The Terrible Catsafterme

SEASON 1 – NBC

Created by Irving Brecher.

NOTE: This series is a spin-off from the radio series of the same name which aired on the Blue Network (later ABC) from 1944-45, and then on NBC from 1945-1951, with William Bendix in the title role. In 1948 two ‘live television test programs’ were aired, the first with Herb Vigran (April 13), the second with Buddy Gray (April 20). Bendix then starred in a film of the same title in 1949, and consequently could not star in the first season of the series because of his contract with RKO Radio Pictures, and was replaced by Jackie Gleason. 

26-39-41-39-39-35

• 001. Babs’ School Election – 1/2/1953
  • Chester A. Riley (William Bendix), a wing riveter for Cunningham Aircraft Co. plant in western Los Angeles, California, finds out that his daughter Babs (Lugene Sanders) is running for president of her college Freshman class. She fears that her opponent Helene Bidwell has a leg up because her father is the Marchant’s Bank president and has given Helene $100 toward her campaign. Riley heads off to work with his friend and co-worker Jim Gillis (Tom D’Andrea), but before he even arrives, he decides to call in sick and head over to see his friend Honest Ed Feeney (Allen Jenkins), a crooked politician he knew from Brooklyn, to see if he can help. Feeney agrees to help Riley sway the vote, and so he gets two of his thugs to use fake registration cards so that they can stuff the ballots. Babs notices the same guy registering for ballots with the one of the election helpers (Beverly Wills), and thinks that he was hired by Helene’s father. The goon admits that he is actually working for Feeney to help Babs garner voters. Babs is humiliated when he says this in front of her classmates and becomes inconsolably and furious with her father. Riley’s wife Peg (Marjorie Reynolds) is also furious with him, and when Riley overhears what is in store for him when he enters the house, he decides to ask his son Chet ‘Junior’ (Wesley Morgan) to sneak food out to him outside. When Peg catches him in the act, the soup winds up on Riley’s head. Riley then gets another idea from Gillis about making campaign promises, so he heads over to the campuses and begins telling all of the young men that if they vote for Babs, she will go to the prom with them. He doesn’t give out their address and tells them to expect a call from Babs. When she never calls, they look up their address in the phone book, and soon the house is flooded with 56 young men looking for a date. Babs is mortified when she sees all of the boys in her house, and she sneaks out with her actual date George, leaving the boys to get into a riot fight in the living room. With the house destroyed, Riley and Peg head to the movies… along with the 56 boys he has to buy tickets for. Henry Kulky is Feeney’s big goon. 7/3/22

Read the rest of this entry »

SEASON 1 – NBC

Theme music composed by Richard Mack

• 001. Pilot (aka The Fur Coat)- 10/15/1952
  • Judge Bradley Stevens (Jim Backus) has a talk in his chambers with the Mitchells (Hal March, Shirley Mitchell), who are filing for divorce. He tells them through flashback how he met his wife Joan (Joan Davis) on a flight to Chicago, where she was handling her first flight by herself as attendant. At first, he was irritated at her ineptness, but gradually began to see the humor in it. He relates that this is how a successful marriage works when you marry a ‘character’ like Joan. In fact he knows that she has bought herself a fur coat without his knowledge, and he plans to come home to their house in Lawrence, California early to watch the fun ensue when it was delivered. At home, Joan shares the news of the coat with her neighbor Minerva Parker (Hope Emerson), but she misunderstands and thinks Joan is expecting a baby. Mr. Mitchell stops by to speak to the judge and tells Joan that Bradley’s advice didn’t work and that all men have their breaking point. Joan tries extra hard to conceal the fur coat when it is delivered, telling Bradley that it is a leg of lamb and stuffing it in the freezer. That night she tries to retrieve it, but Bradley won’t fall asleep. Eventually he tells her that he knew all along and it is okay that she bought the coat, which is now frozen stiff. 8/16/14

  Read the rest of this entry »

SEASON 1 – COMEDY CENTRAL

Lead-in narrated by Sarah Silverman

• 001. Officer Jay – 2/1/2007
  • Unemployed Sarah Silverman (herself) lives with her younger sister Laura Silverman (herself), a registered nurse, whose parents died when they were young in Valley Village, California. They are neighbors with gay couple Brian Spukowski (Brian Posehn) and Steve Myron (Steve Agee). Sarah has a cold and drinks enough cough syrup to send her into animated hallucinations and then drive onto a playground. She is arrested, but when Laura shows up and has chemistry with the cop, Officer Jay McPherson (Jay Johnston), he lets her off and gets a date with Laura. Sarah is depressed that she has to watch the TV show Cookie Party by herself and drinks more cough medicine, then tracks down Jay and Laura on a date and drives her car onto a neighbor’s yard and then busts into a TV station as they are filming a weather broadcast. She winds up in jail again, but Jay and Laura come to her rescue. Meanwhile, Brian argues that he is bi-sexual but eventually comes to admit that he is just plain gay. Sarah sings the Doody Song. 8/16/14

  Read the rest of this entry »

SEASON 1 – NBC

Theme song composed by Jay Ferguson and performed by the Scrantones

NOTE: This series was an American adaptation of the BBC series of the same name that aired between 2001-2003.

• 001. Pilot – 3/24/2005
  • Filmed in mockumentary style, we meet the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania branch of paper manufacturer Dunder Mifflin, led by the optimistic, obnoxious, and clueless Michael Scott (Steve Carell), the regional manager. Among the employees are sales representatives Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and the uptight Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), who are constantly at odds because Dwight cannot stand Jim’s practical jokes. Jim has an obvious crush on secretary Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), although she has a loutish fiancee named Roy Anderson (David Denman). Other employees include sales reps Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker) and Phyllis Lapin (Phyllis Smith), accountants Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner), Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey), and Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez). Temporary worker Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak) is also assigned to the branch. Vice-President Jan Levinson-Gould (Melora Hardin) visits the office to tell Michael that either his branch or the one in Stamford will absorb the other and there will be downsizing as a result. Michael assures his employees that no one in his branch will be fired, but there is much concern permeating the office. Michael plays a joke on Pam and tells her that she will be the first one fired for stealing Post-It Notes, causing her to break down and cry. Creed Bratton appears unbilled as a fictionalized version of himself. Henriette Mantel appears as an office worker. 8/15/14

  Read the rest of this entry »

SEASON 1 – ABC

Theme music composed by George Aliceson Tipton, narrated by Rod Roddy

• 001. Episode #1.1 – 9/13/1977
  • We are introduced to the Tates and the Campbells, two families living in Dunn’s River, Connecticut. Chester (Robert Manden) and Jessica Tate (Katherine Helmond) are an affluent couple, with three children: Corinne (Diana Canova), Eunice (Jennifer Salt), and Billy (Jimmy Baio). Their cantankerous butler Benson (Robert Guillaume) can’t stand Chester, hasn’t spoken to Eunice in twelve years, but has a soft spot for Billy, who is concerned that he has a pimple before a big date. Jessica’s father, simply known as The Major (Arthur Peterson) still believes that World War II is going on…inside the Tate house. Mary Campbell (Cathryn Damon) is Jessica’s sister and has re-married to Burt (Richard Mulligan) following her ex-husband Johnny’s suicide. Mary has two sons who don’t get along with Burt, Danny (Ted Wass), who may be involved with the Italian mafia, and Jodie Dallas (Billy Crystal), who by all appearances is gay, much to Burt’s chagrin, although Danny will not accept it. It turns out that Burt has actually murdered Mary’s ex-husband because he was a criminal, which has caused him to become impotent. We also learn that  Chester is having an affair unbeknownst to his wife, who is also having an affair with tennis instructor Peter (Robert Urich), who in turn is having an affair with Corinne. Rod Roddy narrates each episode. 8/12/14

  Read the rest of this entry »