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Hazel is an American sitcom about a spunky live-in maid named Hazel Burke (played by Shirley Booth) and her employers, the Baxters. The five-season, 154-episode series aired in prime time from September 28, 1961, to April 11, 1966, and was produced by Screen Gems. The first four seasons of Hazel aired on NBC, and the fifth and final season aired on CBS. Season 1 was broadcast in black-and-white except for one episode which was in color, and seasons 2–5 were all broadcast in color. The show was based on the single-panel comic strip of the same name by cartoonist Ted Key, which appeared in The Saturday Evening Post. Synopsis Seasons 1–4 Hazel is a competent, take-charge, live-in maid in the home of the Baxter family. George Baxter (Don DeFore) is a partner in the law firm of Butterworth, Hatch, Noll and Baxter; Hazel calls him "Mr. B". George's wife, Dorothy (Whitney Blake), is an interior decorator, whom Hazel nicknames "Missy". Their son Harold (Bobby Buntrock) is dubbed "Sport" by Hazel. The family dog is Smiley. Hazel had worked previously with Dorothy's family, and has a close relationship with her. Hazel's mother died when she was 14 (she said in one episode) so she had to take care of her own family. The series humorously dramatizes Hazel's life with the Baxters and her friendships with others in the neighborhood such as postman Barney Hatfield (Robert Williams), taxi-driver Mitch Brady (Dub Taylor) and Rosie Hammaker (Maudie Prickett), another maid in the neighborhood. Many episodes focus on the perennial contest of wills between Hazel and George over issues around the house; "Mr. B" usually concedes defeat and grants Hazel's wishes when she tortures him by serving meager portions of her mouth-watering meals and desserts as an incentive for him to “lose a few pounds.” Some episodes take Hazel outside the Baxter house and follow her life in the community. In the first episode, for example, she spearheads a drive for the construction of a neighborhood playground. Hazel's life is sometimes complicated by George's snobby Bostonian sister Deirdre Thompson (Cathy Lewis) and his gruff client Harvey Griffin (Howard Smith). Dotty neighbors Herbert and Harriet Johnson (Donald Foster and Norma Varden) often call upon Hazel's expertise in household matters, of which they seem ignorant. Network change and final season After a four season run on NBC, the network canceled the series, but it was picked up by CBS for what would be a fifth and final season. In an effort to appeal to a younger audience, DeFore and Blake were dropped after the move to CBS. George and Dorothy’s departure was explained as a relocation to Baghdad, Iraq, for George's work. Hazel and Harold (who did not depart with his parents so he wouldn't miss any school) moved in with George's never-before-mentioned younger brother, Steve (Ray Fulmer), a real estate agent, Steve's wife Barbara (Lynn Borden), and their daughter Susie (Julia Benjamin). Hazel provided the same housekeeping services for her revamped family. As for the drop in two of the main characters, CBS had said that Blake was not available after the move to the network, although DeFore stated that he was never informed of the change and found out about it while reading a newspaper. Ann Jillian, who was then a teenager, was also added to the cast as Millie Ballard, Steve Baxter's receptionist. Jillian later went on to star in her own series, It's a Living, in the 1980s, as well as several television films. Production notes The series was filmed at Columbia Sunset Gower Studios, Hollywood, California. Exteriors were shot at the Columbia Ranch in Burbank. This movie ranch facade used as the Baxters' house had previously been seen in several Three Stooges films, and was used as the home for the Lawrences on the sitcom Gidget. From the driveway, the house next door to the right is recognizable as that of Darrin and Samantha Stephens from Bewitched. The episode "What'll We Watch Tonight", in which Hazel purchases a color TV, is the only first-season episode shot in color and appears to promote color television sets. NBC, which aired the series, was owned by RCA, the largest seller of color television sets, during the period when most viewers still had black-and-white TVs. In July 1963, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced that unless the show added a Negro person to the off-camera technical staff, the organization would begin a boycott of the show's sponsor, the Ford Motor Company. Two months after the announcement, the show's producers announced that a black production executive had joined the show. In the pilot episode of the show, the part of George Baxter was played by Edward Andrews. Test audiences were not comfortable with Andrews playing the role, so when the series was green-lighted it was recast with DeFore. Theme song While the weekly show began with an instrumental theme song composed by the team of Sammy Cahn and James Van Heusen, the closing credits during the first eight shows of the inaugural season played the song with lyrics sung by The Modernaires. There were different theme songs as the series progressed, including later versions by Howard Greenfield, Helen Miller, and Jack Keller. Sponsors During its first four seasons, Hazel was sponsored by Ford Motor Company, which had earlier underwritten Tennessee Ernie Ford's comedy and variety show, The Ford Show. As a result, Ford vehicles, including the Mustang when it was introduced in 1964, were often prominently featured on the series, even as a part of the storyline (an example of product placement). During season four, Lever Brothers co-sponsored Hazel. In its final season, Procter & Gamble and Philip Morris were the sponsors. Cast Main cast Seven main characters in this show are included. Four main characters were in the show in the first version. When the second version was introduced in 1965 to help the show for a younger audience, Don DeFore and Whitney Blake retired from acting from this show. George was replaced by a brother named Steve, while Dorothy became Steve's wife Barbara. In the second version of this show, Ray Fulmer and Lynn Borden act as Steve Baxter and Barbara Baxter, respectively. Julia Benjamin was added to the cast as Susie, while Bobby Buntrock remained as a cast member in the second version and also kept his name in the show, Harold. The first version of the cast ended on spring of 1965, when NBC cancelled Hazel at the time. The second version of the cast started on September 13, 1965. Shirley Booth as Hazel (all 5 seasons, 1961-1966) Don DeFore as George Baxter (seasons 1-4, 1961-1965) (Hazel nicknamed him "Mr. B") Whitney Blake as Dorothy Baxter (seasons 1-4, 1961-1965) (Hazel nicknamed her "Missy") Ray Fulmer as Steve Baxter (season 5, 1965-1966) Lynn Borden as Barbara Baxter (season 5, 1965-1966) Bobby Buntrock as Harold (all 5 seasons, 1961-1966) (Hazel nicknamed him "Sport") Julia Benjamin as Susi.... Discover the Hazel Gower popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Hazel Gower books.