The George Jessel Show: Difference between revisions
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==Personnel== |
==Personnel== |
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The program also featured Hal Sawyer. Manny Manheim was the producer.<ref name=tt/> |
The program also featured Hal Sawyer. Manny Manheim was the producer.<ref name=tt/> Jessel and Sam Carlton were the writers.<ref name="brooks">{{cite book|last1=Books|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows : 1946 - Present|date=1979|publisher=Ballantine Books|location=New York|isbn=0-345-25525-9|page=224}}</ref> |
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==Critical reception== |
==Critical reception== |
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Revision as of 21:45, 5 January 2018
The George Jessel Show is a 30-minute television variety program that was broadcast on ABC from September 13, 1953, until April 11, 1954.[1]
After having worked as one of several rotating hosts of Four Star Revue on NBC television in 1952-1953, comedian George Jessel gained his own program in 1954. The show used a celebrity roast format, with Jessel drawing on his self-proclaimed "Toastmaster General of the United States" status to give provide a humorous treatment of each week's guest.[2] Guests of honor included Sophie Tucker and Mitzi Gaynor.[3]
Although the program was purported to be live and extemporaneous, it was actually scripted and rehearsed. Writers provided material to supplement Jessel's remarks.[2]
The show's sponsors included Ekco Products Company, B.B. Pen Company, and Gemex Watch Band Company.[4]
Personnel
The program also featured Hal Sawyer. Manny Manheim was the producer.[1] Jessel and Sam Carlton were the writers.[5]
Critical reception
A review in the November 30, 1953, issue of the trade publication Broadcasting panned the Jessel show, calling it "As sad a variety program as has passed before the discerning eye of a tv [sic] camera ..."[6] The reviewer held Jessel himself responsible for "this shabby excuse for entertainment."[6] After complimenting the quality of guest performers and production personnel, the reviewer noted "half-hearted applause at the end of the Jessel show" as an indication of the audience's feelings.[6]
Legal problem
In January 1955, the B.B. Pen Company, Inc. sued ABC-Paramount Theaters, Inc., charging breach of contract and fraud with regard to the company's sponsorship of the Jessel program. The suit alleged that some local stations pre-empted the program, diminishing the reach of the pen company's advertising. The $1.5 million suit was filed in Los Angeles Federal Court.[7]
References
- ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 322. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ a b Hyatt, Wesley (2003). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948–1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. pp. 50–51. ISBN 9781476605159. Retrieved 4 January 2018.
- ^ "The George Jessel Show". TV Guide. Archived from the original on 5 January 2018. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "Ekco Products Buys 4 ABC TV Stanzas". Billboard. September 26, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ Books, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows : 1946 - Present. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 224. ISBN 0-345-25525-9.
- ^ a b c "The George Jessel Show" (PDF). Broadcasting. November 30, 1953. p. 16. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ^ "B.B. Pen Suit Seeks $1.5 Mil From ABC-Para" (PDF). Billboard. January 29, 1955. p. 5.