What are the best early 1948-60 TV Comedy Series?

2-21-08 | Bender2

[Califreak]

Unfortunately, mine do not see the greatness of these old shows.

[mass55th]

It was Edie Adams. I just googled her and it says it was Muriel cigars she did the commercials for. Here's an excerpt from Wikipedia: She remained the pitch-lady for Muriel well after Kovacs' death, intoning in a Mae West style and sexy outfit, "Why don't you pick one up and smoke it sometime?" Another commercial showed the alluring Adams singing, "Hey, big spender, spend a little dime with me." A Muriel cigar then cost a dime.

One thing I didn't realize was that a daughter she had with Ernie, died in a car accident in 1982. Kovacs died in a car accident in 1962. The daughter was only 22. Sad.

[bmwcyle]

My favorite, The Jack Benny Show.

[mass55th]

Yes, Spring Byington was the female lead in December Bride. I loved Harry Morgan. He'd already been around for ages when he starred in M*A*S*H.

How could I have forgotten The Cisco Kid with Duncan Renaldo. Gabby Hayes used to have an afternoon program, and I think he used to show Roy Rogers programs. I may be wrong. Gene Autry was another favorite.

[P.O.E.]

Jack Benny & Mel Blanc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9s8U0O0XPE

[mass55th]

Yep, I remember the Jungle Boy episodes. One of them I vaguely remember of him diving for a pearl from a giant clam and I believe somebody got stuck in it. That’s about all I recall of the Jungle Boy episodes.

[fedupjohn]

I’d have to disagree with you guys. I seem to remember that 1967 was the year that color became the standard on TV.

My Father bought a color TV in 1963 and NBC transmitted some color TV.
All TV went color standard in 1966.

[mass55th]

June Lockhart was in the second Lassie series. She was Timmy’s (Jon Provost) mother. Jan Clayton played Ellen Miller, the mother of the Jeff (Tommy Rettig). The first series ran from ‘54-57. Then came June Lockhart’s series.

[mass55th]

"You Are There"

This used to be on Saturday or Sunday mornings if I recall. It was another of our favorites. I see they are now out on DVD.

[wizr]

I don’t remember much about the program, but it seems quite few of us remember it.

Richard Crenna never seemed to get the “star” status of, say John wayne, but he was an excellent actor, and to me, a celebrity in hos own right.

[Convert from ECUSA]

There were so many great shows. My favorties are I Love Lucy, Jackie Gleason and the Honeymooners, and the Dick Van Dyke show (technically, that show started in the early 60s).

[Roccus]

“Jingles” was Wild Bill Hickock’s sidekick, IIRC. (Wild Bill’s horse was ‘Buckshot’)

[TrueKnightGalahad]

GREAT thread! Wish they'd start re-running Sky King - one of the best shows I remember from waaaay back when.

And who could forget Gloria Winters as Penny? She was the girl I wanted to carry over the threshold, even before I knew what a threshold was!

[Rte66]

Oh, that’s right! Guy Madison - good-looking! Wasn’t Annie Oakley kind of paired up with that show - like she sometimes was on it, or was a spin-off?

[Rte66]

Ah, you’re so right. I do remember Jan Clayton - she was pretty. I remember someone on the show had been a movie star before - I think it was the real-life owner of the dog that played “Lassie” - last name was Weatherwax, a name that fascinated me, for some reason.

[Rte66]

I remember a huge man-servant who wore a turban. I’ll have to look up details on that one. I just recall that it was on around the same time as Froggy, like maybe right before.

[Rte66]

Some more random thoughts on this topic:

.Route 66, of course - I hadn’t mentioned it because I’ve talked about it a lot on other threads, lol

.The Thin Man - remember Peter Lawford in that? Nick and Nora Charles - and their big standard wire-haired terrier Asta.

.Maverick - loved it then, still do - James Garner one of my fave people in the whole world! (And an Okie.)

.Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier - the coonskin cap craze!

.Beat the Clock - Bud Collier

.Playhouse 90

.Robert Q. Lewis - did some kind of quiz show

.Riverboat - Darren McGavin was the captain

.The Everglades - Lincoln Vale

.The Mutual of Omaha zoo show with Marlon Perkins

.Oh, the one with clipper ships in the opening credits, great music - something like Tales of the South Seas or Adventures in Paradise - very good-looking dark-haired male star

[Rte66]

Wasn’t she cute? “Out of the clear bue of the Western sky ... comes Sky King!”

They were so “ahead of their time” as far as flying around everywhere, getting the bad guys. Sky wore the greatest Western suits.

[Rte66]

Oops, “clear BLUE of the Western sky!”

[Yaelle]

I am glad it was already mentioned. I Love Lucy is such a wonderful classic. It was an antique even when I was a kid, but I grew up with it and just loved it.