Series Description

The Love American Style TV show was a anthology comedy series on ABC with between one and five short stories per night about love and how people deal with their emotional relationships. The combination of serious emotional issues and a healthy sense of humor is what made this series unique and a classic.

Theme Song

Title: "Love American Style"

Written By: "Charles Fox & Arnold Margolin"

Performed By (First Season): "The Cowsills"

Performed By (Seasons 2-5): "The Charles Fox Singers"

Love, Love, Love

Love American Style,
Truer than the Red, White and Blue.
Love American Style,
That's me and you.

And on a star spangled night my love, (My love come to me).
You can rest you head on my shoulder.
Out by the dawn's early light, my love
I will defend your right to try.

Love American Style,
That's me and you.

Love American Style Trivia

In an unusual turn of events Love American Style ran for 60 minutes per episode for its first season, 30 minutes for the first 15 episodes of the second season, and then back to 60 minutes for the rest of its run!

Oscar Mayer was the main sponsor for Love American Style. Do you remember those commercials; "My bolonie (sic) has a first name. It's O S C A R! ..."

Love American Style segment characters went on to have their own TV series. The best known "spinoff" was "Happy Days" whose main characters appeared for the first time on the segment "Love and Happy Days" which aired on February 25, 1972. Another was "Barefoot in the Park", inspired by "Love and the Good Deal" on November 24, 1969. The third was "Wait 'till Your Father Gets Home", inspired by "Love and the Old Fashioned Father" on February 11, 1972. We might also give some credit to Love American Style for the Happy Days' spinoff series "Joanie Loves Chachi", "Laverne and Shirley", "Mork and Mindy" and "Out of the Blue"! There was also a short-lived remake in 1985 titled, "The New Love American Style".

The series ran for years in syndication. The fact that the series was composed of over 300 segments of varying length made it easy to edit the best segments together into half hour broadcasts.

Love American Style's catchy theme song received Emmy nominations four years in a row (1970-1973). It won the Emmy in 1970 and 1973!

The series was also nominated for the "Outstanding Comedy Series" in both 1970 and 1971 but lost to "My World and Welcome to It" in 1970 and "All in the Family" in 1971. The series also got a Golden Globe nomination in 1970 for "Best Musical/Comedy TV Show" but lost that one to "The Governor and J.J.".

During the third and fourth seasons of Love American Style ABC had a Friday night comedy lineup that many critics agree was the best in television history! The evening began with "The Brady Bunch" followed by "The Partridge Family", "Room 222", "The Odd Couple" and Love American Style!

In some ways it's surprising that Love American Style didn't remain on the air longer. Just a few seasons after it ended a show with a very similar theme premiered and ran for a whopping nine seasons! Of course, everyone has heard of the hit series, "The Love Boat" which also was composed of multiple love stories mixed with comedy on each of its episodes. Both series also guest-starred numerous popular stars from other TV series which added greatly to the appeal of the episodes. This technique has been used in more recent comedy series and typically raises the rating of all series involved but the interchange of characters is typically limited to a few from only two series. One more recent example is the appearance of characters from "The King of Queens" and "Everybody Loves Raymond" on each other's shows. On an episode of Love American Style or The Love Boat you might see three or more characters from other series in one night and then totally different ones the following week!

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

Season 1

1. A Couple of Couples / The Pill / The Hustler (9/29/1969)
2. The Joker / The Letter / Living Doll / Unlikely Couple (10/6/1969)
3. The Doorknob / Phone Booth (10/13/1969)
4. Legal Agreement / The Militant / Who? (10/20/1969)
5. Modern Wife / Single Couple / The Phonies (10/27/1969)
6. Busy Husband / Dating Computer / The Watchdog (11/3/1969)
7. Advice Givers / The Geisha / Take Me Along (11/10/1969)
8. The Burglar / The Roommate / Wild Party (11/17/1969)
9. Big Leap / Good Deal / Former Marriage (11/24/1969)
10. The Athlete / The Dummies / Mother / The Shower (12/1/1969)
11. Comedy Team / Divorce Sale / Mountain Cabin (12/8/1969)
12. Other Love / The Bachelor / Positive Man (12/22/1969)
13. The Bed / The Medium (12/29/1969)
14. The Pick-up / Fighting Couple / The Proposal / High School Flop-out (1/5/1970)
15. Mr. Nice Guy / Boss's Ex / The Gangster (1/12/1970)
16. Big Night / Those Poor Crusaders' Wives / V.I.P. Restaurant (1/23/1970)
17. The Hitchhiker / Great Catch / Nervous Executive (1/30/1970)
18. The King / Banned Book / First Nighters (2/6/1970)
19. The Teacher / The Optimist / Coed Dorm (2/13/1970)
20. Many Married Couple / Safely Married Man / Uncoupled Couple (2/20/1970)
21. Good Samaritan / Las Vegas / Marriage Counselor (2/27/1970)
22. Grandma / Other Guy (3/6/1970)
23. Double Trouble / Fly / The Millionaire (3/13/1970)
24. The Minister / Singles Apartment (3/27/1970)

25. The Motel / The Father (9/25/1970)
26. Old Boy Friend / The Nurse (10/2/1970)
27. The Hypnotist / The Psychiatrist (10/9/1970)
28. Longest Night / Blind Date (10/16/1970)
29. The Elopement / The Visitor (10/23/1970)
30. The Eskimo / The Nuisance (10/30/1970)
31. The Decision / Haunted House (11/6/1970)
32. The Trip / Fur Coat (11/13/1970)
33. Young Executive (11/20/1970)
34. Pen Pals / The Champ (11/27/1970)
35. The Intruder / Lost Dog (12/4/1970)
36. Happy Couple / The Understanding (12/11/1970)
37. Man Next Door (12/18/1970)
38. The Kidnaper (1/1/1971)
39. Only Child / The Wig (1/8/1971)
40. The Sack / Operation Model / The Triangle (1/15/1971)
41. Murphy's Bed / The Cake / The Neighbor / Serious Wedding (1/22/1971)
42. Big Game / Nutsy Girl / The Vampire (1/29/1971)
43. Pulitzer Prize Baby / The Tattoo / Arctic Station (2/5/1971)
44. Baker's Half Dozen / New Roommate / The Rug / Second Time (2/12/1971)
45. The Boss / The Jury / Logical Explanation / The Pregnancy (2/19/1971)
46. Teddy Bear / The Heist / Love Potion (2/26/1971)
47. The Note / The Duel / Young Unmarrieds (3/5/1971)
48. Women's Lib / Fuzz / The Groupie / The Housekeeper (3/12/1971)

49. Penal Code / Formula 26B / Loud Mouth (9/17/1971)
50. Anniversary Crisis / The Dream Burglar / Hotel Caper / Conjugal Visit / The Monsters (9/24/1971)
51. Artful Codger / Neglected Wife / Traveling Salesman (10/1/1971)
52. The Ledge / See-Through Man / TV Weekend / The Waterbed (10/8/1971)
53. The Detective / Mixed Marriage / Wake-up Girl / Guilty Conscience (10/15/1971)
54. The Awakening / Bashful Groom / Four-Sided Triangle / Naked Stranger (10/22/1971)
55. Lovesick Sailor / The Mistress / The Reincarnation / Sex Survey (10/29/1971)
56. Married Bachelor / Sweet Sixteen / The Vacation / Well-Groomed Bride (11/5/1971)
57. Big Mother / The Baby / Jealous Husband / Free Weekend / Old Cowboy (11/12/1971)
58. College Professor / The Eyewitness / Lady Barber / The Plumber (11/19/1971)
59. Black Limousine / Accidental Passion / The Tuba / Eskimo's Wife (12/3/1971)
60. Bowling Ball / The Check / The Hiccups / Liberated Lady Boss (12/10/1971)
61. The Witness / Fountain of Youth / House Bachelor / Particular Girl (12/17/1971)
62. Doctor's Honeymoon / Contact Lens / The Intruder / Motel Mixup (12/31/1971)
63. Lady Athlete / New Size 8 / Single Sister / Lady Killers (1/7/1972)
64. Big Surprise / Security Building / Ski Lodge / Topless Policy / Unhappy Couple (1/14/1972)
65. The Physical / The Bathtub / Fullback / Advice Column / The Guru (1/21/1972)
66. The Boomerang / Anxious Mama / Private Eye (1/28/1972)
67. Plane Truth / Small Wedding / The Scroungers (2/4/1972)
68. Latin Lover / Old-Fashioned Father / Bachelor Party / Test of Manhood (2/11/1972)
69. The Split-Up / Lovely Evening / The Alibi / Instant Father / Lover's Lane (2/18/1972)
70. Happy Days / The Newscasters (2/25/1972)

71. Know-It-All / Perfect Wife / Sensuous Twin / Triple Threat (9/15/1972)
72. Amateur Night / The Cheaters / Love Nest / Unbearable Fiance (9/22/1972)
73. Lucky Couple / Mail Room / New Account / Overnight Guests (9/29/1972)
74. Girlish Groom / New You / The Oldlyweds / Wishing Star (10/6/1972)
75. Country Girl / High School Sweetheart / Dear Old Mom And Dad / Spaced-Out Chick (10/13/1972)
76. The Confession / Disappearing Box / Hip Arrangement / Old Flames (10/20/1972)
77. Happy Medium / Little Black Book / The Jinx / Old Swingers (10/27/1972)
78. The Clinic / The President / Perfect Wedding / Return of Raymond (11/3/1972)
79. Hairy Excuse / Lady Luck / Pick-Up Fantasy (11/10/1972)
80. Christmas Punch / The Mystic / The Tycoon (11/17/1972)
81. The Caller / Secret Life / Swinging Philosophy / Woman In White (11/24/1972)
82. First Kiss / The Impressionist / Super Lover (12/1/1972)
83. The Ghost / Out-Of-Town Client / Secret Habit (12/8/1972)
84. Cryptic Gift / The Legend / The Sexpert / Family Hour (1/5/1973)
85. The Face Bow / Impossible Gift / Love Kit (1/12/1973)
86. Missing Mister / Twanger Tutor / Old Lover (1/19/1973)
87. The Unmarriage / Singing Suitor / The Wee He (1/26/1973)
88. Laughing Lover / Hand Maiden / Hot Spell / Perfect Setup (2/2/1973)
89. The Anniversary / The Playwright / Trampled Passion (2/9/1973)
90. Baby Derby / Burglar Joke / Favorite Family (2/16/1973)
91. Crisis Line / Happy Family / Vertical Romance (2/23/1973)
92. Soap Opera / Mind Reader / Mr. & Mrs. (3/2/1973)
93. End Of The Line / Growing Romance / Postal Master (3/9/1973)

94. Swinging Surgeon / Teller's Tale (9/14/1973)
95. The Comedienne / The Lie / The Lifter (9/21/1973)
96. Golden Memory / Heavy Set / Novel Love / See-Through Mind / Seven-Year Wait (9/28/1973)
97. The Memento / Single Husband (10/5/1973)
98. Fractured Fibula / Pretty Secretary (10/12/1973)
99. Cozy Comrades / Flunky / Hoodwinked Honey / Secret Spouse (10/19/1973)
100. Fortune Cookie / Opera Singer / Weighty Problem (11/2/1973)
101. Clinical Problem / Persistent Assistant / Unsteady Steady (11/9/1973)
102. Big Top / The Locksmith / Odd Couples / The Unwedding (11/16/1973)
103. Blue Plate Special / Man Of The Year / Time Machine (11/23/1973)
104. Hidden Meaning / Model Apartment / Parent's Sake / Three-Timer / The Weirdo (11/30/1973)
105. Awkward Age / Generation Gap / The Spendthrift (12/7/1973)
106. Carmen Lopez / The Cover / Cryin' Cowboy (12/28/1973)
107. Extra Job / Flying Finletters / Golden Worm / Patrol Person (1/4/1974)
108. The Competitors / Forever Tree / Image Makers / Mr. Bunny (1/11/1974)