Series Description

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir TV show was a 30 minute fantasy/comedy series that aired on NBC for its first season and on ABC thereafter. It was about a widow, her two children, and their maid who moved into an abandoned seaside home. They were naturally surprised to find that the former owner, a deceased, 19th century sea captain was haunting their new home and was not too happy with his new roommates! Eventually, however, the ghost came to care for them as if they're his own family.

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Cast

Hope Lange .... Mrs. "Carolyn" Muir
Edward Mulhare .... Captain Daniel Gregg (The Ghost)
Harlen Carraher .... Jonathan Muir (Mrs. Muir's Son)
Kellie Flanagan .... Candice "Candy" Muir (Mrs. Muir's Daughter)
Reta Shaw .... Martha Grant (The Muirs' Housekeeper)
Charles Nelson Reilly .... Claymore Gregg (Captain's Nephew)
Guy Raymond .... Peevy (Martha's Boyfriend)
Dabbs Greer .... Noorie Coolidge

Trivia:

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir TV show was based on a book written by "R.A. Dick" and a 1947 film which were also both titled, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir".

Hope Lange (Mrs. Muir) won Emmy Awards for the Ghost and Mrs. Muir in both 1969 and 1970 in the category, "Outstanding Continued Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series". The series was nominated for four additional Emmys for those years including one for, "Outstanding Comedy Series" in 1969.

Hope Lange got her first acting role at age 11 in a play titled, "The Patriots", written by Sidney Kingsley. She upset her co-star, "Marilyn Monroe" while filming the 1956 film, "Bus Stop". Marilyn liked the spotlight and didn't much care for Lange being younger than her and also blonde. Lange was nominated for an Oscar for her role in the 1957 film, "Peyton Place" which was an extremely controversial film at the time. Lange played a young girl who murdered her stepfather after being raped by him. Pretty "racy" stuff for 1957!

The seaside home inhabited by the Muirs and the Ghost was called "Gull Cottage". The house was located on "Schooner Bay". When Captain Gregg (The Ghost) died, he left the cottage to his nephew, "Claymore Gregg". Claymore had tried many times to rent the cottage out but his uncle's ghost kept scaring everyone away, until the Muirs, that is!

The Ghost and Mrs. Muir was only one of many "fantasy/comedy" series that aired during the 1960s. A few of the others were, "Bewitched", "The Flying Nun", and "I Dream of Jeannie".

The Muirs' dog was a wire-haired terrier named Scruffy.

The theme song for this series was written by Ralph Kessler, has no lyrics, and is simply titled, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir Theme".

Irish actor Edward Mulhare (The Ghost) began his career in the UK but soon moved to the U.S. and almost immediately got roles guest-starring on American TV shows. His two biggest successes in the U.S. were his role on the Ghost and Mrs. Muir and his leading role on Broadway as "Henry Higgins" in the play, "My Fair Lady". Ironically, both of those roles had been filled first by actor, "Rex Harrison". Harrison played "The Ghost" in the film version of the Ghost & Mrs. Muir and Mulhare replaced him on Broadway as Henry Higgins. Because of this irony, Edward Mulhare is often compared to the more acclaimed Rex Harrison.

During the first season, the Ghost and Mrs. Muir was broadcast on Saturday evenings on NBC at 8:30PM eastern, right after, "Get Smart". NBC canceled the series but, lukily for fans, ABC picked it up for a second season.