Classic Television

June 3rd 1962

What's My Line?

Buddy Hackett joins the panel with Bennett Cerf, Arlene Francis and Dorothy Kilgallen

Mystery guest - Raymond Burr (Perry Mason)

WE LOVE JACK BENNY!

The Jack Benny Program

"Jack is Invited to the Ronald Colemans"

November 4th 1956

Season 7  Episode 4

We Love Jack Benny

"What's My Line?" 

June 5th 1966

first contestant - concert violinist Kubelsky

Panel : Phyllis Newman, Tony Randall, Arlene Francis and Bennett Cerf

What's My Line? - WML's Most Uncomfortable Moments!

What's My Line? - Ella Fitzgerald (January 21st 1962)

What's My Line?

January 21st 1962

mystery guest : Ella Fitzgerald

What's My Line? - Casey Stengel (Apr 15, 1962)

To honor the opening week of the 2016 Major League baseball season

What's My Line?  from April 15th 1962

The mystery guest is Casey Stengel, then the manager of the NY Mets who were an expansion team and had first taken the field on April 11th 1962 against the St. Louis Cardinals.  The scheduled first game was supposed to be April 10th but it was rained out. The Mets finished the 1962 season with a league worst 40-120 and in the history of the major leagues, only the 1899 Cleveland Spiders lost more games in a season with a 20-134 record.   Casey would step down as manager of the Mets in August of 1965 season after he broke his hip falling a bar stool (how ironic).

Bonanza - Season 6 (The Search)

Season 6 (1964-65) of Bonanza on NBC was the first season for this legendary western was the #1 prime time show in the US.   With a 36.3 rating they outdistanced the #2 show "Bewitched" by 5 rating points.

This would be the first of 3 consecutive season as the #1 show in US television.

"The Search"

Season 6 episode 21

aired Sunday February 14th 1965

9-10pm NBC TV

Gunsmoke on Radio and Television

This week's presentation of Gunsmoke on Radio and Television is the episode that was the television version's season 4 premiere.  The 1958-59 television season would be the 2nd of 4 straight seasons that Gunsmoke was the #1 show on prime time network television.

Matt For Murder

July 26th 1954

season 2 episode 46

Matt For Murder

September 13th 1958

Season 3 episode 1

Gunsmoke on Television

Season 3 of Gunsmoke (1957-58) was the first of 4 consecutive seasons that Gunsmoke was the #1 show on network prime time television.  Airing on Saturday nights at 10:30pm on CBS tv, it would have the record for most seasons as #1 until 1975-76 season when "All in the Family" would set the new standard with its 5 consecutive season as the top show on network television.  Oddly enough "Gunsmoke" was the #4 show of the 1971-72 season when "All in the Family" started its record setting run.

Kitty Lost

Season 3 Episode 15

originally aired December 21st 1957

Amanda Blake Interview on The Mike Douglas Show 1974

Classic TV Debut

January 14th 1972

Sanford and Son debuts on NBC and would rank in the top ten every season until the last in 1977.

TV Classics

January 12th 1966 

Batman debuts on ABC television

January 12th 1971

All In The Family debuts on CBS television

Gunsmoke on Radio and Television

Time for this week's double dose of Gunsmoke.  As always its the radio version followed up by the television version of the same episode.
This week we see the basic idea of the radio episode used on tv but the writers (Endre Bohem and Louis Vittes) took the John Meston's original storyline in a different direction and substituted different characters as the protagonist.  The did work in Miss Kitty to be rescued and only the bad guy dies such were the changes beginning on Gunsmoke's tv version.
The radio episode features legendary voice actor Ralph Moody as "Tobiel" the Indian.

Another big thank you to Buck Benny and his tremendous podcast that helps bring you this radio treat every week.  Follow him and hear all the classic radio shows Jack Benny, Fred Allen, Suspense, Phil Harris, Bing Crosby and many more surprises each week. 
 Click here for Buck Benny

Kick Me

originally aired November 28th 1953

Season 2 episode 12

CBS Radio

Kick Me

Originally aired January 26th 1957

Season 2 episode 18

CBS Television