Anna and the King (TV series)

Anna and the King is a television sitcom that aired Sunday nights at 7:30 pm (EST) on CBS as part of its 1972 fall lineup.

Anna and the King
Yul Brynner and Samantha Eggar, 1972.
GenreSitcom
Based onThe King and I
by Rodgers and Hammerstein
Written by
Directed by
Starring
Composers
Country of originUSA
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producerGene Reynolds
Producers
  • Bill Idelson
  • Harvey Miller
Running time30 mins.
Production company20th Century-Fox Television
Distributor20th Television
Release
Original networkCBS
Original releaseSeptember 17 (1972-09-17) –
December 31, 1972 (1972-12-31)

Overview

Anna and the King is a non-musical adaptation of the film of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I (1956), which was in turn based on the 1944 novel Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon. Unlike the majority of attempts to turn hit films into television series, Anna and the King featured the original film's star, Yul Brynner, who was more identified with that role than any other.

The plot, like that of the musical, involved the king's bringing to Siam of a British governess, Anna Leonowens (portrayed here by Samantha Eggar), to educate his 12-year-old son and heir, Crown Prince Chulalongkorn (Brian Tochi). As time goes on, the two develop a platonic infatuation with each other, despite the low status of women in Siamese society, which appalls Anna, as does the king's related practice of polygamy. Also appearing regularly was a member of the royal household, Kralahome (Keye Luke).

While the musical, both film and stage versions, was a worldwide success (Brynner was still touring in the stage version until just before his death), this series was cancelled at midseason.

Cast
ActorRole
Yul BrynnerKing Mongkut of Siam
Samantha EggarAnna Leonowens
Brian TochiCrown Prince Chulalongkorn
Eric SheaLouis Leonowens
Keye LukeKralahome
Lisa LuLady Thiang
Rosalind ChaoPrincess Serena

Episodes
No.TitleOriginal air date
1"Pilot"September 17, 1972 (1972-09-17)
2"The Baby"September 24, 1972 (1972-09-24)
3"The King or the Tiger?"October 1, 1972 (1972-10-01)
4"Chulalongkorn's Grades"October 8, 1972 (1972-10-08)
5"Anna's Romance"October 15, 1972 (1972-10-15)
6"The Bicycle"October 22, 1972 (1972-10-22)
7"The Haunted Temple"November 5, 1972 (1972-11-05)
8"Louis, the Pawn"November 12, 1972 (1972-11-12)
9"The Chimes"November 19, 1972 (1972-11-19)
10"Serana"November 26, 1972 (1972-11-26)
11"The Marriage of Prince Chula"December 10, 1972 (1972-12-10)
12"The King and the Egg"December 17, 1972 (1972-12-17)
13"Louis' Love"December 31, 1972 (1972-12-31)

Unsuccessful lawsuit by Margaret Landon

Margaret Landon was unhappy with this series and charged the producers with "inaccurate and mutilated portrayals" of her literary property; she unsuccessfully sued for copyright infringement.[1][2]

References

Notes
  1. Lawrence Meyer, "Court And “The King”", Washington Post, 21 November 1972, pg. B2
  2. Landon v. Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp., 384 F. Supp. 450 (S.D.N.Y. 1974), in Donald E. Biederman, Edward P. Pierson, Martin E. Silfen, Janna Glasser, Law and Business of the Entertainment Industries, 5th edition, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood, 2006, pp. 349-356
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