My Three Sons: Season 1, Volume 1

One of the few early-’60s sitcoms that hold up, My Three Sons, which ran a remarkable 12 years, had two things going for it. The first was Fred MacMurray, past his Double Indemnity tough-guy prime but ? totally in command as a widower with three kids, a wry smile, and a spine of steel. (Playing an ? aeronautical engineer, he constructed parenthood like a solid building.) The second was that the entire first season had one director — rare in series TV. Peter Tewksbury set Sons‘ signature tone: quietly humorous, ethical but not didactic. He also had an eye for ’60s suburban life — fashion, furniture, appliances. Fun in every sense; no notable EXTRAS. B+