More Moondoogie? More surfing?

[gidgetgrape]

The real Gidget, Kathy Kohner, has stated that she didn't like Gidget (1965-1966) because it didn't contain enough surfing. What would you have liked to have seen more of on Gidget?

[Jude The Obscure]

she has to remember--it was a half hour sitcom! and besides had ABC not been stupid and cancel the show (which it regretted when Gidget reruns became a hit during the summer), we might have seen more surfing and such.

[catlover79]

Gee, I always thought the "real" Gidget was Sandra Dee. :confused: :lol:

[TeeVeeCloset]

she has to remember--it was a half hour sitcom! and besides had ABC not been stupid and cancel the show (which it regretted when Gidget reruns became a hit during the summer), we might have seen more surfing and such.

Very True my friend, but imagine if Gidget had gone on for future seasons, we would never have had "The Flying Nun" which no matter what you think of the series, it is a legendary part of our television heritage and extremely original. Gidget had already been a movie, books, etc.

[Jude The Obscure]

Oh well, I would have loved to have seen at least a 2nd season of Gidget, but as it is, we have 32 classic episodes and wonderful memories :)

[catlover79]

Very True my friend, but imagine if Gidget had gone on for future seasons, we would never have had "The Flying Nun" which no matter what you think of the series, it is a legendary part of our television heritage and extremely original. Gidget had already been a movie, books, etc.
Gidget was a book series?? Wow.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Gidget was a book series?? Wow.

Actually I'm not 100% sure, it just seems it was remade so many times, Gidget reminds me of "Tammy" which was a book series and both gidget and tammy were played by sandra dee as well as others. Gidget was also played by Karen Valentine and of course Caryn Richmond.

[catlover79]

Actually I'm not 100% sure, it just seems it was remade so many times, Gidget reminds me of "Tammy" which was a book series and both gidget and tammy were played by sandra dee as well as others. Gidget was also played by Karen Valentine and of course Caryn Richmond.
Interesting...and of course, Dean Butler (Manly on Little House on the Prairie) played Moondoggie in the 80s revival. :D

[Jude The Obscure]

There was Sandra Dee, Deborah Walley, Sally Field, Karen Valentine,Monie Ellis and Caryn Richmond (who also later Mrs Greg Brady :) ). :D

[TeeVeeCloset]

There was Sandra Dee, Deborah Walley, Sally Field, Karen Valentine,Monie Ellis and Caryn Richmond (who also later Mrs Greg Brady :) ). :D

Very impressive!!!! I had a crush on everyone of them!.....lol...especially Sandra Dee & Caryn Richmond.......BTW.....there is an episode of "The Flying Nun" in the second season that shows Sister B showing films of her as a wild teenager and they use all footage from "Gidget" surfing, etc.

[catlover79]

There was Sandra Dee, Deborah Walley, Sally Field, Karen Valentine,Monie Ellis and Caryn Richmond (who also later Mrs Greg Brady :) ). :D
Karen Valentine (Room 222) was Gidget? When?

[gidgetgrape]

Gidget was a book series?? Wow.

Yes, that's how the whole franchise got started. Frederick Kohner wrote "Gidget,the Little Girl with Big Ideas " and that that led to the movie starring Sandra Dee. Have you seen that movie? It's almost the complete opposite of the book. In the book, Gidget is boy crazy (not super shy like Sandra Dee) and the guys teach her how to surf. She doesn't study a book like in the movie and she doesn't take advice from her mother or girlfriends. Women play a small part in the books. It's mostly her dad, her brother-in-law (named Larry not John), and the guys on the beach. Speaking of guys, Gidget mostly daydreams about Moondoogie in the first book and the Big Kahuna doesn't decide to get a job like in the movie. Moondoogie is barely mentioned in the second book, Gidget is in love with the Big Kahuna in that one. I really think the sitcom with Sally Field is based more on the books than the original movie.

The other books are Cher Papa (my favorite - takes place on a ski resort), Gidget Goes Hawaiian (based on the screenplay), Gidget Goes to Rome (based on the screenplay), The Affairs of Gidget, Gidget in Love, Gidget Goes Parisienne, and Gidget Goes New York.

[gidgetgrape]

There was Sandra Dee, Deborah Walley, Sally Field, Karen Valentine,Monie Ellis and Caryn Richmond (who also later Mrs Greg Brady :) ). :D

Also, Kathy Gori's voice in the cartoon, Gidget Makes The Wrong Connection. Yes, I'm totally obsessed.

[MickeyMac]

she has to remember--it was a half hour sitcom! and besides had ABC not been stupid and cancel the show (which it regretted when Gidget reruns became a hit during the summer), we might have seen more surfing and such.


Yeah I agree if this show made it to another season, they may have been more surfing.

[OH Nuts!]

What would I like to have seen more of? More seasons! first off!!!

Definitely more surfing......more of Dad & Larue & the rest of Gidge's friends. And less of the annoying pesty Mr. Shrink Sigmund Frued reincarnated brother in law.

[gidgetgrape]

And less of the annoying pesty Mr. Shrink Sigmund Frued reincarnated brother in law.

It's weird that John and Ann didn't appear to have jobs. John was in school and Ann was a housewife. Can you imagine what the show would have been like if John and Ann lived with Gidget and her Dad? :crazy: I like that joke from the first episode where John says that overeating is a sure sign of sexual starvation.

John: Think back Russ. Was Gidget overeating a lot?
Russ: Not as much as you.

Maybe if the show would have stayed on longer, John and Ann would have become parents and backed off a bit.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Yeah I agree if this show made it to another season, they may have been more surfing.

I actually don't think there would have been more surfing shots, don't forget, the surfing shots were done by what the industry call chroma key (spelling) or greenscreen, meaning the actors just stand in front of a green or blue background and they put the ocean behind them. that's why it always looked so awkward, the other beachshots were either stock footage from far away of possibilly other actors, or gidget with surfboard in hand, all wet just coming out of the real ocean. so I really don't think the second season would have been much different, remember the series ended with an episode about an alligator in the freezer! It actually might have gotten silly and forgot its original surfer girl premise even further.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Karen Valentine (Room 222) was Gidget? When?

In approx 1971 or 1974 Karen appeared in a poorly produced TV Movie, it is available on DVD in the official Gidget Movie Boxset.

[catlover79]

In approx 1971 or 1974 Karen appeared in a poorly produced TV Movie, it is available on DVD in the official Gidget Movie Boxset.
Thanks. :cool:

[gidgetgrape]

In approx 1971 or 1974 Karen appeared in a poorly produced TV Movie, it is available on DVD in the official Gidget Movie Boxset.

Sorry to nitpick again, but the telemovies (Gidget Grows Up -1969 the one with Karen, Gidget Gets Married and Gidget's Summer Reunion) are not available officially on DVD. The "movie" DVD set contains Gidget (1959), Gidget Goes to Rome and Gidget Goes Hawaiian.

[TeeVeeCloset]

Sorry to nitpick again, but the telemovies (Gidget Grows Up -1969 the one with Karen, Gidget Gets Married and Gidget's Summer Reunion) are not available officially on DVD. The "movie" DVD set contains Gidget (1959), Gidget Goes to Rome and Gidget Goes Hawaiian.

I absolutely stand corrected, you are 100% accurate....I guess I got confused because I haven't watched the dvd yet, since the Karen Valentine Gidget movie has played on encore or starz many times in the past, I know the premise I think has Karen overseas, but I'm not even sure about that! I only really liked Sandra Dee as a movie Gidget. So I easily forget the other ones.

[Jude The Obscure]

Very impressive!!!! I had a crush on everyone of them!.....lol...especially Sandra Dee & Caryn Richmond.......BTW.....there is an episode of "The Flying Nun" in the second season that shows Sister B showing films of her as a wild teenager and they use all footage from "Gidget" surfing, etc.


I saw that one a few years back when TV Land had The Flying Nun on its schedule--that must be a very early 2nd season episode because TVL only bought the 1st season and some and reran those over and over!

[Jude The Obscure]

the TV movie "Gidget Grows Up" has Gidget as a U.N. page, getting a marriage proposal from Moondoggie (played here by Paul Petersen--yep, that one) and having a chaste romance with an older man played by Edward Mulhare. Don't know if it was intended to revive Gidget as a series with Karen. I find it has cheesy appeal, but really strays far away from the Gidget concept of sun, fun, surf and turf. I have never seen "Gidget Gets Married". I did enjoy the '80s revival though.

[catlover79]

the TV movie "Gidget Grows Up" has Gidget as a U.N. page, getting a marriage proposal from Moondoggie (played here by Paul Petersen--yep, that one) and having a chaste romance with an older man played by Edward Mulhare. Don't know if it was intended to revive Gidget as a series with Karen. I find it has cheesy appeal, but really strays far away from the Gidget concept of sun, fun, surf and turf. I have never seen "Gidget Gets Married". I did enjoy the '80s revival though.
I just can't picture Paul Petersen as Moondoggie. :lol:

[Jude The Obscure]

Paul was kinda groovy then :D

Besides, he was in a military uniform for the movie--the character was in the Air Force, I believe.

[OH Nuts!]

Yep I could definitely see Paul in the role. Or Billy Gray

[Jude The Obscure]

Billy Gray at that point, was already getting involved in his motorbike racing, I think.

[installLSC]

Actually I think the worst thing would be having more surfing or Moondoggie. The core of the series was Gidget's relationships with her father and Larue. Spending time on poorly shot surfing or a rarely seen boyfriend just would have taken away from the prime relationships.