| Anna and the King | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Bud Freeman Bill Idelson Margaret Landon Jerry Mayer Harvey Miller Tim Pine Tina Pine Gene Thompson |
| Directed by | Gerald Mayer Lee Philips William Wiard |
| Starring | Yul Brynner Samantha Eggar |
| Composer(s) | Jerry Goldsmith Richard Shores |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer(s) | Gene Reynolds |
| Producer(s) | Bill Idelson Harvey Miller |
| Running time | 30 mins. |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | CBS |
| Original run | September 17, 1972 – December 31, 1972 |
Anna and the King is a short-lived sitcom broadcast in the United States by CBS as part of its 1972 fall lineup.
Contents |
Anna and the King is a non-musical adaptation of the 1956 film of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, which was in turn based on the 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 probably more identified with that role than any other that he ever played.
The plot, like that of the musical, involved the king's bringing to Siam of a British governess, Anna Owens (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 tremendous worldwide success (Brynner was still touring in the stage version until just before his death), this series was cancelled at midseason.
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Yul Brynner | King Mongkut of Siam |
| Samantha Eggar | Anna Owens |
| Brian Tochi | Crown Prince Chulalongkorn |
| Eric Shea | Louis Owens |
| Keye Luke | Kralahome |
| Lisa Lu | Lady Thiang |
| Rosalind Chao | Princess Serena |
| Ep # | Title | Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pilot | September 17, 1972 |
| 2 | "The Baby" | September 24, 1972 |
| 3 | "The King or the Tiger?" | October 1, 1972 |
| 4 | "Chulalongkorn's Grades" | October 8, 1972 |
| 5 | "Anna's Romance" | October 15, 1972 |
| 6 | "The Bicycle" | October 22, 1972 |
| 7 | "The Haunted Temple" | November 5, 1972 |
| 8 | "Louis, the Pawn" | November 12, 1972 |
| 9 | "The Chimes" | November 19, 1972 |
| 10 | "Serana" | November 26, 1972 |
| 11 | "The Marriage of Prince Chula" | December 10, 1972 |
| 12 | "The King and the Egg" | December 17, 1972 |
| 13 | "Louis' Love" | December 31, 1972 |
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]