"The Pruitts of Southampton" was loosely based on the book "House Party", by Patrick Dennis, the author of "Auntie Mame".
Written by Patrick Dennis (pseudonym of Edward Everett Tanner III) under the pseudonym of Virginia Rowans, the 1955 novel "House party" provided the loose basis for the 1966-67 Phyllis Diller television series "The Phyllis Diller show" (a.k.a. "The Pruitts of Southampton"). Beyond the basic premise (a presumed-to-be-wealthy socialite finds herself, in actuality, to be almost broke) and a handful of characters, the series bore little resemblance to the novel.
According to Television magazine, The Pruitts of Southampton finished 77th among the 91 shows rated during the 1966-1967 season. It began the season airing on Tuesdays, opposite The Red Skelton Hour on CBS, which finished second in the ratings.
Phylis Diller said once she felt the series was an inverted version of The Beverly Hillbillies.
In 2002, TV Guide ranked it number 20 on its TV Guide's 50 Worst TV Shows of All Time list.