Newly widowed Doris Martin (
Doris Day) and her two sons Toby (Tod Starke) and Billy (Philip Brown) move into the farm owned by Doris' uncle Buck Webb (
Denver Pyle) as
The Doris Day Show launches its first season. Featured in the early episodes are
James Hampton as Buck's versatile hired hand Leroy, and
Fran Ryan as Aggie the housekeeper. Three months into the series' run, Aggie would be replaced by Juanita, played by Naomi Stevens. The basic premise during season one is that Doris Martin, tired of living in such big cities as nearby San Francisco, hopes to start life anew as a farm gal. Although
The Doris Day Show managed to garner respectable ratings during its freshman year (the series ranked 30th in the overall Nielsens), the star felt that the format was not suited to her talents -- hence the near-complete makeover during season two. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide