Why didn't Joyce Randolph join the cast when they went to Miami Beach?

[Frank Gannucci]

I have the Honeymooners Lost Episodes book and it says that neither Audrey Meadows and Joyce Randolph wanted to move to Florida so that's the reason why they hired Shelia and JEan. However during a Larry King Live interview in 2002, Joyce says that she wasn't asked. She didn't say whether or not she wanted to move down to Miami Beach.

Who is right, the book or Joyce?

[Benno123]

Joyce told me once years ago when I spoke to her on the phone that she wasn't asked by Gleason if she wanted to rejoin the show in Miami. She said she figured if Audrey was being replaced, then the role of Trixie would be replaced by another actress as well. Besides, she had a husband and a young son and she said she really wasn't interested at that time anyway to go to Miami for all the shows.

The reunions in the 1970s, from what I understand, is a different story though!

[VIDEOWACK]

This past weekend GSN ran the "WHAT'S MY LINE?" episode from 3/27/66 where Art Carney was a mystery guest. After the panel guessed his identity, John Daly made the announcement that Art was coming back in the fall to rejoin Jackie for the new season (this, of course, referring to the musical Color Honeymooners. John asked him if Audrey was rejoining the cast also, which Art really didn't respond to, he "kinda" talked over it. A moment later John Daly repeated the same question and Carney shook his head in a slightly affirmative nod and said something like "uh-huh", but you could tell he was hedging the answer. Perhaps he didn't know for sure if she was or wasn't and maybe it's just possible (if she was asked) a deal hadn't been struck yet. Sheila Macrae was never mentioned, neither was Jane Kean. I have a hunch that if Audrey had signed on, Joyce Randolph probably would have also. This is assuming both would have been invited, but as of the late March 1966 airing of that "WHAT'S MY LINE?" episode, it "appeared" that Audrey WAS returning with JG.

[MrBand]

This past weekend GSN ran the "WHAT'S MY LINE?" episode from 3/27/66 where Art Carney was a mystery guest. After the panel guessed his identity, John Daly made the announcement that Art was coming back in the fall to rejoin Jackie for the new season (this, of course, referring to the musical Color Honeymooners. John asked him if Audrey was rejoining the cast also, which Art really didn't respond to, he "kinda" talked over it. A moment later John Daly repeated the same question and Carney shook his head in a slightly affirmative nod and said something like "uh-huh", but you could tell he was hedging the answer. Perhaps he didn't know for sure if she was or wasn't and maybe it's just possible (if she was asked) a deal hadn't been struck yet. Sheila Macrae was never mentioned, neither was Jane Kean. I have a hunch that if Audrey had signed on, Joyce Randolph probably would have also. This is assuming both would have been invited, but as of the late March 1966 airing of that "WHAT'S MY LINE?" episode, it "appeared" that Audrey WAS returning with JG.


Oops! I would have liked to have seen that one. Was it on as part of the Friday marathon or in the wee hnours of Monday morning?

[VIDEOWACK]

Oops! I would have liked to have seen that one. Was it on as part of the Friday marathon or in the wee hnours of Monday morning?

It aired at 3AM eastern, Monday morning.

[Bill S.]

This past weekend GSN ran the "WHAT'S MY LINE?" episode from 3/27/66 where Art Carney was a mystery guest. After the panel guessed his identity, John Daly made the announcement that Art was coming back in the fall to rejoin Jackie for the new season (this, of course, referring to the musical Color Honeymooners. John asked him if Audrey was rejoining the cast also, which Art really didn't respond to, he "kinda" talked over it. A moment later John Daly repeated the same question and Carney shook his head in a slightly affirmative nod and said something like "uh-huh", but you could tell he was hedging the answer. Perhaps he didn't know for sure if she was or wasn't and maybe it's just possible (if she was asked) a deal hadn't been struck yet. Sheila Macrae was never mentioned, neither was Jane Kean. I have a hunch that if Audrey had signed on, Joyce Randolph probably would have also. This is assuming both would have been invited, but as of the late March 1966 airing of that "WHAT'S MY LINE?" episode, it "appeared" that Audrey WAS returning with JG.
Interesting, thanks for the info. It's strange how Art avoided the question about Audrey at first, but ended up leaving everybody with the impression that she would be returning, rather than not. Maybe he was assuming that since she had returned for that "Adoption" special only two months earlier, that there was a strong possibility of her rejoining the cast in the fall.