# What kind of program was Love American Style? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 7, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552 "2011-09-07T23:12:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/1 "2011-09-07T23:12:12Z")
In a fit of nostalgia I just thought of the TV program **Love American Style**. I am old enough to remember the program, I think it was on Friday nights but I don’t remember any of the stories or themes. For some reason the theme song keeps running through my head. So does anyone remember what kind of tone LAS had? I have vague memories of a Love Boat like light romantic touch, or were they trying to be edgy? ---
**Author:** ![Scacarius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/48db29/32.png) [@Scacarius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scacarius)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/2 "2011-09-07T23:17:39Z")
It was usually a series of sketches, ranging from saccharine sweet to slightly sleazy, usually comedic. One that I remember was about a guy in an office who thought romantic musicals were real and tried wooing a secretary by breaking into song. Once she broke down and accepted him, the office walls fell away to reveal a full orchestra and big production number. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/3 "2011-09-07T23:23:47Z")
Not sketches so much as short TV shows. Like sit-com novellas. One that stuck with me was a guy who loved the girl but liked the chase. They solved the problem by having a re-newable marriage license. Fast forward to the future with hoovercraft and spacesuit fashions. The couple is old and celebrating 75 years of wedded bliss. The wife says, “I think it’s about time we tore this up.” And tore up the contract. Husband shuffles away, bored of his wife. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/4 "2011-09-07T23:25:28Z")
It was a set of short (15-20 minute) little dramas or sketches related somehow to Love and Dating, with short one minute sketches filling the space between the longer ones – usually quick, wordless “blackout” bumpers. It ran on ABC, and they used it to test-market possible series, too. _Happy Days_ ran first as a segment on LAS. So did _Barefoot in the Park_ and the virtually forgotten prime-time animated show _Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home_, all of which went on to longer runs. Most of the pilots went nowhere, though. ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/5 "2011-09-07T23:26:44Z")
It was relatively risque for the time. IIRC there were usually three main stories in each episode, and in between they would do quick little blackout sketches, usually involving a bed. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/6 "2011-09-07T23:26:47Z")
If you remember the “New Twilight Zone” from the 80’s, it’s kind of the same thing - several short stories per episode, around a theme (in the TZ the theme was ‘the fantastic’ - in LAS, the theme was ‘love’). Can’t resist the fact that “Happy Days” was a spinoff, based on an episode plot called “Love and the Happy Day” ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/7 "2011-09-07T23:31:51Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > the virtually forgotten prime-time animated show _Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home_ The first season of this came out on DVD a couple of years back. It’s better than I remembered, though it wears a bit thin after a while. I didn’t even realize that it had even hung on for two seasons. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/8 "2011-09-07T23:31:53Z")
It was a pretty lame program, actually. Never particularly funny, and, of course, never erotic. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/9 "2011-09-07T23:37:06Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > It was a set of short (15-20 minute) little dramas or sketches related somehow to Love and Dating, with short one minute sketches filling the space between the longer ones – usually quick, wordless “blackout” bumpers. > It ran on ABC, and they used it to test-market possible series, too. _Happy Days_ ran first as a segment on LAS. So did _Barefoot in the Park_ and the virtually forgotten prime-time animated show _Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home_, all of which went on to longer runs. Most of the pilots went nowhere, though. Oops - you beat me to the “Happy Days” reference. I loved “Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home” when I was a kid - still remember the theme song. ---
**Author:** ![Claire\_Beauchamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ec9cab/32.png) [@Claire\_Beauchamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claire_Beauchamp)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/10 "2011-09-07T23:53:58Z")
The word you all are looking for is _anthology_. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2011, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/11 "2011-09-07T23:58:05Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > It was a pretty lame program, actually. Never particularly funny, and, of course, never erotic. QFT. It was a show you watched on Friday night if weren’t out doing something and there wasn’t anything interesting on CBS, NBC, PBS, or (if your town was big enough to have one) the independent/UHF station. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 12:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/12 "2011-09-08T00:17:30Z")
> [@Claire\_Beauchamp](#): > > The word you all are looking for is _anthology_. Or, to be more specific, a _lovethology_. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/13 "2011-09-08T00:22:13Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Or, to be more specific, a _lovethology_. And take it from me, you can’t get those in the stores . . . mail-order only. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/14 "2011-09-08T02:40:43Z")
The opening theme was the best part of the show. ---
**Author:** ![monkeylucifer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@monkeylucifer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monkeylucifer)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/15 "2011-09-08T02:45:13Z")
They reran it in the middle of the day for a time during the 80’s. I can recall watching it during the summer if I couldn’t find anything else on worth watching. ---
**Author:** ![Pitter\_Patter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/90db22/32.png) [@Pitter\_Patter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitter_Patter)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/16 "2011-09-08T06:22:50Z")
Originally, the theme was sung by the Cowsills, later by the “Charles Fox Singers”. Loved the Cowsills. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/17 "2011-09-08T07:47:18Z")
The Happy Days pilot was a lot more risqué than the followup show, with Richie and Potsie rather focused on getting laid. I remember one episode called “Love and the End of the Line” about the issues and complications of getting a vasectomy. The protagonist had met with some kind of men’s group and in a fit of righteous zeal he pledged to get the operation. His wife and parents tried to talk him out of it, but one by one his buddies had gone through with it and he didn’t want to punk out. At the end, he changes his mind and his elderly father sneaks into the hospital to get the procedure in his place. ---
**Author:** ![kiz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7feea3/32.png) [@kiz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kiz)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/18 "2011-09-08T12:01:03Z")
OMG, you have no idea how ancient LAS makes me feel. I remember the opening sequence as clear as day :head desk: As others have said, every episode featured several small skits illustrating a particular theme having to do with love. I remember their being many guest stars for these skits. and they changed weekly. For some reason I remember it airing either right before or after Laugh-In… ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/19 "2011-09-08T12:07:11Z")
In a subsequent season, they added a “Love-Mate,” some scantily-clad babe with a pithy one liner in a 10-second interstitial appearance. I remember two: One young lady in a “sex devil” type Halloween outfit looking to the camera and saying, “I’m not bad. . . I’m not bad at all” Another was a bountiful bikini babe holding a couple of casavas, looking into the camera and saying, “How do you like my casavas?” ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2011, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552/20 "2011-09-08T13:58:39Z")
> [@Andy\_L](#): > > Oops - you beat me to the “Happy Days” reference. I loved “Wait 'til Your Father Gets Home” when I was a kid - still remember the theme song. Hey me too. I’ve been humming it since Cal mentioned it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-kind-of-program-was-love-american-style/595552.md?page=2)