That Girl

- Season 1

(1966)

In this test pilot, Ann's parents are played by different actors, Ted Bessell plays Don Blue Sky, her agent who is also her boyfriend, and Ann has a group of three girlfriends. Don thinks that Ann should change her name from Ann Marie to a more suitable stage name because every time he tells people her name, they ask "'Ann Marie' what?". Ann is hesitant because she knows that it would upset her parents, particularly her father. As she predicted, her father becomes very angry and will not speak to her unless she keeps her name. This episode was later changed to include...

Ann Marie is working at a newsstand in an office building. She meets Donald Hollinger, a magazine writer who works there. Ann has just gotten an acting job for a television commercial filming in the lobby of the office building.

Ann moves out of her parents home in Brewster, New York, and moves to New York City to become an actress, though her overprotective father isn't happy about it. Ann meets her neighbor, Judy Bessemer, but isn't on her own for very long - her mother comes to stay with her because she isn't speaking to Ann's father. Ann's agent gets her a role on a children's television show... playing a mop.

Ann agrees to babysit for her neighbor and friend, Judy Bessemer, who assures her that she'll be back long before Ann has to leave for her audition for an acting workshop. Judy gets stuck at her sisters house and her husband, Leon, is an obstetrician and gets called to deliver a patient's baby, forcing Ann to take baby Stanley along on her audition. The director of the acting workshop is very no-nonsense and isn't a fan of babies.

Don loans Ann his car so she can pick up a rubber tree plant (which is actually a live plant) from her mother. A pedestrian carrying a sewing machine walks into Don's car while Ann was driving it and sues her. Ann gives her account of what happened in court, in great detail. She has trouble getting anyone to believe that while she was stopped at a traffic light, a man just walked into the car, and that his sewing machine damaged the fender.

Ann is bringing Donald home to meet her parents for the first time, and Donald is already a nervous wreck. On the way to Brewster, NY they stop for a picnic, during which Donald has a series of mishaps.

Ann is pursued by a very wealthy, very persistent man. Since she and Donald are not in an exclusive relationship, Donald proceeds to compete with Rod Waxman.

Donald's secretary quits when she learns that she and her husband are having a baby. Ann, who is in need of a job, persuades a very reluctant Donald to hire her. Jerry, who shares an office with Donald, thinks Ann is a great secretary, but her presence in the office makes it difficult for a rather jumpy Donald to get any work done.

Ann, Donald, Judy and Leon attend an auction, where Ann pays $7.50 for a box without knowing what's inside. Although Donald thinks it's merely a box of junk, a man who introduces himself as Mr. Johnson asks if he can buy it from Ann. This only convinces Ann and Judy that something in the box must be more than just junk. After showing up at her apartment and offering her $30 for a baseball from the box, Ann and her friends become suspicious of Mr. Johnson.

Ann tries to explain to Donald how she came to be arrested, wearing a very small leopard print cave-girl outfit. It began when she filled in for a fellow actress at her job as a waitress at a restaurant called 'The Cave'.

Ann's friend, Sandy, lands a role in a Broadway show, and asks Ann to be her understudy. While Sandy is staying with her, Ann is such a safety hazard, it is becoming even more likely that she'll have to take Sandy's place on stage.

This episode is a revised version of the test pilot, with different characters and actors. Ann's agent, Harvey Peck, thinks that she should change her name to something more appropriate for an actress, as people are constantly asking him "'Ann Marie' what?" Ann does not like the idea, knowing how much it would upset her parents. As she predicted, Ann's father is furious with the idea, and will not speak to her unless her name is 'Ann Marie'. Ann has to decide soon - she has a part on a television show and needs to choose what name will appear for her in the credits.

Ann currently has a recurring role on a popular soap opera, playing a villain named Sheila. When she is meeting Donald's parents for the first time, his mother dislikes her before even getting to know Ann. Donald finds out that his mother watches the soap opera and believes that Ann must be just like the evil character she plays on the show.

Ann becomes jealous and suspicious when she finds out that Donald has been going to lunch with an girl from her acting workshop, and then lies to her about it.

Ann has a neighbor who likes to play his organ late at night. When she and Donald go to ask him to stop playing, they meet Everett Valentine, and learn that he plays at home because he can't find any work playing the organ. Donald decides to surprise him by writing human-interest story about him for Newsview magazine, but when the story comes out and Ann goes to surprise him, she find his apartment empty... except for a copy of the new issue of Newsview.

Hobart, an actor in Ann's acting workshop, gives Ann a gift and tells her he wants to be friends. She feels that people should become friends before they give each other gifts, and tells him that she accept it. He still gives her gifts and tells her not to worry about it, because he stole them. Ann and Donald try to return everything so that Hobart won't have to go to jail.

While on a break from her job at a department store as one of Santa's helpers, Ann tells Donald about a Christmas she spent with one of her students while she was a teacher at a boarding school. A little boy name Tommy, who has always spent Christmas in hotels, is stuck at the school while his parents finish working on a movie. Since she's isn't allowed to bring him home with her, Ann stays at the school with him to give him his first happy Christmas.

Ann tries to return a ring to a high school sweetheart.

The shoe line that Ann is currently selling are not the best made shoes.

The maid that Ann hires for Donald brings out the jealousy in her.

Ann loses the novel manuscript that Donald gives her to read.

At a wedding in Connecticut, a snowstorm traps Ann and Donald at the hotel and they have only one room available.

Ann is surprised when she thinks she is getting a surprise party and her father really is taking her out to dinner.

Ann's father presses Donald as to whether he intends to marry his daughter.

Ann helps Donald get a story about a famous opera singer, if only he can control his romantic urges.

A family dinner put on by Ann to show how safe it is in the city is spoiled by a man standing on the ledge outside of her apartment.

Ann asks Donald to put a good word in for her to a Broadway producer, but he has already found someone for the part.

Ann gets a visit from her cousin and his brand new bride and he won't leave.

In a classic episode Ann gets her big toe stuck in a bowling ball after reading about someone who bowls with his feet.

Donald writes a bit for Ann's audition, but his jokes aren't really funny.

Ann goes on "The Mating Game" and doesn't pick Donald. Since he's writing an article Donald gets to go on Ann's date.