The Trouble with Tracy is a Canadian television series produced by CTV for the 1970–1971 television season, with intended distribution by the U.S.-based National General Pictures. The series was based on scripts from the American radio comedy Easy Aces (1930–1945), written by Goodman Ace.
The series was produced as a daily show and aired on weekday afternoons at 3:30 pm, beginning September 14, 1970.
130 episodes—seven episodes filmed every five days—were produced. The series was notable for its low production values. Errors, including flubbed lines and bloopers, often appeared in the final broadcasts due to the lack of budget for retakes. The series used a laugh track instead of a live studio audience.
Production
The Trouble with Tracy was filmed in Toronto at the studios of CFTO-TV. The series was set in New York City and centered on a newlywed couple, Tracy Sherwood Young (Diane Nyland) and Doug Young (Steve Weston). Tracy, portrayed as cheerful and prone to malapropisms, often wore mini-skirts and was portrayed as naive and literal-minded. Doug was an advertising executive who frequently found himself exasperated by Tracy’s well-intentioned but often problematic attempts to be helpful.
Episodes typically took place in the Youngs' apartment or Doug's workplace, often narrated by Doug. The storylines usually revolved around the complications caused by Tracy’s behavior, which affected Doug at home, work, or in social settings. Despite these challenges, the couple always reconciled by the end of each episode.
Other regular characters included:
- Paul Sherwood (Franz Russell) - Tracy's hippie brother, known for his schemes to make money, often involving Tracy, and for frequently borrowing from Doug.
- Mrs. Sherwood (Sylvia Lennick) - Tracy's critical mother.
- Tony Marshall (Arch McDonnell) - The Youngs' friendly neighbor and a writer.
- Mr. Jonathan Norris (Ben Lennick) - Doug's demanding boss.
- Sally Anderson (Bonnie Brooks) - Tracy's ditsy cousin and Doug's often irritating secretary.
Initially, the show's pilot was titled The Married Youngs as a wordplay on The Young Marrieds, referencing the couple's surname. The title was later changed to The Trouble with Tracy by producer Seymour Berns, inspired by his daughter, Tracy. The pilot, scheduled for April 1, 2003, was intended to lead to a 13-episode series starring Laurie Elliott as Tracy and David Lipovitch as Doug. A press conference was held, during which Elliott, Lipovitch, and Diane Nyland participated in interviews and other promotional activities. The prank caught some media outlets by surprise, including the Toronto Star and Canada AM, which had reported on the revival plans as if they were genuine.
See also
- The Starlost – another Canadian-produced series that faced similar budgetary and production challenges.
- List of sitcoms notable for negative reception
- Old time radio