[5] The show was set in the fictional Chicago suburb of Point Clair, Illinois, and focused on the trials and tribulations of two neighboring families, the wealthy Cushings and the middle class Saxtons.
The Cushings were Richard Cushing (Ron Randell), a successful stockbroker who owned a brokerage house called Cushing and Sons, who also had an affair with his secretary, Barbara Manners; his proper and high society wife, Edith (Nancy Marchand, Laurinda Barrett), who stayed in the marriage, even though she knew about and tended to tolerate Richard's infidelity; their college aged son, Austin (Rod Arrants) who was an alcoholic due to his inability to be an artist and finding out his girlfriend, Laurie Brewster was sent to Europe by her mother to break up their relationship; and their daughter, Megan (Patricia Estrin; Darlene Parks) who was unhappily engaged to wealthy and stuffy Desmond Hamilton (David Knapp).
Also living with and offering some sage, down-to-earth advice and also a touch of humor to the often stuffy Cushing home was Edith's mother, Sophia Slocum (Margaret Barker).
The father, Lester (John Heffernan; Albert Stratton) was a former factory worker and alcoholic, who had recently acquired a higher paying job as a warehouse supervisor, thanks to the help of his married daughter, Eleanor Kimball (Flora Plumb) and her husband, wealthy attorney, George Kimball (Stephen Joyce), which also allowed them to purchase the house next door to the Cushings in Point Clair.
Rhett (Bob Purvey, David Ramsey, Tom Happer), the oldest son, a professional photographer who had been engaged to longtime girlfriend, Connie Ferguson (Susan Foster, Cynthia Bostick) until he fell in love with his neighbor Megan Cushing; Jason (Richard Backus) who was somewhat conniving and scheming, always wanting to get ahead, but always meant well; youngest brother, Bentley (David Abbott) and youngest sister, Tessa (Vicky Dawson; Breon Gorman).
Both Bentley and Tessa, who were in high school, felt out of place in wealthy Point Clair, and longed to return to Hammond, their former neighborhood in Chicago.
After an initial bad impression, Austin and Megan became more friendly with their new neighbors and would often spend more time at their house, because they felt more at ease with the Saxtons than at their own home.
Richard had wanted Austin to go into a wealthy sanitarium to dry out, but he impressed his father by taking responsibility for his actions and remained in town to deal with his troubles, being helped along by Lester and Amy, who became his support system.
Also in the story, in both versions of the show, was the Brewster family, whose house the Saxtons had bought when they moved to Point Clair, mother Viola (Patricia Barry) and her daughter, Laurie (Julia MacKenzie).