San Francisco in Cinema: Too Close for Comfort

75 Buena Vista Avenue East
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Now it can be told! The correct address of the Too Close for Comfort house is 171-173 Buena Vista Avenue East. The sitcom, aka The Ted Knight Show, is the 1980-1985 follow up for Mary Tyler Moore Show alum Knight. It was also the actor's final project. Based on the Britcom "Keep it in the Family," the U.S. version is set in a San Francisco duplex shared by Knight's character, "Cosmic Cow" cartoonist Henry Rush, Rush's wife Muriel, and their adult daughters Jackie and Sarah. Nancy Dussault stars as Muriel Rush, with JM J. Bullock in the "wacky neighbor" role," Monroe Ficus. Bullock's character is not exactly openly gay, but he is arguably the most effeminate character in pre-Ellen television history. While far from the level of sophistication of MTM, Too Close for Comfort is nevertheless an enduring sitcom entry. Originally aired on ABC and later in first-run syndication, the show was one of the very first to use a certain word after it was removed from commercial television's banned list when Dussault's character said, "This beer sucks," in a 1985 episode. While watching the opening sequence, an astute Mister or Ms. SF will spot two beautiful examples of San Francisco architecture in the neighborhood of the house that Cosmic Cow built. They are Casa Buena Vista at 75 Buena Vista Avenue East, and the old Southern Pacific Company Hospital, 1400 Fell Street.

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Copyright 2007 Hank Donat
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