"The Honeymooners" Classic 39 One at a Time (Episode-by-Episode Thread)

Apparently Como and Gleason lived close enough to pass each other as they walked to work.

 

In a later lost episode ("Catch a Star"), Kramden and Norton debate the question of who is the true star of "The Jackie Gleason Show" - Gleason or Carney. They ask George Petrie (playing a desk clerk) to break the tie, and he responds "I couldn't say, I watch Perry Como".

 

Earl Wilson ~October 27, 1955 (always ingest Wilson with a grain of salt)

 

This is true but the critics act like Stage Show was a surprise being thrown at them. If you look back at it this was used previously as a summer replacement and would air sometimes as the show for a week or two when Gleason would be off, especially in the 1954-1955 seasons.

Interesting to note when Gleason returned to live TV in 1956 he never regained the lost ratings. In fact he dropped to #29 for the season while Como went to #9. Could it be people tired of Jackie? Maybe. But I think it has more to do with his extended vacations and guest hosts through the season. There was a stretch of several weeks, like maybe 5, he didn't appear. Just a guess on my part ... and certainly Stage Show the season before did not help, either.

 

My (used and cheap) copy arrived today.



Thanks to Benno123 for the heads up! Not sure how this book's existence managed to elude me all these years.

"Bowden" from "Something Fishy" was solved quickly enough - Hal Bowden is in the "thank you"s for the book. He was part of the production staff.

I only read through the introduction and the first 3 of the 39. I got a good laugh out of the unused joke from "Funny Money". When Tommy Doyle's mother is upset about him landing in jail for getting a counterfeit bill from Ralph for taking his suit to the cleaners, Ralph kindly offers her a hundred to pay his bail.

 

The "Treasury" book mentions that CBS's hands were tied regarding the scheduling of the shows. Gleason insisted that his two productions ran back to back, and the sponsors of "Two For the Money" (a quiz show) had a deal with CBS that their show would always air directly after Gleason's show (be it his variety show, or "The Honeymooners"). That meant "The Honeymooners" HAD to follow "Stage Show". Apparently CBS cut some kind of deal with Lorilland Tobacco (the sponsor) to allow them to flip the two Gleason-produced shows mid-season.

 

I think by that point it was too late ratings wise to make up for lost time. I believe the show ran in reruns thru the summer. If not I know some shows like "The Golfer" were aired again. I would wonder how the ratings were summer-wise, though regardless I think the decision had been made based on numerous factors to break the contract and go back to live.

 

Glad you have this, enjoy! The section about the lost episodes is interesting to read knowing what we know now. An updated version has more info but nothing earth-shattering.

 

The Wikipedia entry for the 1955-1956 season suggests that there was no summer replacement for either "Stage Show" or "The Honeymooners".

1955–56 United States network television schedule - Wikipedia

"Stage Show" was a live broadcast, correct? It would be very odd if it ran for 52 live episodes. I guess a summer '56 TV Guide would provide the answer.

We do know that they held back the last 3 fresh "Honeymooners" until September, rather than airing them during the summer.

 

An April, 1956 "Stage Show" broadcast featuring a guest appearance by Audrey Meadows.

 

I haven't read through this whole thread, but I love the show, and the reruns still hold up today, almost 60 years later.

A bit of trivia--do you remember André the decorator, in episode 25, "Pardon My Glove"? Alice wins a free home makeover from a local department store, and after the decorator comes over for a consult, Ralph finds a glove he accidentally left behind. Ralph then accuses Alice of having an affair, and makes a fool of himself.
The actor who played André, Alexander Clark, was, in real life, my friend Nicole's father. Ironically, after a long career on Broadway, this bit part on "The Honeymooners" was his most memorable role.

 

Sifting through online papers revealed this schedule of reruns.

June 9 – The Golfer
June 16 – The Sleepwalker
June 23 – A Happier Life Through TV
June 30 – Brother Ralph

July 7 – Something Fishy
July 14 – A Matter of Record
July 21 – Oh, My Aching Back
July 28 – The $99,000 Answer

August 4 – Young At Heart
August 11 – A Dog’s Life
August 18 – Mama Loves Mambo
August 25 – Please Leave the Premises

September 1 – Head of the House

 

Very cool, thanks for digging those up!

 

Chicago Tribune - July 7, 1956

 

And now Saturday nights are the graveyard of TV.

 

Love The Classic 39, not a clunker in the bunch IMO!

 

COMEDY vs. COMEDY Arbitron top 10 ratings for the show's first few months, from Billboard. November is missing or wasn't printed.

October 1955


December 1955


January 1956

 

Saturday nights in '55-'56 were clearly not the night of limited viewership they became as TV evolved.

No wonder for all the Honeymooners' references to "The $64,000 Question", being it was the #1 show.

 

Just watched this and this line actually made me a little misty!

 

Episode 13- "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"

Aired: 12-24-55



Going all the way back to 1951 on Dumont, Gleason did a special Christmas show. In fact, the '52 and '53 Christmas episodes of "The Jackie Gleason Show" contained slightly-altered remakes of the 1951 script, centered on the Honeymooners but with Gleason coming in and doing his other characters as well. In 1954 Christmas day fell on a Saturday, so Gleason took the night off (although there was a holiday-themed Honeymooners sketch - "Santa and the Bookies" the week before). In '55, Christmas Eve fell on a Saturday, providing a perfect slot for this filmed episode (already in the can since October).

Elements of this script were borrowed from the previous Christmas shows (particularly the Napoleon orange juice squeezer). The plot is also a loose takeoff on "The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry. The episode is notable for Gleason breaking the fourth wall to introduce the cast. WPIX cut this bit when trimming the episodes for re-run, so I didn't get to see it until the middle 80s when the uncut episodes started to air.




Because of this episode, throwing (rather than placing) tinsel on the Christmas tree became a tradition in my family.

I've never asked Jerry Seinfeld personally, but I'd venture a guess that his character might have had an Uncle Leo ("Hello!") because Ralph Kramden had one.

 

Do you know Jerry Seinfeld?!

 

The last part where they broke character was the icing. Wonderfully done.

 

Another fantastic episode. Very heartwarming. I had to look up what "spats" were!

I thought maybe Jackie would introduce them by their real names, but it was a nice Christmas greeting just the same.

 

I've met him, but I sure wouldn't say I "know" him. In our brief chat, Uncle Leo did not come up.

 

Interestingly, Nielsen conducted a (very limited) study of half-hour, evening, network program ratings in January of 1956. In this, comedy was king and shows such as The $64,000 Question ranked 4th in viewer popularity. They based this on average ratings in six program categories, which, of course, might include everything from lowest-rated shows to ratings toppers, like The $64,000 Question.

1. Comedy - 28.7 (average Nielsen rating of 21 half-hour situation comedies)
2. Western Drama - 28.4 (7 westerns)
3. General Drama - 25.8 (23 dramas)
4. Quiz & Audience Participation - 25.1 (18 of these)
5. General Varieties - 22.7 (11 shows)
6. Other - 18.1 (17 other programs that are not included in the first five categories)