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| Although SLP mode, very viewable. |
GLEASON. Before he became Mr. Saturday Night on CBS, Jackie Gleason was very effective in 1949 in the Life of Riley on the Dumont Network. The “Tonsils” episode where he seeks out a stranger for advice prior to his tonsilectomy is hilarious.
Gleason underplays in every one of these filmed (not kinescope) episodes, unlike the boisterous personna of his more famous self. (Much of the nation never saw these episoldes because they lacked a Dumont affiliate or more importantly a TV set.)
New York City's WPIX, Channel 11, resurrected THE LIFE OF RILEY series in February 1977 and played it only on weekends during the 11 p.m. to midnight time slot, following Gleason's ever popular THE HONEYMOONERS. It remained on that channel for the next few years before being moved to 5 a.m. and disappearing from TV land once again by 1986. If you didn’t live in NYC, you missed it.
1 comment:
Very interesting. My earliest TV show memories are 77 Sunset Strip and Car 54, Where are you?.
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