph | Burt Styler Albert E. Lewin | April 25, 1965 | |
| Mrs. Brown's new electric bed is tuning her into Martin's brainwaves. | ||||||
| 67 | 30 | "006 3/4" | Oscar Rudolph | Blanche Hanalis | May 2, 1965 | |
| Tim and Martin are recruited to combat the evil spies of CRUSH. Les Tremayne guest stars. | ||||||
| 68 | 31 | "Never Trust a Naked Martian" | Leslie Goodwins | James Komack | May 9, 1965 | |
| Tim touches one of Martin's antennae – and becomes trapped in limbo. | ||||||
| 69 | 32 | "Martin's Favorite Martian" | James V. Kern | Phyllis White Robert White | May 16, 1965 | |
| Tim tries on Uncle Martin's spacesuit – and is captured by tourists who mistake him for the real thing. Olan Soule and Linda Evans guest star. | ||||||
| 70 | 33 | "The Martian's Fair Hobo" | James V. Kern | Lila Garret (s) Bernie Kahn (s) Marty Roth (t) | May 23, 1965 | |
| Martin mistakes a hobo for a member of the Martian Space Patrol. | ||||||
| 71 | 34 | "A Martian Sonata in Mrs. B's Flat" | Oscar Rudolph | Ron Friedman | May 30, 1965 | |
| A splash of Martin's music distillate transforms his landlady into a virtuoso. | ||||||
| 72 | 35 | "The Green Eyed Martian" | Oscar Rudolph | Phyllis White Robert White | June 6, 1965 | |
| Mrs. Brown is suddenly the object of every man's desire. | ||||||
| 73 | 36 | "El Senor from Mars" | Oscar Rudolph | Ben Gershman Bill Freedman | June 13, 1965 | |
| Martin and Tim jet to Mexico to prevent an Aztec chest from exposing an artifact sporting the Martian's likeness. Bernie Kopell guest stars. | ||||||
| 74 | 37 | "Time Out for Martian" | James V. Kern | Marty Roth | June 20, 1965 | |
| Trapped in time in Merry Olde England, Martin and Tim get embroiled in a political attempt to destroy the Magna Carta. (This episode was postponed for broadcast until the end of the series' third and final season.) | ||||||
| 75 | 38 | "Portrait in Brown" | James V. Kern | Phyllis White Robert White | June 27, 1965 | |
| Mrs. Brown is accidentally converted into a 2D image, and is mistaken for a portrait. (Last black-and-white episode) | ||||||
Season 3 (1965–66)[]
All episodes now in color.
| No. in series |
No. in season |
Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76 | 1 | "Go West, Young Martian: Part 1" | David Alexander | Martin Roth | September 12, 1965 | |
| Martin and Tim are accidentally transported to St. Louis, circa 1849. The time machine (CCTBS) follows them to 1849 as well – but it stays in California. Making matters worse, Tim pays for a meal with modern currency, leading to trouble with Brennan's great grandfather. (First color episode.) | ||||||
| 77 | 2 | "Go West, Young Martian: Part 2" | David Alexander | Martin Roth | September 19, 1965 | |
| Still stuck in the past and imprisoned to boot, Martin draws Tim a map of where the time machine is located. They manage to escape prison but are quickly ambushed and knocked unconscious by two shady criminals. Their attackers then steal the map which they mistake for a map to a gold mine. | ||||||
| 78 | 3 | "Martin of the Movies" | John Erman | Albert E. Lewin Burt Styler | September 26, 1965 | |
| Martin reveals that he starred in a silent film in 1925. That film is scheduled to air on television tonight. Knowing people would ask questions if they saw it, Tim and Martin travel back in time to stop Martin from starring in it. | ||||||
| 79 | 4 | "Keep Me from the Church on Time" | John Erman | James B. Allardice Tom Adair | October 3, 1965 | |
| Martin shows Tim his Futaroid camera with the ability to take a photograph of events 24 hours in the future. Both men are shocked to see what appears to be Tim getting married. | ||||||
| 80 | 5 | "I'd Rather Fight Than Switch" | David Alexander | Philip Rapp | October 10, 1965 | |
| Martin accidentally swaps his psyche with Mrs. Brown. To avoid exposing himself, he is then forced to go out a date with the recently-promoted Lieutenant Brennan. | ||||||
| 81 | 6 | "Tim the Mastermind" | David Alexander | Burt Styler Albert E. Lewin | October 17, 1965 | |
| Martin starts getting green spots after developing an allergy to his memory pills. Tim agrees to start taking the pills instead which transforms him into a genius, attracting government attention. | ||||||
| 82 | 7 | "Martin Goldfinger" | Wesley Kenney | Burt Styler Albert E. Lewin | October 24, 1965 | |
| Martian develops a gold deficiency which means that everything he touches turns to gold. | ||||||
| 83 | 8 | "Bottled Martin" | Wesley Kenney | Burt Styler Albert E. Lewin | October 31, 1965 | |
| Martin decides to shrink himself to be lighter for the trip back to Mars. To test his ability to make the process last, he shrinks himself down and has Tim cork him inside a bottle – which gets accidentally sent to Baghdad. | ||||||
| 84 | 9 | "Hate Me a Little" | Mel Ferber | Gene L. Coon | November 7, 1965 | |
| Martin fixes his benevolence bulb so it works on humans. Tim ends up using it on Det. Brennan. Unfortunately, there are times when a police detective cannot afford to be nice – especially with Brennan on track to encounter a dangerous bank robber. | ||||||
| 85 | 10 | "Girl in the Flying Machine" | Mel Ferber | Blanche Hanalis | November 14, 1965 | |
| Martin accidentally pulls a Slobodian ship and its female pilot down from orbit. To give him time to figure out what to do, he erases her memory and tells her she is his niece, Zelda, and that she has a case of amnesia. | ||||||
| 86 | 11 | "That Time Machine Is Waking Up That Old Gang of Mine" | Jean Yarbrough | James Allardice Tom Adair | November 21, 1965 | |
| Martin's time machine malfunctions, causing Jesse and Frank James to appear in Tim's kitchen. | ||||||
| 87 | 12 | "Avenue 'C' Mob" | John Erman | Blanche Hanalis | November 28, 1965 | |
| Martin temporarily ages himself 400 Martian years as part of a study of old age on Earth. He then takes a job as a night watchman so he can experience the pursuit of independence in old age. | ||||||
| 88 | 13 | "Tim and Tim Again" | John Erman | Bill Kelsay Martin Roth | December 5, 1965 | |
| Martin accidentally ends up duplicating Tim. Martin leaves to gather a necessary element to reverse the process. Using Martin's personality altecator, the duplicate changes his personality to evil. The evil Tim plans to reveal Martin's identity. | ||||||
| 89 | 14 | "Lorelei Brown vs. Everybody" | Jean Yarbrough | Bill Kelsay | December 12, 1965 | |
| When Martin gives Mrs. Brown a concentration pill, she concentrates on enforcing law and order. | ||||||
| 90 | 15 | "The O'Hara Caper" | John Erman | Albert E. Lewin Burt Styler | December 19, 1965 | |
| After missing out on an important story, Tim is demoted to writing obituaries. He attempts to use Martin's time machine to go back and get the story but instead gets arrested. | ||||||
| 91 | 16 | "Who's Got a Secret?" | John Erman | Martin Roth | December 26, 1965 | |
| When Mrs. Brown's brother comes to stay, he starts a rumour that Martin is working on a secret revolutionary invention. Pretty soon, the government wants to buy it, while the Russians claim they already have it. | ||||||
| 92 | 17 | "Heir Today Gone Tomorrow" | Jean Yarbrough | Ben Starr | January 2, 1966 | |
| Tim discovers that he is going to inherit an estate, assuming he can prove he is the right Tim O'Hara. The only problem is that the family records say that Tim O'Hara does not have an Uncle Martin. | ||||||
| 93 | 18 | "Martin's Revoltin' Development" | Jean Yarbrough | Leigh Chapman | January 16, 1966 | |
| Martin wants to help a photographer Tim works with get his confidence by helping him get an exclusive photograph. | ||||||
| 94 | 19 | "TV or Not TV" | John Erman | Michael R. Stein Jack Gross Jr. | January 23, 1966 | |
| Martin develops a short-circuit which causes him to start transmitting to everything he sees and hears onto television. This leads him to unintentionally exposing a well-known actor's secret. | ||||||
| 95 | 20 | "Man from Uncle Martin" | John Erman | James Allardice Tom Adair | January 30, 1966 | |
| Mrs. Brown's brother buys a worthless piece of junk invention with Mrs. Brown's money, believing that once Martin gets it working it will make them rich. Tim and Martin need to convince the original seller to buy it back to get Mrs Brown's money back. | ||||||
| 96 | 21 | "Martin the Mannequin" | David Alexander | Martin Roth | February 6, 1966 | |
| A reaction to some cologne in a department store causes Martin to freeze up, leading him to be mistaken for a mannequin. Making matters more complicated, Mrs. Brown and Lt. Brennan soon show up. | ||||||
| 97 | 22 | "Butterball" | David Alexander | Blanche Hanalis | February 13, 1966 | |
| CRUSH is reactivated when their leader Butterball, previously sent to prison with Tim's help, escapes. | ||||||
| 98 | 23 | "When a Martian Makes His Violin Cry" | John Erman | Austin Kalish Irma Kalish | February 20, 1966 | |
| When Mrs. Brown's purse is stolen, Brennan incorrectly blames a young gypsy man. He curses Brennan to constantly drop things. Brennan does not take it seriously but Mrs. Brown does and she starts dropping everything. | ||||||
| 99 | 24 | "When You Get Back Home to Mars Are You Going to Get It" | Jean Yarbrough | Martin Roth | February 27, 1966 | |
|
Martin's 11-year-old nephew Andromeda steals his father's ship and crash lands on Earth. Being proud of his Martian heritage, he does not listen when Martin tells him not to let people know he is a Martian. (Note: Despite the ending indicating Andromeda was to stay with Tim and Martin, this was the only appearance of the character in the live-action series. Andromeda would later appear in the animated series.) | ||||||
| 100 | 25 | "Doggone Martin" | John Erman | Albert E. Lewin | March 6, 1966 | |
| Martin develops a machine to turn himself into a liquid, intent on sending himself back to Mars in that state. Unfortunately, before Martin can leave, his liquid form is drunk by a dog. Martin then ends up in control of the dog's body. | ||||||
| 101 | 26 | "Virus M for Martin" | David Alexander | Bill Kelsay | March 13, 1966 | |
| When Tim comes home early from an assignment, he walks in on Martin who is clearing himself of a Martian Virus. Tim becomes the first Earth man to catch it and is soon covered in stripes, making Lt. Brennan think Tim has a contagious tropical disease. | ||||||
| 102 | 27 | "Our Notorious Landlady" | David Alexander | Gene Thompson | March 20, 1966 | |
| While dusting Martin's personality altercator, Mrs. Brown accidentally activates it and gets turned into a thief. | ||||||
| 103 | 28 | "Martin Meets His Match" | David Alexander | Gene Thompson Bill Kelsay | March 27, 1966 | |
| Stuck on the direction to go next with repairing his space ship, Martin uses his time machine to bring Leonardo da Vinci do the present to help work on it. | ||||||
| 104 | 29 | "Horse and Buggy Martin" | David Alexander | Albert E. Lewin | April 3, 1966 | |
| A mosquito bites Martin which then bites a racehorse. The result is that Martin and the horse are linked and Martin finds himself experiencing sensations the horse does. | ||||||
| 105 | 30 | "Stop the Presses I Want to Get Off" | Jean Yarbrough | Austin Kalish Irma Kalish | April 17, 1966 | |
| Martin accidentally loses his Martian "sixth sense" to Mrs. Brown. Her new abilities allow her to become a journalist for a competing paper of Tim's, knowing when and where stories are going to happen. They also put her at risk of figuring out Martin's true identity. | ||||||
| 106 | 31 | "My Nut Cup Runneth Over" | John Erman | Bill Kelsay Gene Thompson | April 24, 1966 | |
| An accident with Martin's molecular reassembler turns a squirrel into a human. Martin agrees to take care of the squirrel's rather large family while he fixes the issue. | ||||||
| 107 | 32 | "Pay the Man the $24" | John Erman | Burt Styler | May 1, 1966 | |
| As part of research for a book he is writing, Tim uses Martin's time machine to travel back to the purchase of Manhattan. Returning to the present, he soon learns he messed up the deal and New York is no longer part of the United States. He and Martin have to travel back in time to try to put history back on track. | ||||||
Home media[]
Rhino Entertainment released the first two seasons on Region 1 DVD in 2004–2005. Rhino never released the third season. However, the season 3 release from Australia's Umbrella Entertainment, on February 5, 2008, was as an import to North America. This release is classified as "Region 0", making it viewable around the world on any region-free DVD player. Rhino also released a 3-DVD box of "The Best of My Favorite Martian" in 2007, comprising episodes 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 14, 16, 18, 22, 24, 29, 31, 34, and 37.
In January 2010, MPI Home Video acquired the series' Region 1 rights under license from Jack Chertok Productions.[3] At the time, it was announced that they planned on releasing season 3 on DVD in the summer of 2010. This release, however, never materialized and was postponed. It was subsequently released on October 30, 2012.[4]
MPI re-released season 1 on June 24, 2014.[5][6] and season 2 on December 23, 2014.[7]
On October 20, 2015, MPI Home Video released My Favorite Martian- The Complete Series' on Region 1 DVD.[8]
In Region 4 (Australia), Umbrella Entertainment released all 3 seasons on DVD. These releases are all Region Free. The season 1 release includes special features, such as audio commentary with Ann Marshall, a stills gallery, script, and interview with Ann Marshall. The season 3 release also includes special features, such as an unaired version of the series pilot, behind the scenes home movies, interviews with Stan Frazen, Ted Rich, James Hulsey, and Wayne Stam, as well as audio commentary by James's Hulsey and Chertok historian and licensing manager Peter Greenwood. In addition, there are also scans of the original comic series, scripts, and the shooting schedule.
| DVD name | Ep # | Release dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Region 1 | Region 4 | ||
| The Complete 1st Season | 37 | September 7, 2004 June 24, 2014 (re-release) |
March 1, 2008 |
| The Complete 2nd Season | 38 | May 10, 2005 December 23, 2014 (re-release) |
September 1, 2008 |
| The Complete 3rd Season | 32 | October 30, 2012 | November 3, 2007 |
| The Complete Series | 107 | October 20, 2015 | N/A |
Reception[]
In its first season, My Favorite Martian did extremely well in the Nielsen ratings, ranking at No. 10.[9] However, by the end of the second season the show had dipped to No. 24.[9] Still, the series was doing well enough to be renewed for a third season. Ratings dipped even further in the third season due to redundant stories, usually involving Martin's time machine, and the series was canceled.
Spin-offs[]
Animated series[]
| My Favorite Martians | |
|---|---|
 Title card | |
| Genre | Animation |
| Voices of | Howard Morris Jonathan Harris Lane Scheimer Jane Webb |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Producers | Norm Prescott Lou Scheimer |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Distributor | Warner Bros. Television Distribution |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | September 8 – December 22, 1973 |
| Chronology | |
| Preceded by | My Favorite Martian |
An animated series, My Favorite Martians, was made by Filmation and was broadcast as part of the Saturday morning programming on CBS from September 8, 1973, to December 22, 1973, for a total of sixteen episodes.[10] The series features Tim, Martin, Mrs. Brown and Detective Brennan (Brennan is considerably different). To appeal to a younger audience, Uncle Martin is joined by his Martian nephew named Andromeda, nicknamed "Andy", who only has one antenna and thus lesser powers than Uncle Martin and did appear in one episode of the live-action series.[11] The pair also have a Martian pet named Okey, a sort of bouncing sheepdog with antennae. Tim also had a niece of his own, named Katie, living with them. Brennan also had a teenage son named Brad living with him and a pet chimpanzee named Chump. None of the characters were voiced by the original actors; Bixby was at the time committed to his latest project, The Magician, and Walston tried to distance himself from the role. As a result, Jonathan Harris voiced Martin and Jane Webb voiced Mrs. Brown.[12]
The cartoon utilized a number of scripts from what would have been season four of the live action show; as of early July 2013, Jack Chertok Television co-owned it, with the Chertok company retaining all merchandising rights to the show.
At least two VHS tape volumes were released of the cartoon series in 1989 by UAV. (https://archive.org/details/myfavmartians2) Distribution rights were held, as of April 2013, by Classic Media as part of their Filmation holdings.[citation needed]
Episodes[]
| Nº | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Check-Up" | September 8, 1973 |
| 2 | "Life Style" | September 15, 1973 |
| 3 | "Home Schtick" | September 22, 1973 |
| 4 | "Wall to Wall Flower" | September 29, 1973 |
| 5 | "The Cleo Caper" | October 6, 1973 |
| 6 | "Robot Tailor" | October 13, 1973 |
| 7 | "Lonely Okie?" | October 20, 1973 |
| 8 | "Triple Trouble" | October 27, 1973 |
| 9 | "The Incredible Shrinking Ship" | November 3, 1973 |
| 10 | "My Favorite Neighbor" | November 10, 1973 |
| 11 | "Allergy" | November 17, 1973 |
| 12 | "Truant Teacher" | November 24, 1973 |
| 13 | "Love: Martian Style" | December 1, 1973 |
| 14 | "The Chump Who Cried Chimp" | December 8, 1973 |
| 15 | "Credibility Gap" | December 15, 1973 |
| 16 | "Garage Sale" | December 22, 1973 |
In other media[]
Feature film[]
The series was also remade as a feature film in 1999 starring Christopher Lloyd as the Martian and Jeff Daniels as Tim. This film was released and distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. Ray Walston was featured in the film (both Bill Bixby and Pamela Britton had since died; the former in 1993 and the latter in 1974) and played another Martian who had been trapped on Earth since the time of the first series and wore a similar space suit from the series; his cover was now that of a Government investigator of unidentified flying objects. However, the premise was changed: Martians such as Lloyd's "Uncle Martin" are now non-humanoids with four arms, four legs, and three eyes who use a gumball (which they call "nerplex") to assume human form. The "nerplex" comes in a selection that will turn the person ingesting it into assorted life forms, including Martian, Venusian and one to "never use" (Venox 7).
Comics[]
The TV series was adapted into comic book form by Dan Spiegle and was distributed by Gold Key Comics; it lasted nine issues and ran from 1963 through 1966.[13] Gerry Anderson's company Century 21 acquired the rights to produce a comic strip adaption; it ran in their weekly newspaper, formatted comic TV21, for two years (1965–66) and was featured in three of the British Christmas comics annuals. Unlike the Gold Key Comics adaption, the British strip, in its later run, featured Martin's nephew Andromeda. Due to a lack of reference[clarification needed] he was depicted as a chubby freckled British schoolboy.
The comic rights returned to the Chertok company, who licensed a reprint of the Gold Key title produced by Hermes Press. Hermes Press put out one volume of a two volume set that covered issues #1-7 of the Gold Key series. The planned second would complete the Gold Key run and include the TV21 material. They also subsequently issued a special single issue edition reprint for the national free comic book day. That reprint is the only instance of a 1960s television comic reprint being used for this event. Subsequently, during the event, the books, in almost every venue, were the first to sell out. The Chertok Company is actively looking to reprint, for the first time, the British comic adaption in a single, stand-alone volume. However, the TV21 Martian pages have been used as special features on the US DVD release of the TV series from MPI, for the Australian DVD release from Umbrella Entertainment, and more recently on the Australia New Zealand DVD release from Shock Entertainment.
Merchandising[]
During the show's initial run, several products were produced resulting in a board game, a magic set, a paint by numbers set, and a springs with bells beanie hat.
Licensing resumed in 2012 on the My Favorite Martian property, resulting in both a scale plastic model kit of "Uncle Martin"'s spaceship and a built up version, both from Pegasus Hobbies. Due to the success of the model kit, the Chertok company subsequently has extended the Pegasus license.
The Pegasus model kit is in fact a scale replica based on the Martian spaceship's appearance as seen in the series episode "Crash Diet", where the spaceship is shrunken down in size; the initial version of the shrunken spaceship is in the same scale used for the Pegasus model. A still of "Uncle Martin" holding that scaled space ship was placed on the back of the product carton for the assembled, non-kit spaceship.
An after-market photo-etched metal detail parts kit from the Paragrafix Company gives modelers the ability to seriously upgrade the model kit's cockpit detail. They also for the first time created a scale version of the time machine suitcase, along with offering "Uncle Martin"'s flight log book reproduced in both English and Martian text.
Factory Entertainment produced a shake ems version of both "Uncle Martin" and his spaceship. They also offered a special edition black-and-white version of their Uncle Martin statue as a San Diego Comic Con International exclusive.
In 2015 Greenlight Collectibles produced a prototype My Favorite Martian boxed set featuring the second season's Plymouth Fury, as seen in the show.
In November 2017 Zynga Entertainment added My Favorite Martian to its cell phone game "Black Diamond Casino".
See also[]
References[]
- ^ My Favorite Martian. Series description page at PeterRodgersOrganization.org. (Retrieved July 12, 2018.)
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (1976). The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs, 1947–1976. A.S. Barnes. p. 124. ISBN 978-0498015618.
- ^ "My Favorite Martian – Long-Awaited USA Release for Season 3 Is Planned for 2010!". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "My Favorite Martian – A U.S.A. Release of 'Season 3: Collector's Edition' is Scheduled by MPI". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on January 29, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "Date, Cost, Early Cover Art for MPI's 'Season 1: Collector's Edition". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "My Favorite Martian – Formal Announcement Includes Extras for MPI's 'Season 1: Collector's Edition'". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "Release Date, Pricing for MPI's 'Season 2: Collector's Edition'". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ "Official Announcement, Box Art for 'The Complete Series'". Tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on December 15, 2015. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Jump up to: a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows – 1946–present (ninth edition – 2007). pp. 1683–1684. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
- ^ Woolery, George W. (1983). Children's Television: The First Thirty-Five Years, 1946–1981, Part 1: Animated Cartoon Series. Scarecrow Press. pp. 196–197. ISBN 0-8108-1557-5. Retrieved March 14, 2020.
- ^ Erickson, Hal (2005). Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, 1949 Through 2003 (2nd ed.). McFarland & Co. pp. 573–574. ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ DataBase, The Big Cartoon. "My Favorite Martians Episode Guide -Filmation". Big Cartoon DataBase (BCDB).
- ^ "Dan Spiegle". lambiek.net.
External links[]
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- American fantasy television series
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- American comic science fiction television series
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