I'm new to this show... - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

MichaelMartinD · 01-06-2021, 05:35 PM

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

PracTz · 01-07-2021, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MichaelMartinD

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.

stevea · 01-09-2021, 01:15 PM

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!

MichaelMartinD · 01-09-2021, 05:07 PM

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.

Howard · 02-13-2021, 04:29 PM

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!

stevea · 02-13-2021, 10:55 PM

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.

Howard · 02-17-2021, 06:43 PM

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

Howard · 02-17-2021, 06:47 PM

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!!!

stevea · 02-23-2021, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Howard

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!

Coffeecup · 03-27-2021, 10:19 PM

One of my favorite episodes featured singer Brenda Lee.

Howard · 04-02-2021, 04:21 PM

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!

Howard · 05-31-2021, 12:59 PM

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.

KatieAnn · 08-18-2021, 09:19 PM

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.

Howard · 08-22-2021, 05:17 PM

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!

Howard · 08-22-2021, 05:22 PM

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.

01-06-2021, 05:35 PM	#1
MichaelMartinD Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 23, 2013 Posts: 573	I'm new to this show... I am new to this show. Can anyone recommend where to start, like what season to start with, or a particular DVD collection?

02-13-2021, 04:29 PM	#5
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	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!
	Last edited by Howard; 02-17-2021 at 06:41 PM.

08-22-2021, 05:17 PM	#14
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	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!
	Last edited by Howard; 03-09-2025 at 06:19 PM. Reason: update on dvd

01-09-2021, 01:15 PM	#3
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,161	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!

01-09-2021, 05:07 PM	#4
MichaelMartinD Member Forum Regular Join Date: Dec 23, 2013 Posts: 573	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.

02-13-2021, 10:55 PM	#6
stevea 22 Years On Sitcoms Moderator Forum Legend Join Date: Aug 13, 2003 Location: Indy Posts: 44,161	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.

02-17-2021, 06:43 PM	#7
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	Actually ME-TV used to broadcast the show about 7 years ago.Am still hoping it will be brought back by COZI-TV!

02-17-2021, 06:47 PM	#8
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	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!!!

03-27-2021, 10:19 PM	#10
Coffeecup coffeecup. Forum 3000 Club Member Join Date: Jan 17, 2003 Location: snoozeville Posts: 3,176	One of my favorite episodes featured singer Brenda Lee.

04-02-2021, 04:21 PM	#11
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	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!

05-31-2021, 12:59 PM	#12
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	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.

08-18-2021, 09:19 PM	#13
KatieAnn Member Forum Regular Join Date: Sep 15, 2011 Posts: 520	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.

08-22-2021, 05:22 PM	#15
Howard Member Frequent Poster Join Date: Apr 23, 2003 Posts: 238	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.