1950s popular and long running shows which have disappered from the air

The Amos 'n Andy Show

#13 in 1951-52 Nielsens

 

You know, I think shows like Father Knows Best, Donna Reed, and all those domestic sitcoms were good for their time, but they don't hold up well. I saw them enough in the 1960s and early 1970s... I'm good without having to see them again. I'd say the same thing about 90% of the comedy/variety shows of that era, too. There were a ton of very popular shows that have zero rerun potential today.

We were told by Universal's syndication department back in the 1980s that they wound up with the rights to all the Dragnets (new and old), but due to a clerical error the 1950s episodes fell into the public domain, so they're not anxious to remaster them. Also, they feel they're extremely dated and won't work with any kind of modern audience. Hell, even the late 1960s/1970s Dragnets and Adam 12s aren't exactly hip and happening today.

 

I'd have to revisit my history, but I seem to remember reading that a lot of the original B&W episodes of "Dragnet" are presumed lost? Again, I may have that totally wrong, but it seems I've read that before, possibly even here on these forums.

I own a couple of DVDs of the (public domain) B&W "Dragnet" episodes, but they're all I know of featuring the older episodes. There may be a couple more compilations out there, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're just the same episodes repackaged and released by other companies.

Before his death, I wonder if Jack Webb had any cares about if only the color episodes were ever seen again? I believe his company produced all of the episodes thru the years-You'd think he would have wanted the older episodes syndicated as well, although maybe even he seen the color ones as the only ones that's be profitable in syndication?

 

There's absolutely no way that show would ever be shown nowadays. Despite it being a big hit "then", it wouldn't fly today.

Maybe there's some fantasy alternate universe where "Amos 'n Andy" runs multiple times a day between airings of the movie "Song of the South", but it ain't gonna happen in USA in 2020.

 

A decade ago when one of my co-workers brought “Jet” magazine to work, I looked some issues. A number of them had gray-market advertisements for DVDs of “Amos and Andy” saying it showed Blacks in responsible jobs such as business owners, scientists, etc.

 

I've seen a few B&W Dragnets. I can assure you they are far less dated than the color version.

 

I disagree due to Redd Foxx and Marla Gibbs disagreeing with CBS' decision to cancel the show. As fellow acclaimed artists, Foxx and Gibbs were better judges of the merits of the show than corporate executives looking to avoid controversy.

 

Really? I'm only a few years older than you and watched the last couple of years on ABC, then in syndication after that and it had a long run on Nick at Nite in the 80s.

 

The story supposedly is that Jack Webb had his elements destroyed for Dragnet as well as Pete Kelly's Blues and Noah's Ark, 2 other shows he couldn't do anything with. That doesn't mean that Universal didn't have elements in their vaults, at least for the first 2 shows. The last one may be gone. I've only had one episode in decades of collecting.

 

That may be true but that's what makes the color episodes hysterical. Friday is every hard hat middle aged anti-youth Nixonian from that era.

The 50s shows may not be dated but I find them to be so boring.

 

It's imprinting.

I'm not trying to justify anything, it's all subjective experience. Hank Aaron's 715th HR was a seismic experience. Willie Mays was a very old ballplayer. Mickey Mantle was some retired guy, same as Williams and Musial and the rest. It's all subjective, but if I feel that way, others feel the same way too. Like all of those guys who were 12 years old when that Goonies movie came out.

I can go back and enjoy some of those old shows, but others I don't "get" because the larger cultural context came too early for me. It's just all the past.

 

Naw, the negatives survived. The prints burned up.

Yeah, that's pretty much my take as well. The 1970s Dragnet is entertaining if you take it as a comedic satire. The 1950s show is pretty boring (from my memory).

 

FF to 30:30

 

Nice piece. Nevertheless, I still think My Little Margie is a funny show, although Gale Storm is old for the part of a 21 year old.

 

I didn't grow up in the 50s either (unfortunately). I know its hard to relate to a time and place which isn't as wonderful as the world we live in today.

 

Not long running as it only lasted 2 seasons. Its too bad that the powers that be (CBS), caved into pressure and buried the show in the vaults forever. Easily the equal of I Love Lucy and The Honeymooners as a 50s classic comedy. Thankfully, at last count, all but 4 episodes circulate in collector compiled collections. I got to see 3 of the 4 episodes not in circulation at Library of Congress.

 

I'd be curious to see the "Amos 'n Andy" show myself-I know I said the show wouldn't fly in syndication in 2020 in the USA, and I still stand by that, but that still doesn't mean I'd never want to see what it was like.

 

You can find pretty much the whole series on youtube.

 

Thanks for the tip.

 

I picked up a gray market copy of the Amos n' Andy series a few years ago. Nothing wrong with it that I can see. It's funny in a way like The Beverly Hillbillies or Green Acres. Just a funny look at a group of people in a specific place, time and social era. Every thing doesn't have to be so serious or sacred.

A few more smiles and laughs today wouldn't hurt anybody.

 

While A&A should never have been PCed into oblivion, it is not in the same league as the shows you cite.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "off the air". I've watched classic Dragnet with Leonard Nimoy, etc on Roku recently and I know The Best of Groucho is on Amazon. If you mean broadcast television I get exactly 0 channels over the air so what you say is true.

 

Mnet and ZlivingHD. have this show on the weekend

 

I haven't seen Amos & Andy and I have no need to, but my understanding is that the real problem goes back to the old radio show, in which white voice actors portrayed Amos & Andy, not to mention other characters. It seems that although the TV show featured black actors and was appreciated by some segments of the black community at that time, the distasteful (to put it mildly) way that the radio series was presented rubbed off on the TV series.