Apple's Way is an American drama television series that aired on CBS from February 10, 1974, to January 12, 1975. It was created by Earl Hamner Jr. (1923-2016).
The Apples of Los Angeles—architect George, his wife Barbara, their children Paul, Cathy, Steven, and Patricia; and Grandfather Aldon—seek refuge from the hectic pace of city living and relocate to George's hometown of Appleton, Iowa,[1] which was founded by his ancestors. The family has to adjust to a different culture and climate and to a slower pace of life. They live in a working grist mill that serves as a backdrop for the situations depicted in each episode. Well-meaning George often gets involved in causes that increased his family's tensions.
Apple's Way was a mid-season replacement for The New Perry Mason. The series did not gain the ratings CBS had hoped for, partly because[citation needed] it had to compete with NBC's long-running Top 20 hit The Wonderful World of Disney and ABC's popular crime drama The F.B.I.. The concept was "re-booted" in the second season to focus on plots that dealt more with social issues (such as freedom of speech, drug use, terminal illness) as opposed to the more rural-specific plots of the first season. The second season was produced by successful veteran producer-writer John Furia, Jr. Furia hired Worley Thorne as story editor. The series was canceled during its second season and replaced with Cher.
Both TV Land and AmericanLife TV aired the series in reruns during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Two decades after this series left the air, lead actors Ronny Cox and Frances Lee McCain were reunited in the short lived 1993–1994 television prime time soap Second Chances.