When Family Affair premiered 60 years ago, on September 12, 1966, it brought a new family dynamic to our TV screens when confirmed New York City bachelor Bill Davis (Brian Keith) and his English servant, Mr. French, were faced with major lifestyle adjustments as they made room for their new, unexpected family.
Taking in his late brother’s orphaned children — teenage Sissy (Cathy Garver) and little twins Buffy and Jody (Anissa Jones, Johnny Whitaker) — from Indiana to his elegant Fifth Avenue high-rise apartment with his partner in child-rearing valet, Mr. French, played by Sebastian Cabot, created a new, unconventional family dynamic. Of course, there was the ever-popular Mrs. Beasley doll that every little girl wanted to have. The show ran until 1971, and we saw Sissy grow into a young adult and the twins closing out every episode in the 5th season, stating, “Thanks for watching. We’ll see you next week.”