Family Affair was a popular situation comedy and a regular top 20 hit show produced by Don Fedderson Productions for CBS-TV during its five year run from 1966-71. Brian Keith stars as bachelor Bill Davis, a highly-paid engineering consultant who lives in a posh Manhattan apartment with his proper English manservant, Mr. Giles French. Davis' carefree existence is turned upside down when his brother and sister-in-law die suddenly in a tragic plane accident, leaving their three children orphaned. Davis becomes an instant father figure to six year-old twins, Buffy and Jody and their big sister, Cissy. Despite their reservations, Davis and French grow attached to the children. Through humorous trial and error, coupled with big doses of love and patience, the five become a real family.
Bill Davis is ambivalent about taking on the responsibility of raising his niece Buffy after the death of his brother. After suggesting she attend boarding school in Switzerland, she runs away. Giles French, the Davis butler, brings her back.
Jody, Buffy's twin brother, and Cissy arrive while Bill is away. When he returns, he must make a decision as to what to do that would be best for the children.
When Bill returns from Africa bearing gifts, Cissy presents him with a hand-knitted tie. Buffy and Jody also want to give Bill a gift, and end up purchasing a horse for him from a retiring carriage driver.
Bill decides to send Cissy to a private girls' school in Connecticut, and even though she would prefer to attend high school locally, she reluctantly agrees to go, thinking Bill wants to get her out of the way.
When Bill gets Cissy her own phone and arranges for an interior decorator to redo Cissy's and Buffy's bedroom, Buffy becomes withdrawn as the changes appear to separate the room and, as a result, she fears Cissy is separating from her.
Buffy leaves Mrs. Beasley with Mr. French, who accidentally knocks the doll off the terrace. When Bill learns from Cissy the importance of Mrs. Beasley to Buffy, he goes on an earnest search to find the doll.
The owner of a Middle East Delicacies store, upon learning Mr. French is unmarried and knowing he is wealthy, introduces him to his cousin, Nural Shpeni, who he and her brothers want Nural to marry.
The vice principal and a child psychologist are concerned that Buffy and Jody only spend time with each other instead of playing with the other children, and state that it would be better for them to spend less time together.
Cissy thinks Bill is planning to get married to an old friend, but when her new friend tells her how her stepmothers sent her away, Cissy then suspects that the woman will send her and Buffy and Jody away.