Kathy Garver, who played Cissy in the original “Family Affair,” is not mincing words about the show’s 2002 remake. “Excuse my language, but it sucked,” Garver told Fox News Digital. “And it did for many reasons.”
Garver is preparing to host a 60th-anniversary marathon of the classic sitcom on Catchy Comedy, and used the occasion to explain why the reboot never captured the original’s appeal.
The original “Family Affair” premiered in 1966, following bachelor Bill Davis as he suddenly became guardian to his late brother’s three children, Cissy, Buffy and Jody. Brian Keith played Bill, with Sebastian Cabot as the family’s butler, Mr. French. The 2002 remake replaced them with Gary Cole and Tim Curry.
Garver praised both actors’ talents but said they simply didn’t fit the roles audiences already loved. “I think it’s very difficult to do a remake,” she said. “When they see Gary Cole, they say, ‘Well, that’s not Uncle Bill.'” She called Cole “great in ‘NCIS,'” but added, “as you know, he’s no Brian Keith.”
What made Keith work, Garver explained, was the tension between his tough persona and his gentleness with the kids. “He was this macho guy, the ex-Marine,” she said. “And here he is, this loving dad.”
Garver had similar reservations about Curry’s take on Mr. French. “Tim Curry had a whole different take on it,” she said. “It was very good, but it wasn’t in a situation-comedy vein. It was like the Tim Curry show. And so that didn’t quite mesh with Sebastian Cabot, who was a wonderful actor.”
She described Curry’s version as “loud and boisterous” compared to Cabot’s “much more low-key” portrayal, adding that Cabot’s performance was grounded in genuine affection for the children — something she felt Curry’s version lacked. “He, too, did everything in love,” she said. “And basically, he loved the children. And I think that was missing from Tim Curry.”
What made the original endure
Garver said the show’s original cast created a believable sense of family because the actors themselves brought real warmth to their roles. “Each individual person on the original ‘Family Affair’ had a family that they loved,” she said.
She credited the series with breaking new ground for its time. “I think it was a groundbreaker,” Garver said. “It was the first of its kind — a single father, or a single uncle, single relative, that all of a sudden gets three orphan children.”
The show also stood out for its production values, Garver noted, as one of the earlier sitcoms filmed in color with many cast and crew members drawn from the movie industry. “So it was a real quality kind of show,” she said.
She pointed to the show’s creator, Ed Hartman, for shaping the performances that gave the series its emotional depth. “Our creator, Ed Hartman, who was just a fabulous writer, creator and producer, told me, ‘Kathy, it’s in the eyes. You act through your eyes. What is coming through them?'” Garver said. “I think that warmth is something that’s sustained.”
For Garver, the show’s lasting appeal comes down to comfort. “People really like each other — what a concept,” she said. “People aren’t yelling and screaming at them. You have this very calm person that’s listening to you.”
She compared watching the series to “taking a bite of the comfort cake,” adding: “It’s not all this chaos, but something that’s beautiful and lovely and watchable.”
Catchy Comedy will mark the sitcom’s 60th anniversary with a special programming event on Sunday, Sept. 13, featuring eight of Garver’s favorite episodes and hosted by Garver herself, who will share memories from her five seasons playing Cissy.
