A Touch of Grace

- Season 1

(1973)

65 year old, young at heart widow Grace Simpson adjusts to life following the death of her husband by moving into the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Myra and Walter Bradley. While visiting her late husband's grave, Grace befriends charming gravedigger Herbert Morrison. After inviting him home, she gives Herbert her late husband's gold watch and suit, a decision that annoys her stuffy children and creates tension in the household. Feeling unwelcome, Herbert leaves, and so does Grace.

Grace's "swinging lifestyle" shocks Myra. Herbert has won a free weekend vacation trip for two to a waterside resort, presuming he brings his wife. Later, Grace and Herbert decide to sneak away on the trip. Once there, Herbert suddenly begins to have second thoughts when he and Grace are required to register as Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Morrison.

When Walter is tapped for a lucrative job far away from Oakland, Grace realizes that she does not want to give up Herbert and the only home she has ever known. She vows to remain behind, and build a new life for herself as a completely independent woman. She realizes her goal by accepting a job as a ladies room attendant, a position certain to mortify her uptight daughter.

Grace and Herbert experience their first romantic tiff when he refuses to escort her to a senior citizen's dance. Grace decides to teach him a lesson by asking another man to accompany her. However, she soon realizes that her new fellow isn't exactly a dream date either. Ultimately, Herbert confesses his reason for not accepting her invitation.

After her friends boast about the joys of grandchildren, a jealous Grace pretends that Myra is pregnant. In order to keep up the impromptu charade, Grace must find a way to convince Myra and Walter to make her a grandmother. Her attempts to persuade them into having a baby result in escalating tension that could seriously affect their marriage.

In order to help make payments on a new car, Myra and Walter convert their basement into an apartment rental. Grace is delighted with the renters, a young couple with a baby. However, the Bradleys face disappointment when the first rent check bounces. Later, the situation deteriorates more when it is revealed that the couple are living together out of wedlock.

Grace feels that the time has finally come for her to learn how to drive. When she announces to Walter and Myra that she plans to enroll in driving school, Grace is met with skepticism, but ultimately, she decides to pursue her goal. To achieve it, she must pass the driving test. Her methods are alternately comical and a bit underhanded.

Grace and Herbert endeavor to spend a leisurely Saturday night at the movies, but their excursion turns out to be anything but peaceful. First, they mistakenly enter the wrong movie house. Instead of seeing Fiddler on the Roof, they are astonished to find it's actually an x-rated movie entitled Fiddling on the Roof. Then, before they can exit the porno house, they're caught up in a vice squad raid.

Comical complications arise when Grace and Herbert keep secrets from one another. Grace learns that Herbert has been chosen to win the man-of-the-year award at his lodge, and she works to maneuver him to the right place at the right time. Meanwhile, unaware of his upcoming honor, Herbert secretly plans a surprise birthday party for Grace, on the same night as the lodge award ceremony.

Herbert becomes a victim of the little green monster when Grace receives a surprise visitor. Her late husband's old Army buddy comes to town, and because he once saved Grace's husband during the war, he is invited to stay. Unfortunately, he finds the Bradley household very comfortable and seemingly decides to never leave. It's up to Grace to find a way to extricate her family from his visit.

Grace finds herself the impromptu commercial spokeswoman for the Pennymarket chain of grocery stores. The trouble is there's a professional conflict with Walter, but Grace signs a release stating that she has no ties with the company. When Grace's relationship to Walter is exposed, Walter finds himself standing in the unemployment line, and it's up to Grace to resolve the dilemma.

Grace and Herbert ponder what their life would be like if they receive a sudden windfall. The pair are passengers on a bus involved in a minor traffic accident. However, although uninjured, they learn that the accident could escalate into a major legal action, potentially netting them a half a million dollar settlement.

In the series finale, after months of continuous encouragement from Myra and Walter to reach a decision about whether or not to marry Herbert, Grace finally accepts his marriage proposal. However, the engagement ring she fancies is certain to cost Herbert far more than he can possibly afford on a gravedigger's salary.