The David Niven Show

Last updated
The David Niven Show
Genre Anthology series
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesAmalfi Films
Four Star Productions
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseApril 7 (1959-04-07) 
July 7, 1959 (1959-07-07)

The David Niven Show is an American half-hour television anthology series that was broadcast from April 7, 1959, through September 15, 1959. [1]

Contents

Premise

This series is an anthology series hosted by David Niven. [2] He acted in one episode. [3]

Episodes

No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"Fortune's Folly" Lewis Allen UnknownApril 7, 1959 (1959-04-07)
Hal's wife wants to divorce him because of his gambling.
2"Lifeline" Robert Florey Alfred BrennerApril 14, 1959 (1959-04-14)
A criminal hides in an amusement park.
3"Backtrack" Lewis Allen Gene Levitt April 21, 1959 (1959-04-21)
A husband and a wife are blackmailed by an ex-mistress.
4"The Promise" Thomas Carr Leonard Freeman May 5, 1959 (1959-05-05)
A family suffers the loss of a child.
5"The Twist of the Key"Don McDougall Hank Moonjean May 12, 1959 (1959-05-12)
A quiet couple becomes involved in a mystery when they have new neighbors.
6"A Day of Small Miracles"Lewis AllenLeonard PraskinsMay 19, 1959 (1959-05-19)
A couple is concerned about the health of their son and gets help from a magician.
7"The Lady from Winnetka"UnknownUnknownMay 26, 1959 (1959-05-26)
A woman finds romance with a suave tour guide on a Mediterranean isle.
8"The Last Room"Lewis AllenFrederick J. LippJune 2, 1959 (1959-06-02)
A police interrogator tries to find information with threats and torture.
9"Maggie Malone"UnknownUnknownJune 9, 1959 (1959-06-09)
The owners of a successful nightclub are threatened by gangsters.
10"Portrait" Thomas Carr Aaron Spelling June 16, 1959 (1959-06-16)
A group of American soldiers in World War II try to find a mystery woman.
11"Sticks and Stones"UnknownUnknownJune 23, 1959 (1959-06-23)
The wife of a professional baseball player starts receiving threatening letters.
12"The Vengeance"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonJune 30, 1959 (1959-06-30)
A judge is stalked by an escaped prisoner.
13"The Good Deed"Thomas CarrJohn RobinsonJuly 7, 1959 (1959-07-07)
A journalist is asked to negotiate on the behalf of a fugitive.

Guest stars

Production

The David Niven Show was produced by Four Star Productions. [7] Vincent Fennelly produced the show, [1] which was broadcast on NBC on Tuesdays from 10 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, [8] replacing The Californians . [9] Don Quinn wrote Niven's introductions to episodes, and Niven helped Fennelly select scripts. [7]

Episodes broadcast July 14, 1959, through September 15, 1959, were reruns. [10]

Niven said that he and the show's sponsor undertook the program with the understanding that it would continue in the fall of 1959. "It was never my intention -- nor that of my sponsor -- to do a summer replacement type of series," he said. [3] After the show began, NBC told them that when the new season arrived the time slot would be used for weekly specials. Niven added, "If we knew this was going to happen before we started, we would not have bothered to begin." [3]

Critical response

A review by Harriet Van Horne in the El Paso Herald-Post used Niven's role on The David Niven Show as an example of established actors on TV who "use the medium a bit contemptuously". [11] She cited his "minute, maybe less" time on screen to introduce a drama and his post-drama return "for as long as it took to point the moral", adding, "I expect most of us would have been even more grateful for a David Niven Show starring David Niven." [11] As for the drama itself, Van Horne wrote that "Fortune's Folly" made her feel "that I've seen it eight or nine times before", and she called it "a cynical little story, despite Mr. Mitchell's excellent performance." [11]

In a review in the Oakland Tribune , Bill Fiset had a different view of that episode, calling the 30-minute drama "the finest in a long time". [12] Fiset wrote that the show "was tightly written and well done, with no tricks or gimmicks." [12]

Home video

In April 2014, 12 of the 13 episodes produced were released in a 2-DVD set by Simply Media in the UK. "Episode 9, "Maggie Malone", is missing.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fay Wray</span> American actress (1907–2004)

Vina Fay Wray was a Canadian-American actress best known for starring as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film King Kong. Through an acting career that spanned nearly six decades, Wray attained international recognition as an actress in horror films. She has been dubbed one of the early "scream queens".

KARE is a television station licensed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, serving as the NBC affiliate for the Twin Cities area. Owned by Tegna Inc., the station maintains studios on Olson Memorial Highway in Golden Valley and a transmitter at the Telefarm site in Shoreview, Minnesota.

<i>Armstrong Circle Theatre</i> American anthology drama television series

Armstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from June 6, 1950, to June 25, 1957, on NBC, and from October 2, 1957, to August 28, 1963, on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour. It finished in the Nielsen ratings at number 19 for the 1950–1951 season and number 24 for 1951–1952. The principal sponsor was Armstrong World Industries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parker Fennelly</span> American actor (1891–1988)

Parker W. Fennelly was an American character actor who appeared in ten films, numerous television episodes and hundreds of radio programs.

<i>Robert Montgomery Presents</i> American TV series or program

Robert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950, until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its eight-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example, Robert Montgomery Presents Your Lucky Strike Theater, ....The Johnson's Wax Program, and so on.

KVUE is a television station in Austin, Texas, United States, affiliated with ABC and owned by Tegna Inc. The station's studios are located on Steck Avenue just east of Loop 1 in northwest Austin, and its transmitter is located on the West Austin Antenna Farm northwest of downtown.

<i>Night Heat</i> Canadian police crime television series

Night Heat is a Canadian police crime drama series that aired on both CTV in Canada and CBS in the United States. Original episodes were broadcast from 1985 to 1989. Night Heat was the first Canadian original drama series that was also aired on a United States television network during its original broadcast. It was also the first original, first-run drama series to be aired during a late night time slot on a television network in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olive Deering</span> American actress

Olive Deering was an American actress of film, television, and stage, active from the late 1940s to the mid-1960s. She was a life member of The Actors Studio, as was her elder brother, Alfred Ryder.

<i>The Thin Man</i> (TV series) U.S. television detective drama series

The Thin Man is a half-hour weekly television series based on the mystery novel The Thin Man (1933) by Dashiell Hammett. The 72 episodes were produced by MGM Television and broadcast by NBC for two seasons from 1957–1959 on Friday evening. It was the first TV series produced by MGM.

<i>NBC Matinee Theater</i> American TV series or program

Matinee Theater is an American anthology series that aired on NBC during the Golden Age of Television, from October 31, 1955, to June 27, 1958. Its name is often seen as Matinee Theatre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Darrow</span> American actress (1931–2018)

Barbara Darrow was an American motion picture and television actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nina Shipman</span> Retired American film and television actress, born 1938

Nina Shipman is a retired American film and television actress. Shipman is a member of the Shipman show business family.

In the Presence of Mine Enemies (<i>Playhouse 90</i>) 16th episode of the 4th season of Playhouse 90

"In the Presence of Mine Enemies" was an American television play broadcast on May 18, 1960. It was the 16th episode of the fourth season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90, and also the final broadcast in the show's four-year run.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Plot to Kill Stalin</span> 1st episode of the 3rd season of Playhouse 90

"The Plot to Kill Stalin" was an American television play broadcast on September 25, 1958, on the CBS television network. It was the first episode of the third season of the anthology television series Playhouse 90. Delbert Mann was the director, and the cast included Melvyn Douglas as Joseph Stalin, Eli Wallach as Stalin's personal secretary, and Oskar Homolka as Nikita Khrushchev. It was nominated for two Sylvania Television Awards: as the outstanding telecast of 1958 and for Douglas as outstanding actor in a television program.

A Town Has Turned to Dust (<i>Playhouse 90</i>) 38th episode of the 2nd season of Playhouse 90

"A Town Has Turned to Dust" is an American television play broadcast live on June 19, 1958, as part of the second season of the CBS television series Playhouse 90. Rod Serling wrote the teleplay, and John Frankenheimer directed. Rod Steiger and William Shatner starred.

No Time at All (<i>Playhouse 90</i>) 23rd episode of the 2nd season of Playhouse 90

"No Time at All" was an American television film broadcast on February 13, 1958, as part of the CBS television series, Playhouse 90. It was the 23rd episode of the second season of Playhouse 90.

"The Turn of the Screw" was an American television movie broadcast by NBC on October 20, 1959, as the third episode of the television series, Ford Startime. It was written by James Costigan as an adaptation of Henry James' novella of the same name. John Frankenheimer was the director and producer.

For Better Or Worse is an American soap opera that aired on CBS from June 29, 1959, to June 24, 1960. The show was atypical for its genre in that episodes were grouped into distinct storylines or "cases", each following a different fictional couple, with the cast changing along with the storyline. The only permanent cast members were the narrator Dr. James A. Peterson and the series host Jim Bannon.

The Ed Wynn Show is a filmed sitcom that aired Thursday evenings on NBC from September 25, 1958 to January 1, 1959. It was the second TV show of the same name for the veteran comedian Ed Wynn, and his third television series overall. The Thalia-Keethwyn production company, of which he and his son Keenan Wynn were part-owners, worked with Screen Gems to make the show.

References

  1. 1 2 McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 202. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. "The David Niven Show". TV Guide. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 Kubasik, Ben (June 1, 1959). "Niven Says TV Network Gave Him a Run-Around". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). New York, Melville. p. 56. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  4. Cain, Ira (June 9, 1959). "Julie London, Scott Brady To Fight Racketeers on 5". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 15. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  5. Torre, Marie (April 7, 1959). "Take Your Choice". The Sentinel. North Carolina, Winston-Salem. p. 15. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  6. Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (July 11, 2015). The Films of Fay Wray. McFarland. p. 176. ISBN   978-1-4766-0415-2 . Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  7. 1 2 Humphrey, Hal (March 30, 1959). "David Niven's Ground Rules for Hosting". Los Angeles Mirror. p. 21. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  8. Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 332. ISBN   978-0-307-48320-1 . Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  9. Danzig, Fred (April 8, 1959). "Not Much to Say for New David Niven Show". Marysville Journal-Tribune. United Press International. p. 11. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Other Network Changes (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. July 13, 1959. p. 61. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  11. 1 2 3 Van Horne, Harriet (April 8, 1959). "Noted Actors Use Medium Of TV Bit Contemptuously". El Paso Herald-Post. p. 16. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 via Newspapers.com.
  12. 1 2 Fiset, Bill (April 16, 1959). "These TV People". Oakland Tribune. p. 39. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 via Newspapers.com.