Elinor Donahue

Elinor Donahue

Mary Eleanor Donahue (born April 19, 1937), credited as Elinor Donahue, is an American actress, best remembered today for playing the role of Betty Anderson, the eldest child of Robert Young and Jane Wyatt, on the 1950s American sitcom Father Knows Best. Donahue achieved stardom for her role as the elder daughter, Betty, on the television family series Father Knows Best. Her co-stars were Robert Young, Jane Wyatt, Billy Gray as her younger brother, James "Bud" Anderson, Jr., and Lauren Chapin as her younger sister, Kathy. Donahue was a musical judge in ABC's Jukebox Jury (1953–54). While in the first season of Father Knows Best she also appeared on The Ray Bolger Show, starring Ray Bolger as a song-and-dance man. Thereafter, she was cast with James Best, Ann Doran, and J. Carrol Naish in the 1956 episode "The White Carnation" of the religion anthology series, Crossroads. She guest starred on an episode of U.S. Marshal. She also appeared as a new bride in the George Burns and Gracie Allen Show episode titled "The Newlyweds" that aired April 2, 1956. She played Georgiana Balanger in the episode "Dennis and the Wedding" (1960) on Dennis the Menace.[5] Donahue was also cast, in 1960, with Marion Ross in an episode ("Duet") of The Brothers Brannagan. She played Miriam Welby on ABC's The Odd Couple, Jane Mulligan on Mulligan's Stew, and Nurse Hunnicut on Days of Our Lives. She was featured in 12 episodes of CBS's The Andy Griffith Show as pharmacist Ellie Walker, even getting a mention in the opening credits. The character was intended to be a love interest for Sheriff Andy Taylor, but after one season (1960–1961), Donahue decided to ask for a release from her three-year contract.[6] In 1963, Donahue was cast in an episode of NBC's short-lived modern Western series, Redigo, with Richard Egan as the rancher Jim Redigo; then in 1964, she appeared as Melanie in "The Secret in the Stone" in the NBC medical drama dealing with psychiatry, The Eleventh Hour, starring Jack Ging and Ralph Bellamy. Additionally, on February 9, 1963, she played Letty May in the episode "The Burning Tree" on Have Gun Will Travel. In the 1964–65 season, Donahue costarred as Joan Randall, the daughter of Walter Burnley, played by John McGiver, on the CBS sitcom, Many Happy Returns about the complaint department of a fictitious Los Angeles department store. She guest-appeared on Star Trek in the second-season episode "Metamorphosis" (1967) as commissioner Nancy Hedford. In 1966, she guest starred on the TV series A Man Called Shenandoah, episode 8, "Town On Fire."

  • Title: Elinor Donahue
  • Popularity: 8.2
  • Known For: Acting
  • Birthday: 1937-04-19
  • Place of Birth: Tacoma, Washington, USA
  • Homepage:
  • Also Known As: Mary Eleanor Donahue
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Elinor Donahue Movies

  • 1990
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    Pretty Woman

    Pretty Woman

    7.5 1990 HD

    While on a business trip in Los Angeles, Edward Lewis, a millionaire entrepreneur who makes a living buying and breaking up companies, picks up a...

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  • 1978
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    Doctors' Private Lives

    Doctors' Private Lives

    1 1978 HD

    Two heart surgeons clash over personal issues and medical ethics in a big-city hospital.

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  • 1991
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    Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

    Freddy's Dead: The Final Nightmare

    5.3 1991 HD

    Just when you thought it was safe to sleep, Freddy Krueger returns in this sixth installment of the Nightmare on Elm Street films, as psychologist...

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  • 1977
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    Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas

    Father Knows Best: Home for Christmas

    7.3 1977 HD

    The original cast of "Father Knows Best" returns for the second reunion movie. After learning that none of the children will be home for Christmas,...

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  • 1950
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    Singing Guns

    Singing Guns

    5.8 1950 HD

    Notorious stagecoach robber Rhiannon is unintentionally appointed as deputy when he saves the sheriff's life and must wear two hats between his new...

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  • 1952
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    Love Is Better Than Ever

    Love Is Better Than Ever

    6.1 1952 HD

    The dancing teacher Anastasia falls in love with the smart theatre agent Jud. He likes her, too, but does not want to give up his solo life at all....

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  • 1950
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    Tea for Two

    Tea for Two

    6 1950 HD

    In this reworking of "No, No, Nanette," wealthy heiress Nanette Carter bets her uncle $25,000 that she can say "no" to everything for 48 hours. If...

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  • 1996
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    Dear God

    Dear God

    5.5 1996 HD

    A judge gives con-man Tom Turner a choice—a jail sentence, or a year of honest work. But when he gets a job in the U.S. Post Office's dead...

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  • 1978
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    Police Story: No Margin for Error

    Police Story: No Margin for Error

    1 1978 HD

    Two policemen are suspected of excessive violence and causing two deaths. The investigation brings to light, little by little, the whole truth.

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  • 1972
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    Gidget Gets Married

    Gidget Gets Married

    5.6 1972 HD

    Gidget finally gets married and rebels against the social caste system in her new husband's company.

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  • 1947
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    The Unfinished Dance

    The Unfinished Dance

    6 1947 HD

    A young dance student accidentally cripples a teacher she doesn't like.

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  • 1948
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    Three Daring Daughters

    Three Daring Daughters

    5.7 1948 HD

    Three young girls try to help their divorced mother find the right husband.

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  • 1977
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    Mulligan's Stew

    Mulligan's Stew

    1 1977 HD

    Pilot TV-Movie for the sitcom Mulligan's Stew. Michael and Jane Mulligan have three children: Mark, Melinda and Jimmy. They find making ends meet...

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  • 1944
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    And Now Tomorrow

    And Now Tomorrow

    5.7 1944 HD

    Emily Blair is rich and deaf. Doctor Vance, who grew up poor in Blairtown, is working on a serum to cure deafness which he tries on Emily. It doesn't...

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  • 1951
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    Her First Romance

    Her First Romance

    2 1951 HD

    A teenager experiences her first crush while attending a summer camp. Director Seymour Friedman's 1951 film stars Margaret O'Brien, Allen Martin Jr.,...

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  • 1943
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    Mister Big

    Mister Big

    2.2 1943 HD

    Students at the Davis School of the Theatre are assigned "Antigone" as their class play, but they conspire to do a swing musical instead.

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  • 1969
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    In Name Only

    In Name Only

    1 1969 HD

    In this romantic comedy, an unwed couple who run a wedding planning business discover, to their horror, that the Justice of the Peace who had...

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  • 1977
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    Dick Clark's Good Old Days

    Dick Clark's Good Old Days

    1 1977 HD

    Dick Clark reviews popular music of the '50s and '60s.

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  • 2001
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    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within

    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman: The Heart Within

    7.8 2001 HD

    When Dr. Mike and Sully travel to Boston for Colleen's graduation from medical school, they find Dr. Mike's mother terminally ill. Sully finds...

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  • 1983
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    Going Berserk

    Going Berserk

    5.1 1983 HD

    John Bourgignon, a drummer-chauffeur engaged to the daughter of a United States senator, encounters a sleazy film director, the leader of an aerobics...

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  • 1942
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    Girls' Town

    Girls' Town

    1 1942 HD

    A West Coast version of "Stage Door", set at a Hollywood boarding house for young women hoping for movie careers.

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  • 1948
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    Tenth Avenue Angel

    Tenth Avenue Angel

    6.1 1948 HD

    Flavia's been told that her Aunt Susan's fiancé, Steve, has been on a trip around the world, but in truth he's finished his prison term. Steve...

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  • 1946
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    Winter Wonderland

    Winter Wonderland

    4.3 1946 HD

    A farm girl has a romance with a ski instructor.

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  • 1950
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    The Happy Years

    The Happy Years

    7.7 1950 HD

    Based on a collection of stories with the focus on young John Humperkink "Dink" Stover, a student at the Lawrenceville Prepatory School, in 1896,...

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  • 1983
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    Just an Overnight Guest

    Just an Overnight Guest

    1 1983 HD

    A family takes in an abused girl and eventually decide to adopt her.

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  • 1977
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    The Father Knows Best Reunion

    The Father Knows Best Reunion

    5.5 1977 HD

    First of two reunion movies starring the original cast of the popular 1950's series "Father Knows Best." Jim and Margaret Anderson invite their...

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  • 1959
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    Girls Town

    Girls Town

    3.6 1959 HD

    Chip is killed accidentally while trying to rape a blonde girl, who runs. Silver becomes the number one suspect even though she has an alibi, but due...

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  • 1983
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    High School U.S.A.

    High School U.S.A.

    5.6 1983 HD

    Set in a senior high school class, J.J. pursues the girlfriend of a rival from a higher clique which culminates in a race at the end of the movie...

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  • 1950
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    My Blue Heaven

    My Blue Heaven

    7 1950 HD

    Radio star Kitty Moran, long married to partner Jack, finds she's pregnant, but miscarries. For a change, the couple turn their act into a series on...

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  • 1943
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    Honeymoon Lodge

    Honeymoon Lodge

    1 1943 HD

    Honeymoon Lodge is a musical variation on the old Awful Truth plotline. Divorce-bound Bob and Carol Sterling (David Bruce, June Vincent) make a...

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  • 1949
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    An Old-Fashioned Girl

    An Old-Fashioned Girl

    1 1949 HD

    A music teacher in 1870s Boston works hard to succeed, while her wealthy distant relatives find their fortunes turning.

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  • 1959
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    Imitation of Life

    Imitation of Life

    7.4 1959 HD

    In 1940s New York, a white widow who dreams of being on Broadway has a chance encounter with a black single mother, who becomes her maid.

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  • 2016
    imgMovies

    Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault

    Star Trek: Inside the Roddenberry Vault

    5.7 2016 HD

    Fifty years after the original Star Trek first arrived on television, is there anything about Gene Roddenberry's space opera that hasn't been...

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  • 1984
    imgMovies

    No Earthly Reason

    No Earthly Reason

    1 1984 HD

    Television short

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  • 2004
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    The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

    The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement

    6.7 2004 HD

    Mia Thermopolis is now a college graduate and on her way to Genovia to take up her duties as princess. Accompanied by her friend Lilly, Mia continues...

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  • 1960
    imgS8 E30

    The Andy Griffith Show

    The Andy Griffith Show

    7.559 1960 HD

    The Andy Griffith Show is an American sitcom first televised on CBS between October 3, 1960 and April 1, 1968. Andy Griffith portrays the widowed...

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  • 1984
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    Murder, She Wrote

    Murder, She Wrote

    7.5 1984 HD

    An unassuming mystery writer turned sleuth uses her professional insight to help solve real-life homicide cases.

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  • 1966
    imgS3 E24

    Star Trek

    Star Trek

    8 1966 HD

    Space. The Final Frontier. The U.S.S. Enterprise embarks on a five year mission to explore the galaxy. The Enterprise is under the command of Captain...

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  • 1994
    imgS5 E22

    Ellen

    Ellen

    6.4 1994 HD

    Ellen is an American television sitcom that aired on the ABC network from March 29, 1994 to July 22, 1998, consisting of 109 episodes. The title role...

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  • 1972
    imgS4 E23

    The Rookies

    The Rookies

    6.9 1972 HD

    The Rookies is an American crime drama series that aired on ABC from 1972 until 1976. It follows the exploits of three rookie police officers working...

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  • 1970
    imgS5 E22

    The Odd Couple

    The Odd Couple

    7.831 1970 HD

    Felix and Oscar are two divorced men. Felix is neat and tidy while Oscar is sloppy and casual. They share a Manhattan apartment, and their different...

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  • 1977
    imgS10 E4

    The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

    6.3 1977 HD

    Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation...

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  • 1994
    imgS10 E17

    Friends

    Friends

    8.4 1994 HD

    Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get...

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  • 1985
    imgS7 E26

    The Golden Girls

    The Golden Girls

    7.5 1985 HD

    Four Southern Florida seniors share a house, their dreams, and a whole lot of cheesecake. Bright, promiscuous, clueless and hilarious, these lovely,...

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  • 1967
    imgS3 E26

    The Flying Nun

    The Flying Nun

    6.5 1967 HD

    Young Sister Bertrille uses her ability to become airborne to help others, whether they want it or not. Although her aims are always benevolent, her...

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  • 2003
    imgS7 E22

    Cold Case

    Cold Case

    7.766 2003 HD

    The Philadelphia homicide squad's lone female detective finds her calling when she is assigned cases that have never been solved. Detective Lilly...

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  • 1978
    imgS8 E19

    Diff'rent Strokes

    Diff'rent Strokes

    7.026 1978 HD

    The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and Willis Jackson, two African American boys from Harlem who are taken in by a rich white...

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  • 1996
    imgS14 E5

    E! True Hollywood Story

    E! True Hollywood Story

    8.041 1996 HD

    E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and also well-known...

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  • 1992
    imgS5 E18

    Eek! The Cat

    Eek! The Cat

    6.816 1992 HD

    Koombaya, it's Eek the cat and all his friends. Annabelle, Eek's 800-pound girlfriend, Sharky the vicious but lovable sharkdog, and Elmo the elk....

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  • 1982
    imgS5 E17

    Hotel

    Hotel

    6.8 1982 HD

    Hotel is an American prime time drama series which aired on ABC from September 21, 1983 to May 5, 1988 in the timeslot following Dynasty. Based on...

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  • 1974
    imgS11 E22

    Happy Days

    Happy Days

    7.7 1974 HD

    In 1950s Milwaukee the Cunningham family must contend with Fonzie, a motorcycle riding Casanova.

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  • 1993
    imgS6 E22

    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman

    7.627 1993 HD

    Dr. Michaela Quinn journeys to Colorado Springs to be the town's physician after her father's death in 1868.

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  • 1953
    imgS10 E34

    General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

    6 1953 HD

    General Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was...

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  • 1990
    imgS2 E13

    Get a Life

    Get a Life

    7.263 1990 HD

    Get a Life is a television sitcom that was broadcast in the United States on the Fox Network from September 23, 1990, to March 8, 1992. The show...

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  • 1964
    imgS1 E26

    Many Happy Returns

    Many Happy Returns

    5 1964 HD

    Many Happy Returns is an American situation comedy that ran on CBS for twenty-six episodes, from September 21, 1964 to April 12, 1965, under the...

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  • 1963
    imgS1 E15

    Redigo

    Redigo

    5 1963 HD

    Redigo is a 15-week Western dramatic series, set on a New Mexico ranch during the early 1960s, which aired over NBC from September 24 to December 31,...

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  • 1962
    imgS2 E30

    The Eleventh Hour

    The Eleventh Hour

    6 1962 HD

    The Eleventh Hour is an American medical drama about psychiatry starring Wendell Corey, Jack Ging, and Ralph Bellamy, which aired sixty-two new...

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  • 1959
    imgS4 E38

    Dennis the Menace

    Dennis the Menace

    6.7 1959 HD

    This 1959-1963 television situation comedy series follows the lives of the Mitchell family, Henry, Alice, and their only child Dennis, an energetic,...

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  • 1976
    imgS1 E19

    Battle of the Network Stars

    Battle of the Network Stars

    7.2 1976 HD

    Battle of the Network Stars was a series of competitions where television stars from ABC, CBS, and NBC would compete in various sporting events. A...

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  • 1987
    imgS1 E17

    The New Adventures of Beans Baxter

    The New Adventures of Beans Baxter

    5 1987 HD

    The New Adventures of Beans Baxter is an adventure/comedy television series The show revolves around the spy activities of Benjamin "Beans" Baxter...

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  • 1973
    imgS6 E5

    Police Story

    Police Story

    7.1 1973 HD

    Police Story is an anthology television crime drama. The show was the brainchild of author and former policeman Joseph Wambaugh and represented a...

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  • 1954
    imgS6 E32

    Father Knows Best

    Father Knows Best

    6.6 1954 HD

    Family man Jim Anderson copes with the everyday problems among his wife Margaret and their three children as they experience day-to-day changes.

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  • 1975
    imgS2 E24

    S.W.A.T.

    S.W.A.T.

    7 1975 HD

    S.W.A.T. is an American action/crime drama series about the adventures of a Special Weapons And Tactics team operating in an unidentified California...

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  • 1962
    imgS9 E24

    The Virginian

    The Virginian

    6.4 1962 HD

    The Shiloh Ranch in Wyoming Territory of the 1890s is owned in sequence by Judge Henry Garth, the Grainger brothers, and Colonel Alan MacKenzie. It...

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  • 1951
    imgS2 E33

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    7 1951 HD

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars is an anthology series that was telecast from 1951 until 1959 on CBS. Offering both comedies and drama, the series was...

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  • 1966
    imgS1 E30

    Occasional Wife

    Occasional Wife

    7.5 1966 HD

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  • 1977
    imgS1 E6

    Mulligan's Stew

    Mulligan's Stew

    7 1977 HD

    Mulligan's Stew is comedy/drama television series produced by Paramount Network Television that originally aired as a 90-minute NBC television movie...

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  • 1961
    imgS5 E58

    Dr. Kildare

    Dr. Kildare

    5.4 1961 HD

    The story of a young intern in a large metropolitan hospital trying to learn his profession, deal with the problems of his patients, and win the...

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  • 1969
    imgS1 E17

    Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

    Mr. Deeds Goes to Town

    9 1969 HD

    Mr. Deeds Goes to Town is an American sitcom television series that aired from September 26, 1969 until January 16, 1970. Based on the movie from...

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  • 1953
    imgS8 E31

    Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

    6.2 1953 HD

    Letter to Loretta is an American anthology drama series telecast on NBC from September 1953 to June 1961 for a total of 165 episodes. The filmed show...

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  • 1950
    imgS8 E39

    The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

    The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

    6.813 1950 HD

    Burns and Allen, an American comedy duo consisting of George Burns and his wife, Gracie Allen, worked together as a comedy team in vaudeville, films,...

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  • 1977
    imgS10 E4

    The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

    6.3 1977 HD

    Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation...

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  • 1980
    imgS1 E2

    Condominium

    Condominium

    3.7 1980 HD

    An impending hurricane threatens to destroy the Silver Sands Condominium in Fiddler Key, Florida.

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  • 1953
    imgS8 E31

    Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

    6.2 1953 HD

    Letter to Loretta is an American anthology drama series telecast on NBC from September 1953 to June 1961 for a total of 165 episodes. The filmed show...

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  • 1977
    imgS6 E22

    CHiPs

    CHiPs

    6.8 1977 HD

    Lighthearted look at the adventures of two Highway Patrol officers in Los Angeles. The main characters are Jon Baker and Frank Poncherello, two...

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  • 1960
    imgS1 E12

    The Brothers Brannagan

    The Brothers Brannagan

    1 1960 HD

    The Brothers Brannagan is an American crime drama television series that aired in syndication from September 24, 1960, and July 15, 1961. A double...

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  • 1975
    imgS9 E23

    One Day at a Time

    One Day at a Time

    6.737 1975 HD

    The misadventures of a divorced mother, two teenage daughters, and new building superintendent in Indianapolis.

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  • 1977
    imgS10 E4

    The Love Boat

    The Love Boat

    6.3 1977 HD

    Passengers who search for romantic nights aboard a beautiful ship travelling to tropical or mysterious countries, decide to pass their vacation...

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  • 1974
    imgS4 E22

    Police Woman

    Police Woman

    6.2 1974 HD

    Sergeant “Pepper"” Anderson, an undercover cop for the Criminal Conspiracy Unit of the Los Angeles Police Department, poses undercover...

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  • 1991
    imgS3 E22

    Herman's Head

    Herman's Head

    6.6 1991 HD

    Herman's Head is an American sitcom that aired on the Fox network from September 8, 1991 until April 21, 1994. The series was created by Andy Guerdat...

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  • 1989
    imgS9 E23

    Coach

    Coach

    6.9 1989 HD

    Hayden Fox, the curmudgeonly coach of Minnesota State University's Screaming Eagles football team, tries to navigate his way through the sports...

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  • 1957
    imgS6 E32

    Have Gun, Will Travel

    Have Gun, Will Travel

    7.4 1957 HD

    Have Gun – Will Travel is an American Western television series that aired on CBS from 1957 through 1963. It was rated number three or number...

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  • 1958
    imgS6 E20

    77 Sunset Strip

    77 Sunset Strip

    6.7 1958 HD

    Stu Bailey and Jeff Spencer are the wisecracking, womanizing private-detective heroes of this Warner Brothers drama. They work out of an office...

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