Broadside (TV series)

| channel = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]

| channel = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]

| first_aired = {{Start date|1964|09|20}}

| first_aired = {{Start date|1964|09|20}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1965|05|02}}

| last_aired = {{End date|1965|09|12}}

}}

}}

Their nemesis was the rarefied Commander Roger Adrian ([[Edward Andrews]]), who regarded the war as a major intrusion on his idyllic, luxurious lifestyle; he felt that the WAVES experiment would attract official government supervision, endangering his private paradise. Adrian and his easily flustered junior officer Ensign Beasley ([[George Furth]]) constantly conspired to get rid of the WAVES, while executive officer Lt. Max Trotter ([[Dick Sargent]]) and streetwise sailor Nicky D'Angelo (Don Edmonds) sided with the girls in their counter-attacks on Adrian. Completing the ensemble was Adrian's fussy personal chef Bernard (Richard Jury).

Their nemesis was the rarefied Commander Roger Adrian ([[Edward Andrews]]), who regarded the war as a major intrusion on his idyllic, luxurious lifestyle; he felt that the WAVES experiment would attract official government supervision, endangering his private paradise. Adrian and his easily flustered junior officer Ensign Beasley ([[George Furth]]) constantly conspired to get rid of the WAVES, while executive officer Lt. Max Trotter ([[Dick Sargent]]) and streetwise sailor Nicky D'Angelo (Don Edmonds) sided with the girls in their counter-attacks on Adrian. Completing the ensemble was Adrian's fussy personal chef Bernard (Richard Jury).

==Production==

Edward Andrews (as "Eddie Andrews") had appeared in producer Edward Montagne's military sitcom ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'' (''[[Sergeant Bilko]]''). Montagne remembered him and co-starred him in ''Broadside''. "The amusing thing is that Ed Montagne first offered me the Captain Binghamton role in his ''[[McHale's Navy]]'' and I turned him down," said Andrews in 1965. "After seeing what a wonderful job [[Joe Flynn (American actor)|Joe Flynn]] is doing with the role, I keep kicking myself for what was apparently a stupid decision. [''Broadside''] is roughly a distaff version of ''McHale's Navy''. One reason I grabbed onto this series is that finally, I hope, I'll get an identity with exposure every week in the same role."Edward Andrews to syndicated columnist Hank Grant, Apr. 5, 1964.

Edward Andrews (as "Eddie Andrews") had appeared in producer Edward Montagne's military sitcom ''[[The Phil Silvers Show]]'' (''[[Sergeant Bilko]]''). Montagne remembered him and co-starred him in ''Broadside''. "The amusing thing is that Ed Montagne first offered me the Captain Binghamton role in his ''[[McHale's Navy]]'' and I turned him down," said Andrews in 1965. "After seeing what a wonderful job [[Joe Flynn (American actor)|Joe Flynn]] is doing with the role, I keep kicking myself for what was apparently a stupid decision. [''Broadside''] is roughly a distaff version of ''McHale's Navy''. One reason I grabbed onto this series is that finally, I hope, I'll get an identity with exposure every week in the same role."Edward Andrews to syndicated columnist Hank Grant, Apr. 5, 1964.

''Broadside'' boasted clever scripts and good direction by the ''McHale's Navy'' staff, and enthusiastic performances by the ensemble cast. As it was a rule that vehicles on set could only be operated by union members, the cast playing drivers got honorary [[International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters’]] cards.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

''Broadside'' boasted clever scripts and good direction by the ''McHale's Navy'' staff, and enthusiastic performances by the ensemble cast. As it was a rule that vehicles on set could only be operated by union members, the cast playing drivers got honorary [[International Brotherhood of Teamsters|Teamsters’]] cards.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

==Mid-season addition==

Edward Montagne had produced movie short subjects starring comedian [[Arnold Stang]] in the early 1950s. Montagne recruited Stang to join the series and offered him co-star billing. Stang was then co-starring with the national touring company of the Broadway hit ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' and left the show on October 3, 1964 to join Montagne. "I was originally scheduled to be in the show when it went on the air last fall," recalled Stang in 1965, "but I was tied up with the road show of ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.'' I couldn't get out of the commitment until now."Arnold Stang to syndicated [[United Press International|UPI]] columnist Vernon Scott, Feb. 10, 1965. Stang appeared midway through the ''Broadside'' run, having missed the first 21 episodes, and he replaced both Richard Jury and Don Edmonds in the ensemble cast. He co-starred in the remaining 11 episodes as outspoken master chef Stanley Stubbs, reunited with his high-school classmate Selma of the WAVES motorpool.

Edward Montagne had produced movie short subjects starring comedian [[Arnold Stang]] in the early 1950s. Montagne recruited Stang to join the series and offered him co-star billing. Stang was then co-starring with the national touring company of the Broadway hit ''[[A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum]]'' and left the show on October 3, 1964 to join Montagne. "I was originally scheduled to be in the show when it went on the air last fall," recalled Stang in 1965, "but I was tied up with the road show of ''A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.'' I couldn't get out of the commitment until now."Arnold Stang to syndicated [[United Press International|UPI]] columnist Vernon Scott, Feb. 10, 1965. Stang appeared midway through the ''Broadside'' run, having missed the first 22 episodes, and he replaced both Richard Jury and Don Edmonds in the ensemble cast. He co-starred in the remaining 10 episodes as outspoken master chef Stanley Stubbs, reunited with his high-school classmate Selma of the WAVES motorpool.

The ratings improved considerably with Stang aboard, but too late to save the series, which had already been canceled. Stang felt responsible: "By helping that show I messed it up for the entire cast. The ratings began to climb and they told us we'd probably be on next season. So everybody waited for the renewal, and when it didn't come the pilot season was over and they were all through for the year."Arnold Stang to syndicated columnist Harvey Pack, Dec. 11, 1965.

The ratings improved considerably with Stang aboard, but too late to save the series, which had already been canceled. Stang felt responsible: "By helping that show I messed it up for the entire cast. The ratings began to climb and they told us we'd probably be on next season. So everybody waited for the renewal, and when it didn't come the [[television pilot|pilot season]] was over and they were all through for the year."Arnold Stang to syndicated columnist Harvey Pack, Dec. 11, 1965. Arnold Stang did not appear in the last two episodes of the network run; ABC had pre-empted the show twice, and these shelved episodes with departed co-star Don Edmonds were [[burned off]] to finish the run.

==Cancellation==

The executives at [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] felt the tropical exteriors being used by ''Broadside'' and ''McHale's Navy''—and nothing else—were taking up too much space on the [[backlot]], so ''Broadside'' was canceled and the setting for ''McHale's Navy'' was changed to Italy, which could be shot on the studio's more frequently used sets with European facades.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}} Arnold Stang did not appear in the last two episodes of the network run; ABC had pre-empted the show twice, and these shelved episodes with departed co-star Don Edmonds were [[burned off]] to finish the run.

The executives at [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]] felt the tropical exteriors being used by ''Broadside'' and ''McHale's Navy''—and nothing else—were taking up too much space on the [[backlot]]. ''Broadside'' was canceled, and the setting for ''McHale's Navy'' was changed to Italy, which could be shot on the studio's more frequently used sets with European facades.{{Citation needed |date=August 2024}}

The first-run episodes ended on May 2, 1965, with reruns broadcast in the same time slot through September 12, 1965.''Arizona Republic'', Sept. 12, 1965, p. 63.

''Broadside'', with its relatively limited supply of 32 episodes, has seldom been seen in syndication, although Universal offered it to local stations shortly after its network run.

==Cast==

==Cast==

* [[George Furth]] as Ensign Beasley

* [[George Furth]] as Ensign Beasley

* [[Sheila James]] as Selma Kowalski

* [[Sheila James]] as Selma Kowalski

* Lois Roberts as Molly Maguire

* Lois Roberts as Molly McGuire

* [[Joan Staley]] as Roberta Love

* [[Joan Staley]] as Roberta Love

* [[Arnold Stang]] as Seaman 1st Class Stanley Stubbs

* [[Arnold Stang]] as Seaman 1st Class Stanley Stubbs