I'm relatively new.
Where is the forum for the Jack Benny Program?
Thanks.

Good question! I don't think there is one actually. It's considered more of a variety show that aired every 6 weeks in the early 50's. The 1960's episodes are few and far between, DVD wise.

I think there still would be an interest. But I may be prejudiced becase I love tge Jack Benny program. It still airs 10 times a week on Antenna TV. Benny did 250 episodes from 1950 to 1965. They regularly show about 150 public domain episodes. And Benny also has about 800 radio episodes in essentially the same format. Jack Benny was popular from 1932 in radio to his specials in the 1970s. And Benny influenced later comics like Johnny Carson. And still influences comics today. Letterman loves Benny.

Benny has his own fan club but the best TV forum anywhere is Sitcomsonline.

I suppose if I have a comment for Jack Benny, if he can't have his own forum, the best place would be that of his best friend George Burns.

And you're right about the lack of a definitive Jack Benny DVD.

I think that's due to legal issues. CBS a few years ago found 25 lost public domain episodes but won't release them and also won't let the Benny estate of the Jack Benny Fan Club release them.

I'm making my own DVDs from the Antenna TV shows. But they only show about 150 episodes. And they don't even show them in a regular order.

I'm relatively new.
Where is the forum for the Jack Benny Program?
Thanks.
sadly, there isn't one. I've requested one and a few others also have but to no avail.

You can try requesting one again. Go into the SITE FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS forum.

...'THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM" wasn't a sitcom. It was a variety show, with sketches and occasional "sitcom" elements (including "flashback" sequences, and those incidences that happened "inbetween shows")....sometimes mixing them together, depending on the idea and/or guest star.

The filmed episodes (about a hundred of them) are what appear on "ANTENNA TV". Jack did more live and videotaped episodes in his earlier TV seasons- he initially filmed between four to six episodes a season during the '50s, to allow himself more time for other appearances, or "time off"- but the filmed ones [mentioning very little topical material, which he liked to do] took precedence in the early '60s because he was told by his manager, Irving Fein, that doing more filmed episodes would bring in more revenue in future syndication; by the last season [1964-'65], only 2 of 28 episodes were taped, and the rest on film {and out of those, only 10 are circulated}.

:tv:

once again; you've AMAZED me with your TV knowledge. I mean, I know a lot about TV but I don't know 90% of all the stuff you do!

For example, I've thought for years that the reason he didn't do many episodes of his TV show at first was because he was doing his radio show at the same time. And I didn't know that some of his shows were taped rather than filmed. (I knew that he did his shows live at first though. In fact I have 3 of them on VHS. I no longer have a way to play them though:( )

(and I call the show a "sitcom/variety show")

I always wondered why the mix of film and live TV Jack Bennys.

I have 773 Jack Benny radio shows from 1932 to 1955. They are often even funnier than his TV show.

After the first year or so (when Jack did fake news like SNL Weekend Update), the sitcom elements creep in, as Jack finds the right cast members.

Kenny Baker, Dennis Day, Larry Stevens (who filled in while Dennis was in Navy in WWII) were all great tenor singers. Dennis Day was the only one really funny.

But I agree Jack Benny wasn't really a situation comedy. I'd call it more a character comedy.

I always wondered why the mix of film and live TV Jack Bennys.

I have 773 Jack Benny radio shows from 1932 to 1955. They are often even funnier than his TV show.

After the first year or so (when Jack did fake news like SNL Weekend Update), the sitcom elements creep in, as Jack finds the right cast members.

Kenny Baker, Dennis Day, Larry Stevens (who filled in while Dennis was in Navy in WWII) were all great tenor singers. Dennis Day was the only one really funny.

But I agree Jack Benny wasn't really a situation comedy. I'd call it more a character comedy.
I have a lot of his radio shows too on cassette. (for all you youngsters reading this, those were little tapes that us old-timers would record stuff on)

Back in the 80s; when radio stations would play some of the old radio shows (which I wis they still did) a local station used to play them on weeknites and I used to record a lot of the shows. I also used to be suscribed to a mail-order placeat the time that used to sell a lot of the shows on cassette.

Now you can get Jack Benny shows as downloads of mp3. At a price Jack Benny would love.
There's Jack Benny podcasts too on iTunes.
But I like my Bennys plain without the 5 minute introduction.

once again; you've AMAZED me with your TV knowledge. I mean, I know a lot about TV but I don't know 90% of all the stuff you do!

Anyone can google something or look it up in a book they have sitting on their shelf.

...if you have access to the radio and TV episodes themselves. For example, I've seen and heard three of the four versions of "The Fiddler" sketch Jack did on radio and television between 1946 and '64 [I haven't seen the first 1957 TV version yet, but I know the 1964 filmed version was adapted from it].

:tv:

Great news from International Jack Benny fan club.
Shout Factory Jack Benny Lost Episodes DVD set will be released on July 23rd!

Great news from International Jack Benny fan club.
Shout Factory Jack Benny Lost Episodes DVD set will be released on July 23rd!

Even better news ... according to the International Jack Benny Fan Club's Facebook page and an email from the club's president, Shout Factory will have this available via their website June 18th, 5 weeks before anywhere else!

The Lost Episodes of Jack Benny were made with the help of the International Jack Benny fan club.

Why within each decade forum isn't there a catch-all "Other" forum?

Then if there's enough interest shown by posts, a show could get its own forum?

Why within each decade forum isn't there a catch-all "Other" forum?

Then if there's enough interest shown by posts, a show could get its own forum?
That is an excellent idea! And, I think there should be one!:)

Yes, I mean think about it.
Jack Benny's 1950 sitcom is still on the air 10 times a week!
Only Lucy could say "so?"

And they still show his movies.
April 19 at 1 am PST, TCM is showing "The Horn Blows a Midnight."

TCM lists date as April 18 but they are not literal which is dumb in an age when everyone sets a timer and needs the exact date.

For shows like Mary Ann or the Professor.

Then you'd have an organized place to post something.

Amazon has reduced price pre-order of The Jack Benny Program: The Lost Episodes out in June / July.

These titles aren’t in the extensive Benny Fan Club archives
nor are they in the Antenna TV rotation.

You get 18 new episodes.

63 10/7/1956 Guests: George Burns, Spike Jones
64 10/21/1956 Guests: George Gobel, Red Skelton
65 11/4/1956 "Jack Invited to the Colmans" Guests: Ronald and Benita Colman
94 9/21/1958 Guest: Gary Cooper
109 10/4/1959 "Jack Switches Sponsors" Benny Show 30 Years in Future (1989!)
110 10/18/1959 Guest: President Harry S. Truman
113 11/29/1959 Guest: Jack Paar
120 3/6/1960 Guests: Robert Wagner, Natalie Wood
122 4/17/1960 "The Easter Show"
123 5/1/1960 Final show of season. Jack discusses his trip to the Far East,
124 10/16/1960 Nightbeat parody. Guests: George Burns, Tony Curtis, Robert Wagner, Mike Wallace
126 10/30/1960 Guest: Milton Berle
128 11/20/1960 Guests: Jaye P. Morgan, John Wayne
159 12/24/1961 "Christmas Show"
167 2/18/1962 Guests: Hugh Downs, Rock Hudson
? THIS WASN’T EVEN ON EPISODE LIST 1/29/1963 "The Murder of Clayton Worthington" Guest: Dick Van Dyke
203 9/24/1963 "Reverend Billy Graham" Guest: Billy Graham
244 12/25/1964 One Man Show Guest: Gisele MacKenzie

Is anyone else excited?

Anyone can google something or look it up in a book they have sitting on their shelf.

But only I can find what you really want, which are the radio shows online, all free, and all downloadable, and here they are:


Jack Benny Radio Program (http://archive.org/details/JackBenny1)

Jack Benny TV Program (http://www.solie.org/alibrary/JackBennyProgram.html)

And since George Burns was his best friend, we have something for his fans too:

Burns and Allen TV episodes (http://www.solie.org/alibrary/BurndandAllen.html)

Burns and Allen radio episodes (http://matineeclassics.com/radio/1937/burns_and_allen/)

In either medium, comedy does not get better than this!

Thanks for the resources.

From various free sources online, I've collected 773 Jack Benny radio programs from 1932 to 1955.

They're wonderful and in some ways even better than his TV show.

They show more continuity from week to week.

The funny elements you like in his TV show are even stronger on radio.

A great site giving detail descriptions is

https://sites.google.com/site/jackbennyinthe1940s/Home

Thanks again.

....were originally telecast live through the 1958-'59 season, and videotaped from the fall of 1959- and were NEVER repeated. These episodes alternated with the filmed shows Jack was somewhat reluctant to do; he preferred to deliver topical humor, and the filmed episodes gave him very little opportunity to do that. But his manager [and executive producer] Irving Fein explaned that film was more valuable in future syndication, and would earn him more income in daytime repeats {"SUNDAY WITH JACK BENNY"/"THE JACK BENNY DAYTIME SHOW", 1964-65, CBS} and off-network sales. In fact, by the final weekly season on NBC (1964-'65), Jack videotaped only two episodes [one of them is featured in the box set], and filmed the remaining 26....but only 10 of those are currently in syndication (and cable repeats).

:tv:

Thanks so much for the explanation.

3 questions.

If the lost episodes were done live, are they kinescopes filmed off TV?

Originally it was announced CBS found 25. The DVD release is 18. Why not 25?

How many of 258 total Jack Benny TV shows are available?
Antenna TV run is a little over 130.
The Jack Benny fan club has 152.
The lost episode DVDs add 18. That's 170.
What's left?

Thanks again.

Yes, the live shows were "kinnied" for delayed telecasts by stations who couldn't carry the show "live" in their area (several examples are currently posted on YouTube)...and the videotaped episodes were also preserved on kinescope film, as the original videotapes were, for the most part, either erased or discarded.

As I've mentioned, there are various filmed episodes that were not included in syndication and cable repeats- including Rod Serling's January 1963 appearance; Jack Webb's November 1959 guest spot, with a "Charlie Chan" parody {one reason it was never repeated was because the widow of Earl Derr Biggers, who created Chan, sued Benny over the sketch}, and a January 1959 appearance by Barbara Stanwyck, doing a filmed version of Jack's perennial satire of "Gaslight" on radio and live TV {THAT was initially blocked by MGM, who claimed that Jack's parody was too close to their original movie- in the end, Benny paid them $1000 for the right to present the episode, and it was never shown again}.


Who's to say there might not be a second box set in the near future?

:tv:

Thanks again for the explanation.

So I calculate with the lost episodes, about 170 episodes are available.

But what's odd with the various exclusions for various reasons, out of 15 seasons, how many seasons would be complete with every episode available? Not one!

I loved it.
Even the extras are great.
The episodes are different from usual film ones on Antenna TV.
These were apparently done live. They screw up lines more.
But when that happens you do see Jack Benny can ad lib.
And the video is restored.
You get 3 discs if you order from Amazon. 18 episodes.
But if you order directly from Shout Factory, you get an bonus disc of Jack Benny doing a TV version of Horn Blows At Midnight from Omnibus in 1953.
It's funny too. The female angel Jack is sweet on is played by the gorgeous Dorothy Malone.
I'm glad I paid extra from Shout.

I'm about to get an Amazon gift card and this is what I'm using it on :)

And count me as another vote for a Jack Benny Show forum here!

I think there still would be an interest. But I may be prejudiced becase I love tge Jack Benny program. It still airs 10 times a week on Antenna TV. Benny did 250 episodes from 1950 to 1965. They regularly show about 150 public domain episodes. And Benny also has about 800 radio episodes in essentially the same format. Jack Benny was popular from 1932 in radio to his specials in the 1970s. And Benny influenced later comics like Johnny Carson. And still influences comics today. Letterman loves Benny.

Benny has his own fan club but the best TV forum anywhere is Sitcomsonline.

I suppose if I have a comment for Jack Benny, if he can't have his own forum, the best place would be that of his best friend George Burns.

And you're right about the lack of a definitive Jack Benny DVD.

I think that's due to legal issues. CBS a few years ago found 25 lost public domain episodes but won't release them and also won't let the Benny estate of the Jack Benny Fan Club release them.

I'm making my own DVDs from the Antenna TV shows. But they only show about 150 episodes. And they don't even show them in a regular order.

Another big Jack Benny fan here, and I actually came to this B & A forum while looking for a Benny one.

My true appreciation of Jack Benny has grown recently, while watching the Antenna TV broadcasts.

I loved it.
Even the extras are great.
The episodes are different from usual film ones on Antenna TV.
These were apparently done live. They screw up lines more.
But when that happens you do see Jack Benny can ad lib.
And the video is restored.
You get 3 discs if you order from Amazon. 18 episodes.
But if you order directly from Shout Factory, you get an bonus disc of Jack Benny doing a TV version of Horn Blows At Midnight from Omnibus in 1953.
It's funny too. The female angel Jack is sweet on is played by the gorgeous Dorothy Malone.
I'm glad I paid extra from Shout.

Sounds great, I'll need to look that one up... can't get enough of Jack Benny and his subtle artistry.

39 Forever!

Yes, the live shows were "kinnied" for delayed telecasts by stations who couldn't carry the show "live" in their area (several examples are currently posted on YouTube)...and the videotaped episodes were also preserved on kinescope film, as the original videotapes were, for the most part, either erased or discarded.

As I've mentioned, there are various filmed episodes that were not included in syndication and cable repeats- including Rod Serling's January 1963 appearance; Jack Webb's November 1959 guest spot, with a "Charlie Chan" parody {one reason it was never repeated was because the widow of Earl Derr Biggers, who created Chan, sued Benny over the sketch}, and a January 1959 appearance by Barbara Stanwyck, doing a filmed version of Jack's perennial satire of "Gaslight" on radio and live TV {THAT was initially blocked by MGM, who claimed that Jack's parody was too close to their original movie- in the end, Benny paid them $1000 for the right to present the episode, and it was never shown again}.


Who's to say there might not be a second box set in the near future?

:tv:

Good Lord, these sound like some fantastic Jack Benny moves, truly, I've barely scratched the surface on investigating his work:

Gaslight parody... Barbara Stanwyck!

Rod Serling!

Wonder if the Charlie Chan satire can be released finally?

But only I can find what you really want, which are the radio shows online, all free, and all downloadable, and here they are:


Jack Benny Radio Program (http://archive.org/details/JackBenny1)

Jack Benny TV Program (http://www.solie.org/alibrary/JackBennyProgram.html)

And since George Burns was his best friend, we have something for his fans too:

Burns and Allen TV episodes (http://www.solie.org/alibrary/BurndandAllen.html)

Burns and Allen radio episodes (http://matineeclassics.com/radio/1937/burns_and_allen/)

In either medium, comedy does not get better than this!

Wow!

Looks like it'll be a long night here, thanks for the links!

Good question! I don't think there is one actually. It's considered more of a variety show that aired every 6 weeks in the early 50's. The 1960's episodes are few and far between, DVD wise.

The Jack Benny Program playing this morning, yes at 5:30 in the morning... is very much a reality based sitcome, a sort of Proto-Seinfeld, where he is this episode meeting Peter Paul and Mary, and Benny is pitching a song to them, "When You Say I Beg Your Pardon, Then I'll Come Back To You"... great stuff.

A great episode of Jack Benny's 1960s sitcom with the Kingston Trio (including John Stewart on banjo and Mel Blanc as their manager) is playing here in the late night on Antenna TV.

Their featured songs were "I'm Going Home" and "Tijuana Jail" which seems to be basically "Midnight Special" with different lyrics. Great stuff, as Jack Benny gets thrown into the same jail in Tijuana as the Kingston Trio and thus winds up booking then for his show... I see from YouTube this was January 29 1865:

The Kingston Trio: Tijuana Jail - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YELhIwi93Z4

TO THE TOP

You Asked For It !

for all you posters that wanted a Benny Forum