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Gidget
Genre	Sitcom
Format	Color
Created by	Frederick Kohner (novel)
Starring	Sally Field Don Porter Betty Conner Pete Duel Lynette Winter
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	32
Production
Running time	25 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Original run	September 1, 1965 – April 21, 1966
External links
IMDb profile

Gidget is a 1965 American television program broadcast on ABC September 15, 1965 – April 21, 1966. The program starred Sally Field as Frances "Gidget" Lawrence, the fifteen year old daughter of widower UCLA English professor Russell Lawrence (Don Porter).

Contents 1 Origin 2 Synopsis 3 Cast 3.1 Main characters 3.2 Guest stars 4 Miscellanea 5 Ratings 6 Subsequent history 7 DVD releases 8 External links

The source material for the television series is Frederick Kohner's 1957 novel Gidget, the Little Girl with Big Ideas. The book was inspired by the author's teenage daughter Kathy and her adventures with the surfing crowds of southern California. The novel was adapted into a 1959 movie starring Sandra Dee, James Darren, and Cliff Robertson. In 1965, Columbia Pictures' television wing Screen Gems produced a weekly, half-hour television series intended as a sequel to the 1959 film. The series starred 18-year-old Columbia acting workshop graduate Sally Field.

The television series Gidget is about a boy crazy, surf loving 15 year old girl living in southern California. Episodes follow her adventures in school, at home, and on the nearby beaches. Gidget's widowed father Russell Lawrence has much ado guiding his daughter through her fifteenth year while his married daughter Anne and his son in law John Cooper offer child-rearing advice. Gidget's awkward best friend Larue sometimes takes part in her escapades but more often tries to discourage Gidget in her zany pursuits. Episodes typically end with Gidget receiving moral instruction from her father and gaining wisdom from her experiences.

• Frances "Gidget" Lawrence (Sally Field), a teenager living in southern California
• Russell Lawrence (Don Porter), Gidget's widowed father, an English professor at UCLA
• Anne Cooper (Betty Conner), Gidget's older, married sister
• John Cooper (Pete Duel), Anne's husband, a psychology student
• Larue (Lynette Winter), Gidget's best friend and confidante

Harvey Korman Hazel Court Martin Milner Judy Carne Dick Gautier Bonnie Franklin Brooke Bundy

Jimmy Hawkins Richard Dreyfuss Barbara Hershey Paul Lynde Michael York John McGiver Frank DeVol

• Field exaggerated her surfing experience in applying for the role. The young actress had none and took lessons just to be able to pretend to surf for the cameras.
• Field defeated 75 other teenage girls for the title role.
• Frederick Kohner served as a script consultant on the television series.
• The show was among the first regularly-scheduled color programs for ABC.

Gidget was chewed up in the Neilsen ratings. The series aired opposite The Beverly Hillbillies on CBS and The Virginian on NBC. Both series hit television screens in 1962 and had strong followings. The two shows consequently offered Gidget stiff competition. ABC pulled the plug on the series in the spring of 1966. According to Sally Field, the show's ratings did increase over the season and the show did make it to the top ten. Too late, however. The decision to take Gidget off the air had been made and the show was cancelled.

The 32 episodes of Gidget remained in syndication for years, boosting the series' popularity and spawning a cult following. As a result, two telemovie sequels were produced: Gidget Grows Up (1969) and Gidget Gets Married (1972).

Gidget received heavy airtime again in the early 1980s, renewing its popularity once again. This time, another telemovie was produced, Gidget's Summer Reunion (1985), followed in 1986 by the syndicated sitcom, The New Gidget. The New Gidget ran for two seasons, and though popular, neither the TV movies nor the new series gained the popularity of the original 1965-1966 series.

The complete original series was released on DVD in 2006 and included a brief documentary with Sally Field discussing her involvement with the short-lived series.

• Cast and episode list
• Episode guide

v • d • e Gidget
Main characters	Frances "Gidget" Lawrence • Russell Lawrence • Anne Cooper • John Cooper
Recurring characters	Larue • Moondoggie
Locations	Los Angeles • Malibu • Westside High School •