What was the first sitcom? - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

Mrs. Ducky · 04-14-2004, 03:23 PM

This has been bothering me for a while. Does anyone know??

Mr. Television · 04-14-2004, 03:45 PM

The first sitcom on Network Television was Mary Kay and Johnny which ran from 1947-1950 on the old Dumont Network. It later ran on CBS and NBC.

barwars · 04-14-2004, 05:47 PM

But then of course there were sitcoms on the radio.

Although the only radio sitcom Ive ever heard was the 1950's radio sitcom "My Favorite Husband" starring Lucille O'Ball thanks to the I Love Lucy DVDs.
It gets kind of boring with nothing to look at.
But I have an idea -- take the recordings (which are still in pretty good shape) and add animation to create a Television sitcom out of it.

That way -- Lucy can star in a new sitcom in the new millenium!!
(even if it is animated)

jamesanthony · 04-14-2004, 06:10 PM

Are there any surviving films of that show? I'm assuming it was produced on kineoscope which disintegrated. I would like to see an episode of this. I read somewhere (maybe here on a post) that Mary Kay and Johnny slept in the same bed and she was pregnant on the show and they even used the word pregnant and that the actors were a married couple in real life.

Adamantium · 04-14-2004, 08:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Are there any surviving films of that show? I'm assuming it was produced on kineoscope which disintegrated. I would like to see an episode of this. I read somewhere (maybe here on a post) that Mary Kay and Johnny slept in the same bed and she was pregnant on the show and they even used the word pregnant and that the actors were a married couple in real life.

I read somewhere that there are no surviving episodes.

There are alot of sitcoms from the late 40's I'd like to see but can't since they didn't save the episodes.

MaydayMalonesGirl · 04-14-2004, 08:30 PM

This is weird. I was just discussing this with my mom, and this thread pops up.

Teddy02 · 04-14-2004, 08:46 PM

here is a very good "article" (if you would call it that) about mary kay and johnny:

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/mar...tv/marykay.htm

Mrs. Ducky · 04-18-2004, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Teddy02
here is a very good "article" (if you would call it that) about mary kay and johnny:

http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/mar...tv/marykay.htm

I can't get the link to come up. What did it say?

Mrs. Ducky · 04-18-2004, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Are there any surviving films of that show? I'm assuming it was produced on kineoscope which disintegrated. I would like to see an episode of this. I read somewhere (maybe here on a post) that Mary Kay and Johnny slept in the same bed and she was pregnant on the show and they even used the word pregnant and that the actors were a married couple in real life.

I was watching this thing on TV (I think it was that TVland special: Taboo TV, but I'm not sure) and they were talking about that show and they were showing clips of it, so there must be some episodes, or at least parts of episodes.

db108108 · 04-19-2004, 01:46 AM

I've also heard that The Goldbergs was the first sitcom

treky · 04-20-2004, 03:44 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Are there any surviving films of that show? I'm assuming it was produced on kineoscope which disintegrated. I would like to see an episode of this. I read somewhere (maybe here on a post) that Mary Kay and Johnny slept in the same bed and she was pregnant on the show and they even used the word pregnant and that the actors were a married couple in real life.

you're right; "Mary Kay and Johnny" did do all that. But people complained, so in 1951 the "Television Code" was formed. It was a set of rules that TV producers had to follow, saying they couldn't show two people sharing a bed, and other things.

jamesanthony · 04-20-2004, 08:13 AM

Hey Treky:

Who complained? Pregnancy is part of nature. And the actors were married, it's not like they were shown having sex on the air. Yet and still they banned a lot of things but kept cigarette ads and rampant smoking in shows. What does that tell you?

Mr. Television · 04-20-2004, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by db108108
I've also heard that The Goldbergs was the first sitcom

Mary Kay and Johnny came on in 1947 and the Goldbergs came on in January 1949. The Goldbergs had been on radio before then so maybe that's what they're talking about.

treky · 04-20-2004, 04:08 PM

I think "Amos and Andy" was the first radio sitcom.

treky · 04-20-2004, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by jamesanthony
Hey Treky:

Who complained? Pregnancy is part of nature. And the actors were married, it's not like they were shown having sex on the air. Yet and still they banned a lot of things but kept cigarette ads and rampant smoking in shows. What does that tell you?

I guess some people felt that those things shouldn't be shown on TV, for whatever reason.
My mother has said that she remembers when they would show Lucy Ricardo pregnent on "I Love Lucy" in 1952, her mother thought it was "disgusting",

04-14-2004, 03:23 PM	#1
Mrs. Ducky Member Senior Member Join Date: Apr 01, 2003 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 1,461	What was the first sitcom? This has been bothering me for a while. Does anyone know??
	__________________ “If television's a babysitter, the Internet is a drunk librarian who won't shut up.” Dorothy Gambrell

04-14-2004, 03:45 PM	#2
Mr. Television 22 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,125	The first sitcom on Network Television was Mary Kay and Johnny which ran from 1947-1950 on the old Dumont Network. It later ran on CBS and NBC.
	__________________ Sonny

04-14-2004, 08:46 PM	#7
Teddy02 La Vita e Bella Forum Regular Join Date: Jul 09, 2003 Posts: 572	here is a very good "article" (if you would call it that) about mary kay and johnny: http://www.snopes.com/radiotv/tv/mar...tv/marykay.htm
	__________________ La Vita e Bella: Life is Beautiful

04-14-2004, 05:47 PM	#3
barwars .. Forum Star Join Date: May 04, 2002 Posts: 13,273	But then of course there were sitcoms on the radio. Although the only radio sitcom Ive ever heard was the 1950's radio sitcom "My Favorite Husband" starring Lucille O'Ball thanks to the I Love Lucy DVDs. It gets kind of boring with nothing to look at. But I have an idea -- take the recordings (which are still in pretty good shape) and add animation to create a Television sitcom out of it. That way -- Lucy can star in a new sitcom in the new millenium!! (even if it is animated)

04-14-2004, 06:10 PM	#4
jamesanthony Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 2,180	Are there any surviving films of that show? I'm assuming it was produced on kineoscope which disintegrated. I would like to see an episode of this. I read somewhere (maybe here on a post) that Mary Kay and Johnny slept in the same bed and she was pregnant on the show and they even used the word pregnant and that the actors were a married couple in real life.

04-14-2004, 08:30 PM	#6
MaydayMalonesGirl ACID! POLICEHHHH! Forum Star Join Date: Apr 24, 2003 Location: in a van down by the river. Posts: 18,393	This is weird. I was just discussing this with my mom, and this thread pops up.

04-19-2004, 01:46 AM	#10
db108108 Teacher (for now) Senior Member Join Date: Mar 20, 2003 Location: 2 hours north of Detroit, 2 hours south of Toronto Posts: 1,023	I've also heard that The Goldbergs was the first sitcom

04-20-2004, 08:13 AM	#12
jamesanthony Member Senior Member Join Date: Mar 30, 2004 Posts: 2,180	Hey Treky: Who complained? Pregnancy is part of nature. And the actors were married, it's not like they were shown having sex on the air. Yet and still they banned a lot of things but kept cigarette ads and rampant smoking in shows. What does that tell you?

04-20-2004, 04:08 PM	#14
treky star trek fan Eternal Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Feb 25, 2002 Location: Conshohocken, pennsylvania Posts: 14,490	I think "Amos and Andy" was the first radio sitcom.