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

2-21-08 | Bender2

[Bender2]

What are your favorite TV variety and situation comedy series from 1948-1960? I am old enough to remember most of them!

[Rte66]

I liked the Maharincess of Franistan (Lucy, of course) and the episode where Lucy met William Holden and lit her fake nose on fire.

[Bender2]

Re: Look, Brainiac, I didn’t come here to start a fight, but simply to point out that it wasn’t a very good article. The line about Ampex stood out.

That said, if you want me to drum the nose of an adolescent assclown with a fetish for cartoon robot pictures and pathetic attempts at one liners, then let me know.

Hey, JoJo, yes, I do believe you did want to pick a fight. I didn't start this, you did by taking me to the woodshed for suggesting an article on color tv might be enlightening to some on this thread was not very good. I never promised it would be.

For the life of me, I can never understand how folks like you can get so bent out of shape over someone else having fun and enjoying themselves by expressing their views with cartoon or graphics.

I've been called a spammer more than once here on FR, yet I have never once sent anyone any unwanted e-mails. Yet there are schmucks hereabout on FR that seem to make a cottage industry in calling me a spammer and demanding I be banned, lynched and/or drawn, quartered, tared and feathered just before being rode out of town on a splintery rail.

I don't begrudge you not caring for the color TV article I suggested and if you just said it did not tell you enough, then that would be it. Yet you said, and I quote here:

"With all due respect, that's not a well written article. The paragraphs are pretty much single sentences strung together, and the writer has no real feel for the history. Case in point, (and where I stopped reading): In 1956, a company called Ampex Corporation began using a Quadruplex videotape recorder and in 1958, they produced a color version."

Now, read that plus your "drum the nose of an adolescent assclown with a fetish for cartoon robot pictures and pathetic attempts at one liners" above statement and tell me you did not mean to poke a finger in my eye for suggesting such a piece of rubbish for your enlightenment that was not up to your level of snuff?

I don't want to fight with anybody here on FR, but I also come from an age where you stood up for yourself and did not back down when someone poked you in the eye.

I say grab a drink, kick back... and let bygones be bygones, but I ain't going to let it be bisexual!

[Bender2]

Re: Your commentary is at least as good as the article.

No sure whether to buy... you a beer--

Or punch you... in the nose?

But I'm going... with giving you a beer! I am going with Chairman's Stalin's Wise Peace Policy and not open a two front war.

[Rte66]

Small correction: Garner was Bret - his brother was Bart

[Bender2]

Re: 444Flyer ("What thread worth its salt...does not have a nitpicker?" Bender2 Post #205 2:43:15 PM PST)

Hey, if you are female... and hot, let's fool around!

If you are a guy... send $3.75 by PayPal first thing in the morning!

[JoJo Gunn]

Hey, JoJo, yes, I do believe you did want to pick a fight.

Okay, you asked for it. 

You pinged me, at post #204. You said, quote:

All you ever want to know about the coming of color TV....

And I said, in effect, that no, it's not "all you needed to know", and my one example, (of which there's actually several that could be used), was to illustrate that it was not all one needs to know, far from it. I also said with all due respect, used my one example, and left it to the rest to draw their own conclusions, plus left two links to aforementioned example that clearly shows there's far more to the Ampex story, and of TV history in general, that was related in that amateurish article.

By the way, ask any Ernie Kovaks fan what impact Ampex had on the history of comedy. 

I also come from a certain age, when you didn't let people attempt to make the good guy the bad guy, plus have likely forgotten more than you'll ever know about television. When I see misinformation, I sometimes try to set the record straight, especially when it concerns a subject I like (or once did) and know a little about. And don't forget that I likely wouldn't be here now if you hadn't pinged me.   

I haven't called you a spammer, or called for your banishment (that's not my style). I'm not a fan of ousting people, and as a rule would much rather duke it out. Unless they're outright infiltrators or wackos, sending someone to the gulag should be a last resort. But that's just me, coming from an earlier time.

In conclusion: if your persona is gossamer thin, if you can't handle criticism of your Momma's article, then don't link to it.

[Bender2]

Okay, JoJo, you kicked my ass good!

However, I have to say, using your own criteria for good writing, all your paragraphs are "are pretty much single sentences strung together!"

But I know when to admit defeat when overwhelmed by someone who has "likely forgotten more than... [I'll] ... ever know about television." Yet, I was alive when Ernie Kovacs was on live TV in the early 1950s on and taped TV as time went by, to coin a phrase.

Yet I plead the ignorance you so aptly pointed out above as to how Ernice Kovacs and Ampex are the only reasons for the history of comedy. I Googled "Ernie Kovacs Ampex" and got lots of hits, but dangit, all of them where made up of paragraphs that are "are pretty much single sentences strung together!"

Therefore, forgive me if I may take a few days to get back to you on this important point as I have to read all these paragraphs that are "are pretty much single sentences strung together" while there is ice cold beer calling to me from the cooler!

Now, don't you want to reconsider... call off this silly war, together campaign to keep the Liberal Democrats out of the White House plus Congress and have a cold beer with me?

Hey, Love Story is on TCM right now and can't we all get together and agree "Love is never having to say you are sorry? And, Ali MacGraw was pretty dang smoking hot back then before she skanked it all up with Robert 'The Kid Stays in the Picture' Evans and Steve 'So eFing Cool' McQueen.

[Califreak]

Those are my faves too!

[Califreak]

I’m watching AMC lately. Tonight they’re running Planet of the Apes & The Poseidon Adventure.

I can’t believe there’s a new show about meth cookers.

Good Lord, how low can they go?

[no more apples]

Sorry folks, that’s Bill Mumy. That same picture can be found on his website www.billmumy.com

[mware]

Sure doesn't look like him.

Now back to the cornfield.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Since you Love Lucy too, I just havta add that my ringtone is the theme from ILL...my daughter laughed when she learned (from her dear old dad) that I wanted to name her ‘Lucy.’...She is a fan too, and would have like it...my hubby didn’t so we comprimised. The only kitty cat I ever had was named Ethel Mertz :)PaMom

[no more apples]

Now back to the cornfield.

Speaking of cornfields...

[Cvengr]

A buddy used to work reading meters in Palm Springs near the Annenburg Estate. He was looking in the Oleander bushes looking for the meter when around the corner came Red Skelton, asking, “May I help you?”.

The meter reader, startled, replied, “Hey!, you’re , you’re that guy...”, unable to remember his name on the spot like that.

Red replied, “I better be, or else the missus has been having too much fun all these years with another guy!” ;^)

[mathluv]

I have 3 of the ‘Francis’ movies on VHS. I would love to find them on DVD.

[mathluv]

I lived in West Texas. We did not have TV until I was in high school. I remember watching a Thanksgiving or New Years Day Parade in the first color tv in town - just a bunch of colored dots! It was 80 miles to the closest station.

If anyone wants to get really nostalgic, how about the old radio shows. I remember gathering around the radio, and listening to 'The Shadow Knows', The Life of Riley', and Fibber McGee's Closet'.

[mass55th]

Amazon has a DVD that features four of the Francis the Mule movies. This is the one I bought when it came out in 2004. The rest I had to settle for in VHS format.

[mathluv]

Thanks! I have to admit I bought mine at Tuesday Morning.