NETWORK RADIO SHOWS OF THE 40's THAT MOVED ON TO TV

[gregg75]

I think I accidentally erased the old post. Thanks for the link to jjonz.us
Here is the evening radio log for NYC on 9-14-1948, but only for the
networks of WNBC and WCBS 8PM to Midnight
(most other stations have only news, music or sports).

8:00
WNBC Mel Torme Show
WCBS Mystery Theatre
8:30
WNBC Carmen Cavaliaro Orchestra
WCBS Play "Mr. & Mrs. North"
9:00
WNBC Bob Hope (premiere) guest Doris Day
WCBS We The People
9:30
WNBC Play "Call The Police"
WCBS Hit The Jackpot (quiz show)
10:00
WNBC Big Town (sketch show)
WCBS Play "Cabin B-13"
10:30
WNBC People Are Funny (with Art Linkletter)
WCBS Jack Fina Orchestra
11:00
WNBC News
WCBS News
11:15
WNBC Morten Downey, tenor (is this who I think it is)
WCBS Dell Trio
11:30
WNBC Jack Fina Orchestra (Wow the orchestra must have been popular.
I guess they took a 30 minute break at 11 and then returned?? Was this
the NBC orchestra or just another one?)
WCBS Galen Drake Starlight Salute

Looking at this, I take it Tuedsay nights were not big radio nights. I can also see
where TV of the time might find some "weak" spots ripe for the taking.

 

[Cincinnati Kid]

WNBC Morten Downey, tenor (is this who I think it is)

This is the father of the guy who went on to have the crazy TV show. Actually, Morten Downey, Jr. was on radio here in Cincinnati many years before going into television. In 1964, he got publicity by spending many hours on a ferris wheel at a local amusement park. Later on, he used the name of "Dr. D." while playing records of The Beatles complete with recorded screaming all during the program.

 

[gregg75]

Make that a Wednesday night instead of a Tuesday.

 

[Tim L]

Make that a Wednesday night instead of a Tuesday.

Thanks for the clarifcation..There is no way Fibber McGee and Molly would not have been on Tuesday night at 9:30 on WNBC,,

 

[MattParker]

At this point in time wasn't NBC's New York station WEAF and CBS' WABC?

 

[Bob1370]

"At this point in time wasn't NBC's New York station WEAF and CBS' WABC?"

On November 2, 1946, NBC's NYC flagship on 660 changed its callsign from WEAF to WNBC. The same day, CBS' flagship station on 880 dumped the WABC call letters and became WCBS, and its TV flagship changed calls from WCBW to WCBS-TV.

ABC didn't change its key stations' callsigns from WJZ (its original 1921 call) and WJZ-TV (which it signed on with in August of 1948) to WABC and WABC-TV until March 1, 1953.

 

[bpatrick]

I wonder if ABC took so long so as not to create
confusion with DuMont's WABD (now WNYW)?

BTW, for a complete list of primetime radio shows
that moved to television, you can look in Brooks and
Marsh's "Complete Directory to Prime Time Network
and Cable TV Shows." However, it won't do you
any good if you're looking for daytime shows that
moved, such as "Guiding Light," "Queen For A Day,"
or "Arthur Godfrey Time."

 

[MattParker]

I wonder if ABC took so long so as not to create
confusion with DuMont's WABD (now WNYW)?

BTW, for a complete list of primetime radio shows
that moved to television, you can look in Brooks and
Marsh's "Complete Directory to Prime Time Network
and Cable TV Shows." However, it won't do you
any good if you're looking for daytime shows that
moved, such as "Guiding Light," "Queen For A Day,"
or "Arthur Godfrey Time."

WJZ was an established local "brand" in New York - more established than ABC at the time. Stations, even O&Os, relied less on network affiliation for the public identity than they do now. And WJZ in the previous decade had gone through "NBC," and "Blue" and finally "ABC" (hardly the consistency needed for building a strong brand identity and awareness).

Many shows did not "move on" to TV. Some did like Burns & Allen. George Burns dropped the radio show and completely re-tooled the format for TV (it was a comedy-variety radio show and became a sitcom about a couple who do a TV show). Some shows continued on both radio and TV as simulcasts (You Bet Your Life to 1957), separate productions with the same cast (Dragnet to 1957) or separate productions with a different cast (Gunsmoke to 1962). Godfrey's 90 minute morning show had one hour simulcast and an additional 30 minutes on radio only until 1959 and continued as a 50 minute radio only show to 1972. Some shows tried TV briefly and stayed with radio (Don McNeil's Breakfast Club to 1968). A few even started on TV and "moved on" to radio (Have Gun Will Travel). A few shows were staples of early radio but had been cancelled before TV came along and got a second life on TV (The Goldbergs and Eddie Cantor).

One of radio's biggest hits did not really try television: Fibber McGee and Molly. Jim and Marian Jordon had made several movies as Fibber and Molly and their show remained popular in the 50s, so they could have done TV. Possibly Marian's health was a factor. An attempt was made to "adapt" the show with a new cast and writers in 1959 but it fizzled. Producer George W. Trendle brought his radio Lone Ranger and Challenge of the Yukon (Sgt. Preston) to TV but not his third show, the dark and gritty Green Hornet. The producers of Batman brought the rights in the 60s and tried to go camp with it and that also failed. Lesson: Can't stray too far from the original (I hope the producers of the new Hawaii Five-O remember that).

 

[Tim L]

The Internet Archive has several episodes of the failed Fibber McGee and Molly TV Show in their collection..Bob Sweeney was Fibber and Cathy Lewis was Molly..Several reasons that it failed:They made it too much like a bland sitcom which, on its own, might have lasted 2-3 years..But in comparison to the radio show, it's just a pale imitation..They tried to recreate the "Teeny" Character done by Marian Jordan in the radio show by having a little girl (Barbara Beaird) play her..She came off as smart-aleck little girl without the nuances Marian gave her in radio..Some other casting mistakes-Addison Richards as Doc Gamble and Harold Peary as Mayor LaTrivia (Not Gildersleeve) and Gale Gordon should have been LaTrivia..The show only lasted till January 1960..

 

[gregg75]

Thanks for all the interesting tid-bits. I'm not really looking forward to the new Hawaii Five-O, as I wasn't very crazy about the original. The newer version is taking advantage of the old title (which I think is a cop out). Why not just name the show Hawaiian Justice or something similar and create your own brand, instead of using what is already there/done for a springboard?

All the hype, I'm sure it will be called a smashing success for a few weeks. Then by April when 40% of the audience has gotten tired and left, the real reviews will be written.

 

[bpatrick]

Something I didn't know about the new "Hawaii Five-O"
until I read about it in Parade yesterday: the new Steve
McGarrett is the son of the original. Yet, with the exception
of a new female member of the team, the Five-O team still
includes Danno and Chin Ho. Make any sense?

 

[rwells2265]

The Internet Archive has several episodes of the failed Fibber McGee and Molly TV Show in their collection..Bob Sweeney was Fibber and Cathy Lewis was Molly..Several reasons that it failed:They made it too much like a bland sitcom which, on its own, might have lasted 2-3 years..But in comparison to the radio show, it's just a pale imitation..

Another factor, I'm sure, was one of the biggest running gags of radio's golden age: the closet door.

I'm sure the TV version could never measure up. Two reasons: over the years, radio audiences created their own "visuals" of the avalanche whenever that door got opened .... plus, the radio show's sound effects crew had loads of fun milking that closet. A little difficult to pull off on television.

--Russell

 

[MattParker]

The Internet Archive has several episodes of the failed Fibber McGee and Molly TV Show in their collection..Bob Sweeney was Fibber and Cathy Lewis was Molly..Several reasons that it failed:They made it too much like a bland sitcom which, on its own, might have lasted 2-3 years..But in comparison to the radio show, it's just a pale imitation..

Another factor, I'm sure, was one of the biggest running gags of radio's golden age: the closet door.

I'm sure the TV version could never measure up. Two reasons: over the years, radio audiences created their own "visuals" of the avalanche whenever that door got opened .... plus, the radio show's sound effects crew had loads of fun milking that closet. A little difficult to pull off on television.

--Russell

In the movies, they just kept the closet door off camera.

 

[Limp73]

I don't mind the "new Hawaii Five-O" comments but let's stay on topic.

Though I was born in the 50s I used to listen to some old time radio in the late 70s when programs were put on LP for local libraries.

Here's what I've discovered about radio program cross-overs into old school TV:

Fibber McGee and Molly- later aired in weekday reruns in the late 50s on NBC-TV

The Jack Benny Program-originated on NBC before moving to CBS and eventually TV (originally titled "The Lucky Strike Program)

The Burns and Allen Show -same (originally titled "Maxwell House Coffee Time")

Amos n' Andy- same (As a kid in the early 60s I watched the weekday reruns of the TV series,they were funny but as a kid I was still unaware of the racial stereotypes that were portrayed,even by black actors.)

People Are Funny-Art Linkletter's breakthrough success on NBC which spawned a movie of the same name before making its debut on NBC-TV

You Bet Your Life-Groucho Marx's quiz show started on ABC Radio before moving to CBS and then it's debut on NBC-TV.

Meet The Press-It's been debated that Mutual first aired this when it premiered on radio before it moved to NBC-TV.

The Great Gildersleeve-According to Wikipedia,the TV version also suffered (as did F.McG & M )since Harold Peary was absent from the series. Gildy was portrayed on TV by Willard Waterman. Peary however was later known better in the 60s and 70s for doing TV commercials for Faygo Soda ...and he still used his familiar "gildy laugh."

 

[trusty]

I think I accidentally erased the old post. Thanks for the link to jjonz.us
Here is the evening radio log for NYC on 9-14-1948, but only for the
networks of WNBC and WCBS 8PM to Midnight
(most other stations have only news, music or sports).

8:00
WNBC Mel Torme Show
WCBS Mystery Theatre
8:30
WNBC Carmen Cavaliaro Orchestra
WCBS Play "Mr. & Mrs. North"
9:00
WNBC Bob Hope (premiere) guest Doris Day
WCBS We The People
9:30
WNBC Play "Call The Police"
WCBS Hit The Jackpot (quiz show)
10:00
WNBC Big Town (sketch show)
WCBS Play "Cabin B-13"
10:30
WNBC People Are Funny (with Art Linkletter)
WCBS Jack Fina Orchestra
11:00
WNBC News
WCBS News
11:15
WNBC Morten Downey, tenor (is this who I think it is)
WCBS Dell Trio
11:30
WNBC Jack Fina Orchestra (Wow the orchestra must have been popular.
I guess they took a 30 minute break at 11 and then returned?? Was this
the NBC orchestra or just another one?)
WCBS Galen Drake Starlight Salute

Looking at this, I take it Tuedsay nights were not big radio nights. I can also see
where TV of the time might find some "weak" spots ripe for the taking.

Maybe the Jack Fina Orchestra was not taking a break, but traveling from one station to another; you have them listed at 10:30 on WCBS and 11:30 on WNBC. (Also, I guess they were not the NBC Orchestra. )

Is this a typo, or straight from the listing?

 

[gregg75]

GOOD EYESIGHT. It's either a typo (mine or the listing) OR they did travel from CBS to NBC. I'm thinking probably the later. Maybe talent was shared back then. I'd think the two studios would not be that far from each other.

 

[mjlarochelle]

This was also the case with CBC in Canada - Hockey Night in Canada was one such example, being on radio and then on television. A radio version remained on CBC Radio into the 1970s.

 

[Ultimajock]

GOOD EYESIGHT. It's either a typo (mine or the listing) OR they did travel from CBS to NBC. I'm thinking probably the later. Maybe talent was shared back then. I'd think the two studios would not be that far from each other.

...if the shows were originating from Hollywood, that would be accurate. After Jack Benny moved to CBS, his bandleader, Phil Harris, had to run across the parking lot after every Benny broadcast in order to make it in time for his own show (with wife Alice Faye) on NBC...

 

[MattParker]

GOOD EYESIGHT. It's either a typo (mine or the listing) OR they did travel from CBS to NBC. I'm thinking probably the later. Maybe talent was shared back then. I'd think the two studios would not be that far from each other.

...if the shows were originating from Hollywood, that would be accurate. After Jack Benny moved to CBS, his bandleader, Phil Harris, had to run across the parking lot after every Benny broadcast in order to make it in time for his own show (with wife Alice Faye) on NBC...

Benny generously kept Harris' participation in the show confined to the first 15 minutes or so, so Harris could cut out the back of Columbia Square (Sunset between Gower and El Centro) and through a parking lot to reach NBC at Sunset and Vine (about two blocks away). While Harris played Benny's band leader and did have his own band, the actual band director on the show was Mahlon Merrick. Harris made only one appearance on Benny's TV show as a guest in 1958. In a cost-cutting move, the Benny program replaced Phil Harris with Bob Crosby as "band leader" in the fall of 1952. Crosby stayed for the remainder of the radio show's production (four years) and made 11 appearances on the TV show during this period.