Grindl

Grindl is an American situation comedy that began in the fall of 1963 on NBC, originally sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The show, starring Imogene Coca in the title role, lasted for one season.

Grindl
Publicity photo of Imogene Coca and Billy Booth in the final episode, "Aunt Grindl" (1964)
GenreSitcom
Created byDavid Swift
Written byWilliam Davenport
Bud Grossman
Ed Jurist
Lee Loeb
John McGreevey
Bob Nye
Gerald O'Hanlon
Jay Sommers
Ray Singer
Burt Styler
David Swift
Directed byCharles Barton
StarringImogene Coca
James Millhollin
Theme music composerFrank De Vol
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes32
Production
Executive producerDavid Swift
ProducersHarry Ackerman
Winston O´Keefe
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time30 mins. (2224 mins. with commercials)
Production companyDavid Swift Productions
DistributorScreen Gems
Sony Pictures Television (current)
Release
Original networkNBC
Picture formatBlack-and-white
Audio formatMonaural
Original releaseSeptember 15, 1963 (1963-09-15) 
May 3, 1964 (1964-05-03)

Synopsis

Grindl (Coca) worked for Foster's Temporary Employment service and was employed doing domestic work. The show revolved around the different humorous situations she would get into with each new job she was assigned to each week.

The first show featured guest star Telly Savalas, who would later star as Kojak. Other guest stars included George Kennedy, Paul Lynde, Robert Q. Lewis, Jack Albertson, Robert Karnes, Darryl Richard, and Leif Erickson.

Grindl was scheduled on Sunday nights at 8:30 P.M. in September 1963, sandwiched between Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color and Bonanza, both major hits. The series was pitted against the second half of The Ed Sullivan Show on CBS which greatly contributed to its low ratings. It was canceled in the spring of 1964, after completing a full season of 32 episodes.

Cast

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"The Gruesome Basement"David SwiftDavid SwiftSeptember 15, 1963 (1963-09-15)
Grindl confuses the police in attempting to explain disappearance of her employer's wife.
2"Grindl, Counterspy"William D. RussellCharles Tannen & Lou HustonSeptember 22, 1963 (1963-09-22)
Foreign spies covet a secret rocket formula which is stored in the house where Grindl works.
3"Grindl, She-Wolf of Wall Street"Sherman MarksJoe BigelowSeptember 29, 1963 (1963-09-29)
Grindl startles Wall Street with her unconventional approach to high finance by the use of numerology.
4"The Ghastly Honeymoon"William D. RussellJohn McGreeveyOctober 6, 1963 (1963-10-06)
The owners of a Lonely Hearts Club introduces Grindl to Antoine D'Beauville, a Frenchman who begins a whirlwind courtship.
5"Grindl and the Counterfeiters"William D. RussellRay Singer & Dick ChevillatOctober 13, 1963 (1963-10-13)
Grindl innocently passes bogus money, then learns that the crooks plan to kill her so that the phony currency can't be traced.
6"Grindl: Femme Fatale"Stanley PragerJerry Davis & Lee LoebOctober 20, 1963 (1963-10-20)
Grindl becomes involved in a murder case when she is employed as a personal maid to a Broadway actress.
7"One Angry Grindl"William D. RussellJerry Davis & Lee LoebOctober 27, 1963 (1963-10-27)
Grindl stalemates a murder trial jury on which she is serving because she believes that the accused man is innocent.
8"Grindl, Witness for the Defense"Sherman MarksGeorge O'Hanlon & James O'HanlonNovember 3, 1963 (1963-11-03)
Grindl thinks a miracle has happened when her wheelchair-bound employer, Mr. Crow, stands up to accept an insurance settlement check.
9"Lady Grindl"William D. RussellJay SommersNovember 10, 1963 (1963-11-10)
Grindl fancies that she's inherited a title, castle and land from a British uncle.
10"The Great Bank Robbery"King DonovanBudd Grossman & William DavenportNovember 17, 1963 (1963-11-17)
Grindl is able to outwit some bandits scheming to rob the bank where she is working.
11"Grindl, the Meddler"Sherman MarksBurt Styler & Albert E. LewinDecember 8, 1963 (1963-12-08)
Grindl causes an uproar when she decides to involve herself in the family problems of her employer.
12"The Great Schultz"Paul NickellGeorge O'Hanlon & James O'HanlonDecember 15, 1963 (1963-12-15)
Grindl tries to convince police that her employer, Prof. Schultz, has turned his wife Hilda into a rabbit with his invention, the cosmic regenerator.
13"Twas the Week Before Christmas"Christian NybyCharles Tannen & Lou HustonDecember 22, 1963 (1963-12-22)
While working as a department store Santa Claus, Grindl helps expose a robbery plot.
14"Grindl, Impractical Nurse"Sherman MarksJay SommersDecember 29, 1963 (1963-12-29)
Grindl decides she is destined to be another Florence Nightingale, but while applying for a job as a nurse's aid, she is mistaken for a patient.
15"The Lucky Piece"Barry ShearPaul David & John L. GreeneJanuary 5, 1964 (1964-01-05)
Grindl helps a government agent trap a notorious gambler for income tax evasion.
16"Grindl, the Private Eye"Paul NickellTBAJanuary 12, 1964 (1964-01-12)
Grindl forsakes the humdrum existence as a maid and decides to emulate the life of a detective.
17"Grindl's Day Off"Sherman MarksJay SommersJanuary 19, 1964 (1964-01-19)
Grindl takes the day off and runs into difficulties at the beauty shop, movie theater and restaurant.
18"The Mad Bomber"Charles BartonJay SommersJanuary 26, 1964 (1964-01-26)
Grindl unwittingly helps the police arrest a confused inventor.
19"Grindl and the Boodle"Stanley PragerJay SommersFebruary 2, 1964 (1964-02-02)
Grindl impersonates a gun moll in order to help investigators recover millions hidden after a hold-up.
20"Dial G for Grindl"King DonovanJohn McGreeveyFebruary 9, 1964 (1964-02-09)
Grindl is hired by the wife of a man who hires a gang leader to kill his spouse, but Grindl turns a murder plot into a comedy of errors.
21"Taming of a Tyrant"Charles BartonPaul David & John L. GreeneFebruary 16, 1964 (1964-02-16)
Grindl spearheads a household strike against an autocratic butler.
22"It's in the Bag"Charles BartonCharles Tannen & Lou HustonFebruary 23, 1964 (1964-02-23)
Grindl is in for a surprise when she checks the vacuum cleaner for mothballs and discovers stolen pearls instead.
23"Grindl, Part-time Wife"Charles BartonEd James & Seaman JacobsMarch 1, 1964 (1964-03-01)
Grindl helps Herman Krumplefelder get a butler's job by posing as his wife, but then realizes that her "husband" is a kleptomaniac.
24"Active Retirement"King DonovanPhil Leslie & Keith Fowler & Jay SommersMarch 8, 1964 (1964-03-08)
Grindl helps save a former railroad engineer from a lonely old age by helping him find the perfect job.
25"Grindl, Girl Wac"Charles BartonTBAMarch 15, 1964 (1964-03-15)
Grindl recalls her days as a WAC when she captured two German officers.
26"The Big Deception"King DonovanCharles Tannen & Lou HustonMarch 22, 1964 (1964-03-22)
Grindl helps a young couple impress the wife's parents by "borrowing" a model home in which to entertain them.
27"Grindl Goes West"Barry ShearJohn L. Greene & Paul DavidMarch 29, 1964 (1964-03-29)
Grindl heads West to hunt for gold and learns that surveyors made a big mistake when she decides to camp on her Las Vegas property.
28"The Moon Killer"Christian NybyJerry DavisApril 5, 1964 (1964-04-05)
As Grindl prepares for a lonely birthday celebration, an uninvited stranger enters her apartment through an unlocked window and changes her plans.
29"There's No Such Thing as a Bad Barracuda"Charles BartonEd Jurist & Bud NyeApril 12, 1964 (1964-04-12)
A teenage gang learns discipline when they win Grindl's services as first prize at a police benefit raffle.
30"Everything's Coming Up Roses"Charles BartonJohn McGreeveyApril 19, 1964 (1964-04-19)
Grindl discovers a horticulturist's bizarre secret for growing prize blooms.
31"Some Dogs Have the Biggest Mouths"Charles BartonJay SommersApril 26, 1964 (1964-04-26)
Grindl baffles police with a dog that communicates only with her and identifies a murderer for her.
32"Aunt Grindl"Charles BartonJay SommersMay 3, 1964 (1964-05-03)
Grindl believes that she has inherited a fortune, but discovers instead that her "legacy" is an ill-mannered 11-year-old boy (Billy Booth).

Trivia

A character similar to Grindl, named Dorcas, appears in the 1963 movie Under The Yum Yum Tree, and is also played by Coca.

The episode, "Grindl's Day Off," was originally scheduled to be broadcast on November 24, 1963, but was preempted by NBC News coverage of the John F. Kennedy assassination.


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