Tell It to the Marines | |
---|---|
Genre | Sitcom |
Created by | Ted Willis |
Written by | Eric Paice Malcolm A Hulke Dick Vosburgh Brad Ashton |
Starring | Alan White Ronald Hines Ian MacNaughton Jack Allen Henry McGee |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
No. of series | 1 |
No. of episodes | 30 |
Production | |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Production company | Associated-Rediffusion |
Original release | |
Network | ITV |
Release | 23 September 1959 – 13 April 1960 |
Tell It to the Marines is a British television sitcom that aired on ITV from 1959 to 1960. The series was based on the rivalry between the Marines and the Royal Navy. The series no longer exists.
Jack Hylton, who had an exclusive contract to provide Associated-Rediffusion's entertainment programmes, was keen to mirror the success of Granada's sitcom The Army Game . Tell It to the Marines was created by Ted Willis, who had created the police drama Dixon of Dock Green , and the theme music by jazz musician Chris Barber. The series was not a success. [1] Of the 30 episodes, Milo Lewis directed 29 and Tig Roe one. [1]
The series is based on the rivalry at both officer and lower ranks level between the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines when the latter are billeted with the former. [1] [2]
Tell It to the Marines aired every week from September 1959 to April 1960 on Wednesdays, mostly at 7.00pm. [1] Due to the archival policies of the time, all 30 episodes have been wiped and none are known to survive. [3]
A British sitcom or a Britcom is a situational comedy programme produced for British television.
George Robert Newhart was an American comedian and actor. He was known for his deadpan and stammering delivery style. Beginning as a stand-up comedian, he transitioned his career to acting in television. He received numerous accolades, including three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor in 2002.
Walter William "Max" Bygraves was an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs. He made twenty Royal Variety Performance appearances and presented numerous programmes, including Family Fortunes between 1983 and 1985. His catchphrase "I wanna tell you a story" became an integral part of his act, although it had originated with comedian Mike Yarwood impersonating Bygraves.
JAG is an American legal drama television series with a U.S. Navy theme, created by Donald P. Bellisario, and produced by Belisarius Productions in association with Paramount Network Television. The series originally aired on NBC for one season from September 23, 1995, to May 22, 1996, and then on CBS for an additional nine seasons from January 3, 1997, to April 29, 2005. The first season was co-produced with NBC Productions and was originally perceived as a Top Gun meets A Few Good Men hybrid series.
Will & Grace is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman, a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler, a straight interior designer. The show was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998, to May 18, 2006, for a total of eight seasons, and returned to NBC on September 28, 2017, and permanently ended on April 23, 2020. Will & Grace has been one of the most successful television series with gay principal characters.
The Navy Lark is a radio sitcom about life aboard a British Royal Navy frigate named HMS Troutbridge based in HMNB Portsmouth. In series 1 and 2, the ship and crew were stationed offshore at an unnamed location known simply as "The Island". In series 2 this island was revealed to be owned by Lt. Cdr. Stanton.
Bat Masterson is an American Western television series which was a fictionalized account of the life of real-life marshal, gambler, and journalist Bat Masterson. The title character was played by Gene Barry, and the half-hour black-and-white series ran on NBC from 1958 to 1961. The show was produced by Ziv Television Productions. "Bat" is a nickname for Masterson's first name, Bartholemew, although in both the 1958 pilot "Double Showdown" and 1961 episode "No Amnesty For Death", he says his name is William Barkley Masterson.
Frank Thornton Ball, professionally known as Frank Thornton, was an English actor. He was best known for playing Captain Peacock in the TV sitcom Are You Being Served? and its sequel Grace & Favour and as Herbert "Truly" Truelove in TV sitcom Last of the Summer Wine.
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the American college football series among the teams of the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
Jay Novello was an American radio, film, and television character actor.
The Army Game is a British television sitcom that aired on ITV from 19 June 1957 to 20 June 1961. It was the first ITV sitcom and was made by Granada, and created by Sid Colin. It follows the exploits of Hut 29, a dysfunctional group of soldiers and their National Service conscription into the British Army during the post war years.
Edward Ian MacNaughton was a Scottish actor, television producer and director, best known for his work with the Monty Python team.
Warship is a British television drama series produced by the BBC and broadcast between 1973 and 1977. The series was set contemporaneously and depicted life on board the fictitious Royal Navy frigate HMS Hero. Four series were produced with 45 episodes made in total.
Making Waves is a British television drama series produced by Carlton Television for ITV. It was created by Ted Childs and chronicles the professional and personal lives of the crew of the Royal Navy frigate HMS Suffolk. The series remained in development hell for several years and was first broadcast on 7 July 2004. However, due to low ratings it was removed from the schedules after only three episodes, the remainder of the series going unaired on television in the United Kingdom.
Brian Horace Clemens was an English screenwriter and television producer. He worked on the British TV series The Avengers and created The New Avengers and The Professionals.
David Freeman was a British film and television writer, working chiefly in comedy.
The Ann Sothern Show is an American sitcom starring Ann Sothern that aired on CBS for three seasons from October 6, 1958, to March 30, 1961. Created by Bob Schiller and Bob Weiskopf, the series was the second starring vehicle for Sothern, who had previously starred in Private Secretary, which also aired on CBS from 1953 to 1957.
"Tell it to the Marines" is an English-language idiom, originally with reference to Britain's Royal Marines, connoting that the person addressed is not to be believed. The phrase is an anapodoton – the full phrase is "tell it to the marines because the sailors won't believe you", but only the first clause is usually given, standing for the whole. The idiom depends on its implication that marines, unlike the speaker, will gullibly believe nonsense.
Robert Samuel Carson was an American actor noted for dozens of supporting roles in films and television series during a career that spanned three and a half decades. He was also occasionally billed as Bob Carson or Robert S. Carson.
Rickey William Kelman is a former actor. He had supporting roles in two single-season sitcoms, The Dennis O'Keefe Show (1959-1960) on CBS and Our Man Higgins (1962-1963) on ABC.