Apple's Way

Apple's Way
Ronny Cox, Lee McCain and Malcolm Atterbury share a laugh in this 1974 episode.
Genre	Comedy-drama
Created by	Earl Hamner, Jr.
Starring	Ronny Cox Frances Lee McCain Vince Van Patten Malcolm Atterbury Kristy McNichol Patti Cohoon Eric Olson Frannie Michel
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English
No. of seasons	2
No. of episodes	28
Production company(s)	Lorimar Productions
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	CBS
Original release	February 10, 1974 (1974-02-10) – January 12, 1975 (1975-01-12)

Apple's Way is a television comedy-drama series which aired Sundays at 7:30 pm (EST) on CBS from 1974 to 1975. It was created by Earl Hamner, Jr.

The Apples, a family from Los Angeles, seek refuge from the hectic pace of city living and relocate to the father's hometown of Appleton, Iowa, which was founded by the father's ancestors. The Apples included George, an architect who relocated from Los Angeles, his wife, Barbara; their children, Paul, Cathy, Steven and Patricia; and their grandfather Aldon. There they had to adjust to new culture, the climate, and the pace of life. The family lived in a working grist mill, which served as a backdrop for the situations played out on screen. While meaning well, George would often increase his family's tensions by getting involved with various causes.

The series did not gain the ratings CBS had hoped for, partly because it had to compete with NBC's Top 20 hit The Wonderful World of Disney. The concept was "re-booted" in the second season to focus on plots that dealt more with general social issues (such as freedom of speech, drug use, terminal illness, gun control) 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.

Both TV Land and AmericanLife TV have aired the series in reruns in the late 1990s and early 2000.

Two decades after this series left the air, actors Ronny Cox and Frances Lee McCain were reunited in the short lived 1993-1994 television prime time soap Second Chances.