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Woolworth27 · 04-27-2006, 10:57 PM

What was this show about? What channel, time and years this show was on?

treky · 04-28-2006, 02:12 AM

it starred Bob Cummings as a photogropher living and working in california-I think L.A. He was a bachelor, had "an eye for the ladies", and lived with his sister (who also wasn't married-I think she was divorced) and his nephew (played by Dwane Hickman, who went on to play Dobie Gillis). His secretary was played by Ann B. Davis (Alice on THE BRADY BUNCH). And Nancy Kulp ("Miss Jane" on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) would appear sometimes as a bird-watcher named Pam Livingston. It was on both NBC & CBS-I don't know which one was first and was written by Paul Henning, who created THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES & PETTICOAT JUNCTION and wrote and sometimes directed some early TBH episodes. I don't know what night and time(s) it was on.

An episode of it is on the MPI DVD "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" & "PETTICOAT JUNCTION" ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION and on "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOLUME 1, also from MPI there's a doccumentary called "PAUL HENNING AND THE HILLBILLIES" where they talk a little about it.

TV Knowledge Fan · 04-29-2006, 04:45 PM

..."THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" was about a successful photographer who was a "swinging bachelor" who had a wise-cracking secretary...and he lived with his more "conservative" sister and her "eager" son...and had a bird-watching "friend" and "sneaky" best friend, and so on...

The show was created, produced, and mostly written by Paul Henning (who had been one of the key writers on the Burns & Allen radio and TV shows from 1942 through 1952, which is WHY George Burns co-produced this show in a three-way partnetship that involved Cummings as well), who used collaborators because he couldn't write the entire series alone...

more to come.....

treky · 04-29-2006, 09:28 PM

thanx for all the info; TV KNOWLEDGE FAN! Wow, you SURE know a lot about TV!!
I didn't know that George Burns co-produced this show, and that Paul Henning was a writer on his radio show. (I know he was a writer for "Fibber McGee & Molly" on radio-not the TV version, which I heard was HORRIBLE!!

TV Knowledge Fan · 05-01-2006, 12:59 PM

...if you pay attention to the closing credits, you'll note "McCadden Productions" as one of the co-producers...that's George Burns' company, and he was primarily responsible for bringing the "THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" to TV (or else why would he have Cummings appear as "himself" to plug his "new" series on the "BURNS & ALLEN SHOW" of December 27, 1954?).
Burns KNEW Henning had a hit comedy on his hands, and backed him all the way [his track record as one of George & Gracie's former writers also had something to do with it...].
However, when the series began in January 1955, NBC (the network that originally carried it) was a bit apprehensive about the idea of 'Bob Collins' being a "swinging bachelor", and would not allow the show to be scheduled in the early evening. They forced R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. {the show's primary sponsor, for Winston cigarettes} to schedule it in their 10:30pm(et) time period on Sundays [following "THE LORETTA YOUNG SHOW"]...opposite CBS' "WHAT'S MY LINE?". After 26 weeks, Reynolds decided the show WAS "acceptable" for early-evening viewers, and moved it to their 8pm
time slot on Thursdays...on CBS. In fact, that summer, they divided the first26 repeats between their Sunday (NBC) AND Thursday (CBS) time periods, so that the audience would get used to seeing Cummings on Thursdays only, beginning that fall. And, even oppposite Groucho Marx's "YOU BET YOUR LIFE" on NBC, the Cummings show flourished, picking up Colgate-Palmolive as an alternate sponsor for two years, until the show moved back to NBC in the fall of 1957, on Tuesdays (this time, Schick, Inc. was the new co-sponsor). By the end of the 1958-'59 season, the show was "retired" [MCA-TV, the distributor, wanted to sell daytime reruns to ABC and syndicate the show as soon as possible], despite Bob Cummings' protests.

04-27-2006, 10:57 PM	#1
Woolworth27 Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Jan 14, 2006 Posts: 315	What? What was this show about? What channel, time and years this show was on?

04-28-2006, 02:12 AM	#2
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	it starred Bob Cummings as a photogropher living and working in california-I think L.A. He was a bachelor, had "an eye for the ladies", and lived with his sister (who also wasn't married-I think she was divorced) and his nephew (played by Dwane Hickman, who went on to play Dobie Gillis). His secretary was played by Ann B. Davis (Alice on THE BRADY BUNCH). And Nancy Kulp ("Miss Jane" on THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES) would appear sometimes as a bird-watcher named Pam Livingston. It was on both NBC & CBS-I don't know which one was first and was written by Paul Henning, who created THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES & PETTICOAT JUNCTION and wrote and sometimes directed some early TBH episodes. I don't know what night and time(s) it was on. An episode of it is on the MPI DVD "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" & "PETTICOAT JUNCTION" ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION and on "THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES" ULTIMATE COLLECTION VOLUME 1, also from MPI there's a doccumentary called "PAUL HENNING AND THE HILLBILLIES" where they talk a little about it.
	__________________ the Clampetts are in a fancy Beverly Hills jewelry store. Granny points to a tray of rubies. Granny: "How much fer one o' them red diamonds?" clerk: "Madam, those are rubies." Granny: "OK ask her kin we buy one offa her." clerk: " The ruby I am talking about is not a lady." Granny: "Lissen, how she got them diamonds is her business. I'm just sayin' ask her kin we buy one from her."

04-29-2006, 04:45 PM	#3
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	yes.... ..."THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" was about a successful photographer who was a "swinging bachelor" who had a wise-cracking secretary...and he lived with his more "conservative" sister and her "eager" son...and had a bird-watching "friend" and "sneaky" best friend, and so on... The show was created, produced, and mostly written by Paul Henning (who had been one of the key writers on the Burns & Allen radio and TV shows from 1942 through 1952, which is WHY George Burns co-produced this show in a three-way partnetship that involved Cummings as well), who used collaborators because he couldn't write the entire series alone... more to come.....

05-01-2006, 12:59 PM	#5
TV Knowledge Fan Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 29, 2006 Location: Long Branch, N.J. Posts: 2,577	you're welcome, 'treky'.... ...if you pay attention to the closing credits, you'll note "McCadden Productions" as one of the co-producers...that's George Burns' company, and he was primarily responsible for bringing the "THE BOB CUMMINGS SHOW" to TV (or else why would he have Cummings appear as "himself" to plug his "new" series on the "BURNS & ALLEN SHOW" of December 27, 1954?). Burns KNEW Henning had a hit comedy on his hands, and backed him all the way [his track record as one of George & Gracie's former writers also had something to do with it...]. However, when the series began in January 1955, NBC (the network that originally carried it) was a bit apprehensive about the idea of 'Bob Collins' being a "swinging bachelor", and would not allow the show to be scheduled in the early evening. They forced R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. {the show's primary sponsor, for Winston cigarettes} to schedule it in their 10:30pm(et) time period on Sundays [following "THE LORETTA YOUNG SHOW"]...opposite CBS' "WHAT'S MY LINE?". After 26 weeks, Reynolds decided the show WAS "acceptable" for early-evening viewers, and moved it to their 8pm time slot on Thursdays...on CBS. In fact, that summer, they divided the first26 repeats between their Sunday (NBC) AND Thursday (CBS) time periods, so that the audience would get used to seeing Cummings on Thursdays only, beginning that fall. And, even oppposite Groucho Marx's "YOU BET YOUR LIFE" on NBC, the Cummings show flourished, picking up Colgate-Palmolive as an alternate sponsor for two years, until the show moved back to NBC in the fall of 1957, on Tuesdays (this time, Schick, Inc. was the new co-sponsor). By the end of the 1958-'59 season, the show was "retired" [MCA-TV, the distributor, wanted to sell daytime reruns to ABC and syndicate the show as soon as possible], despite Bob Cummings' protests.

04-29-2006, 09:28 PM	#4
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	thanx for all the info; TV KNOWLEDGE FAN! Wow, you SURE know a lot about TV!! I didn't know that George Burns co-produced this show, and that Paul Henning was a writer on his radio show. (I know he was a writer for "Fibber McGee & Molly" on radio-not the TV version, which I heard was HORRIBLE!!