The Show Didn’t Make The Transition To Color TV
Despite consistently high ratings throughout its run, ABC decided to cancel The Patty Duke Show after three seasons. The move was made because ABC was joining the color television revolution, and Duke’s show was shot in black and white at the time. The show could have been converted to color, but ABC determined that it would be too expensive. Rather, they concentrated their efforts on developing the next generation of television programming.
She Was Close To Her ‘Father’ In The Show
Given her difficult upbringing, it’s no surprise that Patty Duke found a father figure in her television father. Duke was drawn to William in real life despite the fact that he only played her father on TV. She shared with the Los Angeles Times, “He’s the dad I never got to spend time with. The family we created [on] the show was very much a family. That was my safety zone.”