From son to father: Don Grady on growing up with My Three Sons

When executive producer Don Fedderson told a young Don Grady he would become the father of triplets on My Three Sons in an effort to boost the show’s ratings, Grady thought he was joking.

One of the My Three Sons becomes the father of three sons? At the time, it seemed like a stretch.

According to a 1969 interview with the Sunday News, Grady thought the idea of a college kid having triplets was overdoing it.

But it was done. Just like that, one of the sons had sons of his own. And while the arrival of three babies didn’t launch the show to No. 1 ahead of Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, it did help keep the series firmly in the top 25.

Part of the reason for the show’s success was that Fedderson wasn’t afraid to move the story along in ways that felt realistic.

For example, Fred MacMurray, who played widowed father Steve Douglas, was getting married. Robbie (Grady’s character) got married and landed a job. It was reality—and that reality resonated with real families. 

"We’re not a documentary of life in the American home," Grady said. "But we’ve never had an episode that’s way out of proportion. As a nation, we’re pretty strong people. I don’t think most families are involved with drugs and murders, and we tend to mirror that solid middle-class spectrum."

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According to the interview, Grady knew how fortunate he was to be part of such a successful show. He threw away his Mickey Mouse Club ears and traded them in for a TV family—with Fred MacMurray at the head of the household.

But in Hollywood, despite his fan base, few seemed to take much notice of Grady. When he left town, he was a celebrity, but in Hollywood, he was just like everyone else: an actor looking for work.

"I’m young and want to be a spearhead of progress," Grady said. "I simply want to contribute more, and I realize I have to do it apart from the show."

Grady began thinking about what might be best for his future. In addition to acting, he was also a passionate musician—working on his debut record. According to the interview, he played the clarinet, piano, guitar, accordion, bass, drums, and saxophone. A true one-man band.

"I used to knock My Three Sons, but not anymore," Grady said. "If I left to further my artistic bent, there would really be nowhere else for me to go. I’m lucky to be employed."

Grady acknowledged that if he were in charge of My Three Sons, it likely wouldn’t have lasted long. He gave credit to the producers for evolving with the times while keeping the show's identity intact.

"Any big change in concept doesn’t survive a long run on television," Grady said. "Now our show isn’t making any big waves—and that’s why we’re still on the air."

Whatever they were doing, it clearly worked. My Three Sons ran for 12 seasons and remains one of the longest-running family sitcoms in television history.