The George Jessel Show

Last updated
The George Jessel Show
Written by George Jessel
Sam Carlton
Directed by Edward Nugent
StarringGeorge Jessel
Narrated byEd Michaels
Opening theme"Roses in December"
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes32
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseSeptember 13, 1953 (1953-09-13) –
April 11, 1954 (1954-04-11)

The George Jessel Show is a 30-minute television variety program that was broadcast live from New York. [1] It aired on ABC from September 13, 1953 to April 11, 1954. [2]

Contents

Overview

After having worked as one of several rotating hosts of Four Star Revue on NBC television during the 1952–1953 U.S. television season, comedian George Jessel gained his own program in 1954. The show used a celebrity roast format, with Jessel drawing on his self-proclaimed "Toastmaster General of the United States" status to give provide a humorous treatment of each week's guest. [3] Guests of honor included Margaret O'Brien, [1] Sophie Tucker and Mitzi Gaynor. [4]

The show's sponsors included Ekco Products Company, B.B. Pen Company, and Gemex Watch Band Company. [5]

Cast and crew

The program also featured Hal Sawyer. Manny Manheim was the producer. [2] Jessel and Sam Carlton were the writers. [1]

Production

Although the program was purported to be live and extemporaneous, it was actually scripted and rehearsed. Writers provided material to supplement Jessel's remarks. [3]

In January 1955, the B.B. Pen Company, Inc. sued ABC-Paramount Theaters, Inc., charging breach of contract and fraud with regard to the company's sponsorship of the Jessel program. The suit alleged that some local stations pre-empted the program, diminishing the reach of the pen company's advertising. The $1.5 million suit was filed in Los Angeles Federal Court. [6]

Reception

A review in the November 30, 1953, issue of the trade publication Broadcasting panned The George Jessel Show, calling it "As sad a variety program as has passed before the discerning eye of a tv [sic] camera ..." [7] The reviewer held Jessel himself responsible for "this shabby excuse for entertainment." [7] After complimenting the quality of guest performers and production personnel, the reviewer noted "half-hearted applause at the end of the Jessel show" as an indication of the audience's feelings. [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DuMont Television Network</span> American television network (1942–1956)

The DuMont Television Network was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being first overall in the United States. It was owned by Allen B. DuMont Laboratories, a television equipment and set manufacturer, and began operation on April 13, 1940.

The year 1953 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1953.

Hollywood Screen Test is an American talent show that aired on ABC from 1948 to 1953. This program holds the distinction as the first regularly broadcast television series by the American Broadcasting Company.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KSLA</span> CBS affiliate in Shreveport, Louisiana

KSLA is a television station in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States, affiliated with CBS. It is owned by Gray Television alongside low-power, Class A Telemundo affiliate KTSH-CD. The two stations share studios on Fairfield Avenue and Dashiel Street in central Shreveport; KSLA's transmitter is located near St. Johns Baptist Church Road in rural northern Caddo Parish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wendy Barrie</span> British-American actress (1912–1978)

Wendy Barrie was a British-American film and television actress.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Florence Henderson</span> American actress (1934–2016)

Florence Agnes Henderson was an American actress. With a career spanning six decades, she is best known for her starring role as Carol Brady on the ABC sitcom The Brady Bunch. Henderson also appeared in film, as well as on stage, and hosted several long-running cooking and variety shows over the years. She appeared as a guest on many scripted and unscripted television programs and as a panelist on numerous game shows. She was a contestant on Dancing with the Stars in 2010.

<i>Coke Time with Eddie Fisher</i> American musical variety TV series

Coke Time with Eddie Fisher is an American musical variety television series starring singer Eddie Fisher which was broadcast by NBC on Wednesday and Friday nights from 7:30 to 7:45 p.m. Eastern Time on Wednesdays and Fridays, from April 29, 1953, to February 22, 1957. It was not seen during the summer months.. The opening theme was "May I Sing to You".

<i>The Wendy Barrie Show</i> American TV series or program

The Wendy Barrie Show is an American talk show hosted by Wendy Barrie, which aired from November 10, 1948, to September 27, 1950.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paramount Television Network</span> Former American television network

The Paramount Television Network was a venture by American film corporation Paramount Pictures to organize a television network in the late 1940s. The company built television stations KTLA in Los Angeles and WBKB in Chicago; it also invested $400,000 in the DuMont Television Network, which operated stations WABD in New York City, WTTG in Washington, D.C., and WDTV in Pittsburgh. Escalating disputes between Paramount and DuMont concerning breaches of contract, company control, and network competition erupted regularly between 1940 and 1956, and culminated in the dismantling of the DuMont Network. Television historian Timothy White called the clash between the two companies "one of the most unfortunate and dramatic episodes in the early history of the television industry."

<i>Charlie Wild, Private Detective</i> American TV series or program

Charlie Wild, Private Detective is an American detective series that aired on three of the four major American television networks of the 1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTVQ (Oklahoma City)</span> Defunct TV station in Oklahoma City

KTVQ, UHF analog channel 25, was an ABC-affiliated television station licensed to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, which operated from November 1, 1953, to December 15, 1955. The station was owned by the Republic Television and Radio Company. KTVQ's studios were located on Northwest 19th Street and North Classen Boulevard in northwest Oklahoma City's Mesta Park neighborhood, and its transmitter was located atop the First National Bank Building on North Robinson and Park Avenues in downtown Oklahoma City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres</span> Broadcasting and movie theater company

American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres, Inc. was the post-merger parent company of the American Broadcasting Company and United Paramount Theatres.

Plymouth Playhouse, also known as ABC Album, is a half-hour American television anthology series that aired in 1953 to present "pilot program concepts."

<i>The Bill Goodwin Show</i> American TV variety series (1951–1952)

The Bill Goodwin Show is a variety program that was broadcast on NBC television from September 11, 1951 to March 27, 1952.

A Date with Judy is an American situation comedy television series, two versions of which were broadcast on ABC between 1951 and 1953. A daytime version ran on weekly on Saturdays from June 2, 1951 to February 23, 1952. A primetime version with a different cast ran from July 10, 1952 to September 30, 1953.

<i>ABCs Nightlife</i> American TV talk show

ABC's Nightlife is an American television talk show carried by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) from November 9, 1964, until November 12, 1965. It was an effort by ABC to compete with The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson on NBC.

Hollywood Today is an American television program that was broadcast on NBC from January 3, 1955, until September 23, 1955.

Kathryn Morton Godfrey was an American talk show host on radio and television and sister of entertainer Arthur Godfrey. She was also known professionally as Kathy Morton. Her first name is sometimes seen spelled Katherine.

This Is Show Business is an American variety television program that was broadcast first on CBS and later on NBC beginning July 15, 1949, and ending September 11, 1956. It was CBS-TV's first regular series broadcast live from coast to coast. It was originally titled This Is Broadway.

<i>Dick Powells Zane Grey Theatre</i> American TV series or program

Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre is an American Western anthology television series that was broadcast on CBS from October 5, 1956, until May 18, 1961.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Books, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows : 1946 - Present . New York: Ballantine Books. p.  224. ISBN   0-345-25525-9.
  2. 1 2 McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 322. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  3. 1 2 Hyatt, Wesley (2003). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948–1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. pp. 50–51. ISBN   9781476605159 . Retrieved 4 January 2018.
  4. ↑ "The George Jessel Show". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  5. ↑ "Ekco Products Buys 4 ABC TV Stanzas". Billboard. September 26, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  6. ↑ "B.B. Pen Suit Seeks $1.5 Mil From ABC-Para" (PDF). Billboard. January 29, 1955. p. 5.
  7. 1 2 3 "The George Jessel Show" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 30, 1953. p. 16. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.