This is not a spoiler review.I watched the show when I was a very young boy and still watch reruns on Antenna TV from time to time.But one thing that I realize now even though I thought Shirley Booth had a very successful career as a film and TV actress I believe that the comments made between her and Don DeFore as George Baxter would have had people writing today about the fact that in just about every episode he would ask for more of whatever they were eating or they had a guest that she would offer a brownie or cake to and he would state that he wanted something to eat and she would refuse him by saying that he couldn't have anything because of his"diet" and he would just accept it.Anyone today I think would remind her of who was paying her salary and bounce her out the door because at that time in her career she wasn't the slimmest actress around by any means.

When I was growing up in New Jersey in the 60s, I remember watching the reruns of Hazel on Channel 5. It was a very good sitcom, thanks to the outstanding performance of Shirley Booth as the title character. It was her breakout TV role that won her a couple of Emmys.Also adding to the show's success was Don DeFore as George (Mr. B) Baxter, Whitney Blake, who later went on to co-create the hit CBS sitcom One Day at a Time as his wife Dorothy aka "Missy" and Bobby Buntrock as their young son Harold. Sadly, Buntrock was killed in a car accident at the age of 21.Not only was Hazel an outstanding maid, she was also a really good bowler. I remember the episode where she competed in a bowling tournament.Unfortunately, I don't remember any of the fifth season episodes, where DeFore and Blake were replaced by Ray Fulmer as Steve and Lynn Borden as Barbara. Those two have rarely been heard from in years.Coming from Screen Gems, who had a hit with another sitcom based on the comic strip Dennis the Menace, Hazel ran for five years and ended its run, not because of declining ratings but because Booth was tiring of the role. The show was in reruns for years and later disappeared. But fear not, thanks to the new digital broadcast network Antenna TV, viewers can finally see this lost gem of the 60s.As the theme song stated early in the run "Who's the gal that's everybody's pal? It's Hazel."

I recently discovered this little sit-com gem from the early 1960's (although it feels like the 1950's). I'd never even heard of this show before, but I'm glad that it's survived and some station director (Antenna-TV) decided to re-run it.The first time I saw it I nearly turned it off, the main character Hazel has a rather 'distinctive' voice but I stuck with it. After viewing a few more episodes I came to love the character because of the nutty predicaments she gets herself and the family in and the fact that she's got a heart of gold. Things always turn out Okey-Dokey by the end of the 30 minute show as would be expected in a 50's sit-com. The best analogy I can make is if The Brady Bunch gave Alice the maid a spin-off with good writers and an affable supporting cast. Overall it's really tame TV, but fun to watch.

I do remember "Hazel" so well. Oh how I wish I had VCD tapings of all those shows! It is my outlet of escape from the harsh reality of today's society and today's television. I am not sure if anyone ever knew in what part of the country the Baxter's were situated, but where ever it was it had the perfect setting of how I felt America should be. There were no racial issues (African-American Robert Johnson played a waiter, and there were a few others), or sex scenes, or violence. George Baxter had the ideal house; and I do remember the family sitting down in the family room watching, on TV, a Perry Como special. This prompted me to recently purchase a Perry Como CD of his best songs. Hazel was the best cook, and I often dreamed of tasting some of her fabulous dishes. The warmth of "Somewheresville", USA gave me a "quaint ole feeling" that I hope to get when I re-settle in the States. If only I could view those programs here in China; how at home I would be! Shirley Booth's character and her portrayal seemed so realistic. Many of the actors/actresses in those days seemed thus. What has happened to acting these days? I was shocked to recently discover that Bobby Buntrock had been killed over 20 years ago. He and Booth were the show during its entire run. When "Hazel" moved from NBC to ABC and "Mr. Steve" replaced "Mr. 'B'", Booth's talents could still, in my opinion, pull the show through successfully. Hats off to Ms. Booth and her great supporting cast.