I am new to this show. Can anyone recommend where to start, like what season to start with, or a particular DVD collection?

I am new to this show. Can anyone recommend where to start, like what season to start with, or a particular DVD collection?

I say start with the earliest episode one has available but STOP roughly Season Nine due to the dual factors of the series becoming a virtual variety show with little or no dealings with the actual Williams family and having to witness the tragic Rusty Hamer's awkward puberty.

Seasons 1 thru 3 are essentially a different show, with a different mother. The scripts generally center on Danny being away, playing a lot of out-of-town clubs. Thus, make room for him when he's there.

Evidently Jean Hagen became disenchanted, and supposedly fought a lot with Danny. Exit, Jean (Sherry Jackson was also unhappy, but stayed thru season 5). Season 4 was transitional, with Danny widowed--Marjorie Lord joined the cast at the end of the season, nursing Rusty thru a childhood illness, probably measles.

I'd recommend seasons 4 thru 9, and maybe 11. Technically speaking, this is a multi-cam show, so there is a live audience. Poster "Howard" will disagree with omitting season 10, but Danny and Marjorie are mostly MIA in that season--they are in Europe, and have only a few episodes. The rest of the scripts have Sid Melton and Pat Carroll carrying the load.

As far as options for watching go, there are 2 DVD sets--that's it. Season 5 has syndication-cut episodes, and they didn't even include the episode openers with each episode. Season 6 did have the complete episodes, and is the better collection. Other than those, the choice is watching on Cozi TV (which airs season 4 thru 11). This was the first network to air seasons 10 and 11 since the original CBS airings. Other than Cozi, there are probably sources for the other seasons "out there", but not legit. The S5 and 6 sets may now be deleted, also. I really doubt the show is streamed anywhere.

In another thread it wad pointed out that Danny went with a minor-league syndicator, probably resulting with this show being lesser-known than, say, Lucy or The Honeymooners (with its grand total of 39 episodes). I've also read it's possible that Jean Hagen had partial ownership of the rights to seasons 1 thru 3, and Marjorie Lord the same with seasons 10 and 11--thus they were relegated to obscurity for these reasons. It's great that was resolved for seasons 10 and 11--but not so great it wasn't resolved for seasons 1 thru 3. Those episodes have lapsed into public domain and some are on DVD in varying quality. If the syndicator SFM actually has those masters, they should make the episodes available!

That is useful information. Thanks! I guess I will try the DVDs that are out there. I have barely ever seen the show, but I find Danny Thomas an interesting character and performer, and the fact that the series lasted for so long must say something about its quality.

Hi. I'm the maven on this show! Unfortunately COZI-TV stopped showing this series a month ago and wouldn't answer my email to complain. You should start with Season 5 and go through Season 11. ONLY Season 5&6 are on DVD. There's lotsa episodes on YouTube. The first 3 Seasons haven't been seen in decades but are in the public domain so you might find them in Dollar-type stores BUT the quality is really BAD!

I did not know COZI dropped it, since locally COZI-TV was dropped.

I think it would fit well on MeTV--they could drop one of the Dragnet episodes in the morning. They could air the same package COZI had, with seasons 4 thru 11. Another option: do what they did with My Three Sons, and acquire all the seasons, 343 episodes.

Actually ME-TV used to broadcast the show about 7 years ago.Am still hoping it will be brought back by COZI-TV!

Yep, it's true; I still like Season 10. It's a change of pace to film outside the studio. I really would like to see the ORIGINAL 25-minute versions of ALL shows that aired when originally on UNTIL the networks decided to have 21 minute shows. This started in the 90's! Disgraceful; even the LUCY episodes are cut!!!

Yep, it's true; I still like Season 10. It's a change of pace to film outside the studio. I really would like to see the ORIGINAL 25-minute versions of ALL shows that aired when originally on UNTIL the networks decided to have 21 minute shows. This started in the 90's! Disgraceful; even the LUCY episodes are cut!!!

25 minutes of the show---YES! I've never seen those except for season 6, which was released uncut.

Also the Danny Thomas Show originally had an animated opening, with a thing that looked like a feather duster, and an announcer who read the cast. That's never been on DVD or TV since the originals.

You do have a point about season 10--the ones with Danny and Kathy in Europe are pretty good. I think it was a mistake in the rest of the episodes, to expect that Sid Melton and Pat Carroll could carry the load. I can't argue with the ratings though!

One of my favorite episodes featured singer Brenda Lee.

There are only 2 DVD Sets; the 5th and 6th seasons! COZI-TV pulled the show from its line-up 6 weeks ago. There are many episodes on YouTube including the rarely-seen episodes from seasons 1-3 but the picture quality sucks as they have never been digitized. Myself personally, I really think the show really starts with season 5 and all the way through the end of season 11! ENJOY!

I disagree! I love Seasons 10 and 11! Maybe due to the fact that until 6 years ago, these episodes were not shown in any syndication package since 1965 when CBS reran them in Prime-Time and then disappeared. I thanked the Syndicator as they had to digitize these episodes to match the quality of the earlier seasons. Unfortunately, as of this posting COZI-TV has dropped the show from its schedule this year and can only hope they add it back soon.

This show is going to start airing on a local retro station this September, and it's starting on season 4, which I thought was a mistake, but now I see that it probably isn't.

I'm looking forward to it.

You've come to the right person, me! The 1st three seasons are not available anywhere and haven't been shown since the NBC afternoons reruns 1960-1965; I never liked them. Season 5-11 are the best which and only seasons 4, 5&6 are on DVD. Cozi-TV showed seasons 4-11 but took the show off since January. FYI: The final 2 seasons were NEVER shown until Cozi-TV bought the show from SFM Entertainment and aired them ALL. They did an incredible job digitizing them so all the shows look brand-new!

The original animated opening is on YOUtUBE; don't know why they've never used it except when the show was in primetime on CBS. Also, the original animated opening for I LOVE LUCY with the Lucy/Desi stick-figures is also found on YouTube.

PLEASE tell me what TV Station/Network that is going to show them! I've hounded Cozi-TV to put it back but they never answer viewer emails! Their package is seasons 4-11.

It will be airing on an independent station in Canada, CHCH, starting on Wednesday September 1.

This show is funny. It took me 3 episodes into season 4 to really like it, but that 3rd episode did it.

But now they've skipped to episode 9, season 4. Is there any reason for them to skip episodes 4-8?

Thank you so much! Will check it out!

That's so weird; I've ONLY seen the reruns in exact numerical order. I do hope they ALSO show seasons 10 and 11! Really pissed at COZI-TV for not showing showing it since Jan. They NEVER respond to emails!

Hi Steve! The original opening is on YouTube as I just checked. Don't know WHY they didn't use this since it left CBS Primetime! The opening that's used is awful with the silhouettes?

You've come to the right person, me! The 1st three seasons are not available anywhere and haven't been shown since the NBC afternoons reruns 1960-1965; I never liked them. Season 5-11 are the best which only 5&6 are on DVD. Cozi-TV showed seasons 4-11 but took the show off since January. FYI: The final 2 seasons were NEVER shown until Cozi-TV bought the show from SFM Entertainment and aired them ALL. They did an incredible job digitizing them so all the shows look brand-new!

I might possibly getting seasons 7 thru 9 unedited--my current copies are the Make Room for Daddy syndies from MeTV. Those are not as heavily edited as Cozi and include the tag scene, which I think Cozi cut.

Since SFM probably struck unedited copies of seasons 10 and 11 it would be great if they put those out on DVD, since yes they looked great on Cozi but were heavily edited to fit into 20 or 21 minutes. But, it's better to have those than nothing!

This show is funny. It took me 3 episodes into season 4 to really like it, but that 3rd episode did it.

But now they've skipped to episode 9, season 4. Is there any reason for them to skip episodes 4-8?

In season 4 there is an episode where Rusty runs away and Danny locates him at an adoption agency or similar. Rusty hides behind something and overhears the nice things Danny says, if I recall correctly. One of the best episodes of that season--I need to rewatch it.

It sounds like they are showing the episodes in production order rather than in network sequence.

There are a lot of memorable episodes later. I usually like Danny's songs, but in particular, in a season 7 episode at the end he sings a song with Rusty that's probably called High Hopes. Their duet is really memorable. He was a talented kid and Rusty Hamer's suicide was such a loss.

I want to watch the later eps with Pat Harrington Jr. and Penny Parker again, although I miss having Sherry Jackson there. I like most of the series, although I could probably do without Hans Conried's character.

The lady who originally played Danny's wife early on was from my area, northern Indiana (Elkhart in her case).

The story arc with Harrington and Parker is in season 7.

The character you don't like is Danny's loudmouthed Uncle Tonoose. I don't mind him, but pair him with Kathy's father, played by Wm. Demarest, also a loudmouth--well, those episodes are skip-worthy, but also few and far between.

There is a hilarious episode from season 10 or 11 with Tonoose, and Danny dresses up as the head of the family from Lebanon, Habib--and totally cows the normally cocky Tonoose.

Yep, Jean Hagen grew up in Elkhart.

HI. I'm the "maven" of this show! Start with Season 5 and continue through the final Season 11. The only DVD'S were from 2006/2008 BUT they are showing on AMAZON PRIME as well as FILMRISE( a new streamer) uncut and also on IMDB-TV (edited). My favorite show of all time. Enjoy!

It's currently streaming on AMAZON PRIME and FILMRISE. It is also on IMDB-TV but is edited unlike the first 2 streamers!

This show is funny. It took me 3 episodes into season 4 to really like it, but that 3rd episode did it.

But now they've skipped to episode 9, season 4. Is there any reason for them to skip episodes 4-8?


The channel airing this show (CHCH) recently aired the episodes that they skipped, so I suppose the reason they skipped them was that they didn't have them available, or maybe it was just a mistake, and the channel decided to air the episodes before moving on to airing the 9th season.

Right now, as of April 2024, Catchy Comedy is currently airing Make Room for Daddy aka The Danny Thomas Show.
It airs weekdays at 9am ET, and they currently air the same seasons: 4-11, with them airing newer prints.