Early Sitcoms Where The Stars Played Themselves

[anotherguyTN]

Although they were newer shows, I'd guess that Drew Carey and George Lopez could count since they used their own names for their characters, especially since Jerry Seinfeld was mentioned earlier.

 

[cd637299]

I do not know the answer here....

I never saw a full ep of the sitcom "Bette" w/ Bette Midler....Was "Bette Midler" the character's name?

(I seem to recall an episode where she introduced herself to a guy:

"Hi, I'm---"

"I know who you are!"

...which has me thinking she didn't even reveal her FIRST name!)

cd

 

[flashback]

curb your enthusasm with larry david is a newer one.

 

[bpatrick]

Here's a really early one from 1949: "Wren's Nest," with the
husband-and-wife team of Sam Wren and Virginia Sale. It aired
on ABC three times a week (Thursday/Friday/Saturday) from 7:15-
7:30 PM (ET) but lasted just over three months, from January 13
to April 30.

 

[anotherguyTN]

I also just thought of Garry Shandling in It's Garry Shandling's Show.

 

[deltas69]

Been a long time Jim Bacus in I Married Joan..did he play himself in that?? i want to say yes..but a lot of years ago...

 

[cd637299]

Been a long time Jim Bacus in I Married Joan..did he play himself in that?? i want to say yes..but a lot of years ago...

The answer is no:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Married_Joan

cd

 

[radioman148]

Been a long time Jim Bacus in I Married Joan..did he play himself in that?? i want to say yes..but a lot of years ago...

The answer is no:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Married_Joan

cd

It was a funny show though.

 

[nocomradio]

I also just thought of Garry Shandling in It's Garry Shandling's Show.

Good one. I always loved the references to Rob Reiner's "Meathead" complex. ;D

 

[Ultimajock]

Here's a really early one from 1949: "Wren's Nest," with the
husband-and-wife team of Sam Wren and Virginia Sale. It aired
on ABC three times a week (Thursday/Friday/Saturday) from 7:15-
7:30 PM (ET) but lasted just over three months, from January 13
to April 30.

...from around the same time, there was Studs' Place with Studs Terkel, 1949-50 on NBC and 1950-52 on ABC. There was also a 1949-50 DuMont version of the longtime radio staple The Easy Aces with Goodman and Jane Ace as themselves...

 

[KeithE4]

On the Benny show Don Wilson, Dennis Day, Mary Livingstone, and Phil Harris played themselves; only Eddie Anderson (Rochester) did not, a point which may strike some as racist today even though Benny was one of the most racially-tolerant entertainers of his era (I remember his telling a story of his refusing to stay in a hotel in Louisiana that would not allow Anderson to stay there because he was African-American).

Anderson, as Rochester, was a rarity at the time. Not only was he a prominent black radio actor - almost unheard of in that era (usually it was white actors speaking in "black" dialect, like in Amos and Andy) - but he was also a character in a subservient role that was all but subservient. He was allowed to insult Benny as much, if not more, than the other actors. From what I understand, Benny got some hate mail because of that, especially from southerners.

But the reason for hiring Anderson was that the show was broadcast in front of a live audience, and he didn't want to hire a white actor and put minstrel-show blackface (think "Al Jolson") makeup on him. That certainly wouldn't have worked, either live or later on TV. Benny was far more tolerant than most, especially for that time.

Anderson's voice really was that gravelly, BTW, although he exaggerated it for the show.

OTOH, Mel Blanc and Frank Nelson (and, occasionally, Sheldon Leonard) played characters (who can forget Benny's perpetually-exasperated violin teacher, Prof. LeBlanc?), although I seem to remember at least once when Benny referred to Nelson by his last name.

Frank Nelson's character used his own name, when a name was mentioned at all. IIRC, Sheldon Leonard's character was referred to as "The Tout" with no real name.