Pioneers of Television (2008–…): Season 1, Episode 1 - Sitcoms - full transcript
Sitcoms have been a major form of entertainment since the very early days of U.S. television. Jackie Gleason surprised many when he decided to stop his variety show in favor of a 30 minute ...
OH!
I'M NOT ASKING YOU,
I'M TELLING YOU.
POPPING IN ON OH? WHAT DID YOU
WSUDDENLY. HAVE IN MIND?
WELL...
WATER AND AIR IS FREE.
WE DON'T MAKE
NO CHARGE FOR IT.
HE TAKES MILK BATHS,
THAT'S IT, MILK BATHS.
OH, I GOT IT,
HE TIES A COW TO THE CEILING
AND TAKES A SHOWER.
THE FIRST RULE IS...
OBEY ALL RULES!
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
Narrator: THEY CREATED
THE CHARACTERS
THAT MAKE US LAUGH.
VIV?
HUH?
DO YOU THINK
WE COULD
SQUEEZE OUT
THROUGH THE TOP?
WE MIGHT...
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO.
IN A FEW MINUTES,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO FLOAT OUT.
YOU KNOW, SHE IS
A BRILLIANT CLOWN.
SHE CREATES HER OWN COMEDY.
THEYNarrator: THEY BROUGHT US
A FTOGETHER, WEEK AFTER WEEK.
WHAT'S THE MATTER, RALPH?
YOU GOT AN ITCH?
I CAN'T REACH IT.
WILL YOU GRAB IT?
SURE.
WHERE IS IT?
TO THE LEFT.
UP.
OVER.
NOW GO!
I THINK JACKIE
INSTINCTIVELY KNEW
WHAT AN AUDIENCE WANTED.
AND HE GAVE IT TO THEM.
THANK YOU, SHERIFF.
Narrator:
THEY OFFERED A GLIMPSE
OF A BETTER LIFE,
A HAPPIER TIME.
OH, WELL,
IT'S MY FAULT
IF BARNEY
WAS SNOOZING A LITTLE.
SEE, I HAD HIM OUT
TILL 4:00 THIS MORNING
ON A CHICKEN STAKE-OUT.
WE GOT A TIP
THAT BUZZ JENKINS
HAS BEEN LIFTING
A FEW FRYERS
FROM AL'S
POULTRY HEADQUARTERS.
OH, DEAR.
OH, DEAR!
YOU KNOW BUZZ?
THAT'S WHERE I'M
HAVING SUPPER
THIS EVENING.
IT WAS NOT A REAL PLACE,
BUT YOU WANTED IT TO BE.
SAID, "DO YOU THINK
THAT'S FUNNY?"
AND I SAID, "OH, LORD,
YES, THAT'S FUNNY."
AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING.
Narrator: THEIR FAMILIES
BECAME OURS,
ROLE MODELS
FOR A GENERATION.
TO THANK
YOU AND DADDYTHANK US FOR WHAT?
WELL, TO GET IN
TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE,
YOU HAVE TO BE BETWEEN
EIGHT AND TWELVE YEARS OLD.
SO I WANT TO THANK
YOU AND DADDY
FOR ME BEING BORN
EIGHT YEARS AGO.
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.
BUT BELIEVE ME,
AT THE TIME,
WE WEREN'T THINKING
OF BASEBALL.
HE SAID, "IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET
AN AUDIENCE TO FOLLOW YOU,
YOU HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH
THE WHOLE WAY."
TO BRING US
THTHEIR VISION.,
I'M SO UNHAPPY!
WHY?
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T
WATCH ALL OF THE SHOW.
WHY, I TOLD YOU,
I HAD TO WORK.
NO, ROB, AT THE VERY
END OF THE SHOW,
I DIDN'T HANDLE MYSELF
TOO WELL
WHEN THAT PATRICK RAT...
OH, HE GOT YOU TO SAY
SOMETHING EMBARRASSING?
WHAT WAS IT?
THAT ALAN BRADY
IS BALD.
I WAS FUNNY ON
THE "VAN DYKE SHOW"
BECAUSE OF CARL REINER,
WHO IS A GREAT, GREAT
COMEDY WRITER.
WE KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING
VERY GOOD,
AND SOMETHING INNOVATIVE.
IT WAS... IT WAS
INTELLIGENT COMEDY.
Narrator: TOGETHER,
THEY DESIGNED THE TEMPLATES
FOR A WHOLE NEW FORM
OF ENTERTAINMENT...
THE SITCOM.
THEY ARE
THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
FALL, 1955.
JACKIE GLEASON HAS SCRAPPED
HIS POPULAR VARIETY HOUR,
IN FAVOR OF AN EXPERIMENT...
A HALF-HOUR SITCOM
BASED ON ONE OF HIS SKETCHES.
NO ONE BELIEVES THIS IS
A GOOD IDEA.
NO ONE EXCEPT JACKIE.
SEE, THAT'S WHAT
I'M TALKING ABOUT,
RIGHT OVER THERE,
GOT TO GET THAT ANGLE.
Narrator: CBS EXECUTIVES
WANTED GLEASON
TO STAY WITH THE VARIETY SHOW,
A PROVEN HIT,
AND CRITICS WONDERED WHY
GLEASON WOULD GIVE UP
THE CHANCE TO DO MULTIPLE
CHARACTERS EVERY WEEK.
NOW HE WOULD LIMIT HIMSELF
TO JUST ONE...
RALPH KRAMDEN.
DESPITE THE SKEPTICISM,
GLEASON HELD FAST.
AND ON OCTOBER 1, 1955,
"THE HONEYMOONERS" SERIES
WENT ON THE AIR
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
THE SEASON'S RATINGS
WERE NOT GREAT.
"THE HONEYMOONERS"
DIDN'T EVEN
WIN ITS TIME SLOT THAT YEAR.
BUT THOSE 39 EPISODES
LIVED ON,
ENTERTAINING GENERATION
AFTER GENERATION.
AND IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
WITHOUT THE VISION AND TALENT
OF ONE JACKIE GLEASON.
Randolph:
HE RAN EVERYTHING.
HE PICKED THE COSTUMES,
YOU KNOW, HE JUST,
EVERYONE DEFERRED TO HIM
FOR EVERY QUESTION!
IT WAS AMAZING!
AND HE SEEMED TO BE RIGHT
MOST OF THE TIME.
INSTINCTIVELY, HE KNEW
WHAT WAS RIGHT,
EVEN THOUGH HE WASN'T
A WELL-SCHOOLED MAN.
BUT THEATRICALLY,
♪ JUST WAIT TILL I GET BACK ♪
♪ TO OHIO! ♪♪
Narrator: JACKIE GLEASON
GOT HIS START
IN SMALL NIGHTCLUBS.
AND HIS REPUTATION
GREW QUICKLY.
HE STOLE MOST OF HIS JOKES.
BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER.
JACKIE'S APPEAL
WASN'T THE JOKE.
IT WAS HIM.
BIG, BROAD, IMPROVISATIONAL.
HE COULD TAKE ON
ANY CHARACTER,
MAKE ANYTHING FUNNY.
JACKIE GLEASON WAS ONE
OF THE FUNNIEST COMIC ACTORS
IN THE WORLD.
HARRY, WHEN ARE WE
GOING TO GET SOME ACTION?
WE'RE JUST ABOUT
OUT OF DOUGH.
Narrator: BY THE 1940s,
GLEASON'S ACTING SKILLS
LANDED HIM MINOR ROLES
IN HOLLYWOOD FILMS.
BUT THE MOVIES COULDN'T CAPTURE
GLEASON'S STRENGTH.
HE NEEDED A STAGE,
AN AUDIENCE
TO INSPIRE THE RAW,
SEAT-OF-THE-PANTS EXCITEMENT
THAT BEDEMARK.
I, UH...
THAT TIME,
GOING OVER THERE.
THIS IS NOTHING.
LOOK AT THE TUMBLE...
Narrator:
FED UP WITH HOLLYWOOD,
GLEASON RETURNED
TO NEW YORK
AND TOOK A SHOT
AT LIVE TELEVISION.
ALL YOU NEED IS
JUST A LITTLE SHAVE.
Narrator: GLEASON SOON LANDED
HIS OWN VARIETY SHOW,
WHERE HE DID A WIDE RANGE
OF CHARACTERS
EVERY WEEK.
BUT ONE SKETCH BECAME
AN AUDIENCE FAVORITE...
"THE HONEYMOONERS."
GET A LOAD OF THIS.
"DEAR ALICE,
MEET ME AT THE SAME SPOT
"THIS AFTERNOON,
AND I'LL
TAKE YOU AROUND
TO A FEW PLACES."
"THEN I'LL SNEAK UP
TO YOUR PLACE TONIGHT
WHILE RALPH
IS OUT BOWLING."
SIGNED, "JOE."
GET A LOAD OF THAT.
"THEN I'LL SNEAK UP
TO YOUR PLACE TONIGHT
WHILE RALPH
IS OUT BOWLING."
DON'T LET IT UPSET YOU,
WILL YOU, PAL?
COME ON,
DON'T LET IT UPSET YOU...
YOU'LL BOWL ROCKS
TONIGHT.
Narrator: GLEASON'S FOIL
ON "THE HONEYMOONERS"
WAS ART CARNEY.
QUIET AND EASYGOING,
CARNEY WAS THE OPPOSITE
OF THE MERCURIAL GLEASON
IN NEARLY EVERY WAY.
BUT THERE WAS ONE TRAIT
THEY DID HAVE IN COMMON.
THE TWO WERE JUST
THEY WMAGIC TOGETHER.UNNY.
I DON'T THINK THAT JACKIE
WOULD HAVE...
BEEN THAT GREAT
WITHOUT ART.
I...
OH, "I, I, I" NOTHING!
Narrator: IN THIS RARE,
EARLY VERSION
PERT KELTON PLAYED
GLEASON'S WIFE, ALICE.
THE SCRIPTS WERE DARKER,
MORE GRITTY.
AND GLEASON PLAYED IT
WITH STRIKING REALISM.
AREN'T YOU
ASHAMED OF YOURSELF?
AREN'T YOU ASHAMED?
ME OUT WORKING HARD
ALL DAY,
AND YOU RUNNING AROUND
WITH SOME SNEAK
BY THE NAME OF JOE!
YOU OUGHTA BE
ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!
RALPH!
DON'T "RALPH" ME!
MAYBE THIS JOE
HAS THAT CADILLAC.
OR MAYBE JOE'S
MAYBE JOE'S GOTGOT FINGERNAILS
THAT ARE MANICURED.
BUT I COULDA HAD A CADILLAC.
I COULDA HAD
MANICURED NAILS,
AND I COULDA HAD
FANCY CLOTHES!
BUT I DIDN'T THROW
MY MONEY AWAY
ON ANYTHING FOOLISH
LIKE THAT, NO SIR.
I TOOK WHAT LITTLE MONEY
I HAD
AND GOT A TWIN BURIAL PLOT
FOR US!
WHEN GLEASON
SWITCHED NETWORKS,
PERT KELTON
LEFT THE CAST.
OFFICIALLY, THE REASON
WAS HEALTH PROBLEMS.
BUT IN TRUTH,
KELTON WAS BLACKLISTED,
FALSELY ACCUSED
OF COMMUNIST TIES.
FOR KELTON, AS WITH MOST
BLACKLISTED PERFORMERS,
IT WACBS SAID THAT SHELOW.
WASN'T GOING TO BE
ON THEIR NETWORK.
SO JACKIE HAD TO FIND
SOMEONE ELSE.
AND HE FOUND AUDREY.
Narrator: AT FIRST,
GLEASON DIDN'T WANT
AUDREY MEADOWS
TO PLAY HIS WIFE.
HE THOUGHT SHE WAS
TOO PRETTY.
BUT WITH A LITTLE MAKEUP
AND A LOT OF ATTITUDE,
MEADOWS SEALED THE ROLE
AND SOON BECAME
ONE OF GLEASON'S
GREATEST ASSETS,
TRADING BARBS
AS HIS EQUAL.
I HOPE, ALICE,
THAT YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO ASK ME
TO TAKE
THIS POTATO SALAD
BACK TO DE VITO'S,
GET MY MONEY,
AND THEN WALK
TWO BLOCKS
DOWN TO CROSS'S DELICATESSEN
TO GET
THE POTATO SALAD THERE.
I HOPE YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO ASK ME THAT.
I HOPE YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO ASK ME THAT!
I'M NOT
ASKING YOU, RALPH.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU,
I'M TELLING YOU.
THAT'S RIGHT.YOU'RE TELLING ME?
THAT'S RIGHT! YOU'RE TELLING ME!
YOU'RE TELLING ME?
YOU'RE TELLING ME?
ALL RIGHT!
I'LL GO!
BUT I'M NOT GOING
TO YOUR MOTHER'S TOMORROW!
Narrator: WHEN
"THE HONEYMOONERS"
BECAME A SERIES
IN 1955,
GLEASON INSISTED
ON PRODUCING
TWO EPISODES EVERY WEEK.
SO, ON ANY GIVEN DAY,
CARNEY, MEADOWS, AND FOURTH
CAST MEMBER JOYCE RANDOLPH
WOULD SPEND HOURS
MEMORIZING
AND REHEARSING THEIR LINES.
BUT GLEASON
DID NOT PARTICIPATE.
JACKIE BELIEVED THAT PREPARATION
MADE COMEDY STALE.
Randolph: WE JUST KNEW
HE WANTED IT
SPONTANEOUS AND FAST
AND LIVE AND TRUE,
AND HE FELT THAT YOU DIDN'T
GET THOSE THINGS
IF YOU HAD BEEN DOING IT
OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
IT JUST WASN'T FRESH ENOUGH
FOR HIM.
AND MAYBE HE WAS INSPIRED
WHEN HE WAS NERVOUS,
AND I THINK PERHAPS
WE ALL WERE.
Narrator: OFF CAMERA,
JACKIE GLEASON
LIVED LARGE.
HE HAD A TEMPESTUOUS REPUTATION.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED
WITH JACKIE
SAW HIM VERY DIFFERENTLY.
HE COULD DO EVERYTHING.
AND I THOUGHT HE WAS
A VERY SWEET MAN,
YOU KNOW, I MEAN,
HE HAD A REPUTATION SOMETIMES
OF BEING TOUGH...
WHO WAS AN ENORMOUSLY GREAT
ACTOR.
AND A GIFTED, GIFTED
COMEDIAN.
AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING
THAT HE EVER DID
THAT DIDN'T... I DON'T EVEN CARE
IF IT WAS THE SMALLEST SKETCH...
THAT YOU DIDN'T GO,
"WHOA!"
AND PARTICULARLY TO ACTRESSES,
I THINK,
AND HE WAS KIND TO EVERYBODY.
WELL, LIKE, I GUESS
I HEARD HIM YELL A FEW TIMES,
BUT...
NOT AT "HONEYMOONERS" PEOPLE.
RALPH, WHY DO YOU
GET YOURSELF
INTO SPOTS LIKE THIS?
YOU WANT
TO KNOW WHY, ALICE?
I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE
A BIG MOUTH!
THAT'S WHY!
A BIG MOUTH!
Narrator:
GLEASON DECIDED
TO END
THE "HONEYMOONERS" SITCOM
AFTER JUST ONE SEASON.
39 EPISODES.
HIS REASON... HE BELIEVED
THE SERIES
HAD RUN OUT OF IDEAS.
AND HE DIDN'T WANT
THE SHOW'S QUALITY TO SLIP.
GLEASON WOULD CONTINUE
ON TELEVISION
FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS,
REPRISING HIS TRADEMARK
RALPH KRAMDEN
IN COUNTLESS SKETCHES.
VIEWERS ENJOYED
REVISITING THIS OLD FRIEND.
EVERY WEEK,
YOU COME HOME
WITH SOME NEW, CRAZY,
HAREBRAINED SCHEME!
THAT'S ALL I'VE HEARD
FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS...
ONE CRAZY, HAREBRAINED
SCHEME AFTER ANOTHER!
THAT IS ALL I HAVE HEARD
SINCE THE DAY
THAT WE GOT MARRIED.
YOU HEARD ONE
OF MY HAREBRAINED SCHEMES
BEFORE WE GOT MARRIED.
I PROPOSED TO YOU!
DON'T YOU EVER
SAY THAT AGAIN, RALPH.
Narrator: THE FINAL EPISODE
OF "THE HONEYMOONERS" SITCOM
MARKED THE END
OF AN ERA.
THE SITCOM INDUSTRY
WAS LEAVING NEW YORK
AND HEADING WEST,
FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS
OF TELEVISION'S
BIGGEST HIT EVER.
♪ DU BARRY WAS
A LADY ♪
♪ NO MATTER WHAT
THEY MAY SAY ♪
♪ DU BARRY WAS A LADY ♪
Narrator: LUCILLE BALL
WAS POPULAR
EVEN BEFORE
HER LANDMARK SITCOM,
APPEARING IN DOZENS
OF MOVIES.
WOULD YOU ACCEPT
THIS LITTLE TOKEN?
OH! DARLING!
YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T
HAVE DONE IT.
OH, LOUIS, I JUST
CAN'T ACCEPT THIS.
OH, NO, REALLY,
I JUST CAN'T ACCEPT IT.
ALL RIGHT,
THEN GIVE IT BACK.
Narrator:
LUCY'S COMIC TALENTS
TRANSLATED WELL
TO RADIO,
WI "MY FAVORITE HUSBAND." AR
Ball: NO, NO,
LET ME EXPLAIN, GEORGE.
YOU SEE, I SENT THE BUTCHER
A VALENTINE BY MISTAKE,
AND SINCE
IT WAS ALREADY MAILED,
Richard Denning: THE BUTCHER?
Ball: NO, THE MAILMAN.
I WAITED
AT THE BUTCHER SHOP
UNTIL HE GOT THERE,
AND WHEN I
GRABBED THE VALENTINE,
HE CALLED THE POLICE!
Denning: THE MAILMAN?
Ball: NO, THE BUTCHER.
AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN
HOW IT WAS ALL A MISTAKE,
Denning: THE MAILMAN
OR THE BUTCHER?
Ball: THE POLICEMAN.
THEN WE ALL HAD TO GO
IN A POLICE CAR,
AND HE SAID IT WAS
A FEDERAL OFFENSE
Denning: THE MAILMAN,
THE BUTCHER,
OR THE POLICEMAN?
Ball: THE JUDGE.
Narrator: WHEN HER RADIO SHOW
WAS ADAPTED FOR TV,
BALL INSISTED
ON A NEW ACTOR
TO PLAY HER COSTAR.
HER HUSBAND,
THE MAN DESI ARNAZ.MIND...
THE NETWORK
WAS NOT ENTHUSED.
ARNAZ WAS CUBAN,
AND CBS THOUGHT
AN ETHNICALLY MIXED MARRIAGE
JUST WASN'T PLAUSIBLE.
BUT LUCILLE BALL
WAS TOUGH.
DESI GOT THE JOB.
HE KNEW HIS PART.
HE KNEW WHO HE WAS
ON THAT SHOW.
AND HE CERTAINLY
KNEW HER VALUE.
YOU KNOW, THEY WORKED.
THEY WERE PERFECT TOGETHER.
RICKY, ARE YOU
STILL MAD?
RICKY, TALK TO ME.
ARE YOU STILL MAD?
NO, DEAR.
LET'S JUST FORGET IT.
I CAN'T FORGET IT
UNTIL I KNOW
YOU STILL LOVE ME.
I LOVE YOU.
IF YOU LOVE ME,
YOU'LL GIVE ME
A GREAT BIG KISS.
COME ON.
KISS ME.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
LUCY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO...
Narrator:
BEHIND THE SCENES,
DESI DEMONSTRATED
ONE OF THE SHARPEST MINDS
IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.
HE UNDERSTOOD THAT LUCY
NEEDED THE FEEDBACK
OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE.
BUT THAT WAS
A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA
IN HOLLYWOOD,
BACK IN 1951.
NONE OF THE PRODUCTION STUDIOS
COULD ACCOMMODATE AUDIENCES.
BUT DESI ARNAZ WASN'T
ABOUT TO GIVE UP.
BECAUSE SITCOM ACTORS
THRIVE ON LAUGHTER.
YOU GET A JOLT
FROM THE AUDIENCE
WHEN THEY LAUGH AT YOU.
AND IT JUST GIVES YOU
THAT OOMPH!
TO GO AND DO THE NEXT PART
EVEN BETTER.
Narrator: DESI FINALLY COBBLED
TOGETHER THE RIGHT STUDIO SPACE,
RETROFITTED BLEACHERS
FOR THE AUDIENCE,
AND A NEW ERA IN TELEVISION
WAS LAUNCHED.
IT WAS SEPTEMBER 4, 1951.
THE SHOW WAS
"I LOVE LUCY."
Man: ACTION!
UH, FRED AND ETHEL
SHOULD BE HERE IN A MINUTE.
OH, HERE THEY COME NOW.
RICKY RICARDO,
FOR THE LAST TIME,
ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME
BE IN THAT ACT OR NOT?
NO.
HI!
Narrator:
"I LOVE LUCY"
AND BALL'S LATER SITCOMS
TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE
OF HER SKILLS
AS A PHYSICAL COMEDIAN.
THAT WAS A DUMB
THING TO DO!
Narrator: TALENT UNPARALLELED
BEFORE OR SINCE.
HOW DID I KNOW
THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?
OH, WELL...
I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT I WAS TRYING.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO DO?
WHAT?
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
KICK THIS DOOR IN.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BREAK
THE GLASS.
OH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
OKAY.
GO AHEAD, KICK IT.
OH, NO YOU DON'T!
THAT'S TOO DANGEROUS!
NOT THAT I'M AFRAID
OF CUTTING MYSELF,
BUT THE BLOOD
MIGHT DRAW A SHARK.
VIV?
HUH?
DO YOU THINK
WE COULD
SQUEEZE OUT
THROUGH THE TOP?
WE MIGHT...
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO.
Narrator: LUCY PREPARED
FOR EACH EPISODE
WITH THE RIGOR
OF AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE,
REHEARSING EVERY MOVE,
WORKING OUT
THE TINIEST DETAILS
OVER AND OVER.
SHE WASLIKE GLEASON.VISER,
RATHER, SHE WAS
A KEEN OBSERVER
WHO MOLDED PERFORMANCES
GRADUALLY
UNTIL THEY WERE PERFECT.
IF YOU CAN HEAR ME,
I HAVE TO GET
INTO YOUR PURSE
AND GET YOUR KEY
TO YOUR APARTMENT.
ALL RIGHT?
HERE...
AH!
OH!
OH!
OH!
NO...
WELL, I THINK SHE WAS
VERY MUCH OF AN ANALYST
AND FIGURED OUT
WHAT WAS FUNNY
AND THEN WOULD DO IT.
Narrator:
BALL'S DISCIPLINED APPROACH
EARNED HER A REPUTATION
FOR TOUGHNESS.
SHE KNEW WHAT WORKED
FOR HER.
AND SHE WASN'T AFRAID
TO TELL GUEST STARS
Griffith:
TO FACE FRONT AND SAY THE JOKE.
AND I REHEARSED ALL WEEK
AND REHEARSED ALL WEEK
AND REHEARSED ALL WEEK,
AND WHEN IT CAME SHOW TIME,
I REALIZED
YOU GOTTA FACE FRONT
AND SAY THE JOKES.
SO I DID IT,
AND WE GOT BIG LAUGHS.
SHE SAID, "THERE I WAS,
WORRIED ABOUT YOU ALL WEEK."
Narrator: DESPITE HER REPUTATION
AS A TASKMASTER,
BALL WAS ALSO KNOWN
FOR ACTS OF KINDNESS,
ESPECIALLY TOWARD
YOUNG ACTORS.
WHEN AN UNKNOWN BARBARA EDEN
WAS CAST ON "I LOVE LUCY,"
BALL MADE SURE THE NEWCOMER
HAD THE BEST POSSIBLE
WARDROBE.
HI!
Eden: SHE SAID,
"DO YOU LIKE THAT DRESS?"
AND I SAID, "IT'S FINE."
"IT'S FINE, I LIKE IT, YES."
YOU KNOW, I WASN'T
GOING TO NOT LIKE ANYTHING.
AND SHE SAID, "TAKE IT OFF."
AND SHE SPENT ALL THE TIME
WE WERE REHEARSING,
SHE AND HER ASSISTANT,
PUTTING THOSE GROMMETS,
THOSE SHINY GROMMETS,
ON MY DRESS
SO THAT IT WOULD SHINE,
SO THAT IT HAD
A LITTLE OOMPH TO IT.
I THINK THAT'S REMARKABLE.
Narrator: LUCY LATER INSPIRED
ANOTHER YOUNG ACTRESS,
GETTING HER START
ON THE SHOW NEXT DOOR...
MARY TYLER MOORE.
FOR WEEKS, BALL WOULD CLIMB
ONTO THE STUDIO CATWALK
AND SECRETLY
WATCH MOORE REHEARSE.
AND ONE DAY,
I GUESS WE HAD DONE
SOMETHING THAT REALLY
GOT TO HER,
AND SHE LAUGHED OUT LOUD.
AND THERE WAS NO MISSING
THAT LAUGH.
LUCILLE BALL
WAS IN THE SKY.
AND WE LOOKED AT HER,
AND SHE CAME DOWN,
AND SHE WAS TALKING
TO ALL OF US,
AND AS SHE WAS LEAVING,
SHE TURNED AROUND TO ME,
AND SHE SAID,
"YOU'RE VERY GOOD."
NOT A LOT OF FLOWERS,
NOT A LOT OF COMEDY IN THAT,
BUT IT REALLY HIT ME.
AND I KNEW THAT I MUST HAVE
SOMETHING WORTH CONTINUING WITH.
Narrator: PERHAPS LUCY'S
GREATEST ASSET
WAS DESI.
HE WORKED TIRELESSLY
TO PUT HER
IN THE PERFECT POSITION
TO SHINE.
WHEN DESI LEARNED
THAT KARL FREUND
WAS THE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
IN THE COUNTRY,
ARNAZ PERSONALLY LURED
THE SUPERSTAR
OUT OF RETIREMENT.
AND IF DESI THOUGHT
A REAL TUNA FISH
WAS FUNNIER THAN A PROP,
HE'D SPARE NO EXPENSE
TO GET ONE.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
WITH THAT FISH?
UH...
WHAT FISH?
Narrator: DESI HAD
AN UNCANNY ABILITY
TO MULL A CONTRACT
ONE MINUTE
AND ACT, THE NEXT,
WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT.
BUT DESPITE HIS GENIUS,
ARNAZ WAS ALSO
A MAN WITH APPETITES.
AND THAT LED TO HIS DOWNFALL.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
ON THAT SET, HIDING.
AND PROBABLY, IF I HAD BEEN
A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED,
I COULD HAVE HANDLED IT BETTER.
BUT ALL I KNEW HOW TO DO
WAS TO HIDE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID!
I JUST HID.
I'D SEE HIM COMING,
AND I'D GO HIDE.
AND THEN I'D COME OUT
YOUR COUNTRY CLUB
IS SIMPLY FABULOUS!
OH, THANK YOU.
AND THE MUSIC'S
SO DREAMY!
YOU LIKE TO DANCE?
Narrator:
LUCY FORGAVE DESI
FOR THE DRINKING,
THE DALLIANCES.
BUT THEIR MARRIAGE
DIDN'T SURVIVE.
THE COUPLE DIVORCED
IN 1960.
YET THE PUBLIC
NEVER STOPPED LOVING LUCY.
SHE STARRED
IN SUCCESSFUL SITCOMS
WELL INTO THE 1970s.
BUT HER TV CHARACTER
NEVER AGAIN HAD
A HUSBAND.
WHY DID YOU BREAK
THAT DISH?
WELL, I'M SORRY,
BUT IT SAID,
SO I JUST PICKED THEM UP,
"TAND I JUST TAPPED... ISHES,"
YOU DID IT AGAIN.
WELL, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE,
WHY DOES IT
SAY "UNBREAKABLE"
WHEN THEY'RE BREAKABLE?
THOSE ARE UNBREAKABLE!
THESE ARE
IMPORTED CHINA.
AND BREAKABLE.
YOU SHOULD KNOW.
THESE ARE
THE UNBREAKABLES?
GUARANTEED.
Narrator: "I LOVE LUCY'S"
SUCCESS
SPAWNED A LONG LIST
OF IMITATORS
IN THE MID-1950s.
EVERYONE WANTED
TO BE LIKE LUCY.
BUT THE NEXT BIG SITCOM STAR
DIDN'T LOOK
ANYTHING LIKE LUCILLE BALL.
CHICAGO, 1940.
A YOUNG COMEDIAN
NAMED AMOS JACOBS
HAS JUST ARRIVED IN TOWN.
BUT HE CAN'T FIND WORK.
HE'S READY TO QUIT...
WHEN HE PASSES BY A CHURCH
AND SAYS A PRAYER.
WITHIN AN HOUR,
HE LANDS TWO PLUM ACTING ROLES.
AND BEFORE THE MONTH
IS OUT,
HE'S HEADLINING
AT CHICAGO'S 5100 CLUB.
BY NOW, HE'S CHOSEN
A STAGE NAME.
AND AMOS JACOBS
BECAME DANNY THOMAS.
DANNY THOMAS... HE WAS
A GREAT STORYTELLER HUMORIST.
HE COULD TELL ONE JOKE
AND TAKE 12 MINUTES TO TELL IT.
BUT IT'S FUNNY
ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND THEN IT'S FUNNIEST
AT THE END.
AND HE WOULD GET UP,
AND HE WOULD JUST BANTER.
HE COULD HAVE BANTERED
FOR FOUR DAYS.
IT CAME EASY TO HIM.
Narrator:
BY THE EARLY '50s,
THOMAS WANTED A SITCOM.
BUT HE COULDN'T FIND A PREMISE
THAT WORKED.
THE ANSWER CAME
FROM HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER, MARLO.
MY DAD USED TO TRAVEL
SO MUCH,
AND MY MOTHER HATED
TO SLEEP ALONE.
SLEEPING IN MY MOTHER'S
BIG, HUGE BED.
AND WE'D BRING OUR TOYS
AND OUR THINGS IN THERE.
AND THEN, WHEN MY DAD
WAS ABOUT TO COME HOME,
SHE'D SAY, "MAKE ROOM
FOR DADDY," AND WE WOULD.
AND SO WE SAID THAT SO MUCH
THAT MY FATHER THOUGHT
THAT THAT WAS A GREAT PREMISE
FOR A SHOW, YOU KNOW,
THE IDEA
OF MAKING ROOM FOR THIS FIGURE
THAT YOU LOVE,
THAT LEAVES ALL THE TIME.
SO THAT WAS
PRETTY MUCH OUR CHILDHOOD.
THANK YOU, DADDY!
CUB SCOUT MAG
GOSH, THANKS! R YOU.
WHAT DID I
TELL YOU, LINDA?
WHEN HE GOES AWAY,
HE COMES HOME WITH PRESENTS!
WHEN ARE YOU
GOING AWAY AGAIN?
Narrator:
DANNY THOMAS'S SITCOM,
WHICH BEGAN AS
"MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY,"
WAS AMONG THE FIRST IN A LONG
LINE OF FAMILY-BASED SHOWS.
NOW CHILDREN COULD BE
THE CENTRAL PLAYERS
IN A TV SITCOM.
WHAT DID YOU DO,
RUN INTO A TRUCK?
NO, I HAD A FIGHT
WITH JOHNNY STEWART.
YEAH?
WHAT ABOUT?
WELL, HE WOULDN'T LET ME
CROSS THE STREET
UNLESS I PAID HIM A DIME.
HE WANTED
TO CHARGE YOU A DIME
TO CROSS THE STREET?
WHAT'S HE RUNNING,
HIS OWN PRIVATE TOLL ROAD?
I SAID I WOULDN'T
GIVE IT TO HIM.
YOU SAID
THE RIGHT THING.
SO HE SLUGGED ME.
WHAT DID YOU DO?
OH, YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY,
DADDY,
I KNEW WHAT TO DO.
ATTABOY, YOU
GAVE IT TO HIM, HUH?
YEAH, AND HE WENT
AND BOUGHT AN ICE CREAM CONE.
JUST ALWAYS TELL THE STORY.
AND EVERY JOKE HAS
A BEGINNING AND MIDDLE
AND END,
AND EVERY HALF-HOUR
OF A SITCOM
HAS A BEGINNING
AND MIDDLE AND END.
AND YOU NEED TO JUST
FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE STORY.
AND THAT WAS THE BEST ADVICE
HE EVER GAVE ME.
Narrator: ONE OF THE GREAT
LEGACIES OF DANNY THOMAS'S SHOW
WAS TV'S FIRST SUCCESSFUL
SITCOM SPIN-OFF,
CREATED FOR AN UP-AND-COMING
NORTH CAROLINA COMIC.
HE'S PICKED
ON THE WRONG GUY.
YOU'VE BROUGHT ME BACK
INTO TOWN, I'M TELLING YOU,
YOU'VE PICKED ON THE WRONG MAN
THIS TIME, CLEM!
THE NAME AIN'T CLEM,
IT'S ANDY.
ANDY TAYLOR.
Narrator: ANDY GRIFFITH
ALWAYS LIKED PERFORMING.
HE STARTED OUT STUDYING
FOR THE MINISTRY,
THEN SWITCHED TO MUSIC,
AND LATER, COMEDY.
AFTER COLLEGE, HE DEVELOPED
A SERIES OF MONOLOGUES
THAT CAPTURED
HIS APPALACHIAN ROOTS...
INCLUDING THE MILLION-SELLING
"WHAT IT WAS, WAS FOOTBALL!"
Griffith: IT WAS THAT BOTH
BUNCHES FULL OF THEM MEN
WANTED THIS FUNNY-LOOKING
LITTLE PUMPKIN TO PLAY WITH.
THEY DID, AND I KNOW, FRIENDS,
THAT THEY COULDN'T EAT IT,
BECAUSE THEY KICKED IT THE WHOLE
EVENING, AND IT NEVER BUSTED.
Narrator: THE RECORD
MADE GRIFFITH
A NATIONAL CELEBRITY.
INCLUDING HIS UNIQUE RETELLING
OTOF THE STORY OF HAMLET.,
BEFORE THE PLAY
EVER OPENS UP,
WHY, THIS FELLOW
CLAUDIUS
PLOTTED AND KILLED
HAMLET'S DADDY
SO THAT HE MIGHT
GAIN THE THRONE.
MM-HMM?
AND... WELL,
I APPRECIATE IT...
AND THEN, THEN MARRIED,
MARRIED HAMLET'S MOM.
AND THAT MADE HIM
HAMLET'S STEPDADDY.
AND ALL, DO TRY
TO REMEMBER THAT,
BECAUSE YOU WILL
NEED IT LATER ON.
I WAS LOOKING,
ALWAYS LOOKING
FOR A WAY TO GET
INTO SHOW BUSINESS.
NOW, THIS FELLOW HERE...
Narrator:
BY THE LATE 1950s,
GRIFFITH HAD STARRED
IN SEVERAL MOVIES,
AND ON BROADWAY
IN THE HIT PLAY,
"NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS."
I HEARD THIS FELLOW,
BECAUSE IRVINLUCKY, N SICK.
TELL THE OTHERS
THAT IRVIN
HAD R.O.T.C.
FOR A WHOLE YEAR!
Narrator:
IN 1960,
GRIFFITH AIMED HIS SIGHTS
ON TELEVISION.
AN EPISODE
OF DANNY THOMAS'S SHOW
WAS CRAFTED TO SHOWCASE
GRIFFITH'S TALENTS.
BUT ANDY ALMOST QUIT
BEFORE HIS FIRST EPISODE
WAS COMPLETED.
AND HERE'S
ANOTHER FIVE.
GO BUY YOURSELF
A COMB,
AND RAKE THE HAYSEED
OUT OF YOUR HAIR.
Griffith:
THE FIRST DAY
OF REHEARSAL,
WE SAT AROUND THE TABLE
AND READ THE SCRIPT.
DANNY THOMAS, SHELDON LEONARD,
AND A MAN NAMED ARTIE STANDER,
WHO WROTE THE PILOT,
YELLED AT ONE ANOTHER
ALL DAY.
IT'S HIGHWAY ROBBERY,
THAT'S WHAT IT IS!
AND I SAID...
"SHELDON, IF THAT'S
WHAT TELEVISION IS,
I DON'T THINK
I'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE IT."
SHELDON WAS VERY WISE.
HE SAID, "ANDY,"
HE SAID,
"YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
SOMETHING."
HE SAID, "DANNY LIKES TO YELL.
SO WE ALL YELL."
HE SAID, "IF YOU
DON'T WANT TO YELL,
NOBODY WILL YELL."
AND IT WORKED OUT
TO BE TRUE.
Narrator: AFTER THE PILOT
WAS PRODUCED,
ANDY GRIFFITH GOT A CALL
FROM AN OLD FRIEND...
PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT CALL
IN SITCOM HISTORY.
IT WAS DON KNOTTS.
KNOTTS THOUGHT SHERIFF TAYLOR
NEEDED A DEPUTY.
ANDY AGREED.
WHEN HE REALIZED THAT DON
COULD GO,
HE LET HIM GO,
LET HIM CARRY A SCENE,
AND... OR WHOMEVER.
YOU KNOW, HE HAD GREAT RESPECT
FOR OTHER ACTORS.
THAT DOES IT.
NOT QUITE,
SHERIFF. BARNEY...
PLEASE, ANDY!
NOW, MEN, THERE ARE
A FEW THINGS...
Narrator: BARNEY FIFE
SOON EMERGED
AS THE FUNNIEST CHARACTER
ON TELEVISION.
NOW HERE AT THE ROCK,
WE HAVE TWO BASIC RULES!
MEMORIZE THEM SO THAT YOU CAN
SAY THEM IN YOUR SLEEP.
THE FIRST RULE IS...
OBEY ALL RULES!
SECONDLY,
DO NOT WRITE ON THE WALLS,
AS IT TAKES
A LOT OF WORK
TO ERASE WRITING
OFF OF WALLS!
DON BROUGHT ALL THESE EMOTIONS
THAT BARNEY FELT.
HE BROUGHT THEM
INTO HIMSELF,
AND THEN THEY WOULD GO
INTO HIS MIND,
AND THEN I COULD SEE IT
IN HIS EYES.
I COULD SEE HIS EYES
TURN INTO BARNEY FIFE.
IF YOU LOOK
AT, YOU KNOW, DON'S WORK,
I MEAN, HE'S JUST SUCH
A WONDERFUL, CUDDLY GUY.
I MEAN, YOU WOULD LOVE HIM TO BE
THE SHERIFF IN YOUR TOWN,
BECAUSE HE'S NEVER GOING TO HURT
ANYBODY, OBVIOUSLY.
Narrator: DON KNOTTS
WAS THE FIRST
OF SEVERAL KEY ADDITIONS
TO "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW."
THE 13th EPISODE
ADDED FLOYD, THE BARBER.
LATER, GOMER PYLE.
HOWDY, GOMER.
HI, ANDY!
WHAT'LL IT BE?
REGULAR OR HIGH TEST?
I'M GOING TO GET THIS
PUT ON THE PATROL CAR.
YOU WANT THAT
PUT ON YOUR CAR?
SURE AIN'T GOING TO HELP
THE LOOKS OF IT NONE.
UH, IT DON'T GO
ON THE OUTSIDE, GOMER.
GOMER WAS... EVERYBODY THOUGHT
HE WAS STUPID,
BUT HE REALLY WASN'T.
HE JUST WANTED TO SEE
ME, I DON'T DO
NO ENGINE WORK. IN EVERYBODY.
JUST GAS AND OIL,
WATER AND AIR.
WAWE DON'T MAKE
NO CHARGE FOR IT.
I'D NEVER ACTED BEFORE
IN MY LIFE,
AND SO I REMEMBER,
ANDY ANNOUNCED TO THE CREW
AND TO ALL THE CAST,
HE SAID,
"NOW, LISTEN," HE SAID,
"EVERYBODY HERE,"
HE SAYS, "THIS HERE
IS JIM NABORS."
AND SAID, "THIS IS HIS FIRST
TIME TO DO THIS.
"HE DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT HE'S DOING,
"SO ALL YOU HELP HIM OUT
AS MUCH AS YOU CAN."
AND THEY DID, AND THEY WERE
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
ANY QUESTIONS?
YEAH, I GOT
ONE LITTLE BITTY ONE.
Narrator:
IN THE FIRST EPISODES,
GRIFFITH PLAYED THE SHERIFF
BROADLY.
THE DRAWL IS THICK.
THE GRIN,
CONSTANT.
WE GOT ONE ROAD
DOWN THERE
BY THE LAKE
THAT AIN'T EVEN MARKED.
Narrator: AS THE TALENT POOL
AROUND HIM GREW,
GRIFFITH REALIZED
HE WAS BETTER OFF
PLAYING THE STRAIGHT MAN,
A STABLE CENTER
IN A TOWN
OF QUIRKY CHARACTERS.
IT WAS A MASTER STROKE
THAT WOULD KEEP THE SHOW FRESH
FOR YEARS.
ERNEST T.?
I HEAR YOU.
HERE'S WHAT
WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WE'RE GOING TO GET
CHARLENE AND DUD
MARRIED BY A PREACHER.
TOMORROW BEING SUNDAY,
THE PREACHER
WILL BE BY.
GOOD, THEN WE'LL
HAVE 'EM MARRIED
BY A PREACHER TOMORROW.
YEAH, THAT GIVES ME
24 HOURS TO COURT HER!
NOW, YOU JUST HOLD ON!
24 HOURS!
I STILL GOT A CHANCE!
HEE HEE!
HA HA!
HEE HEE!
WOO-HOO!
YIPPITY!
HA HA!
Ernest T.:
WOO-HOO!
IF YOU ASK ME,
THIS ERNEST T. BASS
IS A STRANGE
AND WEIRD CHARACTER.
YES, PLAIN ORNERY
IS WHAT HE IS.
I THINK HE'S A NUT!
THE CHARACTERS IN MAYBERRY
WERE REAL PEOPLE
FROM OUR NECK OF THE WOODS.
WE DIDN'T TRY TO MAKE THEM
CARTOONS OR ANYTHING.
AND I THINK THAT WAS DUE
A LOT TO ANDY.
WE NEVER WANTED TO MAKE A LIE
OUT OF THE CHARACTERS.
SO ANYTHING THAT MADE
THE CHARACTERS SEEM...
WRONG OR GOING
IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
FOR THAT PARTICULAR STORY
WE WERE TELLING,
Eden: I ENJOYED BEING
ON "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
BECAUSE IT WASN'T
AN OBVIOUS COMEDY.
THIS WAS REAL LIFE,
IN A DIFFERENT WORLD
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN AMERICA DON'T UNDERSTAND,
AND CAN'T RELATE TO,
BUT THEY LOVE TO WATCH IT.
AND I THINK ANDY KNEW THAT.
HE WAS... THIS WAS
A BRILLIANT MAN.
THAT WALLY...
WHEN IT COMES TO MOTORS,
HE'S SURE GOT
A GREEN THUMB.
Narrator: UNLIKE LUCY
OR JACKIE,
ANDY HATED THE IDEA
OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE.
TO HIM, LIVE AUDIENCES
CREATED PRESSURE
FOR A STEADY STREAM
OF ONE-LINERS,
PREVENTING SUBTLE
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
SO "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
WAS SHOT LIKE A MOVIE,
WITH NO AUDIENCE,
GIVING THE CAST
AND WRITERS
MUCH GREATER FREEDOM.
WHY DO THEY LEAVE
A BOY LIKE THAT IN CHARGE?
WELL, IT'S JUST
A PART-TIME JOB.
HE'S SAVING UP MONEY
FOR COLLEGE.
STUDYING TO BE
A DOCTOR.
AND SO DON AND I CAN DO
THESE LITTLE QUIET SCENES,
OR ME AND RONNIE
OR ME AND AUNT BEE,
OR FLOYD THE BARBER.
ANY OF US, WE CAN DO
THESE LONG, LITTLE NICE SCENES
WITHOUT HAVING TO GO
FOR A JOKE.
PA?
MM?
SHE SURE IS PRETTY,
AIN'T SHE?
SHE SURE IS.
NIGHT, PA.
NIGHT.
HE GOT AWAY!
Narrator: WORKING WITHOUT
AN AUDIENCE
ALSO MADE IT EASIER
TO CREATE THE ILLUSION
THAT MAYBERRY WAS
A REAL PLACE.
VIEWERS SAW THE TOWN STREETS,
GOT INSIDE THE SHOPS.
EVEN THE ACCENTS SEEMED RIGHT.
WE USED TO LAUGH A LOT,
BECAUSE I TALK LIKE GOMER,
YOU KNOW,
AND ANDY HAD A REAL
SOUTHERN DRAWL,
AND DON WAS FROM
WEST VIRGINIA,
AND WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT
WHERE AUNT BEE WAS FROM.
"AHN-DEE!"
WE SAID, "WHERE IS SHE FROM?"
BUT, NO, IT WAS...
NO, HE WAS VERY TRUE
TO OUR AREA,
ANDY WAS, AND HE REALLY
WORKED HARD
TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
I NOTICED THE OTHER DAY
ON THE OPENING
OF "THE GRIFFITH SHOW,"
WHERE RONNIE AND I ARE WALKING
DOWN TO THE FISHING HOLE,
AT SOME POINT... I THINK IT'S
AFTER HE THROWS THE ROCK...
I LOOK AT HIM, AND I GO,
"WHEW," LIKE THAT.
Announcer:
"THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW."
STARRING ANDY GRIFFITH.
THAT WAS MY FATHER.
MY FATHER DID THAT.
"WHEW."
SO I DO MY FATHER.
Narrator: THE SUCCESS
OF "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
FUELED A SURGE
IN RURAL SITCOMS.
INCLUDING "GREEN ACRES,"
"PETTICOAT JUNCTION,"
AND "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES."
THE SHOWS WERE POPULAR,
BUT GRIFFITH POINTS
TO AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.
Griffith: WE WANT THEM
TO LAUGH WITH US, NOT AT US.
THAT'S WHY WE WERE DIFFERENT
FROM THOSE OTHER SHOWS.
Narrator: DESPITE
THE MAJOR TREND
TOWARD RURAL SITCOMS,
ONE URBAN COMEDY
DID MAKE A MARK
IN THE EARLY 1960s...
PERHAPS THE MOST INNOVATIVE SHOW
OF THE PERIOD.
Announcer:
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW."
STARRING DICK VAN DYKE.
Narrator: DESPITE
THE TITLE,
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
WAS ACTUALLY
THE CREATION OF CARL REINER.
AFTER A LONG RUN
ON SID CAESAR'S
"YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS,"
REINER FOUND HIMSELF
OUT OF WORK IN 1959.
HE WENT TO THE BEACH
THAT SUMMER
AND DID SOMETHING
NO ONE HAD DONE BEFORE...
WROTE 13 FULL EPISODES
OF A NEW SITCOM.
THEN REINER MADE
ONE MAJOR MISTAKE.
HE CAST HIMSELF
AS THE LEAD.
RICHARD, COME,
SIT OVER HERE.
SIT HERE,
AND YOU'LL SEE
HOW DADDY WRITES
"THE ALAN STURDY SHOW."
DO YOU NEED THEM
TO HELP YOU, DADDY?
WELL, NO, I DON'T.
Narrator: THE PILOT
WASN'T PICKED UP.
THE WHOLE CONCEPT
MIGHT HAVE ENDED RIGHT THERE.
BUT PRODUCER
SHELDON LEONARD
SAW THE BRILLIANCE
OF THE SCRIPTS
AND PERSUADED REINER TO LET
SOMEONE ELSE PLAY THE LEAD.
BUT WHO?
GREW UP WATCHING
LAUREL AND HARDY MOVIES.
INSPIRED TO PERFORM,
HE APPEARED ON LOCAL TV SHOWS,
SUMMER VARIETY PROGRAMS,
AND WAS EVENTUALLY SIGNED
BY CBS IN 1956.
THE PROBLEM WAS THAT
NO ONE WAS QUITE SURE
HOW TO SHOWCASE
VAN DYKE'S TALENTS.
THEY TRIED GAME SHOWS...
EVEN GAVE HIM A SPOT
ON THE CBS MORNING NEWS SHOW
WITH WALTER CRONKITE.
Van Dyke:
I DIDN'T LIKE IT.
I REALIZED IT WASN'T
FOR ME.
THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE THEY
LET CRONKITE GO FROM THAT
AND GAVE HIM ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT.
AND IT CAME OUT IN THE PAPER
THAT I HAD FIRED HIM.
AND WALTER CRONKITE CALLED ME UP
AND I SAID, "WALTER, I DON'T
HAVE ANY CLOUT AROUND HERE!"
I'M A KID!
I CAN'T FIRE YOU!
HE THOUGHT I HAD FIRED HIM.
Narrator: BY 1963,
VAN DYKE LANDED ON BROADWAY
IN "BYE BYE BIRDIE."
WHEN CARL REINER SAW
THE MUSICAL,
HE REALIZED HE HAD FOUND
THE PERFECT LEAD
FOR HIS NEW SITCOM.
I WAS FUNNY
ON THE "VAN DYKE SHOW"
BECAUSE OF CARL REINER,
WHO IS A GREAT, GREAT
COMEDY WRITER.
Narrator:
BUT CASTING THE LEAD
AFTER ADDING COMEDY VETERANS
ROSE MARIE AND MOREY AMSTERDAM,
REINER WAS STUMPED
IN HIS ATTEMPT
HE INTERVIEWED
TOMORE THAN 60 ACTRESSES..
NONE SEEMED RIGHT.
THE ANSWER FINALLY CAME
FROM CO-PRODUCER DANNY THOMAS,
WHO HAD WANTED TO HIRE
A CERTAIN UNKNOWN
TO PLAY HIS DAUGHTER
BUT TURNED HER DOWN
Moore: I HAD AUDITIONED
FOR A MOFOR DANNY. REASON.
HE CAME OVER TO ME AND SAID,
"MARY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW
"THAT THE REASON YOU GOT...
YOU DIDN'T GET THE JOB
"IS NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
A GOOD ACTRESS,
"IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE
A VERY FUNNY NOSE,
AND NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE
YOU'RE MY DAUGHTER."
Narrator: DANNY THOMAS
REMEMBERED THE NOSE.
BUT HE COULDN'T REMEMBER
WHO THE ACTRESS WAS,
EXCEPT THAT SHE HAD
THREE NAMES.
THE HUNT WAS ON
FOR THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL
WITH THREE NAMES.
FINALLY, THEY LOCATED
MARY TYLER MOORE.
AND THEY CALLED ME IN.
I ALMOST DIDN'T GO.
BECAUSE I HAD LOST OUT ON,
I GUESS THREE ROLES
IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
I JUST DIDN'T GET THEM.
AND I WAS FEELING
VERY SORRY FOR MYSELF
AND WAS HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE
WITH A GIRLFRIEND,
AND SHE SAID,
"WELL, THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
"YOU JUST PUT THAT CUP DOWN
AND GET IN THE CAR
AND GO OVER
AND INTERVIEW FOR THIS!"
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW."
AND I DID.
HI, HONEY...
WHO NEEDS KISSING
JUST AN ADESPERATELY.WIFE
WASN'T LIKE EARLIER
MARYTV MOMS.OORE
HER CHARACTER WAS ALLURING,
EVEN PROVOCATIVE.
WHERE'S RICH?
IS THAT ALL
YOU'VE GOT TO SAY?
WELL, WHAT
DID YOU EXPECT?
HOW ABOUT,
"WHY THE BIG SEXY HELLO?"
OF "DID YOU
SMASH A FENDER?"
OR "HOW MUCH
DID THE DRESS COST?"
WELL, I'LL TRY ALL THREE.
WHY THE, DID YOU,
AND HOW MUCH?
WELL, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU,
I DIDN'T,
AND $12.95.
OH, WONDERFUL.
WHERE IS RICH?
WELL, I DIDN'T WANT HIM
POPPING IN ON US SUDDENLY.
OH?
WHAT DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?
WELL...
I WANT TO BE ALONE
WITH YOU JUST A MINUTE.
WELL, DARLING,
HOW ROMANTIC!
DO YOU KNOW
SOMETHING?
YOU'VE BEEN SEEING
TOO MANY ITALIAN MOVIES.
Narrator:
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
WAS NOT AN INSTANT HIT.
SCHEDULED AGAINST POWERHOUSE
PERRY COMO,
THE RATINGS WERE DISMAL.
BUT THE SHOW GRADUALLY
PICKED UP STEAM,
ESPECIALLY AS REINER BEGAN
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF HIS CAST'S UNIQUE TALENTS.
ROB PETRIE WASN'T SUPPOSED
TO HAVE BEEN A KLUTZ
IN THE BEGINNING.
CARL KNEW I LOVED
TO DO THE PHYSICAL STUFF.
OR HE WOULD JUST SAY,
"DICK DOES FIVE MINUTES HERE,"
AND LET ME
COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
HUH... HUH...
HUH... I CAN'T USE THAT,
IT'S MONOGRAMMED!
OH, BOY.
I CAN'T BLOW
ON YOUR FAMILY CREST!
HAH...
NO, NO, DON'T...
OH, I'M SORRY, JERRY.
HUH...
OH, THERE'S...
I CAN'T...
AH... AH...
NO!
AH... AH...
AH...
AH...
AGH!
AH... AH...
HUH?
AH!
AH, AH!
AH... AH...
AH-CHOO!
VERY, VERY GOOD.
Narrator: A SEASONED VAUDEVILLE
COMEDIAN,
MOREY AMSTERDAM WROTE MANY
OF HIS OWN JOKES...
OFTEN ON THE SPOT.
WHEN WE DID THE "VAN DYKE SHOW,"
THERE WERE A LOT OF TIMES
WE WERE STUCK
FOR JOKES AND LINES AND THINGS
LIKE THAT,
AND MOREY WOULD SAY,
"I'LL FIND A BETTER LINE.
DON'T SAY THAT,
I'LL FIND A BETTER LINE."
AND HE'D COME UP WITH NOT ONE...
THREE OR FOUR.
PICK... YOU KNOW,
PICK WHICH ONE YOU LIKED BEST.
Buddy:
OKAY, GOOD, GOOD,
AND MAYBE WE CAN GET HIM
TO DO
SOME MONEY JOKES, LIKE,
"HE'S SO RICH THAT..."
HE'S SO RICH
THAT HE'S EVEN
GOT AND WHEN HE GETS OUT,
HE LEAVES
A 14-KARAT RING.
AH, NAH, THIS GUY
IS TOO RICH TO TAKE A BATH.
TOO RICH TO TAKE A BATH?
I MEAN, A REGULAR BATH.
HE TAKES MILK BATHS,
THAT'S IT, MILK BATHS.
OH, I GOT IT,
HE TIES A COW
TO THE CEILING
AND TAKES A SHOWER!
LOOK, DON'T WORRY,
WE'LL GET SOME GOOD JOKES LATER.
WELL, YOU DIDN'T SAY
YOU WANTED GOOD JOKES.
LOOK...
Narrator: WHEN THE SERIES BEGAN,
MARY TYLER MOORE
SHE WAS A ROOKIE
IN A CAST OF VETERANS.
BUT AS HER COMIC TALENTS
BEGAN TO BLOSSOM,
REINER EXPANDED
HER CHARACTER.
SHE JUST GOT IT
SO QUICKLY.
THAT I'M STILL FASCINATED
BY HOW FAST SHE GREW
ON THAT SHOW.
CARL COULD SEE THAT I HAD
SOME... IF NOT ABILITY,
THAT'S IT!
THAT'S EXACTLY IT! FOR HUMOR.
WHAT'S IT?
DON'T UNDERSTAND!
OH, BOY.
Moore:
AND I GOT TO CRY.
AND I PREPARED
VERY WELL.
I COPIED EVERYTHING
THAT NANETTE FABRAY
EVER DID IN A CRYING SCENE.
AND SHE WAS THE MASTER.
HONEY?
HONEY, YOU MEAN
YOU'VE BEEN SAVING THIS
TO BUY ME AN XKGJFK400?
I WANTED TO BUY YOU
AN IMPORTANT PRESENT.
AN IMPOR...
WELL, HONEY,
HONEY, IT'S
A WONDERFUL THOUGHT,
BUT IT'S
A LITTLE BIT CRAZY.
WHERE DID YOU EVER
GET AN IDEA LIKE THAT?
FROM MY MOTHER.
YOUR MOTHER?
SHE SAVED FOR YEARS,
AND THEN, ON THEIR
25th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY,
SHE BOUGHT MY FATHER
A BIG, IMPORTANT PRESENT.
WELL, WHAT
DID SHE GET HIM?
HIS OWN ROOM.
Narrator:
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
WAS A DISTINCTIVE MIX
OF SOPHISTICATION
AND SLAPSTICK,
WELL-ROUNDED CHARACTER COMEDY,
PEPPERED WITH
GLIB ONE-LINERS
ALWAYS HELD TOGETHER
ITBY CREATOR CARL REINER.,
HE'S A GENIUS,
HE'S A BRILLIANT MAN.
I'D HAD A CRUSH ON HIM
WHEN I USED TO WATCH HIM
ON THE SID CAESAR SHOWS.
HE WAS SO HANDSOME TO ME,
AND SO DEBONAIR.
AND YET HE WAS A BUFFOON
WHEN HE WANTED TO BE.
HE WAS... HE WAS JUST GREAT.
HIS GREAT TALENT WAS HEARING
YOUR SPEECH PATTERNS
AND YOUR TEMPO,
AND THE WAY YOU SPOKE,
AND HE WROTE IT
SO THAT YOU DIDN'T
HAVE TO DO ANYTHING
WITH THE LINE.
IT WAS WRITTEN THE WAY
THAT ACTOR SPOKE.
HE DID IT FOR MARY,
FOR MOREY.
HE HAD MOREY'S RAPID-FIRE...
AND IT WAS SO EASY!
I THINK TWO THINGS
ARE VERY FUNNY.
WHAT'S FUNNAN ITCH. THAT?
A TOOTH ITCH?
NO, NO.
ALAN GETS THIS ITCH
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF HIS BACK,
AND HE CAN'T SCRATCH IT.
HEY, YEAH, THAT
COULD BE GOOD.
SAY... SAY THAT HE'S
A CONCERT PIANIST,
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF A RECITAL,
HE GETS THAT ITCH
RIGHT BETWEEN
HIS SHOULDER BLADES.
DO IT, ROB,
DO IT, DO IT.
Narrator: AFTER
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
LEFT THE AIR IN 1966,
SITCOMS BEGAN
A GRADUAL TRANSITION
TO A NEW ERA.
THE INNOCENCE
WOULD BE REPLACED
BY RELEVANCE.
THIS SECOND WAVE
WOULD TAKE THE SITCOM
IN A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION.
A FEW PIONEERS,
LIKE MARY TYLER MOORE,
WOULD RIDE THE NEW WAVE.
BUT MOST WERE HAPPY
TO STEP ASIDE.
THEY HAD MADE THEIR MARK,
ESTABLISHED
THE SITCOM FORM.
I MEAN, AFTER ALL,
IT'S,
IT'S MEN LIKE YOU
THAT MADE AMERICA GREAT.
HE FELT THAT,
WHEN YOU DID IT SPONTANEOUSLY,
IT WAS VERY RIGHT
AND VERY FUNNY,
AND I THINK HE WAS CORRECT,
YOU KNOW, IT WORKED.
IF YOU COME
FROM YOUR OWN HEART,
IF YOU COME
FROM REALLY WHERE YOU ARE,
IF YOU TRY TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT PEOPLE WANT,
IT ALMOST NEVER WORKS.
PETE DOOLEY'S TRUCK
SPLASHED MUD
ALL OVER MISS FLETCHER.
AND I SEEN VIOLA McCONKER
SNEAK OUT BY OUR BARN
IT CAME DOWN TO ALL OF US
WANTED OUR TOWN TO BE THAT WAY.
AND IT -ALL RIGHT.HAT WAY.
I, UH...
BELIEVE THAT FINISHES
THE GAME, MR. PETRIE.
I MEAN, IT'S WONDERFUL
TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE
GET A LAUGH.
BUT IT'S GOD'S OWN GIFT
TO GET ONE YOURSELF.
WE ENDED UP WITH A GROUP
OF FIVE PEOPLE
WHO JUST WENT LIKE THAT
THE FIRST DAY.
AND WE WORKED LIKE A TEAM
AND HAD SUCH FUN.
IT'S LIKE SINGING
IN A QUARTET.
OR PLAYING
IN A QUARTET.
WHEN IT ALL WORKS,
IT'S JUST GREAT FUN.
OW!
OW!
YEAH, YEAH!
TAKE IT!
MM! MM!
YOU TELL ME
THAT ISN'T FUNNY, BOY.
THAT IS A MIRACLE!
WITH THE ITCH!
WITH THE ITCH!
WE WERE ALL HAVING
A WONDERFUL TIME AND SAYING,
"PLEASE LET THIS GO ON!"
BECAUSE WE LOVED IT.
Narrator: THEY LOVED IT.
AND WE STILL LOVE THEM...
THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
"PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
WILL CONTINUE IN A MOMENT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,
NEXT TIME, ON
"PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"...
LET ME CLOSE MY EYES
AND JUST, UH...
WE'RE DELIGHTED YOU JOINED US
TONIGHT FOR OUR FIRST SHOW.
EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION
THAT YOU HAVE
IS EXACTLY
THE WAY I WORK.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR EXERCISE?
I STUMBLE, AND THEN
I FALL INTO A COMA.
WE'RE NOT ON TELEVISION, WE'RE
JUST SITTING HERE, CHATTING.
MAY I HAVE SILENCE,
PLEASE?
YOU'VE HAD IT
MANY TIMES BEFORE.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU,
I'M TELLING YOU.
POPPING IN ON OH? WHAT DID YOU
WSUDDENLY. HAVE IN MIND?
WELL...
WATER AND AIR IS FREE.
WE DON'T MAKE
NO CHARGE FOR IT.
HE TAKES MILK BATHS,
THAT'S IT, MILK BATHS.
OH, I GOT IT,
HE TIES A COW TO THE CEILING
AND TAKES A SHOWER.
THE FIRST RULE IS...
OBEY ALL RULES!
THIS PROGRAM
BY CONTRIBUTIONS
TO YOUR PBS STATION
FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU.
Narrator: THEY CREATED
THE CHARACTERS
THAT MAKE US LAUGH.
VIV?
HUH?
DO YOU THINK
WE COULD
SQUEEZE OUT
THROUGH THE TOP?
WE MIGHT...
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO.
IN A FEW MINUTES,
WE'LL BE ABLE TO FLOAT OUT.
YOU KNOW, SHE IS
A BRILLIANT CLOWN.
SHE CREATES HER OWN COMEDY.
THEYNarrator: THEY BROUGHT US
A FTOGETHER, WEEK AFTER WEEK.
WHAT'S THE MATTER, RALPH?
YOU GOT AN ITCH?
I CAN'T REACH IT.
WILL YOU GRAB IT?
SURE.
WHERE IS IT?
TO THE LEFT.
UP.
OVER.
NOW GO!
I THINK JACKIE
INSTINCTIVELY KNEW
WHAT AN AUDIENCE WANTED.
AND HE GAVE IT TO THEM.
THANK YOU, SHERIFF.
Narrator:
THEY OFFERED A GLIMPSE
OF A BETTER LIFE,
A HAPPIER TIME.
OH, WELL,
IT'S MY FAULT
IF BARNEY
WAS SNOOZING A LITTLE.
SEE, I HAD HIM OUT
TILL 4:00 THIS MORNING
ON A CHICKEN STAKE-OUT.
WE GOT A TIP
THAT BUZZ JENKINS
HAS BEEN LIFTING
A FEW FRYERS
FROM AL'S
POULTRY HEADQUARTERS.
OH, DEAR.
OH, DEAR!
YOU KNOW BUZZ?
THAT'S WHERE I'M
HAVING SUPPER
THIS EVENING.
IT WAS NOT A REAL PLACE,
BUT YOU WANTED IT TO BE.
SAID, "DO YOU THINK
THAT'S FUNNY?"
AND I SAID, "OH, LORD,
YES, THAT'S FUNNY."
AND THAT WAS THE BEGINNING.
Narrator: THEIR FAMILIES
BECAME OURS,
ROLE MODELS
FOR A GENERATION.
TO THANK
YOU AND DADDYTHANK US FOR WHAT?
WELL, TO GET IN
TO THE LITTLE LEAGUE,
YOU HAVE TO BE BETWEEN
EIGHT AND TWELVE YEARS OLD.
SO I WANT TO THANK
YOU AND DADDY
FOR ME BEING BORN
EIGHT YEARS AGO.
YOU'RE VERY WELCOME.
BUT BELIEVE ME,
AT THE TIME,
WE WEREN'T THINKING
OF BASEBALL.
HE SAID, "IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET
AN AUDIENCE TO FOLLOW YOU,
YOU HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH
THE WHOLE WAY."
TO BRING US
THTHEIR VISION.,
I'M SO UNHAPPY!
WHY?
BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T
WATCH ALL OF THE SHOW.
WHY, I TOLD YOU,
I HAD TO WORK.
NO, ROB, AT THE VERY
END OF THE SHOW,
I DIDN'T HANDLE MYSELF
TOO WELL
WHEN THAT PATRICK RAT...
OH, HE GOT YOU TO SAY
SOMETHING EMBARRASSING?
WHAT WAS IT?
THAT ALAN BRADY
IS BALD.
I WAS FUNNY ON
THE "VAN DYKE SHOW"
BECAUSE OF CARL REINER,
WHO IS A GREAT, GREAT
COMEDY WRITER.
WE KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING
VERY GOOD,
AND SOMETHING INNOVATIVE.
IT WAS... IT WAS
INTELLIGENT COMEDY.
Narrator: TOGETHER,
THEY DESIGNED THE TEMPLATES
FOR A WHOLE NEW FORM
OF ENTERTAINMENT...
THE SITCOM.
THEY ARE
THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
FALL, 1955.
JACKIE GLEASON HAS SCRAPPED
HIS POPULAR VARIETY HOUR,
IN FAVOR OF AN EXPERIMENT...
A HALF-HOUR SITCOM
BASED ON ONE OF HIS SKETCHES.
NO ONE BELIEVES THIS IS
A GOOD IDEA.
NO ONE EXCEPT JACKIE.
SEE, THAT'S WHAT
I'M TALKING ABOUT,
RIGHT OVER THERE,
GOT TO GET THAT ANGLE.
Narrator: CBS EXECUTIVES
WANTED GLEASON
TO STAY WITH THE VARIETY SHOW,
A PROVEN HIT,
AND CRITICS WONDERED WHY
GLEASON WOULD GIVE UP
THE CHANCE TO DO MULTIPLE
CHARACTERS EVERY WEEK.
NOW HE WOULD LIMIT HIMSELF
TO JUST ONE...
RALPH KRAMDEN.
DESPITE THE SKEPTICISM,
GLEASON HELD FAST.
AND ON OCTOBER 1, 1955,
"THE HONEYMOONERS" SERIES
WENT ON THE AIR
FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME.
THE SEASON'S RATINGS
WERE NOT GREAT.
"THE HONEYMOONERS"
DIDN'T EVEN
WIN ITS TIME SLOT THAT YEAR.
BUT THOSE 39 EPISODES
LIVED ON,
ENTERTAINING GENERATION
AFTER GENERATION.
AND IT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED
WITHOUT THE VISION AND TALENT
OF ONE JACKIE GLEASON.
Randolph:
HE RAN EVERYTHING.
HE PICKED THE COSTUMES,
YOU KNOW, HE JUST,
EVERYONE DEFERRED TO HIM
FOR EVERY QUESTION!
IT WAS AMAZING!
AND HE SEEMED TO BE RIGHT
MOST OF THE TIME.
INSTINCTIVELY, HE KNEW
WHAT WAS RIGHT,
EVEN THOUGH HE WASN'T
A WELL-SCHOOLED MAN.
BUT THEATRICALLY,
♪ JUST WAIT TILL I GET BACK ♪
♪ TO OHIO! ♪♪
Narrator: JACKIE GLEASON
GOT HIS START
IN SMALL NIGHTCLUBS.
AND HIS REPUTATION
GREW QUICKLY.
HE STOLE MOST OF HIS JOKES.
BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY MATTER.
JACKIE'S APPEAL
WASN'T THE JOKE.
IT WAS HIM.
BIG, BROAD, IMPROVISATIONAL.
HE COULD TAKE ON
ANY CHARACTER,
MAKE ANYTHING FUNNY.
JACKIE GLEASON WAS ONE
OF THE FUNNIEST COMIC ACTORS
IN THE WORLD.
HARRY, WHEN ARE WE
GOING TO GET SOME ACTION?
WE'RE JUST ABOUT
OUT OF DOUGH.
Narrator: BY THE 1940s,
GLEASON'S ACTING SKILLS
LANDED HIM MINOR ROLES
IN HOLLYWOOD FILMS.
BUT THE MOVIES COULDN'T CAPTURE
GLEASON'S STRENGTH.
HE NEEDED A STAGE,
AN AUDIENCE
TO INSPIRE THE RAW,
SEAT-OF-THE-PANTS EXCITEMENT
THAT BEDEMARK.
I, UH...
THAT TIME,
GOING OVER THERE.
THIS IS NOTHING.
LOOK AT THE TUMBLE...
Narrator:
FED UP WITH HOLLYWOOD,
GLEASON RETURNED
TO NEW YORK
AND TOOK A SHOT
AT LIVE TELEVISION.
ALL YOU NEED IS
JUST A LITTLE SHAVE.
Narrator: GLEASON SOON LANDED
HIS OWN VARIETY SHOW,
WHERE HE DID A WIDE RANGE
OF CHARACTERS
EVERY WEEK.
BUT ONE SKETCH BECAME
AN AUDIENCE FAVORITE...
"THE HONEYMOONERS."
GET A LOAD OF THIS.
"DEAR ALICE,
MEET ME AT THE SAME SPOT
"THIS AFTERNOON,
AND I'LL
TAKE YOU AROUND
TO A FEW PLACES."
"THEN I'LL SNEAK UP
TO YOUR PLACE TONIGHT
WHILE RALPH
IS OUT BOWLING."
SIGNED, "JOE."
GET A LOAD OF THAT.
"THEN I'LL SNEAK UP
TO YOUR PLACE TONIGHT
WHILE RALPH
IS OUT BOWLING."
DON'T LET IT UPSET YOU,
WILL YOU, PAL?
COME ON,
DON'T LET IT UPSET YOU...
YOU'LL BOWL ROCKS
TONIGHT.
Narrator: GLEASON'S FOIL
ON "THE HONEYMOONERS"
WAS ART CARNEY.
QUIET AND EASYGOING,
CARNEY WAS THE OPPOSITE
OF THE MERCURIAL GLEASON
IN NEARLY EVERY WAY.
BUT THERE WAS ONE TRAIT
THEY DID HAVE IN COMMON.
THE TWO WERE JUST
THEY WMAGIC TOGETHER.UNNY.
I DON'T THINK THAT JACKIE
WOULD HAVE...
BEEN THAT GREAT
WITHOUT ART.
I...
OH, "I, I, I" NOTHING!
Narrator: IN THIS RARE,
EARLY VERSION
PERT KELTON PLAYED
GLEASON'S WIFE, ALICE.
THE SCRIPTS WERE DARKER,
MORE GRITTY.
AND GLEASON PLAYED IT
WITH STRIKING REALISM.
AREN'T YOU
ASHAMED OF YOURSELF?
AREN'T YOU ASHAMED?
ME OUT WORKING HARD
ALL DAY,
AND YOU RUNNING AROUND
WITH SOME SNEAK
BY THE NAME OF JOE!
YOU OUGHTA BE
ASHAMED OF YOURSELF!
RALPH!
DON'T "RALPH" ME!
MAYBE THIS JOE
HAS THAT CADILLAC.
OR MAYBE JOE'S
MAYBE JOE'S GOTGOT FINGERNAILS
THAT ARE MANICURED.
BUT I COULDA HAD A CADILLAC.
I COULDA HAD
MANICURED NAILS,
AND I COULDA HAD
FANCY CLOTHES!
BUT I DIDN'T THROW
MY MONEY AWAY
ON ANYTHING FOOLISH
LIKE THAT, NO SIR.
I TOOK WHAT LITTLE MONEY
I HAD
AND GOT A TWIN BURIAL PLOT
FOR US!
WHEN GLEASON
SWITCHED NETWORKS,
PERT KELTON
LEFT THE CAST.
OFFICIALLY, THE REASON
WAS HEALTH PROBLEMS.
BUT IN TRUTH,
KELTON WAS BLACKLISTED,
FALSELY ACCUSED
OF COMMUNIST TIES.
FOR KELTON, AS WITH MOST
BLACKLISTED PERFORMERS,
IT WACBS SAID THAT SHELOW.
WASN'T GOING TO BE
ON THEIR NETWORK.
SO JACKIE HAD TO FIND
SOMEONE ELSE.
AND HE FOUND AUDREY.
Narrator: AT FIRST,
GLEASON DIDN'T WANT
AUDREY MEADOWS
TO PLAY HIS WIFE.
HE THOUGHT SHE WAS
TOO PRETTY.
BUT WITH A LITTLE MAKEUP
AND A LOT OF ATTITUDE,
MEADOWS SEALED THE ROLE
AND SOON BECAME
ONE OF GLEASON'S
GREATEST ASSETS,
TRADING BARBS
AS HIS EQUAL.
I HOPE, ALICE,
THAT YOU'RE
NOT GOING TO ASK ME
TO TAKE
THIS POTATO SALAD
BACK TO DE VITO'S,
GET MY MONEY,
AND THEN WALK
TWO BLOCKS
DOWN TO CROSS'S DELICATESSEN
TO GET
THE POTATO SALAD THERE.
I HOPE YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO ASK ME THAT.
I HOPE YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO ASK ME THAT!
I'M NOT
ASKING YOU, RALPH.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU,
I'M TELLING YOU.
THAT'S RIGHT.YOU'RE TELLING ME?
THAT'S RIGHT! YOU'RE TELLING ME!
YOU'RE TELLING ME?
YOU'RE TELLING ME?
ALL RIGHT!
I'LL GO!
BUT I'M NOT GOING
TO YOUR MOTHER'S TOMORROW!
Narrator: WHEN
"THE HONEYMOONERS"
BECAME A SERIES
IN 1955,
GLEASON INSISTED
ON PRODUCING
TWO EPISODES EVERY WEEK.
SO, ON ANY GIVEN DAY,
CARNEY, MEADOWS, AND FOURTH
CAST MEMBER JOYCE RANDOLPH
WOULD SPEND HOURS
MEMORIZING
AND REHEARSING THEIR LINES.
BUT GLEASON
DID NOT PARTICIPATE.
JACKIE BELIEVED THAT PREPARATION
MADE COMEDY STALE.
Randolph: WE JUST KNEW
HE WANTED IT
SPONTANEOUS AND FAST
AND LIVE AND TRUE,
AND HE FELT THAT YOU DIDN'T
GET THOSE THINGS
IF YOU HAD BEEN DOING IT
OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
IT JUST WASN'T FRESH ENOUGH
FOR HIM.
AND MAYBE HE WAS INSPIRED
WHEN HE WAS NERVOUS,
AND I THINK PERHAPS
WE ALL WERE.
Narrator: OFF CAMERA,
JACKIE GLEASON
LIVED LARGE.
HE HAD A TEMPESTUOUS REPUTATION.
BUT THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED
WITH JACKIE
SAW HIM VERY DIFFERENTLY.
HE COULD DO EVERYTHING.
AND I THOUGHT HE WAS
A VERY SWEET MAN,
YOU KNOW, I MEAN,
HE HAD A REPUTATION SOMETIMES
OF BEING TOUGH...
WHO WAS AN ENORMOUSLY GREAT
ACTOR.
AND A GIFTED, GIFTED
COMEDIAN.
AND THAT THERE WAS NOTHING
THAT HE EVER DID
THAT DIDN'T... I DON'T EVEN CARE
IF IT WAS THE SMALLEST SKETCH...
THAT YOU DIDN'T GO,
"WHOA!"
AND PARTICULARLY TO ACTRESSES,
I THINK,
AND HE WAS KIND TO EVERYBODY.
WELL, LIKE, I GUESS
I HEARD HIM YELL A FEW TIMES,
BUT...
NOT AT "HONEYMOONERS" PEOPLE.
RALPH, WHY DO YOU
GET YOURSELF
INTO SPOTS LIKE THIS?
YOU WANT
TO KNOW WHY, ALICE?
I'LL TELL YOU WHY.
IT'S BECAUSE I HAVE
A BIG MOUTH!
THAT'S WHY!
A BIG MOUTH!
Narrator:
GLEASON DECIDED
TO END
THE "HONEYMOONERS" SITCOM
AFTER JUST ONE SEASON.
39 EPISODES.
HIS REASON... HE BELIEVED
THE SERIES
HAD RUN OUT OF IDEAS.
AND HE DIDN'T WANT
THE SHOW'S QUALITY TO SLIP.
GLEASON WOULD CONTINUE
ON TELEVISION
FOR THE NEXT 15 YEARS,
REPRISING HIS TRADEMARK
RALPH KRAMDEN
IN COUNTLESS SKETCHES.
VIEWERS ENJOYED
REVISITING THIS OLD FRIEND.
EVERY WEEK,
YOU COME HOME
WITH SOME NEW, CRAZY,
HAREBRAINED SCHEME!
THAT'S ALL I'VE HEARD
FOR THE PAST 14 YEARS...
ONE CRAZY, HAREBRAINED
SCHEME AFTER ANOTHER!
THAT IS ALL I HAVE HEARD
SINCE THE DAY
THAT WE GOT MARRIED.
YOU HEARD ONE
OF MY HAREBRAINED SCHEMES
BEFORE WE GOT MARRIED.
I PROPOSED TO YOU!
DON'T YOU EVER
SAY THAT AGAIN, RALPH.
Narrator: THE FINAL EPISODE
OF "THE HONEYMOONERS" SITCOM
MARKED THE END
OF AN ERA.
THE SITCOM INDUSTRY
WAS LEAVING NEW YORK
AND HEADING WEST,
FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS
OF TELEVISION'S
BIGGEST HIT EVER.
♪ DU BARRY WAS
A LADY ♪
♪ NO MATTER WHAT
THEY MAY SAY ♪
♪ DU BARRY WAS A LADY ♪
Narrator: LUCILLE BALL
WAS POPULAR
EVEN BEFORE
HER LANDMARK SITCOM,
APPEARING IN DOZENS
OF MOVIES.
WOULD YOU ACCEPT
THIS LITTLE TOKEN?
OH! DARLING!
YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T
HAVE DONE IT.
OH, LOUIS, I JUST
CAN'T ACCEPT THIS.
OH, NO, REALLY,
I JUST CAN'T ACCEPT IT.
ALL RIGHT,
THEN GIVE IT BACK.
Narrator:
LUCY'S COMIC TALENTS
TRANSLATED WELL
TO RADIO,
WI "MY FAVORITE HUSBAND." AR
Ball: NO, NO,
LET ME EXPLAIN, GEORGE.
YOU SEE, I SENT THE BUTCHER
A VALENTINE BY MISTAKE,
AND SINCE
IT WAS ALREADY MAILED,
Richard Denning: THE BUTCHER?
Ball: NO, THE MAILMAN.
I WAITED
AT THE BUTCHER SHOP
UNTIL HE GOT THERE,
AND WHEN I
GRABBED THE VALENTINE,
HE CALLED THE POLICE!
Denning: THE MAILMAN?
Ball: NO, THE BUTCHER.
AND I TRIED TO EXPLAIN
HOW IT WAS ALL A MISTAKE,
Denning: THE MAILMAN
OR THE BUTCHER?
Ball: THE POLICEMAN.
THEN WE ALL HAD TO GO
IN A POLICE CAR,
AND HE SAID IT WAS
A FEDERAL OFFENSE
Denning: THE MAILMAN,
THE BUTCHER,
OR THE POLICEMAN?
Ball: THE JUDGE.
Narrator: WHEN HER RADIO SHOW
WAS ADAPTED FOR TV,
BALL INSISTED
ON A NEW ACTOR
TO PLAY HER COSTAR.
HER HUSBAND,
THE MAN DESI ARNAZ.MIND...
THE NETWORK
WAS NOT ENTHUSED.
ARNAZ WAS CUBAN,
AND CBS THOUGHT
AN ETHNICALLY MIXED MARRIAGE
JUST WASN'T PLAUSIBLE.
BUT LUCILLE BALL
WAS TOUGH.
DESI GOT THE JOB.
HE KNEW HIS PART.
HE KNEW WHO HE WAS
ON THAT SHOW.
AND HE CERTAINLY
KNEW HER VALUE.
YOU KNOW, THEY WORKED.
THEY WERE PERFECT TOGETHER.
RICKY, ARE YOU
STILL MAD?
RICKY, TALK TO ME.
ARE YOU STILL MAD?
NO, DEAR.
LET'S JUST FORGET IT.
I CAN'T FORGET IT
UNTIL I KNOW
YOU STILL LOVE ME.
I LOVE YOU.
IF YOU LOVE ME,
YOU'LL GIVE ME
A GREAT BIG KISS.
COME ON.
KISS ME.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?
LUCY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO...
Narrator:
BEHIND THE SCENES,
DESI DEMONSTRATED
ONE OF THE SHARPEST MINDS
IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS.
HE UNDERSTOOD THAT LUCY
NEEDED THE FEEDBACK
OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE.
BUT THAT WAS
A REVOLUTIONARY IDEA
IN HOLLYWOOD,
BACK IN 1951.
NONE OF THE PRODUCTION STUDIOS
COULD ACCOMMODATE AUDIENCES.
BUT DESI ARNAZ WASN'T
ABOUT TO GIVE UP.
BECAUSE SITCOM ACTORS
THRIVE ON LAUGHTER.
YOU GET A JOLT
FROM THE AUDIENCE
WHEN THEY LAUGH AT YOU.
AND IT JUST GIVES YOU
THAT OOMPH!
TO GO AND DO THE NEXT PART
EVEN BETTER.
Narrator: DESI FINALLY COBBLED
TOGETHER THE RIGHT STUDIO SPACE,
RETROFITTED BLEACHERS
FOR THE AUDIENCE,
AND A NEW ERA IN TELEVISION
WAS LAUNCHED.
IT WAS SEPTEMBER 4, 1951.
THE SHOW WAS
"I LOVE LUCY."
Man: ACTION!
UH, FRED AND ETHEL
SHOULD BE HERE IN A MINUTE.
OH, HERE THEY COME NOW.
RICKY RICARDO,
FOR THE LAST TIME,
ARE YOU GOING TO LET ME
BE IN THAT ACT OR NOT?
NO.
HI!
Narrator:
"I LOVE LUCY"
AND BALL'S LATER SITCOMS
TOOK FULL ADVANTAGE
OF HER SKILLS
AS A PHYSICAL COMEDIAN.
THAT WAS A DUMB
THING TO DO!
Narrator: TALENT UNPARALLELED
BEFORE OR SINCE.
HOW DID I KNOW
THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN?
OH, WELL...
I DIDN'T KNOW
WHAT I WAS TRYING.
YOU KNOW WHAT WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE TO DO?
WHAT?
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
KICK THIS DOOR IN.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BREAK
THE GLASS.
OH, THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.
OKAY.
GO AHEAD, KICK IT.
OH, NO YOU DON'T!
THAT'S TOO DANGEROUS!
NOT THAT I'M AFRAID
OF CUTTING MYSELF,
BUT THE BLOOD
MIGHT DRAW A SHARK.
VIV?
HUH?
DO YOU THINK
WE COULD
SQUEEZE OUT
THROUGH THE TOP?
WE MIGHT...
WE MIGHT NOT HAVE TO.
Narrator: LUCY PREPARED
FOR EACH EPISODE
WITH THE RIGOR
OF AN OLYMPIC ATHLETE,
REHEARSING EVERY MOVE,
WORKING OUT
THE TINIEST DETAILS
OVER AND OVER.
SHE WASLIKE GLEASON.VISER,
RATHER, SHE WAS
A KEEN OBSERVER
WHO MOLDED PERFORMANCES
GRADUALLY
UNTIL THEY WERE PERFECT.
IF YOU CAN HEAR ME,
I HAVE TO GET
INTO YOUR PURSE
AND GET YOUR KEY
TO YOUR APARTMENT.
ALL RIGHT?
HERE...
AH!
OH!
OH!
OH!
NO...
WELL, I THINK SHE WAS
VERY MUCH OF AN ANALYST
AND FIGURED OUT
WHAT WAS FUNNY
AND THEN WOULD DO IT.
Narrator:
BALL'S DISCIPLINED APPROACH
EARNED HER A REPUTATION
FOR TOUGHNESS.
SHE KNEW WHAT WORKED
FOR HER.
AND SHE WASN'T AFRAID
TO TELL GUEST STARS
Griffith:
TO FACE FRONT AND SAY THE JOKE.
AND I REHEARSED ALL WEEK
AND REHEARSED ALL WEEK
AND REHEARSED ALL WEEK,
AND WHEN IT CAME SHOW TIME,
I REALIZED
YOU GOTTA FACE FRONT
AND SAY THE JOKES.
SO I DID IT,
AND WE GOT BIG LAUGHS.
SHE SAID, "THERE I WAS,
WORRIED ABOUT YOU ALL WEEK."
Narrator: DESPITE HER REPUTATION
AS A TASKMASTER,
BALL WAS ALSO KNOWN
FOR ACTS OF KINDNESS,
ESPECIALLY TOWARD
YOUNG ACTORS.
WHEN AN UNKNOWN BARBARA EDEN
WAS CAST ON "I LOVE LUCY,"
BALL MADE SURE THE NEWCOMER
HAD THE BEST POSSIBLE
WARDROBE.
HI!
Eden: SHE SAID,
"DO YOU LIKE THAT DRESS?"
AND I SAID, "IT'S FINE."
"IT'S FINE, I LIKE IT, YES."
YOU KNOW, I WASN'T
GOING TO NOT LIKE ANYTHING.
AND SHE SAID, "TAKE IT OFF."
AND SHE SPENT ALL THE TIME
WE WERE REHEARSING,
SHE AND HER ASSISTANT,
PUTTING THOSE GROMMETS,
THOSE SHINY GROMMETS,
ON MY DRESS
SO THAT IT WOULD SHINE,
SO THAT IT HAD
A LITTLE OOMPH TO IT.
I THINK THAT'S REMARKABLE.
Narrator: LUCY LATER INSPIRED
ANOTHER YOUNG ACTRESS,
GETTING HER START
ON THE SHOW NEXT DOOR...
MARY TYLER MOORE.
FOR WEEKS, BALL WOULD CLIMB
ONTO THE STUDIO CATWALK
AND SECRETLY
WATCH MOORE REHEARSE.
AND ONE DAY,
I GUESS WE HAD DONE
SOMETHING THAT REALLY
GOT TO HER,
AND SHE LAUGHED OUT LOUD.
AND THERE WAS NO MISSING
THAT LAUGH.
LUCILLE BALL
WAS IN THE SKY.
AND WE LOOKED AT HER,
AND SHE CAME DOWN,
AND SHE WAS TALKING
TO ALL OF US,
AND AS SHE WAS LEAVING,
SHE TURNED AROUND TO ME,
AND SHE SAID,
"YOU'RE VERY GOOD."
NOT A LOT OF FLOWERS,
NOT A LOT OF COMEDY IN THAT,
BUT IT REALLY HIT ME.
AND I KNEW THAT I MUST HAVE
SOMETHING WORTH CONTINUING WITH.
Narrator: PERHAPS LUCY'S
GREATEST ASSET
WAS DESI.
HE WORKED TIRELESSLY
TO PUT HER
IN THE PERFECT POSITION
TO SHINE.
WHEN DESI LEARNED
THAT KARL FREUND
WAS THE BEST CINEMATOGRAPHER
IN THE COUNTRY,
ARNAZ PERSONALLY LURED
THE SUPERSTAR
OUT OF RETIREMENT.
AND IF DESI THOUGHT
A REAL TUNA FISH
WAS FUNNIER THAN A PROP,
HE'D SPARE NO EXPENSE
TO GET ONE.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING
WITH THAT FISH?
UH...
WHAT FISH?
Narrator: DESI HAD
AN UNCANNY ABILITY
TO MULL A CONTRACT
ONE MINUTE
AND ACT, THE NEXT,
WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT.
BUT DESPITE HIS GENIUS,
ARNAZ WAS ALSO
A MAN WITH APPETITES.
AND THAT LED TO HIS DOWNFALL.
I SPENT A LOT OF TIME
ON THAT SET, HIDING.
AND PROBABLY, IF I HAD BEEN
A LITTLE MORE SOPHISTICATED,
I COULD HAVE HANDLED IT BETTER.
BUT ALL I KNEW HOW TO DO
WAS TO HIDE.
AND THAT'S WHAT I DID!
I JUST HID.
I'D SEE HIM COMING,
AND I'D GO HIDE.
AND THEN I'D COME OUT
YOUR COUNTRY CLUB
IS SIMPLY FABULOUS!
OH, THANK YOU.
AND THE MUSIC'S
SO DREAMY!
YOU LIKE TO DANCE?
Narrator:
LUCY FORGAVE DESI
FOR THE DRINKING,
THE DALLIANCES.
BUT THEIR MARRIAGE
DIDN'T SURVIVE.
THE COUPLE DIVORCED
IN 1960.
YET THE PUBLIC
NEVER STOPPED LOVING LUCY.
SHE STARRED
IN SUCCESSFUL SITCOMS
WELL INTO THE 1970s.
BUT HER TV CHARACTER
NEVER AGAIN HAD
A HUSBAND.
WHY DID YOU BREAK
THAT DISH?
WELL, I'M SORRY,
BUT IT SAID,
SO I JUST PICKED THEM UP,
"TAND I JUST TAPPED... ISHES,"
YOU DID IT AGAIN.
WELL, FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE,
WHY DOES IT
SAY "UNBREAKABLE"
WHEN THEY'RE BREAKABLE?
THOSE ARE UNBREAKABLE!
THESE ARE
IMPORTED CHINA.
AND BREAKABLE.
YOU SHOULD KNOW.
THESE ARE
THE UNBREAKABLES?
GUARANTEED.
Narrator: "I LOVE LUCY'S"
SUCCESS
SPAWNED A LONG LIST
OF IMITATORS
IN THE MID-1950s.
EVERYONE WANTED
TO BE LIKE LUCY.
BUT THE NEXT BIG SITCOM STAR
DIDN'T LOOK
ANYTHING LIKE LUCILLE BALL.
CHICAGO, 1940.
A YOUNG COMEDIAN
NAMED AMOS JACOBS
HAS JUST ARRIVED IN TOWN.
BUT HE CAN'T FIND WORK.
HE'S READY TO QUIT...
WHEN HE PASSES BY A CHURCH
AND SAYS A PRAYER.
WITHIN AN HOUR,
HE LANDS TWO PLUM ACTING ROLES.
AND BEFORE THE MONTH
IS OUT,
HE'S HEADLINING
AT CHICAGO'S 5100 CLUB.
BY NOW, HE'S CHOSEN
A STAGE NAME.
AND AMOS JACOBS
BECAME DANNY THOMAS.
DANNY THOMAS... HE WAS
A GREAT STORYTELLER HUMORIST.
HE COULD TELL ONE JOKE
AND TAKE 12 MINUTES TO TELL IT.
BUT IT'S FUNNY
ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
AND THEN IT'S FUNNIEST
AT THE END.
AND HE WOULD GET UP,
AND HE WOULD JUST BANTER.
HE COULD HAVE BANTERED
FOR FOUR DAYS.
IT CAME EASY TO HIM.
Narrator:
BY THE EARLY '50s,
THOMAS WANTED A SITCOM.
BUT HE COULDN'T FIND A PREMISE
THAT WORKED.
THE ANSWER CAME
FROM HIS YOUNG DAUGHTER, MARLO.
MY DAD USED TO TRAVEL
SO MUCH,
AND MY MOTHER HATED
TO SLEEP ALONE.
SLEEPING IN MY MOTHER'S
BIG, HUGE BED.
AND WE'D BRING OUR TOYS
AND OUR THINGS IN THERE.
AND THEN, WHEN MY DAD
WAS ABOUT TO COME HOME,
SHE'D SAY, "MAKE ROOM
FOR DADDY," AND WE WOULD.
AND SO WE SAID THAT SO MUCH
THAT MY FATHER THOUGHT
THAT THAT WAS A GREAT PREMISE
FOR A SHOW, YOU KNOW,
THE IDEA
OF MAKING ROOM FOR THIS FIGURE
THAT YOU LOVE,
THAT LEAVES ALL THE TIME.
SO THAT WAS
PRETTY MUCH OUR CHILDHOOD.
THANK YOU, DADDY!
CUB SCOUT MAG
GOSH, THANKS! R YOU.
WHAT DID I
TELL YOU, LINDA?
WHEN HE GOES AWAY,
HE COMES HOME WITH PRESENTS!
WHEN ARE YOU
GOING AWAY AGAIN?
Narrator:
DANNY THOMAS'S SITCOM,
WHICH BEGAN AS
"MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY,"
WAS AMONG THE FIRST IN A LONG
LINE OF FAMILY-BASED SHOWS.
NOW CHILDREN COULD BE
THE CENTRAL PLAYERS
IN A TV SITCOM.
WHAT DID YOU DO,
RUN INTO A TRUCK?
NO, I HAD A FIGHT
WITH JOHNNY STEWART.
YEAH?
WHAT ABOUT?
WELL, HE WOULDN'T LET ME
CROSS THE STREET
UNLESS I PAID HIM A DIME.
HE WANTED
TO CHARGE YOU A DIME
TO CROSS THE STREET?
WHAT'S HE RUNNING,
HIS OWN PRIVATE TOLL ROAD?
I SAID I WOULDN'T
GIVE IT TO HIM.
YOU SAID
THE RIGHT THING.
SO HE SLUGGED ME.
WHAT DID YOU DO?
OH, YOU DON'T
HAVE TO WORRY,
DADDY,
I KNEW WHAT TO DO.
ATTABOY, YOU
GAVE IT TO HIM, HUH?
YEAH, AND HE WENT
AND BOUGHT AN ICE CREAM CONE.
JUST ALWAYS TELL THE STORY.
AND EVERY JOKE HAS
A BEGINNING AND MIDDLE
AND END,
AND EVERY HALF-HOUR
OF A SITCOM
HAS A BEGINNING
AND MIDDLE AND END.
AND YOU NEED TO JUST
FOLLOW THROUGH WITH THE STORY.
AND THAT WAS THE BEST ADVICE
HE EVER GAVE ME.
Narrator: ONE OF THE GREAT
LEGACIES OF DANNY THOMAS'S SHOW
WAS TV'S FIRST SUCCESSFUL
SITCOM SPIN-OFF,
CREATED FOR AN UP-AND-COMING
NORTH CAROLINA COMIC.
HE'S PICKED
ON THE WRONG GUY.
YOU'VE BROUGHT ME BACK
INTO TOWN, I'M TELLING YOU,
YOU'VE PICKED ON THE WRONG MAN
THIS TIME, CLEM!
THE NAME AIN'T CLEM,
IT'S ANDY.
ANDY TAYLOR.
Narrator: ANDY GRIFFITH
ALWAYS LIKED PERFORMING.
HE STARTED OUT STUDYING
FOR THE MINISTRY,
THEN SWITCHED TO MUSIC,
AND LATER, COMEDY.
AFTER COLLEGE, HE DEVELOPED
A SERIES OF MONOLOGUES
THAT CAPTURED
HIS APPALACHIAN ROOTS...
INCLUDING THE MILLION-SELLING
"WHAT IT WAS, WAS FOOTBALL!"
Griffith: IT WAS THAT BOTH
BUNCHES FULL OF THEM MEN
WANTED THIS FUNNY-LOOKING
LITTLE PUMPKIN TO PLAY WITH.
THEY DID, AND I KNOW, FRIENDS,
THAT THEY COULDN'T EAT IT,
BECAUSE THEY KICKED IT THE WHOLE
EVENING, AND IT NEVER BUSTED.
Narrator: THE RECORD
MADE GRIFFITH
A NATIONAL CELEBRITY.
INCLUDING HIS UNIQUE RETELLING
OTOF THE STORY OF HAMLET.,
BEFORE THE PLAY
EVER OPENS UP,
WHY, THIS FELLOW
CLAUDIUS
PLOTTED AND KILLED
HAMLET'S DADDY
SO THAT HE MIGHT
GAIN THE THRONE.
MM-HMM?
AND... WELL,
I APPRECIATE IT...
AND THEN, THEN MARRIED,
MARRIED HAMLET'S MOM.
AND THAT MADE HIM
HAMLET'S STEPDADDY.
AND ALL, DO TRY
TO REMEMBER THAT,
BECAUSE YOU WILL
NEED IT LATER ON.
I WAS LOOKING,
ALWAYS LOOKING
FOR A WAY TO GET
INTO SHOW BUSINESS.
NOW, THIS FELLOW HERE...
Narrator:
BY THE LATE 1950s,
GRIFFITH HAD STARRED
IN SEVERAL MOVIES,
AND ON BROADWAY
IN THE HIT PLAY,
"NO TIME FOR SERGEANTS."
I HEARD THIS FELLOW,
BECAUSE IRVINLUCKY, N SICK.
TELL THE OTHERS
THAT IRVIN
HAD R.O.T.C.
FOR A WHOLE YEAR!
Narrator:
IN 1960,
GRIFFITH AIMED HIS SIGHTS
ON TELEVISION.
AN EPISODE
OF DANNY THOMAS'S SHOW
WAS CRAFTED TO SHOWCASE
GRIFFITH'S TALENTS.
BUT ANDY ALMOST QUIT
BEFORE HIS FIRST EPISODE
WAS COMPLETED.
AND HERE'S
ANOTHER FIVE.
GO BUY YOURSELF
A COMB,
AND RAKE THE HAYSEED
OUT OF YOUR HAIR.
Griffith:
THE FIRST DAY
OF REHEARSAL,
WE SAT AROUND THE TABLE
AND READ THE SCRIPT.
DANNY THOMAS, SHELDON LEONARD,
AND A MAN NAMED ARTIE STANDER,
WHO WROTE THE PILOT,
YELLED AT ONE ANOTHER
ALL DAY.
IT'S HIGHWAY ROBBERY,
THAT'S WHAT IT IS!
AND I SAID...
"SHELDON, IF THAT'S
WHAT TELEVISION IS,
I DON'T THINK
I'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE IT."
SHELDON WAS VERY WISE.
HE SAID, "ANDY,"
HE SAID,
"YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND
SOMETHING."
HE SAID, "DANNY LIKES TO YELL.
SO WE ALL YELL."
HE SAID, "IF YOU
DON'T WANT TO YELL,
NOBODY WILL YELL."
AND IT WORKED OUT
TO BE TRUE.
Narrator: AFTER THE PILOT
WAS PRODUCED,
ANDY GRIFFITH GOT A CALL
FROM AN OLD FRIEND...
PERHAPS THE MOST IMPORTANT CALL
IN SITCOM HISTORY.
IT WAS DON KNOTTS.
KNOTTS THOUGHT SHERIFF TAYLOR
NEEDED A DEPUTY.
ANDY AGREED.
WHEN HE REALIZED THAT DON
COULD GO,
HE LET HIM GO,
LET HIM CARRY A SCENE,
AND... OR WHOMEVER.
YOU KNOW, HE HAD GREAT RESPECT
FOR OTHER ACTORS.
THAT DOES IT.
NOT QUITE,
SHERIFF. BARNEY...
PLEASE, ANDY!
NOW, MEN, THERE ARE
A FEW THINGS...
Narrator: BARNEY FIFE
SOON EMERGED
AS THE FUNNIEST CHARACTER
ON TELEVISION.
NOW HERE AT THE ROCK,
WE HAVE TWO BASIC RULES!
MEMORIZE THEM SO THAT YOU CAN
SAY THEM IN YOUR SLEEP.
THE FIRST RULE IS...
OBEY ALL RULES!
SECONDLY,
DO NOT WRITE ON THE WALLS,
AS IT TAKES
A LOT OF WORK
TO ERASE WRITING
OFF OF WALLS!
DON BROUGHT ALL THESE EMOTIONS
THAT BARNEY FELT.
HE BROUGHT THEM
INTO HIMSELF,
AND THEN THEY WOULD GO
INTO HIS MIND,
AND THEN I COULD SEE IT
IN HIS EYES.
I COULD SEE HIS EYES
TURN INTO BARNEY FIFE.
IF YOU LOOK
AT, YOU KNOW, DON'S WORK,
I MEAN, HE'S JUST SUCH
A WONDERFUL, CUDDLY GUY.
I MEAN, YOU WOULD LOVE HIM TO BE
THE SHERIFF IN YOUR TOWN,
BECAUSE HE'S NEVER GOING TO HURT
ANYBODY, OBVIOUSLY.
Narrator: DON KNOTTS
WAS THE FIRST
OF SEVERAL KEY ADDITIONS
TO "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW."
THE 13th EPISODE
ADDED FLOYD, THE BARBER.
LATER, GOMER PYLE.
HOWDY, GOMER.
HI, ANDY!
WHAT'LL IT BE?
REGULAR OR HIGH TEST?
I'M GOING TO GET THIS
PUT ON THE PATROL CAR.
YOU WANT THAT
PUT ON YOUR CAR?
SURE AIN'T GOING TO HELP
THE LOOKS OF IT NONE.
UH, IT DON'T GO
ON THE OUTSIDE, GOMER.
GOMER WAS... EVERYBODY THOUGHT
HE WAS STUPID,
BUT HE REALLY WASN'T.
HE JUST WANTED TO SEE
ME, I DON'T DO
NO ENGINE WORK. IN EVERYBODY.
JUST GAS AND OIL,
WATER AND AIR.
WAWE DON'T MAKE
NO CHARGE FOR IT.
I'D NEVER ACTED BEFORE
IN MY LIFE,
AND SO I REMEMBER,
ANDY ANNOUNCED TO THE CREW
AND TO ALL THE CAST,
HE SAID,
"NOW, LISTEN," HE SAID,
"EVERYBODY HERE,"
HE SAYS, "THIS HERE
IS JIM NABORS."
AND SAID, "THIS IS HIS FIRST
TIME TO DO THIS.
"HE DOESN'T KNOW
WHAT HE'S DOING,
"SO ALL YOU HELP HIM OUT
AS MUCH AS YOU CAN."
AND THEY DID, AND THEY WERE
ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL.
ANY QUESTIONS?
YEAH, I GOT
ONE LITTLE BITTY ONE.
Narrator:
IN THE FIRST EPISODES,
GRIFFITH PLAYED THE SHERIFF
BROADLY.
THE DRAWL IS THICK.
THE GRIN,
CONSTANT.
WE GOT ONE ROAD
DOWN THERE
BY THE LAKE
THAT AIN'T EVEN MARKED.
Narrator: AS THE TALENT POOL
AROUND HIM GREW,
GRIFFITH REALIZED
HE WAS BETTER OFF
PLAYING THE STRAIGHT MAN,
A STABLE CENTER
IN A TOWN
OF QUIRKY CHARACTERS.
IT WAS A MASTER STROKE
THAT WOULD KEEP THE SHOW FRESH
FOR YEARS.
ERNEST T.?
I HEAR YOU.
HERE'S WHAT
WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WE'RE GOING TO GET
CHARLENE AND DUD
MARRIED BY A PREACHER.
TOMORROW BEING SUNDAY,
THE PREACHER
WILL BE BY.
GOOD, THEN WE'LL
HAVE 'EM MARRIED
BY A PREACHER TOMORROW.
YEAH, THAT GIVES ME
24 HOURS TO COURT HER!
NOW, YOU JUST HOLD ON!
24 HOURS!
I STILL GOT A CHANCE!
HEE HEE!
HA HA!
HEE HEE!
WOO-HOO!
YIPPITY!
HA HA!
Ernest T.:
WOO-HOO!
IF YOU ASK ME,
THIS ERNEST T. BASS
IS A STRANGE
AND WEIRD CHARACTER.
YES, PLAIN ORNERY
IS WHAT HE IS.
I THINK HE'S A NUT!
THE CHARACTERS IN MAYBERRY
WERE REAL PEOPLE
FROM OUR NECK OF THE WOODS.
WE DIDN'T TRY TO MAKE THEM
CARTOONS OR ANYTHING.
AND I THINK THAT WAS DUE
A LOT TO ANDY.
WE NEVER WANTED TO MAKE A LIE
OUT OF THE CHARACTERS.
SO ANYTHING THAT MADE
THE CHARACTERS SEEM...
WRONG OR GOING
IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
FOR THAT PARTICULAR STORY
WE WERE TELLING,
Eden: I ENJOYED BEING
ON "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
BECAUSE IT WASN'T
AN OBVIOUS COMEDY.
THIS WAS REAL LIFE,
IN A DIFFERENT WORLD
THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
IN AMERICA DON'T UNDERSTAND,
AND CAN'T RELATE TO,
BUT THEY LOVE TO WATCH IT.
AND I THINK ANDY KNEW THAT.
HE WAS... THIS WAS
A BRILLIANT MAN.
THAT WALLY...
WHEN IT COMES TO MOTORS,
HE'S SURE GOT
A GREEN THUMB.
Narrator: UNLIKE LUCY
OR JACKIE,
ANDY HATED THE IDEA
OF A STUDIO AUDIENCE.
TO HIM, LIVE AUDIENCES
CREATED PRESSURE
FOR A STEADY STREAM
OF ONE-LINERS,
PREVENTING SUBTLE
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.
SO "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
WAS SHOT LIKE A MOVIE,
WITH NO AUDIENCE,
GIVING THE CAST
AND WRITERS
MUCH GREATER FREEDOM.
WHY DO THEY LEAVE
A BOY LIKE THAT IN CHARGE?
WELL, IT'S JUST
A PART-TIME JOB.
HE'S SAVING UP MONEY
FOR COLLEGE.
STUDYING TO BE
A DOCTOR.
AND SO DON AND I CAN DO
THESE LITTLE QUIET SCENES,
OR ME AND RONNIE
OR ME AND AUNT BEE,
OR FLOYD THE BARBER.
ANY OF US, WE CAN DO
THESE LONG, LITTLE NICE SCENES
WITHOUT HAVING TO GO
FOR A JOKE.
PA?
MM?
SHE SURE IS PRETTY,
AIN'T SHE?
SHE SURE IS.
NIGHT, PA.
NIGHT.
HE GOT AWAY!
Narrator: WORKING WITHOUT
AN AUDIENCE
ALSO MADE IT EASIER
TO CREATE THE ILLUSION
THAT MAYBERRY WAS
A REAL PLACE.
VIEWERS SAW THE TOWN STREETS,
GOT INSIDE THE SHOPS.
EVEN THE ACCENTS SEEMED RIGHT.
WE USED TO LAUGH A LOT,
BECAUSE I TALK LIKE GOMER,
YOU KNOW,
AND ANDY HAD A REAL
SOUTHERN DRAWL,
AND DON WAS FROM
WEST VIRGINIA,
AND WE COULDN'T FIGURE OUT
WHERE AUNT BEE WAS FROM.
"AHN-DEE!"
WE SAID, "WHERE IS SHE FROM?"
BUT, NO, IT WAS...
NO, HE WAS VERY TRUE
TO OUR AREA,
ANDY WAS, AND HE REALLY
WORKED HARD
TO KEEP IT THAT WAY.
I NOTICED THE OTHER DAY
ON THE OPENING
OF "THE GRIFFITH SHOW,"
WHERE RONNIE AND I ARE WALKING
DOWN TO THE FISHING HOLE,
AT SOME POINT... I THINK IT'S
AFTER HE THROWS THE ROCK...
I LOOK AT HIM, AND I GO,
"WHEW," LIKE THAT.
Announcer:
"THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW."
STARRING ANDY GRIFFITH.
THAT WAS MY FATHER.
MY FATHER DID THAT.
"WHEW."
SO I DO MY FATHER.
Narrator: THE SUCCESS
OF "THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW"
FUELED A SURGE
IN RURAL SITCOMS.
INCLUDING "GREEN ACRES,"
"PETTICOAT JUNCTION,"
AND "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES."
THE SHOWS WERE POPULAR,
BUT GRIFFITH POINTS
TO AN IMPORTANT DIFFERENCE.
Griffith: WE WANT THEM
TO LAUGH WITH US, NOT AT US.
THAT'S WHY WE WERE DIFFERENT
FROM THOSE OTHER SHOWS.
Narrator: DESPITE
THE MAJOR TREND
TOWARD RURAL SITCOMS,
ONE URBAN COMEDY
DID MAKE A MARK
IN THE EARLY 1960s...
PERHAPS THE MOST INNOVATIVE SHOW
OF THE PERIOD.
Announcer:
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW."
STARRING DICK VAN DYKE.
Narrator: DESPITE
THE TITLE,
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
WAS ACTUALLY
THE CREATION OF CARL REINER.
AFTER A LONG RUN
ON SID CAESAR'S
"YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS,"
REINER FOUND HIMSELF
OUT OF WORK IN 1959.
HE WENT TO THE BEACH
THAT SUMMER
AND DID SOMETHING
NO ONE HAD DONE BEFORE...
WROTE 13 FULL EPISODES
OF A NEW SITCOM.
THEN REINER MADE
ONE MAJOR MISTAKE.
HE CAST HIMSELF
AS THE LEAD.
RICHARD, COME,
SIT OVER HERE.
SIT HERE,
AND YOU'LL SEE
HOW DADDY WRITES
"THE ALAN STURDY SHOW."
DO YOU NEED THEM
TO HELP YOU, DADDY?
WELL, NO, I DON'T.
Narrator: THE PILOT
WASN'T PICKED UP.
THE WHOLE CONCEPT
MIGHT HAVE ENDED RIGHT THERE.
BUT PRODUCER
SHELDON LEONARD
SAW THE BRILLIANCE
OF THE SCRIPTS
AND PERSUADED REINER TO LET
SOMEONE ELSE PLAY THE LEAD.
BUT WHO?
GREW UP WATCHING
LAUREL AND HARDY MOVIES.
INSPIRED TO PERFORM,
HE APPEARED ON LOCAL TV SHOWS,
SUMMER VARIETY PROGRAMS,
AND WAS EVENTUALLY SIGNED
BY CBS IN 1956.
THE PROBLEM WAS THAT
NO ONE WAS QUITE SURE
HOW TO SHOWCASE
VAN DYKE'S TALENTS.
THEY TRIED GAME SHOWS...
EVEN GAVE HIM A SPOT
ON THE CBS MORNING NEWS SHOW
WITH WALTER CRONKITE.
Van Dyke:
I DIDN'T LIKE IT.
I REALIZED IT WASN'T
FOR ME.
THERE WAS ONE POINT WHERE THEY
LET CRONKITE GO FROM THAT
AND GAVE HIM ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT.
AND IT CAME OUT IN THE PAPER
THAT I HAD FIRED HIM.
AND WALTER CRONKITE CALLED ME UP
AND I SAID, "WALTER, I DON'T
HAVE ANY CLOUT AROUND HERE!"
I'M A KID!
I CAN'T FIRE YOU!
HE THOUGHT I HAD FIRED HIM.
Narrator: BY 1963,
VAN DYKE LANDED ON BROADWAY
IN "BYE BYE BIRDIE."
WHEN CARL REINER SAW
THE MUSICAL,
HE REALIZED HE HAD FOUND
THE PERFECT LEAD
FOR HIS NEW SITCOM.
I WAS FUNNY
ON THE "VAN DYKE SHOW"
BECAUSE OF CARL REINER,
WHO IS A GREAT, GREAT
COMEDY WRITER.
Narrator:
BUT CASTING THE LEAD
AFTER ADDING COMEDY VETERANS
ROSE MARIE AND MOREY AMSTERDAM,
REINER WAS STUMPED
IN HIS ATTEMPT
HE INTERVIEWED
TOMORE THAN 60 ACTRESSES..
NONE SEEMED RIGHT.
THE ANSWER FINALLY CAME
FROM CO-PRODUCER DANNY THOMAS,
WHO HAD WANTED TO HIRE
A CERTAIN UNKNOWN
TO PLAY HIS DAUGHTER
BUT TURNED HER DOWN
Moore: I HAD AUDITIONED
FOR A MOFOR DANNY. REASON.
HE CAME OVER TO ME AND SAID,
"MARY, I WANT YOU TO KNOW
"THAT THE REASON YOU GOT...
YOU DIDN'T GET THE JOB
"IS NOT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT
A GOOD ACTRESS,
"IT'S BECAUSE YOU HAVE
A VERY FUNNY NOSE,
AND NO ONE WOULD BELIEVE
YOU'RE MY DAUGHTER."
Narrator: DANNY THOMAS
REMEMBERED THE NOSE.
BUT HE COULDN'T REMEMBER
WHO THE ACTRESS WAS,
EXCEPT THAT SHE HAD
THREE NAMES.
THE HUNT WAS ON
FOR THE MYSTERIOUS GIRL
WITH THREE NAMES.
FINALLY, THEY LOCATED
MARY TYLER MOORE.
AND THEY CALLED ME IN.
I ALMOST DIDN'T GO.
BECAUSE I HAD LOST OUT ON,
I GUESS THREE ROLES
IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
I JUST DIDN'T GET THEM.
AND I WAS FEELING
VERY SORRY FOR MYSELF
AND WAS HAVING A CUP OF COFFEE
WITH A GIRLFRIEND,
AND SHE SAID,
"WELL, THAT'S RIDICULOUS.
"YOU JUST PUT THAT CUP DOWN
AND GET IN THE CAR
AND GO OVER
AND INTERVIEW FOR THIS!"
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW."
AND I DID.
HI, HONEY...
WHO NEEDS KISSING
JUST AN ADESPERATELY.WIFE
WASN'T LIKE EARLIER
MARYTV MOMS.OORE
HER CHARACTER WAS ALLURING,
EVEN PROVOCATIVE.
WHERE'S RICH?
IS THAT ALL
YOU'VE GOT TO SAY?
WELL, WHAT
DID YOU EXPECT?
HOW ABOUT,
"WHY THE BIG SEXY HELLO?"
OF "DID YOU
SMASH A FENDER?"
OR "HOW MUCH
DID THE DRESS COST?"
WELL, I'LL TRY ALL THREE.
WHY THE, DID YOU,
AND HOW MUCH?
WELL, BECAUSE I LOVE YOU,
I DIDN'T,
AND $12.95.
OH, WONDERFUL.
WHERE IS RICH?
WELL, I DIDN'T WANT HIM
POPPING IN ON US SUDDENLY.
OH?
WHAT DID YOU HAVE IN MIND?
WELL...
I WANT TO BE ALONE
WITH YOU JUST A MINUTE.
WELL, DARLING,
HOW ROMANTIC!
DO YOU KNOW
SOMETHING?
YOU'VE BEEN SEEING
TOO MANY ITALIAN MOVIES.
Narrator:
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
WAS NOT AN INSTANT HIT.
SCHEDULED AGAINST POWERHOUSE
PERRY COMO,
THE RATINGS WERE DISMAL.
BUT THE SHOW GRADUALLY
PICKED UP STEAM,
ESPECIALLY AS REINER BEGAN
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF HIS CAST'S UNIQUE TALENTS.
ROB PETRIE WASN'T SUPPOSED
TO HAVE BEEN A KLUTZ
IN THE BEGINNING.
CARL KNEW I LOVED
TO DO THE PHYSICAL STUFF.
OR HE WOULD JUST SAY,
"DICK DOES FIVE MINUTES HERE,"
AND LET ME
COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
HUH... HUH...
HUH... I CAN'T USE THAT,
IT'S MONOGRAMMED!
OH, BOY.
I CAN'T BLOW
ON YOUR FAMILY CREST!
HAH...
NO, NO, DON'T...
OH, I'M SORRY, JERRY.
HUH...
OH, THERE'S...
I CAN'T...
AH... AH...
NO!
AH... AH...
AH...
AH...
AGH!
AH... AH...
HUH?
AH!
AH, AH!
AH... AH...
AH-CHOO!
VERY, VERY GOOD.
Narrator: A SEASONED VAUDEVILLE
COMEDIAN,
MOREY AMSTERDAM WROTE MANY
OF HIS OWN JOKES...
OFTEN ON THE SPOT.
WHEN WE DID THE "VAN DYKE SHOW,"
THERE WERE A LOT OF TIMES
WE WERE STUCK
FOR JOKES AND LINES AND THINGS
LIKE THAT,
AND MOREY WOULD SAY,
"I'LL FIND A BETTER LINE.
DON'T SAY THAT,
I'LL FIND A BETTER LINE."
AND HE'D COME UP WITH NOT ONE...
THREE OR FOUR.
PICK... YOU KNOW,
PICK WHICH ONE YOU LIKED BEST.
Buddy:
OKAY, GOOD, GOOD,
AND MAYBE WE CAN GET HIM
TO DO
SOME MONEY JOKES, LIKE,
"HE'S SO RICH THAT..."
HE'S SO RICH
THAT HE'S EVEN
GOT AND WHEN HE GETS OUT,
HE LEAVES
A 14-KARAT RING.
AH, NAH, THIS GUY
IS TOO RICH TO TAKE A BATH.
TOO RICH TO TAKE A BATH?
I MEAN, A REGULAR BATH.
HE TAKES MILK BATHS,
THAT'S IT, MILK BATHS.
OH, I GOT IT,
HE TIES A COW
TO THE CEILING
AND TAKES A SHOWER!
LOOK, DON'T WORRY,
WE'LL GET SOME GOOD JOKES LATER.
WELL, YOU DIDN'T SAY
YOU WANTED GOOD JOKES.
LOOK...
Narrator: WHEN THE SERIES BEGAN,
MARY TYLER MOORE
SHE WAS A ROOKIE
IN A CAST OF VETERANS.
BUT AS HER COMIC TALENTS
BEGAN TO BLOSSOM,
REINER EXPANDED
HER CHARACTER.
SHE JUST GOT IT
SO QUICKLY.
THAT I'M STILL FASCINATED
BY HOW FAST SHE GREW
ON THAT SHOW.
CARL COULD SEE THAT I HAD
SOME... IF NOT ABILITY,
THAT'S IT!
THAT'S EXACTLY IT! FOR HUMOR.
WHAT'S IT?
DON'T UNDERSTAND!
OH, BOY.
Moore:
AND I GOT TO CRY.
AND I PREPARED
VERY WELL.
I COPIED EVERYTHING
THAT NANETTE FABRAY
EVER DID IN A CRYING SCENE.
AND SHE WAS THE MASTER.
HONEY?
HONEY, YOU MEAN
YOU'VE BEEN SAVING THIS
TO BUY ME AN XKGJFK400?
I WANTED TO BUY YOU
AN IMPORTANT PRESENT.
AN IMPOR...
WELL, HONEY,
HONEY, IT'S
A WONDERFUL THOUGHT,
BUT IT'S
A LITTLE BIT CRAZY.
WHERE DID YOU EVER
GET AN IDEA LIKE THAT?
FROM MY MOTHER.
YOUR MOTHER?
SHE SAVED FOR YEARS,
AND THEN, ON THEIR
25th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY,
SHE BOUGHT MY FATHER
A BIG, IMPORTANT PRESENT.
WELL, WHAT
DID SHE GET HIM?
HIS OWN ROOM.
Narrator:
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
WAS A DISTINCTIVE MIX
OF SOPHISTICATION
AND SLAPSTICK,
WELL-ROUNDED CHARACTER COMEDY,
PEPPERED WITH
GLIB ONE-LINERS
ALWAYS HELD TOGETHER
ITBY CREATOR CARL REINER.,
HE'S A GENIUS,
HE'S A BRILLIANT MAN.
I'D HAD A CRUSH ON HIM
WHEN I USED TO WATCH HIM
ON THE SID CAESAR SHOWS.
HE WAS SO HANDSOME TO ME,
AND SO DEBONAIR.
AND YET HE WAS A BUFFOON
WHEN HE WANTED TO BE.
HE WAS... HE WAS JUST GREAT.
HIS GREAT TALENT WAS HEARING
YOUR SPEECH PATTERNS
AND YOUR TEMPO,
AND THE WAY YOU SPOKE,
AND HE WROTE IT
SO THAT YOU DIDN'T
HAVE TO DO ANYTHING
WITH THE LINE.
IT WAS WRITTEN THE WAY
THAT ACTOR SPOKE.
HE DID IT FOR MARY,
FOR MOREY.
HE HAD MOREY'S RAPID-FIRE...
AND IT WAS SO EASY!
I THINK TWO THINGS
ARE VERY FUNNY.
WHAT'S FUNNAN ITCH. THAT?
A TOOTH ITCH?
NO, NO.
ALAN GETS THIS ITCH
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF HIS BACK,
AND HE CAN'T SCRATCH IT.
HEY, YEAH, THAT
COULD BE GOOD.
SAY... SAY THAT HE'S
A CONCERT PIANIST,
RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE
OF A RECITAL,
HE GETS THAT ITCH
RIGHT BETWEEN
HIS SHOULDER BLADES.
DO IT, ROB,
DO IT, DO IT.
Narrator: AFTER
"THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW"
LEFT THE AIR IN 1966,
SITCOMS BEGAN
A GRADUAL TRANSITION
TO A NEW ERA.
THE INNOCENCE
WOULD BE REPLACED
BY RELEVANCE.
THIS SECOND WAVE
WOULD TAKE THE SITCOM
IN A WHOLE NEW DIRECTION.
A FEW PIONEERS,
LIKE MARY TYLER MOORE,
WOULD RIDE THE NEW WAVE.
BUT MOST WERE HAPPY
TO STEP ASIDE.
THEY HAD MADE THEIR MARK,
ESTABLISHED
THE SITCOM FORM.
I MEAN, AFTER ALL,
IT'S,
IT'S MEN LIKE YOU
THAT MADE AMERICA GREAT.
HE FELT THAT,
WHEN YOU DID IT SPONTANEOUSLY,
IT WAS VERY RIGHT
AND VERY FUNNY,
AND I THINK HE WAS CORRECT,
YOU KNOW, IT WORKED.
IF YOU COME
FROM YOUR OWN HEART,
IF YOU COME
FROM REALLY WHERE YOU ARE,
IF YOU TRY TO FIGURE OUT
WHAT PEOPLE WANT,
IT ALMOST NEVER WORKS.
PETE DOOLEY'S TRUCK
SPLASHED MUD
ALL OVER MISS FLETCHER.
AND I SEEN VIOLA McCONKER
SNEAK OUT BY OUR BARN
IT CAME DOWN TO ALL OF US
WANTED OUR TOWN TO BE THAT WAY.
AND IT -ALL RIGHT.HAT WAY.
I, UH...
BELIEVE THAT FINISHES
THE GAME, MR. PETRIE.
I MEAN, IT'S WONDERFUL
TO HELP SOMEONE ELSE
GET A LAUGH.
BUT IT'S GOD'S OWN GIFT
TO GET ONE YOURSELF.
WE ENDED UP WITH A GROUP
OF FIVE PEOPLE
WHO JUST WENT LIKE THAT
THE FIRST DAY.
AND WE WORKED LIKE A TEAM
AND HAD SUCH FUN.
IT'S LIKE SINGING
IN A QUARTET.
OR PLAYING
IN A QUARTET.
WHEN IT ALL WORKS,
IT'S JUST GREAT FUN.
OW!
OW!
YEAH, YEAH!
TAKE IT!
MM! MM!
YOU TELL ME
THAT ISN'T FUNNY, BOY.
THAT IS A MIRACLE!
WITH THE ITCH!
WITH THE ITCH!
WE WERE ALL HAVING
A WONDERFUL TIME AND SAYING,
"PLEASE LET THIS GO ON!"
BECAUSE WE LOVED IT.
Narrator: THEY LOVED IT.
AND WE STILL LOVE THEM...
THE PIONEERS OF TELEVISION.
"PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
WILL CONTINUE IN A MOMENT.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
ON "PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"
AND OTHER PBS PROGRAMS,
NEXT TIME, ON
"PIONEERS OF TELEVISION"...
LET ME CLOSE MY EYES
AND JUST, UH...
WE'RE DELIGHTED YOU JOINED US
TONIGHT FOR OUR FIRST SHOW.
EVERY LITTLE INFLECTION
THAT YOU HAVE
IS EXACTLY
THE WAY I WORK.
NOW, WHAT DO YOU DO
FOR EXERCISE?
I STUMBLE, AND THEN
I FALL INTO A COMA.
WE'RE NOT ON TELEVISION, WE'RE
JUST SITTING HERE, CHATTING.
MAY I HAVE SILENCE,
PLEASE?
YOU'VE HAD IT
MANY TIMES BEFORE.