The Sitcom was created on radio but gathered steam on TV and has become an American institution...Short for Situation Comedy, what makes these shows different from Comedy-Variety shows is the they follow a set of characters and a basic situation week after week into different stories. These characters appealed to audiences and they longed to hear their hilarious weekly trials. Shows like Aldrich Family, The Great Gildersleeve, Amos n' Andy, The Jack Benny Show, Fibber McGee and Molly, Our Miss Brooks, Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show, My Friend Irma, George Burns and Gracie Allen and many, many shows delighted listners for years.
The sitcom of the golden age had some of the biggest comedy stars of the era...Jack Benny, Hal and Marian Jordan, Hal Perry, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice and many more.
One of my all time favorite Sitcom from OTR was Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show....
Jack Benny Program was one of the most popular shows on Radio for 25 years and much had to do with Benny and the great writing but the talented supporting cast had a lot to do with the shows success. One of the most popular regular cast members was the egotistical, southern bandleader the great Phil Harris.
Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show featured the real life couple, Harris a famous bandleader and Jack Benny sidekick and Faye a popular movie star/singer. The character that Harris created on Benny was extended to the new show and Faye played his long suffering wife who gave up her Hollywood career to be wife and mother. The show featured long running gags like Harris drinking and Faye supporting him with her movie money.
The supporting cast were a big part of the shows success...Elliot Lewis played Remley Phil cohort in crime. The character of Remley was brought over from the Jack Benny Program, Remley was the much real guitar player in Phil's band but was played to be a drinking schemer but didn't speak on air, so Lewis took this character and added real life to it. The other characters were Alice's brother Willie a whiney know it all who Phil couldn't stand, the smart-mouth neighbor kid Julius and Phil and Alice's daughters Alice Jr and Phillys based on their real life daughters. (Not like the Ozzie and Harriet show the Harris's kids never appeared on air as the characters based on them)
Here a few great episodes....Enjoy.
(So I'll sharing some of my favorite sitcoms and there very best shows on
Listening to OTR check them out in the coming weeks!!!)
The sitcom of the golden age had some of the biggest comedy stars of the era...Jack Benny, Hal and Marian Jordan, Hal Perry, Lucille Ball, Fanny Brice and many more.
One of my all time favorite Sitcom from OTR was Phil Harris/Alice Faye Show....
Jack Benny Program was one of the most popular shows on Radio for 25 years and much had to do with Benny and the great writing but the talented supporting cast had a lot to do with the shows success. One of the most popular regular cast members was the egotistical, southern bandleader the great Phil Harris.
Phil Harris and Alice Faye Show featured the real life couple, Harris a famous bandleader and Jack Benny sidekick and Faye a popular movie star/singer. The character that Harris created on Benny was extended to the new show and Faye played his long suffering wife who gave up her Hollywood career to be wife and mother. The show featured long running gags like Harris drinking and Faye supporting him with her movie money.
The supporting cast were a big part of the shows success...Elliot Lewis played Remley Phil cohort in crime. The character of Remley was brought over from the Jack Benny Program, Remley was the much real guitar player in Phil's band but was played to be a drinking schemer but didn't speak on air, so Lewis took this character and added real life to it. The other characters were Alice's brother Willie a whiney know it all who Phil couldn't stand, the smart-mouth neighbor kid Julius and Phil and Alice's daughters Alice Jr and Phillys based on their real life daughters. (Not like the Ozzie and Harriet show the Harris's kids never appeared on air as the characters based on them)
Here a few great episodes....Enjoy.
(So I'll sharing some of my favorite sitcoms and there very best shows on
Listening to OTR check them out in the coming weeks!!!)
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