(CBS, 1954 - 1955; NBC, 1955 - 1958; CBS, 1958 - 1962; ABC, 1962 - 1963) Syndicated) [began as an NBC radio series in 1949 which had a question mark appended to the title "Father Knows Best?", for even on TV it was the Mother who was often the steadier hand of the two parent characters. This perennial TV series bounced around the three TV networks for nine years; and then ran in re-runs and syndication many years afterwards. Over 200 episodes were "in the can" by then. Star Robert Young was the co-creator of the concept with Executive Producer Eugene Rodney; The two had known each other via the radio business since 1935. The quintessential family sitcom starred Robert Young as a genial Insurance Salesman named Jim Anderson, his wife Margaret played by Jane Wyatt and their three children; The older daughter Betty (nicknamed "Princess") was played by Elinor Donahue; middle sibling -- son "Bud" was played by Billy Gray; and the youngest child Kathy (nicknamed "Kitten") was played by Laurin Chapin. Along with "Ozzie and Harriet" and "Leave It To Beaver", this gentle, rather bland, sitcom espoused 1950's family values, and came to represent what was right about American families or seemed to be right in retrospect.]
Contributor Ronnie James identified the opening fanfare heard on the network version of the series, as the introductory fanfare of this piece composed by Clive Richardson for the British Chappell Recorded Music Library in 1948; He said that on later syndication versions of the TV series the opening music may have been trimmed down for length so the fanfare is no longer recognizable or gone altogether. Composer: Clive Richardson (British PRS/ASCAP/BMI) Orig. Publisher: Chappell & Company Ltd., of London (PRS) 1978 Publisher: Chappell & Co., Inc. (ASCAP) of New York, NY 2006 Publisher: ZFC Music c/o Zomba Enterprises, Inc. (ASCAP) of Beverly Hills, CA Date of Composition: 1948. U.S. Copyright Date: Feb. 20, 1951; EFO- 6907. U.S. Renewal Date: Jan. 5, 1979; RE-14-238. Recordings: CD - "Nostalgic Themes Vol 2" (±1990) CHAP 120 (available through the Robert Farnon society) CD - "Archive - Nostalgic Themes Revisted" (±1994) CHAP 187 (available through the Robert Farnon society)
[above is instrumental title as filed for copyright; ASCAP database title "Father Knows Best (Theme)"; vocal title as filed for copyright, aka: "Waiting"; vocal title on sheet music, aka: "Waiting (For Love To Find You)" "Waiting" verified as the THEME in TV Guide article "It Seems To Me I've Heard That Theme Before" July 28, 1956, pp. 12-13; The lyrics which were added in 1960 necessitated a couple of changes to the melody for the vocal version, which was not heard on the air...] Composers: music by Don A. Ferris (ASCAP) and Irving Friedman (ASCAP), with lyrics added by Leon Pober (ASCAP) Orig. Publisher: Criterion Music Corporation (ASCAP) 2001 Publisher: Criterion Music Corporation (ASCAP) of Hollywood, CA [filed under the title "Father Knows Best"]: Instrumental Copyright Date: April 29, 1958; EU 525 831. Instrumental Renewal Date: Jan. 31, 1986; RE-283-943. [filed under the title "Waiting"]: Vocal Copyright Date: May 2, 1960; EU 624 948. Vocal Renewal Date: May 10, 1988; RE-399-269. Recordings: New Recording: CD - "Television's Greatest Hits (Vol. 4): Black and White Classics" (1996) TVT Records TVT 1600-2 (by an uncredited studio orchestra)