The Trouble With Tracy Open

[54Waldo]

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE STARS?

[charlyW34]

Ah, actually it was King Of Kensington...

[charlyW34]

The great Dave Thomas made an eary guest appearance on this show, pre SCTV.

[ProfMichaelMacD]

In his book, TV North: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Canadian Television, Peter Kenter says "The Trouble With Tracy is universally considered the worst Canadian TV show of all time, especially by those who have never seen it."

I remember enjoying the show. It wasn't perfection for sure, but it was fun. Making 7 shows in 5 days? How much quality can we expect? ;)

[stayjit1]

Yes, this was the worst sitcom ever made.

[honkytonksue59]

I remember TRYING to watch this at when home for lunch time (12 pm - 1:30)

Even at age 11 I knew how bad it was. Never did make it through a whole episode and yet...there is was every day for a year. :)

Ahhhh..the memories of 90 minute lunches and running home in the rain. :)

[poltallach]

@honkytonksue59 I'm of the same sentiment...lunch time and then back to school. As awful as it was, I swear The Trouble With Tracy was the inspiration for Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman an American show that was hugely popular in the 70's. There is truly something comforting and nostalic seeing TTWT all these years later.

[clearcoat2000]

The theme song was good.  The actress who played Tracy was hot. Too bad the writing and the show was crap.

[vancourt245]

While watching this show as a child, my mother taught me the expression, "Scraping the bottom of the barrel."



[2020Bookworm]

I'd rather watch this show,than The King Of Kensington.There's less fat people on it.

[phillydisco]

Holy cow, I vaguely remember this show, especially that part when she opens the door and the present is wrapped under his chin. LOL I gotta see this show again!

[Love4SK]

ohhhhhhhhhhh Tracy

[ftsjr]

I actually remember this show. A syndicated program from the early 70's. Pretty dumb.

[JubalCalif]

Hmmmm...never heard of the show or any of those actors before today. What exactly was the trouble with Tracy? Was she in reality the head of the popular band "Freddie Flatuence & his Five Hot Toots"? They were the group that had the monster hit "The Whoopee Cushion Serenade". It was a gas, daddy-o! If only Tracy could have solved that mystery of the ages: are there really rings around Uranus???

[gadzooks004]

Actually, (blush,blush!),it wasn`t that bad at all! I kinda liked the goofynessof some of the characters, especially the wacky neighbours who kept popping by. Then again, I was about 8 or 9 when it was on the air! Yikes!

[punkbabydoll77]

oh...dear...lord...

[lewellan222]

Di is living in St. Catharines, Ontario now, and is currently directing live stage. I am in "The Fantasicks" with Garden City Productions, and she is directly it. In fact, I'll be seeing her at rehearsal tonight!

[davinci5152]

The show was awful.. The acting, writing and production were awful..

But Diane Nyland was smokin' hot.

It's a shame all these old shows from back then are lost forever.

Same goes for many many obscure Canadian films from the same period.

Hundreds are gone.. lost forever..

It's sad.

[Buskieboy]

I totally agree with you the show was gawd awful, but Diane Nyland was sexy as Hell. She had great legs and I loved seeing her wearing mini's and shorts! Grrrowl!

[moron1966]

@davinci5152 I saw Diane Nyland on a commercial for a theatre production she is involved with now...let's just say that Tracy's biggest trouble now is carb consumption!

[TheDaddyCokes]

Worst sitcom ever :>) I must have watched it a thousand times...but no longer than 3 minutes each time...

[gadzoomtoo]

I have fond memories of watching this during summer holidays

[jsilence418]

This is the king of bad tv believe me !!

[MrLeglamp]

Whatever happened to Diane Nyland, she was a cutie in her day.

[martinthorpe]

@MrLeglamp She lives in Fenelon Falls ,Ontario ,or at least she did.She was at my wedding about 15 years ago.She doesn't look quite as hot but she was a very nice lady.

[poltallach]

I loved this show when I was a kid. I have often thought that Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was loosely (read: loosely) based on the Trouble with Tracy...a daytime soap with a comedic twist; although Hartman ran late in the evening.

[lakings13]

Happy Days and it's spinoffs ;Laverne and Shirley and Mork and Mindy were bigger crap than this.

[robertbmann]

This show was so bad it was good.  I'd buy DVDs for the series if they existed. Do they?

[lakings13]

unfortunately all the master tapes from this show were erased and taped over, who would've thought that something so bad could have sold for so much today!

[robertbmann]

Hi

Is that true? How do you know this? It's hard to believe that CTV would just trash it all...

[lakings13]

They had an article about the show on The Toronto Star a couple of years ago,they also taped over the Party Game, another local show of the period. They figured that because they were locally produced low budget shows they would not be worth saving for later generations.

[MrStereo10]

Not sure about Party Game, but Trouble With Tracy was rebroadcast on YTV in it's first year that station came on the air. Odd program for a kids network-but hey, they used to carry cool programs like Get Smart too. Still, the fact that they had the tape copies of the show to air in the late 1980s at least, something could be done. Party game, on the other hand is a tragic loss.

[lakings13]

Yeah I loved that show too , basically I learned english watching this when I first came to Canada in 71'

[bobeee1969]

is that really possible

[Parkwaymania]

I like how Steve just stands in the doorway waiting for something to happen, killer slapstick

[abcbatman1966]

i remember WOR channel 9 in nyc ran this show for a few months in '72-73, right before 'Bowling for Dollars" ... what a craptacular hour of tv!

[markojameow]

I heard that another craptacular Canadian series, Dr. Simon Locke, aired on NBC stations during the early 1970s.  Do you remember that show? I read somewhere that Jack Albertson (later of Chico and the Man) was one of the co-stars, and that the series was sponsored by Palmolive.

[WhatsAYak]

Ah yes...Albertson bailed out after the first season, appalled by the shoddy production values, so they moved it from a rural setting to a city one and retitled the show Police Surgeon for its last 2 seasons...@ least then, they added some well-known celebrity guest stars (William Shatner, Leslie Nielsen, Keenan Wynn, etc).

[markojameow]

I must have been knee-high when Police Surgeon was on, but I remember that show, too. As for Dr. Simon Locke, its star (Sam Groom) apparently had to change costumes in the bushes and a sneaky microphone had to show up in some scenes - that's how badly and cheaply produced that thing was.

[frankd1965]

I saw a cop film that was made in Newark New Jersey but, was actually filmed in Toronto. lots of flubs in the films(ie Daytime Running Lights on cars, products in both french & English, 1992 Ford Escort with standard seat belts, Toronto Transit vehicles in the background and NUMERO UNO flub. the character pumps gas into his car. New Jersey DOES NOT ALLOW MOTORISTS TO PUM THERE OWN GAS.

The production company just did'nt give a damn abiut authenticity.

[frankd1965]

Leslie Neilson & William Shatner are Canadians as well as Len Birman.

[EarlSnohomish]

"Dr. Simon Locke" was either on WNEW or WNBC in the NYC area. I never saw it, but I recall the promos and the name Sam Groom as a kid.

[frankd1965]

I do vaguely remember but, card carrying Canadian Len Birman also was on the show and was filmed in Toronto, Ontario.

BTW Jack Albertson was on that show and Chrysler Canada provided the vehicles

[EarlSnohomish]

It was on for a couple of months? I have no memories of this show at all. Must have been watching something else, I guess.

[Sircornflakes]

Ha I remember this horrible show!

[greatestmoviemoments]

I noticed of all Canadian TV shows the most successful shows were the ones that were proud to be Canadian like Kids in the hall, King of Kensington, Degrassi Jr High, Street Legal, Road to Avonlea, etc. Shows like The Trouble with Tracy that pretended to be American never made it through the first season i dont know why CTV thought it would. Never hide your culture

[proy122]

Relax, giant shit stain.

[rgkrenkel]

I still consider "Friends" & "Married With Children" as probably some of the worst & overrated sitcoms.

[markojameow]

At least, "Friends" and "Married - With Children" had something called production values. What does this pile of junk have? (P. S. I find both sitcoms overrated myself, but at least they're watchable compared to "The Trouble with Tracy.")

[kydrice]

@rgkrenkel How can you think Friends was bad? I don't even want to think about what shows you actually think is good.

[bulldogman59]

@kydrice friends is bad

[Lava1964]

I remember CTV showed this on Saturday mornings for a while. I suppose it was an alternative to watching cartoons.

[direwolf029]

that was actualy kinda funny

[SHMUJEW]

wow I remember watching this , I think it was the only canadian show on at the time, or one of the first ones. I watched this when I mwas 9 or ten ...it looks like they tried not to be american by trying to be british...what crap...im sure SCTV got alot of material from this garbage

[argopunk]

They tried to be American--the show was set in New York City. They were Canadians pretending to be Americans like that horror show Sue FBeye or whatever the hell it's called. Canadian shows are best when we're ourselves e.g. Trailer Park Boys, Less than Kind, etc.

[AllRequired]

This at its absolute worst was far better than many of today's miserable excuses for sitcoms at their absolute peak.

[jsilence418]

Thanks by the way for the post!

[jsilence418]

No not the CBC, CTV made the worst Canadian show ever!!

[Sciochick]

More info on Steve Weston: he was an accomplished actor, appearing in plays like 'Cat On A Hot Tin Roof'. Unfortunately, he suffered from mental illness in the latter part of his life & his death was the result of a fall from a roof during a sleepwalking episode. Sad.

[Sciochick]

Steve Weston (1940-May 12, 1985 d. fall from his roof) was in: When Michael Calls(72), Sudden Fury(75), Silver Streak(76), High-Ballin'(78) & the TV series Bizarre(80. He will be missed.

[Sciochick]

Diane Nyland starred in 'Johnny Belinda' as Belinda MacDonald in 1968-69 Charlottetown Festival, before 1971-72 'Trouble With Tracy'. From there, she went on to directing plays, up to the recent Sweeney Todd.

[Sciochick]

The writer of this show was none other than Goodman Ace, formerly of radio show 'Easy Aces'.

[Sciochick]

Trouble With Tracy was originally going to be called 'The Married Youngs', a play on 'The Young Marrieds'.

[Sciochick]

More info: Niane Nyland-Proctor, b. Charlottetown, PEI Canada.Actress, Director, Choreographer. Last TV work: 1992's Street Legal, 1 ep. "It's A Wise Child" as character Jane Gilmore. Won 1986 Dora Ward for 'outstanding choreography' for "Nunsense".

[Sciochick]

She didn't go back to TV work, but concentrated more on live performances, appearing in plays. She's still busy in her life.

[derekmimi]

this was a ctv production right?

[Sciochick]

Diane Nyland Proctor is still with us.

[femsual]

whatever became of her? did she do anything eles on the screen?

[markojameow]

Except for a token appearance on Street Legal back in 1992, Diane Nyland Proctor has not made other TV appearances from what I recall. She has also put on quite a bit of weight since her mini-skirted days, but this hasn't stopped Diane from acting and directing live theatre. (By the way, Diane Nyland Proctor was born in Charlottetown, the home of, of course, the Charlottetown Festival.)

[Sciochick]

Apparently Mr. Weston was also a regular in Bizarre. He was born in 1940 & died May 12, 1985.

[Sciochick]

I heard Steve Weston fell off his own roof by accident & died. He was also in a carpet cleaning commercial back then.

[derekmimi]

early 70's toronto. can't beat it!

[derekmimi]

did the guy weston fall off a skyscraper in toronto?

[lakings13]

how much would we be willing to pay for a DVD of this "awful" show I wonder? I still remember Diane with youthful lust!

[joecoxy2]

More crappy Canadian content!! Piece of junk!!

[petclark1]

Geesh...I haven't seen this since about 1971.

I was only seven, so I didn't think it was crap, but looking back, I seem to remember my

mom often sending me to the store to buy ice cream or candy JUST before The Trouble with Tracy would start. I don't think I was a very

perceptive kid. And didn't the husband on the

show, Steve Weston, jump to his death while on a "bad trip" in the early 1980's?? Hard to

picture him stoned...though I always thought he was kind of hot.

[iLoveClassicTV]

There is a fairly decent "weekday" sitcom called "Mack & Myer" from the mid-60's which proved that a comedy could air each weekday and still be Ok. However, what I'd like to know is whether all 130 episodes still exist of this craptacular show or whether CTV erased most of them like a lot of other TV series they did back then.

[NotAshamed2bWhite]

Hey it was crappy, but it was the closest Canada ever got to a homegrown I Love Lucy.

[teeveebuff]

I always loved the theme...it's cute...and when I watched this I was only five years old so I guess it was fun to watch as a kid. Certainly brings back memories for me regardless of how good it was.

[BlastFurnaceCanada]

Worst. Sitcom.  Ever.

[thunderbay63]

Steve Weston, who played the husband, died a tragic death. He fell off a roof in 1985.

[Exotic3000]

Regardless, this show brings back good memories!

[markojameow]

I'm also a Canadian (and American) classic television fanatic, derekmimi.  While I have mostly fond memories of television from my 1970s childhood, this is one show that I could live without, thanks very much. (I can't get that godawful theme out of my head after all these years.) Please, TV Land or DejaView, don't rerun this thing!

[derekmimi]

any kind of t.v. filming and broadcasting for toronto at this time period was unique. like the motown sound. same flare!

[UglySean]

What the late great Robert Ash, better known to us kids of the time as UNCLE BOBBY! About a year before he died, somebody did a telephone interview with him and put it on his website. That kind of rocked.

[markojameow]

I remember that show! Uncle Bobby was certainly low-budget stuff, but it was fast-paced for the standards of the day, I learned new crafts and hobbies, I learned safety tips in a noncondescending way, and it was just a good show. Best of all, it didn't feel like I was learning something.

[MuscleJacker]

Wasn't Uncle Bobby arrested for child molestation (seriously)?

[markojameow]

I know nothing about Bobby Ash's alleged child molestation, but I know that one of his regular entertainers had his brushes with the law for a similar charge. His name was Alex Laurier, and he appeared on many Canadian kids' shows in the 1970s and early 1980s. I also know that a certain Eric Nagler (another Canadian kids' entertainer) was accused of child molestation in the late 1980s, but was later cleared.

[derekmimi]

hilarious...love it...

[derekmimi]

was this filmed in toronto?

[cyberexposure]

Yes, shot in Toronto at CFTO studios, I believe.

[tc4834]

Trying to find more episodes of "Trouble with Tracy", any ideas.

[trinitymike]

God, haven't seen that in years....

[UglySean]

And never will again if you're lucky.

Yes the theme song is catchy but I'm proud to say I remember very little of the rest of it.

As for falling off the roof, that's what happens when your feet aren't planted firmly on the ground.

[nibsvkh]

Back in the 80's I smoked a joint with Steve Weston outside a comedy club in Ottawa.He had the stubbiest fingers I think I've ever seen.He was very cool,unfortunately died falling off his roof.

[lakings13]

I was 15 ,I'd just arrived from Mexico in 71',I think Tracy was one of my first crushes,awful show ,great legs!

[derekmimi]

bad opening, but, very entertaining for ctv in the early 1970's. i am a canadian television history die hard fanatic.

[tc4834]

I'm trying to find "Trouble with Tracy" video. Any ideas?

[antoniosoul]

To quote from the show itself:

"Isn't that awful?"

[CompletelySkewed]

"If it makes you happy to be happy then you be happy"

[markojameow]

What a dumb expression - no wonder why this show's notorious for being the worst show in Canadian television history. I watched it - maybe I didn't think it was that bad back in the day, but I was just a kid, I didn't know much better.

[ORCA4312]

'Red Green' is worse.

[markojameow]

I've never watched Red Green, but it's one show that viewers either love or loathe. (No fence-sitters here.) The Red Green lovers seem to regurgitate its endless duct tape jokes on those who hate it, or at least change the station whenever it goes on.

[pyroboybc]

Many of these characters voices were personified in several of the Trouble with Tracy characters.

Who can forget Tracy's and her brother's "Paul Sherwood" mother's classic.. "If it makes you happy to be happy... be happy." Cheers

[pyroboybc]

In retrospect.... 1970... Canadian TV in its infancy, new Canadian content laws... The FLQ crisis in October 1970. As well as other shows... "Strange Paradise," "Paul Bernard Psychiatrist." Lets not forget the Cartoons of the 1960's such as the "new adventures of pinochio," "The wizard of OZ" " Rocket Robin hood", and of of course that Christmas classic "Rudolph the Rednose Reindeer."

[MuscleJacker]

As for "Strange Paradise", I always thought that the guy who played Cort was hot. Of all the characters on that show, he flubbed his lines the most. And Ratsl had the worst wigs!

[pyroboybc]

Yes Simpson's "Among the fine stores of the world" I believe it used to read... Copyright 1970 Nation General Television Productions. I liked it... it came on Channel 9 Cfto-TV at 1:00pm daily and I had to scram to school in Hamilton, before 1:30.

[streetcarjay]

Fashions for the trouble with Tracy were furnished by Simpson's. Dooooooh!! Oops! wrong Simpsons!

[fromthesidelines]

Yes, this was supposed to be a slight variation of Goody Ace's "Easy Aces" {aka "mr. ace and jane"}, updated for the early '70s [he and Mrs. Ace attempted a filmed TV series in 1949-'50, with little success]. But no one could EVER emulate Jane Ace's comedic style- and that's why the series eventually fell flat.

[mrceleb2006]

PI Mannix, can you please post the full ending credits of this sitcom? Thank you.

[OofusTwillip]

If I remember correctly, the show was written by Goodman Ace, who'd written & starred in "Easy Aces" on network radio in the USA. Once the "Tracy" team realized that you can't do a good DAILY sitcom, they started using "Easy Aces" scripts, almost verbatim. And unless something went FUBAR, they only did one take.

[markojameow]

It was cheaply produced from the get-go.

[wb5026]

130 episodes!! somebody was sleeping around

[boguta]

Classic Canadian garbage. The TV here today is just as bad.

[Exotic3000]

It sure is!

[markojameow]

I agree, to a point. We do air some good documentaries on the Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and a handful of other specialty channels. The rest of our programming, on the other hand, is crap.

[MuscleJacker]

Please post some more Tracy clips! Or highlights from the greatest infomercials!

[udonthavetotellme]

At 8 yrs old i loved this show never thinking it was laughably bad.

I'm glad we have some archive left as i heard most if not has all been destroyed.

I've been thinking of this show many years & am glad to have these little clips. Best regards....

[MuscleJacker]

CTV weatherman Dave Devall played one of Tracy's ex-boyfriends and back then he had fire-red hair. I liked Tom Kneebone as Mr. Paperweight, whom Tracy always called Mr. Paperpenny, Mr. Pennypepper, etc. Miss Anderson holidays on empty sets with an azure blue drop and a heat lamp.

[MuscleJacker]

I remember the show where they go to a baseball game. The only indication that there was supposed to be a game going on was a *sign* saying "dugout" and an arrow pointing somewhere. Hippie bro Paul then pitched to some shmuck off camera. I wonder, is Lucky Girl now gluing my kid's model airplane together right now?

[joeyvader]

I haven't seen or thought about this in 200 years! Where was this made? Brantford? Hamilton?

[someguy23475]

Toronto, I think.

[bsharpinLondon]

It was made at ctv's studio in Agincourt. This truly was the worst sitcom ever. I wish PIMannix would more of this up if he has it. The scene he has put up actually runs well (relatively speaking). There is so much worse stuff than this. Tracey's looks and mini skirts were the only things that saved this slop from going off the air sooner

[beezwax36]

LOL! I can't believe someone found this! I was trying to tell a friend and they didn't believe me. Now I have proof!

[dconflict]

"With Fashions by Simpsons" - ROFL!

[ironwill2007]

Oh my how long have I been tortured by this trying to remember the crappy theme! Thank you!

[YulNevanomi]

Oh Geez! I remember this! And I lived in Canada for only 2 years!

[palitoy]

Oh how I miss Hippie Brother Paul...

[objectalone]

egaad!  noooo

[seangale1]

OMG - my misspent youth coming back to haunt me

[WSW55]

Awesome (rolls eyes and shakes head)