One Day at a Time (1975)

On this day in 1975: 𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝘿𝘼𝙔 𝘼𝙏 𝘼 𝙏𝙄𝙈𝙀 debuted on CBS-TV.

This well-remembered sitcom followed the lives of newly divorced mother Ann Romano (Bonnie Franklin) and her two teenage daughters, rebellious Julie (Mackenzie Phillips), and wisecracking Barbara (Valerie Bertinelli). The family's life was often interrupted by nosy building super Schneider (Pat Harrington Jr.), who offered well-meaning but unsolicited advice. Set in Indianapolis, the unapologetically independent Ann and her daughters tackled serious issues revolving around life and relationships, particularly those related to second-wave feminism.

In addition to the main cast, Richard Masur played Ann's love interest David Kane in the first season but left early in the second season. Mary Louise Wilson was brought in as a replacement, playing Ann's neighbor and friend Ginny Wroblicki, but the character proved unpopular, and Wilson left after one season. Mackenzie Phillips faced personal issues and was let go after the fifth season but later returned in a recurring role. Other notable supporting characters included Michael Lembeck as Julie's husband Max, Glenn Scarpelli as Alex, the son of Ann's boyfriend Nick (played by Ron Rifkin), Boyd Gaines as Barbara's husband Mark, and Shelley Fabares as Ann's business partner and friend Francene. Nanette Fabray also joined the cast in later seasons as Ann's mother.

The show was created by husband-and-wife writing duo Whitney Blake and Allan Manings and was based on Whitney Blake's own experiences as a single mother. Produced by TV legend Norman Lear, One Day at a Time was a ratings success, consistently ranking among the top twenty programs. It received numerous awards and honors, including Golden Globe Awards for Valerie Bertinelli and Primetime Emmy Awards for Alan Rafkin and Pat Harrington.

The show was widely syndicated and released on DVD https://amzn.to/4iBEfmJ and a remake with a Latino cast aired on Netflix from 2017 to 2020, featuring the return of several original cast members.
209 episodes were produced over 9 seasons.