As a fan of Leave it to Beaver that was at least was partially filmed outdoors, M3S was a mostly in-studio production. At times the seams of the fake walls of the plain set were clearly visible, unlike the nice surroundings of the Cleaver home.As another comment mentioned, it's hard to understand how this very contrived show was able to continue for 369 episodes, though as TCM has mentioned, Fred MacMurray did have a lot of influence in Hollywood.My older Brother and Sister did like the show, especially the later seasons when the boys started dating, but I was age 5 to 17 during it's run, and just could not (thankfully) get to like the show.To me, the show reflected a lowering of viewer taste after the initial push of shows during the 1950s. The show also aired during the tumult of the 1960s, and certainly at times was about as square as any show of it's time could be.If I were at the top floor of the CBS building, I'd have kept the show around for 3 seasons - but 12?

With my curiosity piqued in regards to this TV show's vast popularity, I have now watched every single episode from both Season 1 and Season 2 of My Three Sons.And, now, with that done, I have to say that I honestly can't imagine how this dreary, unfunny and unimaginative Sit-Com actually endured running for 12 seasons (1960-1972).I am absolutely puzzled by this show's wide appeal.Among my other valid complaints about this completely contrived TV series is that the 2 teen-aged boys in the show had no real interest, whatsoever, in rock-n-roll music (which was in full swing when this show was first aired) and I think that that one point, alone, renders My Three Sons as an absolutely unrealistic depiction of a "typical", middle-class, All-American family during the 1960s.Whoever scripted this show was a moron. They turned every reasonably acceptable situation into an absurd, unfunny dud where all I could do was roll my eyes to the ceiling and groan in agony at the stupidity of it all.I'm trying to be fair-minded here, but I thought that the entire Douglas family were all a bunch of jerks who were so easy to dislike.This was one of those rare TV shows where the family dog, Tramp, was just as stupid and clueless as its owners.As well, I found the Steve Douglas character (played by actor Fred MacMurray), the father figure of the household, to be a lousy role model. This character, far too often, seemed unbelievably apathetic and in no way helpful when it came to the concerns of his 3 growing sons.Nope. It's as I said earlier - I can't see how this show survived running for 12 successful seasons. I really can't.

I never thought that Fred MacMurray would ever get a biography written about him simply because of the subject. The man was apparently as normal as he seemed. No scandals of any kind, no movie or television star temperament, no salacious gossip of any kind. Still a good biography was written about him in the past couple of years.When MacMurray was offered My Three Sons his film career had rejuvenated due to Walt Disney's, The Shaggy Dog. Quite frankly MacMurray wanted to have it all, but there are only 365 days a year. Producer Don Fedderson to get his participation in the show agreed to a system whereby all of his scenes in all of the show's episodes were shot first, taking about 2 months. Then everyone else's scenes were shot and the episodes edited together. It allowed Fred time for his outside work, mostly with Walt Disney.This was a firm and fast rule, even guest stars who didn't get around to their commitments on a show, found themselves saying their dialog to furniture as the episodes were put together. If they could be called back, they were, otherwise it was playing to the scenery.What I find amazing is that people actually put up with this, but there's no denying the success of the results. My Three Sons had a twelve year run on the show, all of the original sons got married and started families. One son, Tim Considine quite halfway through the run like Adam Cartwright, still the show kept going as MacMurray adopted Barry Livingston to keep the trio with Don Grady and Barry's older brother Stanley Livingston. Females gradually entered the all male household with the marriages of Considine to Meredith MacRae, Grady to Tina Cole, and Livingston to Ronne Troup. And the big finish was in those final couple of seasons as widower MacMurray married Beverly Garland and became a stepfather of girls for the first time with Dawn Lyn.Before the females invaded the household chores and the raising of the boys was assisted by William Frawley and later William Demarest. Both had done films with MacMurray back in the old days. Frawley's health so declined the producer's could not get him insured any longer. He was not a happy camper when he was let go.When My Three Sons completed its run, gentle family comedies like this were going way out of style. Shows like All In The Family which had a more pessimistic view of the human condition were the vogue when the Seventies were ushered in. Still the show provides some fond memories for me and it had the weirdest shooting schedule allowing it's star to have it all.

This was a great show for kids. I remember watching this show as I was growing up. I loved them all. Chip with all his brilliant ideas! I liked him even more because I am near sighted and started wearing glasses when I was about his age. To me glasses were a sign of intelligence. I do not think that has been proved but it made feel better when kids called me "four eyes." Oh, well! One was the older son, more mature. I remember him going on dates. Dad was a very understanding man.One of my favorite episodes, I do not know how I can remember this! it has been so long, was when the middle kid decided that Uncle Bud's birthday was coming up and he needed to give him something. Bud has corresponding with some lady that he never met but she was coming to visit. Bud suddenly became concerned with his baldness and whether or not the woman would be impressed with him or not. He started using everything he could find to see if he could grow some hair. In the mean time the kid ordered hair piece for Bud through a catalogue. He had a hard time deciding on the color and invested all his all his funds on it. And was also helping Bud with his hair problem. One day while Bud was napping on the sofa the kid decided to put some bacon fat on Bud's head. The fluffy dog smelled the bacon and comes to lick Bud's head. As this point Bud wakes up and goes: "Sure smells like bacon in here!" I was rolling. When the hair piece arrived and Bud tried on, he hated it. Bud did not want to offend the kid. The dilemma was how to tell kid that he did not feel like himself with the hair piece on. I just loved that show which won the 1962 best television series Golden Globe Award.