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Hanna-Barbera is known for creating classic animated families like The Flintstones and The Jetsons—but in the early ‘70s, they also created another, lesser-known animated family: the Boyles.
Harry Boyle (Tom Bosley) is the typical American dad in the ‘70s. He’s a hard-working businessman who does all he can to make ends meet and provide for his family. He has a loving wife and three kids. But the times, they are a’changin’, and things just aren’t the way they used to be. His oldest son, Chet, is a college dropout who doesn’t share his father’s strong work ethic. Instead, he spends most of his time on the couch, lecturing his father on the evils of capitalism while asking for his allowance. Harry’s daughter, Alice, is a teenager who sees her father as a stuffy old chauvinist. The youngest son, Jamie, on the other hand, will do anything to make a dime.
Harry grew up in a time when men were the bread-winners and women stayed home to cook and clean—and when children obeyed their parents and grew up to be just like them. He just doesn’t understand women’s lib or hippies or equal opportunity employment. But he also doesn’t get his neighbor, Ralph, a vigilante, who, along with his loyal band of misfits, is constantly on guard against hippies, college graduates, feminists, and all minorities.
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home is quite similar to two other prime time animated TV shows, The Flintstones and The Simpsons—and even more like another family comedy of the ‘70s, All in the Family. Like many TV dads, Harry is overweight and overworked—and while he loves his family, he just doesn’t get his kids or the world they live in. And sometimes that makes him a little bit cranky.
Obviously, though, Wait Till Your Father Gets Home was a groundbreaking show at the time—an animated sitcom that didn’t shy away from controversial topics. In the 24-episode first season, it covers everything from civil rights to sexuality to the draft. Its minimalistic animation style and its edgier content paved the way for modern prime time cartoons for grown-ups. And if you watch the special features on this four-disc set, which help put the show in context, you’ll have a greater appreciation for what made the show special.
At the same time, though, it’s also not hard to see why this show isn’t as classic as, say, The Flintstones. While, when it aired in the early ‘70s, its topics were especially timely, they’re somewhat outdated—and even a little old-fashioned—now. The show uses some jokes repeatedly (like Harry’s favorite: “You carried him for nine months, Irma, and I’ve been carrying him ever since.”). And neighborhood vigilante Ralph’s rants aren’t all that funny. In fact, many viewers will probably find him offensive—even if his lines were written to be tongue-in-cheek.
So while Wait Till Your Father Gets Home is an interesting—and often entertaining—show, it’s not really worth picking up the whole season unless you were a fan when it originally aired.
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