Date with the Angels
| Date with the Angels | |
|---|---|
"Francis Goes to School" | |
| Created by | Don Fedderson |
| Written by | George Tibbles Fran Van Hartesveldt Bill Kelsay |
| Directed by | James V. Kern |
| Starring | Betty White Bill Williams Jimmy Boyd |
| Composer | Frank DeVol |
| Country of origin | United States |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 33 |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | Fred Henry |
| Producer | Don Fedderson |
| Running time | 24–26 minutes |
| Production company | Silverstone Films/Don Fedderson Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | May 10, 1957 – January 29, 1958 |
Date with the Angels is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from May 10, 1957, to January 29, 1958.[1]
Synopsis
The series, which stars Betty White and Bill Williams,[1] began as a late season replacement for The Ray Anthony Show for the same sponsor, Chrysler's Plymouth division. Tom Kennedy was the show's announcer and spokesman for Plymouth.[citation needed]
The series revolves around newly married Vicki Angel and her insurance salesman husband Gus Angel who get themselves and their friends and neighbors into various comedic situations.[2] Besides White and Williams, the series also featured for several episodes Richard Deacon, Richard Reeves, Maudie Prickett and Burt Mustin. Tom Kennedy's voice also appeared as announcer at the end of episodes.
Among the series' guest stars were Nancy Kulp, Madge Blake, Joan Vohs, Chuck Connors, Reta Shaw, Dave Willock, Sid Melton, Russell Hicks, Hugh O'Brian, Hanley Stafford, and Willard Waterman.
The show's theme song was "Got A Date With An Angel", a semi-standard introduced in 1932 and long associated with the orchestra of Hal Kemp.[citation needed]
Date with the Angels was loosely based on the Elmer Rice play Dream Girl, and the series was originally intended to revolve heavily around Vicki's daydreaming tendencies, with more than half of a typical episode dedicated to fantasy sequences. However, the sponsor was not pleased with the fantasy elements and successfully exerted pressure to have them eliminated. "Without our dream sequences," White later said, "our show flattened out and became just one more run-of-the-mill domestic comedy[...]I can honestly say that was the only time I have ever wanted to get out of a show."[3]
Cast
| Actor | Role |
|---|---|
| Betty White | Vickie Angel[1] |
| Bill Williams | Gus Angel[1] |
| Jimmy Boyd | Wheeler[2] |
| Richard Reeves | Mr. Murphy[2] |
| Maudie Prickett | Mrs. Cassie Murphy[2] |
| Richard Deacon | Roger Finley[2] |
| Burt Mustin | Mr. Finley[1] |
| Tom Kennedy | Announcer |
| Roy Engle | George Clemson[2] |
| Natalie Masters | Wilma Clemson[2] |
| Lillian Bronson | Mrs. Drake[2] |
| Gage Clark | Dr. Gordon[2] |
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode Title | Original Airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Vicki Goes to a Party" | May 10, 1957 |
| 2 | "Mother by Proxy" | May 17, 1957 |
| 3 | "High Fever" | May 24, 1957 |
| 4 | "The Wheel" | May 31, 1957 |
| 5 | "The Tree in the Driveway" | June 7, 1957 |
| 6 | "The Feud" | June 14, 1957 |
| 7 | "Shall We Dance?" | June 21, 1957 |
| 8 | "Little White Lies" | June 28, 1957 |
| 9 | "The Blue Tie" | July 12, 1957 |
| 10 | "Heartburn" | July 19, 1957 |
| 11 | "The Surprise" | July 26, 1957 |
| 12 | "Pike's Pique" | August 2, 1957 |
| 13 | "Return of the Wheel" | September 2, 1957 |
| 14 | "The Gorilla" | September 13, 1957 |
| 15 | "Everybody's Baby" | September 20, 1957 |
| 16 | "Catered Party" | September 27, 1957 |
| 17 | "The Convention" | October 4, 1957 |
| 18 | "Night School" | October 11, 1957 |
| 19 | "Star Struck" | October 25, 1957 |
| 20 | "Diane" | November 1, 1957 |
| 21 | "Nobody's Father" | November 8, 1957 |
| 22 | "No-Risk Policy" | November 15, 1957 |
| 23 | "The Burglar" | November 22, 1957 |
| 24 | "The Chateau" | November 29, 1957 |
| 25 | "Chip Off the Old Block" | December 6, 1957 |
| 26 | "Santa's Helper" | December 13, 1957 |
| 27 | "Cousin Herbie" | December 20, 1957 |
| 28 | "A Day at the Track" | December 27, 1957 |
| 29 | "Wheeler at the Cabin" | January 1, 1958 |
| 30 | "The Train" | January 8, 1958 |
| 31 | "Double Trouble" | January 15, 1958 |
| 32 | "Francis Goes to School" | January 22, 1958 |
| 33 | "What an Opportunity" | January 29, 1958 |
Production
Don Fedderson was the producer.[1] The series produced 33 filmed episodes before it was canceled in late January 1958.[citation needed] The show originally was broadcast on Fridays from 10 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time. In July 1957 it was moved to 9:30 to 10 p.m. E. T. on Fridays.[2] Beginning on January 1, 1958, The Betty White Show, "a live comedy-variety series", occupied that time slot, with Date with the Angels moving to Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. E. T. until January 29, 1958, when it ended.[4]
Critical response
A review of the premiere episode in The New York Times said, "The first show was a little more trite, uninspired and contrived than any of its contemporaries ..."[5]
References
- ^ a b c d e f McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 199. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 238. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
- ^ Nesteroff, Kliph (April 4, 2010). "The Early Betty White 1947-1973". WFMU's Beware of the Blog. Retrieved 2011-09-03.
- ^ Adams, Val (December 16, 1957). "A. B. C. Reverses Film Show Trend: Drops 'Date With Angels' for Live Betty White Program --C.B.S. Signs Fred Coe Producer Gets C.B.S Pact". The New York Times. p. 51. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
- ^ "TV Review: 'Date With the Angels' Has 1st Rendezvous". The New York Times. May 11, 1957. p. 43. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
External links
- Date with the Angels at IMDb
- A film clip of a christmas episode of Date with the Angels is available for viewing at the Internet Archive
- 1957 American television series debuts
- 1958 American television series endings
- 1950s American sitcoms
- Black-and-white American television shows
- American English-language television shows
- Television series by CBS Studios
- Television series about marriage
- Television series based on plays
- American Broadcasting Company sitcoms