Re Bill Cullen: I met him once while touring 30 Rock in the early 70's. He was hosting NBC 's radio Monitor at he time. I waved at him as I passed by the glass and he came out. I introduced myself as a young radio wannabe. He was was very friendly and encouraging. I always liked him on TV and thought he seemed like a great guy. I was not disappointed.
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TV Shows Where Two Characters Have The Same First Name
- Thread starter Markxxx
- Start date
The King Bee said:
In April '64 Bill was hosting "The Price Is Right" on ABC (WLKY in Louisville) and was a panelist on "I've Got A Secret" on CBS (WHAS), so I don't know why he was at the NBC station unless there was a special or something coming up, or perhaps his ties to Jack and Jim (Tom Kennedy) Narz ("You Don't Say!" was on NBC). He did cover some events for "NBC Sports In Action" in '65 and '66 but the next game show he hosted for NBC was "Eye Guess," starting in 1966.
"As The World Turns" had two announcers named Dan:
Dan McCullough (1956-82) and Dan Region (1982-98).
Apparently Region writes a column for his local paper
in Hudson, NY, titled "Region's Road," and I wanted to
use one he wrote on Gettysburg in my class. I needed
his permission to use it, which he granted without reservations,
and also asked me about my job. He's another great guy
(I do wish he'd write something about his reaction to "ATWT"'s
cancellation but maybe he's sore at Procter & Gamble for letting
him go in a budget cut).
Dan McCullough (1956-82) and Dan Region (1982-98).
Apparently Region writes a column for his local paper
in Hudson, NY, titled "Region's Road," and I wanted to
use one he wrote on Gettysburg in my class. I needed
his permission to use it, which he granted without reservations,
and also asked me about my job. He's another great guy
(I do wish he'd write something about his reaction to "ATWT"'s
cancellation but maybe he's sore at Procter & Gamble for letting
him go in a budget cut).
Getting back to the original post regarding two Harry's on "Burns & Allen." Burns & Allen was one of several sitcoms in those days where the star or stars were playing themselves. Maybe I should start a separate thread on that.
In the show, George Burns & Gracie Allen lived next door to another suburban couple, The Mortons. The writers gave them the names Blanche and Harry. I suppose nobody thought about the announcer also being named Harry, as in Harry Von Zell. If you watch early episodes, Von Zell announced the open and close and also did commercials. (One episode that runs on Public Television has Von Zell explaining to us that you can substitute Carnation Condensed Milk, the show's big sponsor, for whipping cream in recipes. When we go back to George, he's finishing a slice of strawberry shortcake using whipped Carnation, commenting on how good it is)
As time went on, Von Zell served not just as the announcer but started getting written into the scripts as a bachelor, who Gracie would often try to set up with potential girlfriends. He'd also get caught reluctantly helping Gracie with some of her silly schemes, creating the comedy of George frequently firing him.
If Blanche was talking with Gracie about her husband, she'd simply call him Harry. If Von Zell walked into the scene, she'd call him "Mr. Von Zell" I guess to make sure viewers didn't get confused.
Gregg
[email protected]
In the show, George Burns & Gracie Allen lived next door to another suburban couple, The Mortons. The writers gave them the names Blanche and Harry. I suppose nobody thought about the announcer also being named Harry, as in Harry Von Zell. If you watch early episodes, Von Zell announced the open and close and also did commercials. (One episode that runs on Public Television has Von Zell explaining to us that you can substitute Carnation Condensed Milk, the show's big sponsor, for whipping cream in recipes. When we go back to George, he's finishing a slice of strawberry shortcake using whipped Carnation, commenting on how good it is)
As time went on, Von Zell served not just as the announcer but started getting written into the scripts as a bachelor, who Gracie would often try to set up with potential girlfriends. He'd also get caught reluctantly helping Gracie with some of her silly schemes, creating the comedy of George frequently firing him.
If Blanche was talking with Gracie about her husband, she'd simply call him Harry. If Von Zell walked into the scene, she'd call him "Mr. Von Zell" I guess to make sure viewers didn't get confused.
Gregg
[email protected]
Harry Von Zell was not Burns and Allen's announcer when the
show began on television in 1950; Bill Goodwin was. Goodwin
left to host the daytime "Bill Goodwin Show" in 1951, at which
point enter Von Zell who, according to Cheryl Blythe and Susan Sackett's
"Say Goodnight Gracie," had been Burns and Allen's announcer at
one point on radio, even though Goodwin had apparently had that
job the longest. So the two Harrys could be said to be a coincidence.
Those early shows with Goodwin may be on DVD; the syndicated
rerun package always started with Fred Clark as Harry Morton (1952-53);
Larry Keating replaced him in 1953. By that time, of course, Von Zell
was well-established as the show's announcer and a character (himself)
as well.
show began on television in 1950; Bill Goodwin was. Goodwin
left to host the daytime "Bill Goodwin Show" in 1951, at which
point enter Von Zell who, according to Cheryl Blythe and Susan Sackett's
"Say Goodnight Gracie," had been Burns and Allen's announcer at
one point on radio, even though Goodwin had apparently had that
job the longest. So the two Harrys could be said to be a coincidence.
Those early shows with Goodwin may be on DVD; the syndicated
rerun package always started with Fred Clark as Harry Morton (1952-53);
Larry Keating replaced him in 1953. By that time, of course, Von Zell
was well-established as the show's announcer and a character (himself)
as well.
Our local Fox station has that situation with their news. A weekend anchor name Erika, a reporter named Erica, and another reporter named Erik.
A similar situation with their weeknight news. A co-anchor named Stacy, and an entertainment reporter named Stacy.
A similar situation with their weeknight news. A co-anchor named Stacy, and an entertainment reporter named Stacy.
Obtuse1 said:
And one that never got on the air. When "The Flintstones" was being developed,
Fred and Wilma were supposed to have a son, Fred Jr. That idea never got on the
air; instead, when they did have a child it was a girl (Pebbles, as you all know), mainly
because Hanna-Barbera had engaged Ideal Toys to manufacture Pebbles dolls, which
went on sale the same day she was born on the show.
therealjm12 said:
Point of little relevance, but I couldn't help but remember that in the later seasons of "Life Of Riley" Junior always liked to be called "Chet," especially around girls. In fact, it was about the time that Wesley Morgan was billed as "Wes" Morgan. And does anyone recall that he was a lot more serious than his dad?
I'm going to go off-topic a bit and mention a show where two
people had the same last name. On the first telecast of
"What's My Line?" on February 2, 1950, two of the panelists were
named Hoffman: former governor of New Jersey Harold Hoffman, and
New York psychiatrist Dr. Richard Hoffman. Gov. Hoffman lasted all
of two weeks before Arlene Francis became a permanent panelist; he
was later found to have stolen $300,000 from a Perth Amboy bank, something
which didn't come to light until after his death in 1954, when authorities discovered
a letter to his daughter in a safe deposit box in which he confessed to the theft.
Dr. Hoffman lasted three weeks, by which time Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
apparently realized that just because he could, by questioning, get to the heart
of a patient's problem, it didn't mean he could play the show's game. He, too,
got into trouble over some suspected tampering with the will of one of his patients:
the granddaughter of J.P. Morgan. Hal Block replaced him and remained on the show
until Steve Allen, in turn, replaced him in 1953.
people had the same last name. On the first telecast of
"What's My Line?" on February 2, 1950, two of the panelists were
named Hoffman: former governor of New Jersey Harold Hoffman, and
New York psychiatrist Dr. Richard Hoffman. Gov. Hoffman lasted all
of two weeks before Arlene Francis became a permanent panelist; he
was later found to have stolen $300,000 from a Perth Amboy bank, something
which didn't come to light until after his death in 1954, when authorities discovered
a letter to his daughter in a safe deposit box in which he confessed to the theft.
Dr. Hoffman lasted three weeks, by which time Mark Goodson and Bill Todman
apparently realized that just because he could, by questioning, get to the heart
of a patient's problem, it didn't mean he could play the show's game. He, too,
got into trouble over some suspected tampering with the will of one of his patients:
the granddaughter of J.P. Morgan. Hal Block replaced him and remained on the show
until Steve Allen, in turn, replaced him in 1953.
...plus, a couple of weeks before the latter died, both Steve Allen and Fred Allen appeared on the What's My Line? panel. Steve Allen took what would have been Fred's position on the panel the Sunday after both Fred Allen died in 1956 and Dorothy Kilgallen died in November 1965. Come to think of it, Steve Allen was on the panel two weeks before Kilgallen died, too (that was a Halloween night broadcast and Allen cracked a joke about Kilgallen's son trick-or-treating from a limousine)...
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