{{short description|Television series}} {{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Infobox television |image = A Touch of Grace poster.jpg |caption = Counterclockwise from top: [[Shirley Booth]] as Grace Simpson, [[J. Patrick O'Malley]] as Herbert Morrison, [[Warren Berlinger]] as Walter Bradley, and [[Marian Mercer]] as Maya Bradley in a promotional image for ''A Touch of Grace''. |genre = [[Sitcom]] |based_on = ''[[For the Love of Ada]]'' by [[Vince Powell]] &<br>[[Harry Driver]] |creator = |writer = |director = |starring = [[Shirley Booth]]<br/>[[J. Patrick O'Malley]]<br/>[[Warren Berlinger]]<br/>[[Marian Mercer]] |theme_music_composer = |open_theme = |end_theme = |composer = |country = United States |language = English |num_seasons = 1 |num_episodes = 13 |executive_producer = [[Saul Turteltaub]] |producer = [[Bernie Orenstein]] |runtime = 30 minutes |company = Grace Productions |network = [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] |first_aired = {{Start date|1973|1|20}} |last_aired = {{End date|1973|4|21}} |related = }} [[File:A Touch of Grace photo.jpg|200px|thumb|right|[[J. Patrick O'Malley]] as Herbert Morrison and [[Shirley Booth]] as Grace Simpson in a promotional photo for ''A Touch of Grace''.]] '''''A Touch of Grace''''' is an American [[sitcom]] that was based on the British series ''[[For the Love of Ada]]'' starring [[Shirley Booth]] and [[J. Patrick O'Malley]] centering on a widow who moves in with her daughter and son-in-law and her romantic relationship with an elderly man. It aired on [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] from January 20 to April 21, 1973.<ref name="mcneil">McNeil, Alex, ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming From 1948 to the Present'', New York: Penguin Books, 1996, p. 861.</ref><ref name="Brooks and Marsh">Brooks, Tim, and Earle Marsh, ''The Complete Directory to Prime-Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, Sixth Edition'', New York: Ballantine Books, 1995, {{ISBN|0-345-39736-3}}, pp. 1058-1059.</ref>
==Cast== *[[Shirley Booth]] as Grace Simpson *[[J. Patrick O'Malley]] as Herbert Morrison *[[Warren Berlinger]] as Walter Bradley *[[Marian Mercer]] as Myra Bradley
==Synopsis== Recently widowed, in her 60s, living off her [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] checks, and struggling to make a new life for herself, Grace Simpson moves in with her daughter and son-in-law, Myra and Walter Bradley. Grace is perky and young at heart, in sharp contrast to the stodgy and conservative Myra and Walter, and her presence disrupts their lives. Although Grace dates a lot, her steady boyfriend is Herbert Morrison, who works as a gravedigger. Myra and Walter disapprove of Grace{{'}}s relationship with Herbert.<ref name="mcneil"/><ref name="Brooks and Marsh"/><ref>[http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/a-touch-of-grace/205114 tvguide.com A Touch of Grace]</ref>
==Production==
''A Touch of Grace'' marked the return of Shirley Booth to television after the end of her long and successful run as the star of ''[[Hazel (TV series)|Hazel]]'' from 1961 to 1966,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1893&dat=19730111&id=DGcfAAAAIBAJ&pg=3872,1197855|title=The Southeast Missourian - Google News Archive Search|work=google.com|accessdate=2 March 2015}}</ref> and it was also her last television series.<ref name="ingram">{{cite web|url=http://www.tvparty.com/recgrace.html|title=A Touch of Grace / Classic TV Shows / TVparty!|work=tvparty.com|accessdate=2 March 2015}}</ref> [[Saul Turteltaub]] was the [[executive producer]] of the show, and [[Bernie Orenstein]] [[Television producer|produced]] it.<ref name="mcneil"/> Episode directors included [[Carl Reiner]] and [[Bill Hobin]]. Writers included Turteltaub, Orenstein, Jeff Harris, [[Rick Mittleman]], [[Bernie Kukoff]], [[David Pollock (writer)|David Pollock]], [[Elias Davis]], and [[George Tibbles]].<ref name="mcneil"/>
''A Touch of Grace'' was based on the 1970-1971 British television series ''[[For the Love of Ada]]''.<ref name="Brooks and Marsh"/> It was an unusual show for its time, as it focused on an older couple falling in love at a time when American television networks were relentlessly pursuing a youthful viewership demographic.<ref name="ingram"/> Critics viewed it as well written and well acted, and a good showcase for Shirley Booth{{'}}s talents.<ref name="ingram"/>
==Broadcast history==
''A Touch of Grace'' premiered on ABC on Saturday, January 20, 1973 at 8:30 P.M.<ref name="Brooks and Marsh"/> It faced tough competition in its time slot from [[CBS]]{{'}}s ''[[All in the Family]]'' and ''[[Bridget Loves Bernie]]'' and [[NBC]]'s ''[[Emergency!]]''. The sitcom preceded ABC's highly touted variety show ''[[The Julie Andrews Hour]]'', which had just been moved from its Wednesday night 10:00 P.M. time slot to Saturday night at 9:00 P.M. in order to improve its marginal ratings. However, Andrews, in turn, had to compete with the highly rated CBS series [[The Mary Tyler Moore Show]] and [[The Bob Newhart Show]]. As a result, both ''A Touch of Grace'' and ''The Julie Andrews Hour'' garnered low ratings despite their critical acclaim.<ref name="ingram"/> ABC cancelled both shows in April 1973.<ref name="mcneil"/><ref name="Brooks and Marsh"/>
ABC broadcast reruns of ''A Touch of Grace'' in prime time on Saturday evenings on April 28, 1973 and from May 12 to June 16, 1973.
==Episodes== {{Episode table |total_width= |overall= |title= |titleR=<ref>[https://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/a-touch-of-grace/episodes/205114/ A Touch of Grace Episodes]</ref> |director= |writer= |airdate= |episodes= {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=1 |Title = Pilot |DirectedBy=[[Carl Reiner]] |WrittenBy=Bernie Orenstein & [[Saul Turteltaub]] |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|1|20}} |ShortSummary=Grace moves in with Myra and Walter, and the status-conscious Myra is dismayed when she brings home a gravedigger – Herbert – who is courting her. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=2 |Title = The Weekend |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|1|27}} |ShortSummary=Grace decides to sneak away to spend a weekend at a bay-side lodge with Herbert, scandalizing Myra and Walter. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=3 |Title = The Working Girl |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|2|3}} |ShortSummary=Grace decides to look for a job, making the image-conscious Myra worry about how she will appear with Grace working – and then the job Grace takes shocks Myra. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=4 |Title = Lover's Quarrel |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|2|10}} |ShortSummary=Herbert refuses to take Grace to the annual 60-plus dance, leading to a big argument between them. ''Guest stars:'' [[Roy Roberts]] and [[Bill Ballance]] |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=5 |Title = Pregnant Conversation |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|2|17}} |ShortSummary=Feeling that life is passing by quickly, Grace pressures Myra to have a child and make her a grandmother. ''Guest stars:'' [[Florence Lake]] and [[Doris Packer]] |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=6 |Title = The Apartment |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|2|24}} |ShortSummary=Myra and Walter decide to generate more income by renting out the downstairs, but by the time they are finished turning it into an apartment, they have made it un-rentable. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=7 |Title = The Driving Lesson |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|3|3}} |ShortSummary=After Grace decides to finally learn to drive, her driving lessons have the household in an uproar. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=8 |Title = Saturday Night at the Movies |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|3|17}} |ShortSummary=Grace and Herbert go out to the movies on a Saturday night, and the police raid the theater they are at for showing [[Pornography|pornographic]] films. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=9 |Title = The Lodge |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|3|24}} |ShortSummary=Herbert's lodge holds a surprise testimonial dinner for him. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=10 |Title = The Reunion |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|3|31}} |ShortSummary=The hero who saved Grace's late husband's life during [[World War II]] comes to visit but overstays his welcome, and Grace must figure out a polite way to get him to leave. [[Ian Wolfe]] guest-stars. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=11 |Title = The Commercial |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|4|7}} |ShortSummary=Grace does a spur-of-the-moment radio commercial, then gets caught for lying on a form she filled out afterwards saying that she has no relationship with Walter or his supermarket. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=12 |Title = The Accident |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|4|14}} |ShortSummary=Grace becomes involved in a scam to sue the bus company for $600,000 for a minor accident. |LineColor= }} {{Episode list |EpisodeNumber=13 |Title = The Engagement |DirectedBy= |WrittenBy= |OriginalAirDate={{Start date|1973|4|21}} |ShortSummary=Herbert has asked Grace to marry him, and after months of pressure from Myra and Walter to decide without being able to make up her mind, she finally accepts. |LineColor= }} }}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb title|tt0069648}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Touch of Grace}} [[Category:1973 American television series debuts]] [[Category:1973 American television series endings]] [[Category:1970s American sitcoms]] [[Category:American television series based on British television series]] [[Category:English-language American television shows]] [[Category:Television shows set in London]] [[Category:American Broadcasting Company sitcoms]]