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Blondie is the first of two television series based on the comic strip by Chic Young. The show first aired on January 4, 1957 on NBC and ran for one season. Pamela Britton starred in the title role and Arthur Lake played Blondie's husband Dagwood Bumstead, reprising his role from the Blondie film series.[1]
| Blondie | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Based on | Blondie comic strip by Chic Young |
| Directed by | Abby Berlin Paul Landres |
| Starring | Pamela Britton Arthur Lake |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 25 mins. |
| Production companies | Hal Roach Studios King Features Productions |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | January 4 – July 5, 1957 |
| Related | |
A pilot episode was filmed in 1954 with Hal Le Roy as Dagwood opposite Britton's Blondie. The series was released in its entirety on September 25, 2018 by ClassicFlix.[2] As of 2024, it airs on Shout! TV.
Cast
edit- Arthur Lake as Dagwood Bumstead[3]
- Pamela Britton as Blondie Bumstead[3]
- Florenz Ames as J.C. Dithers[3]
- Ann Barnes as Cookie Bumstead[3]
- Stuffy Singer as Alexander Bumstead[3]
- Harold Peary as Herb Woodley
- Elvia Allman as Cora Dithers
- Lucien Littlefield as Mr. Beasley
- Hollis Irving as Mrs. Woodley
Episodes
edit| Nº | Title [4] | Directed by | Written by | Air date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Sudden Wealth" | Hal Yates | John L. Greene | January 4, 1957 |
| 2 | "It's for the Birds" | Hal Yates | John L. Greene | January 11, 1957 |
| 3 | "The Folks Who Came to Dinner" | Hal Yates | Warren Spector & Gordon T. Hughes | January 18, 1957 |
| 4 | "The Other Woman" | Unknown | Unknown | January 25, 1957 |
| 5 | "Home Sweet Home" | Hal Yates | Jack Ellinson & Charles Stewart | February 1, 1957 |
| 6 | "Get That Gun" | Hal Yates | Frank Gill, Jr. | February 8, 1957 |
| 7 | "The Feud" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | February 15, 1957 |
| 8 | "The Quiz Show" | Hal Yates | Unknown | February 22, 1957 |
| 9 | "Husbands Once Removed" | Unknown | Unknown | March 1, 1957 |
| 10 | "The Payoff Money" | Paul Landres | George Beck & Jo Conway | March 8, 1957 |
| 11 | "Hard Luck Idol" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | March 15, 1957 |
| 12 | "Oil for the Lamps of Blondie" | Unknown | Unknown | March 22, 1957 |
| 13 | "Blondie the Breadwinner" | Unknown | Unknown | March 29, 1957 |
| 14 | "The Glamour Girl" | Unknown | Unknown | April 5, 1957 |
| 15 | "The Rummage Sale" | Paul Landres | Unknown | April 12, 1957 |
| 16 | "Deception" | Paul Landres | Don Nelson & Jay Sommers | April 19, 1957 |
| 17 | "Puppy Love" | Gerald Freedman | George Carleton Brown & Frank Gill Jr. | April 26, 1957 |
| 18 | "Made to Fire" | Paul Landres | Gordon T. Hughes & Warren Spector | May 3, 1957 |
| 19 | "Blondie Redecorates" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | May 10, 1957 |
| 20 | "Blondie's Double" | Paul Landres | Unknown | May 17, 1957 |
| 21 | "The Spy" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | May 24, 1957 |
| 22 | "Cupid's Question Column" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | May 31, 1957 |
| 23 | "The Tramp" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | June 7, 1957 |
| 24 | "Follow That Man" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | June 14, 1957 |
| 25 | "The Party" | Paul Landres | John L. Greene | June 21, 1957 |
| 26 | "Howdy Neighbor" | Unknown | Unknown | June 28, 1957 |
Production
editWilliam Harmon was the producer, Hal Yates was the director, and John L. Greene was the director.[3] The show was a Hal Roach Jr. production. Toni and Nestle sponsored it on alternate weeks. It was broadcast on Fridays from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time.[5]
Critical response
editA review in the trade publication Variety found little to like in the premiere episode. It said that the TV adaptation "adds no new dimensions, either in wit or humor, to the comic strip."[3] In contrast, it added, "the comic strip humor is diluted, the cliched lines and situations standing out like sore thumbs."[3]
Further reading
editBlondie Goes to Hollywood, by Carol Lynn Scherling. Albany, 2010. BearManor Media. ISBN 978-1-59393-401-9.
References
edit- ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present (9 ed.). Random House Publishing. pp. 154–155. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved 2024-05-23.
- ^ "Blondie - the Complete 1957 Television Series - ClassicFlix".
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Blondie". Variety. January 16, 1957. p. 31. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^ "Blondie - the Complete 1957 Television Series - ClassicFlix".
- ^ "Nestle, Toni Will Split 'Blondie' Tab". Variety. January 2, 1957. p. 17. Retrieved May 20, 2023.