Sitcoms-The Families
  Sitcoms-The One Parent Families
  Sitcoms-Strange Families

The misadventures of comedians Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. Stories relate their attempts to acquire work and relieve monetary burdens.  The show is set in Hollywood, California.

Mr. Peepers
1952 - 1955

Jefferson High School, located in the small Midwestern town of Jefferson City, was the setting for this live situation comedy. The central character was Robinson Peepers, a shy, quiet, slow-moving science teacher whose efforts to do the right thing always seemed to backfire. He was such a nice guy that everyone on the staff tried to mother him and the students all thought he was great, despite being laughable at times. His
best friend was history teacher Harvey Weskit, whose brash self-confidence contrasted with Robinson's low-key personality. Other regulars in the cast were the school nurse, Nancy Remington, English teacher Mrs. Gurney (whose husband was the principal in the first season), and their families. During the first season music appreciation teacher Rayola Dean was Mr. Peepers romantic interest. In the fall of 1952 Nurse Nancy
Remington became his girlfriend. Their romance blossomed and they were married at the end of the 1953-1954 season.
 

I Married Joan
1952 - 1955

Bradley Stevens served as a judge in domestic court. Each episode opened with Judge Stevens on the bench. In the course of trying to resolve the problems of those who came before him, he would explain to them how he dealt with a similar type problem with his own beloved but slightly wacky wife, Joan.  As he started to tell the story, the courtroom scene would fade into his home and the situation would be enacted.

Our Miss Brooks
1952 - 1956

The trials and tribulations of Connie Brooks, the wisecracking English teacher at Madison High School.  Stories depict her romantic misadventures as she struggles to impress Philip Boynton, the biology instructor; and her continual clash with crusty,
blustery Osgood P. Conklin, the principal. Connie rented a room from kindly old Mrs. Davis and rode to school each morning with one of her students, the dimwitted Walter Denton.

At the start of the 1955-1956 season, Madison High was razed for a highway project and Miss Brooks found a new job at Mrs. Nestor's Private Elementary School nearby. For some reason, Mr. Conklin had acquired the job as principal there, and he and other cast members remained on the show to harass her. Connie's new love interest was the young
physical education teacher, Gene Talbot, who was chasing her, quite a turnaround from
Mr. Boynton's shy indifference.

Our Miss Brooks had originated on CBS radio in 1948, and was heard on both radio and TV throughout the mid 1950s with essentially the same cast.

TOPPER
1953 - 1955

Purchasing a home at 101 Maple Drive in New York City, Cosmo Topper, the henpecked bank vice president inherits three ghosts: George and Marian Kirby, its previous owners, who were killed while skiing in Switzerland, and a liquor-consuming Saint Bernard dog
named Neil, who was also a victim of the avalanche.  Topper's attempts to cope with the situations that result as three ghosts, who appear and only talk to him, interfere in his personal and business life.  George and Marion developed quite an affection for the very proper Mr. Topper, but felt that he needed to be a little less stuffy. They did everything in their powers, and those powers were considerable, to help Cosmo loosen up. Life in the Topper household was very chaotic.

Reruns of Topper showed up on ABC October 1955 through March 1956, and on NBC June 1956 through October 1956. These characters were also seen later in a series of movies.
 

The Phil Silvers Show,  a.k.a. You'll Never Get Rich,  a.k.a. Sgt. Bilko
1955 - 1959

Mythical Fort Baxter, Roseville, Kansas, was the setting for this outrageous satire on military life.  Master Sergeant Earnie Bilko, Company B, 24th Division, in charge of the motor pool, was the biggest con man on the post. With little to do in the wilds of Middle America, Bilko spent most of his time gambling, conjuring up assorted money-making
schemes, and out-maneuvering his immediate superior, Colonel Hall. Loud, brash, and highly resourceful, Earnie could talk his way out of almost any situation. His attitude and approach filtered down to most of the members of his platoon, and collectively they ran
roughshod over the rest of the men stationed at Fort Baxter. WAC Joan Hogan, who worked in the base's office, was Bilko's mild romantic interest.

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
1959 - 1963

Dwayne Hickman starred as the title character - Dobie Gillis ("That's Dobie with a 'b'"), perpetual daydreamer with a lust for life and the beautiful girls who ignored him.

Bob Denver, played his best friend, beatnick Maynard G. Krebs ("Work?!?"), an obvious prototype of today's teenage slacker.

Warren Beatty ('Bugsy', 'Ishtar') was a regular on the first few episodes, playing rich kid Milton Armitage. Steve Franken slipped into the role of spoiled schoolboy Chatsworth Osborne, Jr. from 1960-63, bringing to life one of the most memorable TV characters of all time. Doris Packer played his socially obsessed mother. Dobie's parents Herbert and Winnie Gillis were played by Frank Faylen and Florida Friebus.

Sheila James played Zelda Gilroy, the girl who could only get Dobie's attention by wrinkling her nose at him.

During the run of the series, Dobie and gang started out in High School, got drafted into the army (briefly), then headed to college where they got the same teacher they had in high school - played by William Schallert.

In September, 1963, 'The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis' left the air after a four year run.

Car 54 Where Are You?
1961 - 1963

Car 54 was the first comedy television show about cops. It was filmed on location in New York City. The show's interior scenes were filmed at the old biograph studios in the Bronx.

Officers Toody and Muldoon were among the most unlikely patrol-car partners ever seen on a police force. Toody was short, stocky, friendly, and just a bit nosy, a marked contrast to the tall, quiet Muldoon. Although they were assigned to New York's 53rd precinct--a run down area in the Bronx not generally considered a hotbed of hilarity--they always seemed to encounter more comedy than crime.

The Joey Bishop Show
1961 - 1965

Joey Barnes is the host of a TV talk show originating in New York. Each episode
dealt with events in his personal and professional life as a celebrity. Many guest
stars appeared on the series playing themselves as guests of Joey's talk show.

Format One (1961-1962):
A Spin-off from the Danny Thomas Show, Bishop played Joey Barnes, a Hollywood PR man who had nothing but troubles working with the ad agency of Wellington,
Willoughby and Jones. Joey, was a softhearted, nice guy who had tried to build up his importance in the eyes of his family. Unfortunately, the members of his family often tried to take advantage of Joey's nonexistent influence with the big names of show business, and Joey spent much of his time in hot water while trying to help out his family. The program seemed to have too many characters, and by the middle of the first season, four of them were gone; Joey's older sister Betty; her husband Frank, an unsuccessful salesman; Mr. Willoughby's Secretary, Barbara; and Willoughby himself. Joey's mother, stage-struck sister Stella, and kid brother Larry remained to the end of the first season.

Format Two (1962-1965):
Joey Barnes was now the host of a talk program that originated from New York. Stories revolved around his personal and professional life as a TV celebrity, and many guest stars appeared, playing themselves. Joey was now married to a Texas girl named Ellie, had a manager named Freddie, and lived in a fancy Manhattan apartment.  In 1963 Ellie gave birth to a baby boy, who was later seen on the show, played by Abby Dalton's real-life infant son. Dr. Sam Nolan, a pediatrician neighbor, was added to the cast in 1964.
 

Mister Ed
1961 - 1966

Settling into their first home, newlyweds Wilbur Post, an architect, and his wife Carol, discover a horse in the barn. Meeting Roger Addison, a neighbor, they discover
that the horse is theirs, left to them by the previous owner. Unable to part with the animal, Wilber persuades Carol to let him keep it. Shortly after, while brushing the horse (named Mister. Ed), Wilbur discovers that he possesses the ability to talk, and because Wilbur is the only person he likes well enough to talk to, he will speak only to him. Stories depict the misadventures that befall Wilbur as he struggles to conceal the fact that he owns a talking horse.

Whenever mischievous Ed used the telephone or got out of his stable you  could be sure that hilarious drama would never be far away! Ed, you see, was not content with just being a horse. He wanted to do everything  that humans could. So he flew an airplane, gave a birthday party, drove a delivery truck, met celebrities and even rode a surfboard.

My Favorite Martian
1963 - 1966

On the way to cover an assignment for his paper, The Los Angeles Sun, reporter Tim O'Hara stumbled upon a Martian whose one-man ship had crashed on Earth.  Tim took the dazed Martian back to his rooming house to help him recuperate, while thinking of the fantastic story he would be able to present to his boss, Mr. Burns, about his find. The Martian, however, looked human, spoke English, and refused to admit to anyone but Tim what he was.  Tim befriended him, passed him off as his uncle, and had many interesting adventures with the stranded alien. Uncle Martin had little retractable antennae, could make himself invisible, was telepathic, could move objects just by
pointing at them, and had a vast storehouse of advanced technological knowledge. While he was trying to fix his ship he stayed with Tim in Mrs. Brown's rooming house.
 

My Living Doll
1964-1965

"My Living Doll" starring Bob Cummings, was one of the craziest premises ever - bizarre even for the Sixties. Bob Cummings plays a Psychiatrist (Dr. Bob McDonald) who has a live-in robot/patient played by Julie Newmar.

Robot AF 709 is paired with Dr. Bob to learn how to be the perfect woman. This meant learning to cook, clean and be obedient. "My Living Doll' ran in the 64-65 season on CBS, Sunday nights at nine.

The two co-stars hated each other and fought often - leading to Cummings walking
off the set and off the show with five episodes left to film.

Gilligan's Island
1964 - 1967

The small charter boat Minnow had been on a sight-seeing party when it was caught
in a storm and wrecked on the shore of an uncharted South Pacific island. Marooned
together on the island were: the good-natured skipper; a somewhat blustery
millionaire and his vacuous wife; a sexy movie star named Ginger; a high-school
science teacher known as The Professor; a sweet, naive country girl named Mary Ann;
and Gilligan. Gilligan was the boat's sole crew member, aside from the skipper. He
was well-meaning but inept in his attempts to find a means of returning to
civilization. As a result, and perhaps even more because this simple-minded farce
became a top hit, the little band was stranded on that island for three full
seasons.

One question that never got answered, however, concerned the luggage. In
the first episode, and in the theme song, it was pointed out that the cruise was
only supposed to be for three hours. How, then, did the passengers have enough
clothing to last three years?

Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
1964 - 1969

Shazaam! It's Gomer Pyle! Gomer Pyle, USMC was a spin-off of the popular Andy
Griffith Show, starring Jim Nabors and Frank Sutton.  Stationed at Camp Henderson in California, pie-eyed Gomer finds himself in hot water with his drill instructor, Sergeant Vince Carter. Carter is a tough-as-nails leather-neck who wants nothing more than to sculpt Pyle into a model Marine. Gomer's back-woods naiveté stifles his learning, much to the chagrin of his Sergeant. Essentially a good man, high-strung Sergeant Carter is perpetually on the verge of a nervous breakdown. He's a tough D.I. on the surface, and can handle almost everything...except Pvt. Pyle.

Corporal Boyle, Frankie Lombardi, Private Hummel, Sgt. Hacker and Private (later promoted to corporal and pictured below) Slater are among Gomer's closest platoon mates. Most of them are city slickers, though they learn a thing or two from Gomer's quirky blend of country wisdom. They're a group of regular guys, and each and every one of them benefits from Gomer Pyle's huge heart, even if they are occasionally
befuddled by his bumpkinish ways.

F TROOP
1965 - 1967

The stars of this military farce were the gallant incompetents of F Troop at Fort Courage, somewhere west of the Missouri, in post-Civil War days. The CO was the wide-eyed, bumbling Captain Parmenter, who had been promoted from private during the closing
days of the war when he accidentally led a charge in the wrong direction, toward the enemy. Unbeknownst to the captain, Sgt. O'Rourke had already negotiated a secret, and highly profitable treaty with the Hekawi Indians, from whom he also had an exclusive franchise to sell their souvenirs to tourists. There was no peace treaty with the Shugs, however, and they sometimes caused trouble. Cpl. Agarn was O'Rourke's chief aid and assistant schemer, and Wrangler Jane the hard-riding, fast-shooting cowgirl who was out to marry Parmenter.

Hogan's Heroes
1965 - 1971

Stalag 13, a German prisoner-of-war camp officially run by the naive and inept Colonel Wilhelm Klink and his obese, bumbling assistant, Sergeant Hans Schultz. Unofficially,
events and camp life are manipulated by Colonel Robert Hogan, U.S. Army Corps, senior officer in camp. Assisted by inmates LeBeau, Newkirk, Carter, Kinchloe, and Baker.
Hogan, under the code name Papa Bear, conducts vital missions for the allies.  In addition to generally annoying the local Germans, Hogan and his men perform various acts of sabotage, espionage, smuggling, supporting the local resistance, and helping allied airmen escape to England- all while having an uproariously good time!
 

Get Smart
1965-1970

Set in Washington, D.C., the show features Agent 86 (Maxwell Smart), his boss (The Chief), Smart's partner and later wife (Agent 99) and a host of other agents both good and evil. Perhaps one of the most important elements of the show is the gadgetry created to help Smart in his quest to keep the free world free. On this show, anything including the kitchen sink can be a phone, a tape recorder, a camera or weapon. Looking for an Agent? Check under your seat cushion. Want a weapon? Try your finger-gun. Need to make a phone call? Open up that bologna sandwich. The show was painted in the broadest of strokes and played every moment for its own delightful reality.

  Missed it....
  Would you believe....

My Mother The Car
1965 - 1966

Planning to purchase a station wagon, lawyer Dave Crabtree is distracted when he becomes fascinated with a decrepit 1928 Porter. Inspecting it, he hears a feminine voice call his name. Finding that the voice emerges from the radio, he discovers that the car is
his mother, the late Abigail Crabtree, reincarnated.

Purchasing her, he returns home and encounters the objections of his family, who want a station wagon.  Hoping to change their minds, the car is overhauled in a custom body shop, and the exquisite Touring Mobile, license plate PZR 317, is still rejected by his family.

Concealing the fact of reincarnation, Dave struggles to defend his mother against a family who eagerly await a station wagon; and, from the devious attempts of Captain Bernard Mancini, an antique car collector who is determined to add the Porter to his collection.

 

The Smothers Brothers Show
1965 - 1966

Drowned at sea many years ago, Tom Smothers returns to Earth as an apprentice angel and takes up residence in the bachelor apartment of his brother, Dick. Inept, and ordered to assist people in distress, Tom, reluctantly assisted by Dick, struggles to complete
his assignments and acquire the status needed to become a full-fledged angel. Dick was a rising young executive at Pandora Publications, working for the publisher Leonard J. Costello.

The Monkees
1966-1968

The Monkees  is a sitcom about four-members of a rock-band who share a house. Each week they have adventures which may involve werewolves or pirates, or whatever. The Monkees' recordings were successful in real-life, with #1 hits including "Last Train to Clarksville" and "I'm a Believer." The members of the band are Micky Dolenz, Davy Jones, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith.

That Girl
1966 - 1971

Talented, young, and beautiful, and hoping to make a career as an actress, Ann Marie leaves her home in Brewster, New York and moves to Manhattan, where she acquires Apartment 4-D at 344 West 78th Street. Stories tenderly depict her world of joys
and sorrows as she struggles to further a dream, supporting herself by taking various part-time jobs, cope with parents who don't understand her, and share the interests of her boyfriend, Don Hollinger, a reporter for Newsview magazine.