The Danny Thomas Show - Season 6 (1 Viewer)

[Jeff#]

No, I didn't notice it because I've seen few episodes of The Danny Thomas Show...and those that I did were Kathy Williams shows.

Even more rare, I've only read about the post-series specials in the late 1960s with Thomas & Lord. The same goes for "Make Room for Granddaddy" from the early 1970s, but I did run across a color photo of the cast on the IMDB website and Angela Cartwright looked very cute in a miniskirt.

 

[Ivan G]

Interesting...and yet you assert that Jean Hagen "was more of a dramatic actress so she didn't fit into the sitcom mold" without having seen any of the episodes she was in.

I've always heard of people being "hoisted by their own petard"...but rarely does one get to witness such a perfect example...

 

[Joe Lugoff]

Makes one wonder. Besides, I was talking about the Kathy shows ... that's where I said he never mentioned his first wife again. So his response was out of the twilight zone on every level.

 

[AlanP]

Finally, I hope they do the complete series on DVD.
It is my favorite, next to "I LOVE LUCY" and "DONNA REED" !!!!!!!!
)))))))

 

[Jeff#]

Easy, boy....I saw her guest star in another sitcom (an episode of "The Andy Griffith Show") and also in the films "Singin' in the Rain" and "The Shaggy Dog". As a comedianne she didn't impress me from any of those performances. But primarily over the years she turned up more in TV drama than anything else. I was never a Jean Hagen fan. In the annuls of acting she is more an "also-ran" than anything else.

 

[David Rain]

I'm just glad that some more classic shows are being released. I'm surprised that anyone was able to find uncut versions, though. But that's good news.

I think the cover art is beautiful. Although I'm thinking it might have been just the slightest bit colorized. Shhh . . .

 

[Ivan G]

I can't tell whether your obtuseness is an accident at birth or deliberate. You're deciding Jean Hagen's sitcom potential on the basis of "Andy and the Woman Speeder" (a sitcom in which she guest-starred on), a Disney film and a classic movie musical which you've dismissed solely on the basis you don't like musicals. Let me try to make my point again...you're judging Jean Hagen's three years on Make Room for Daddy without actually having seen a Hagen episode. My dissent from your opinion is based simply on the fact that you have no idea what the heck you're talking about.

 

[Jeff#]

You're just being rude, Ivan, because I've seen Jean elsewhere often enough to not care for her either way. The fact that her episodes of The Danny Thomas Show were kept out of syndication (for whatever reason) is irrelevant to the point I'm making about her. Would I feel differently if I ever had an opportunity to see them? Probably not. But I liked Danny as a performer and an actor and that's why I would like to.

 

[Ivan G]

If you think I'm being rude. Jeff...my sincerest apologies. My point is that you stated Hagen "didn't fit into the sitcom mold" and that you made this statement without having seen her splendid work on Thomas' sitcom. DVD Pacific has two collections of public domain Make Room for Daddy episodes available for $3.29 apiece (released by Critic's Choice). Make the investment, and if you still feel the same way about Hagen, that's copacetic with me...it's why some folks likes chocolate and some vanilla. I just felt that the argument you made should have been filed under "Sweeping Generalizations" until you've had a look-see at the proof in the pudding.

 

[Jeff#]

As a businessman who doesn't work for Jello, I can tell you that the proof is in the product, and not the pudding, Ivan.

When I said Jean didn't fit into the sitcom mold, my having seen her in primarily non-sitcom roles justifies that comment simply because fictional comedy containing a story (even in feature films) is still comedy. A lot of today's films are big-budgeted sitcoms. Just look at all the crappy movies that Adam Sandler churns out. Yet they are hits because Sandler has a huge following among his fans. There never was a Jean Hagen fan club that I'm aware of.

Thanks for the suggestions, but I don't buy public domain releases....except for The Red Skelton Show.
I have no plans to collect Danny's show no matter how inexpensive they are.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Of course not. Why would that surprise anyone. Amazing how many shows you feel the need to comment on negatively, regardless of whether or not you've even seen them or know the slightest thing about them. I wish I had the ability to offer expert advice on things I've never seen. That's quite a talent.

 

[Jeff#]

I don't know why you feel you have to open attack on me. It's not that big a deal if I buy it or not. There are few sitcoms I want to collect, and they include Get Smart (have them all), Sledge Hammer (have all of those also), and Dobie Gillis, to name just a few.

And by the way, I said I've seen episodes of The Danny Thomas Show...just not from the early seasons.
So I know what the show is about.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

When it inherited "I Love Lucy's" timeslot (Monday, 9:00 PM EST) on CBS in the 1957-58 season, "The Danny Thomas Show" became television's top-rated sitcom (ending 2nd overall for that season, with "Gunsmoke" in first place.)

It remained TV's top sitcom for 1958-59 and 1959-60, but ranked fifth in 1960-61, behind "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Real McCoys," "The Jack Benny Show" and "Dennis the Menace."

The rest of its run:

1961-62: "Hazel," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Danny Thomas Show"

1962-63: "The Beverly Hillbillies," "The Lucy Show," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Danny Thomas Show"

1963-64: "The Beverly Hillbillies," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "Petticoat Junction," "The Andy Griffith Show," "The Lucy Show," "The Danny Thomas Show"

All in all, it's truly one of the most successful sitcoms of the 1950s-1960s.

 

[Garysb]

There can only be speculation as to why the Jean Hagan shows were not included when the show was syndicated. My guess is that perhaps at the time people might be confused to see Danny Williams with a different wife.
Sit coms at that time really didn't have character growth or change other than the growth of child actors. The Dick Van Dyke show for example can be shown in any order , except for 2 parters, and it would make sense.
Before video tape and satellite delivery, syndicated TV shows were shipped to local stations on 16 MM film. The TV stations who had the rights to the show shared the films and mailed them back and forth as needed. Stations did not necessarily rerun the show in broadcast order. It would be confusing for Danny to have one wife on Monday, a different wife on Tuesday, and be a widower on Wednesday. Simpler just to use the most recent wife. Also the oldest daughter was recast at the time Marjorie Lord joined the show.
As to why they are not included now , it could be that the shows are in poor condition or it could be that the people who are releasing the show want to start with the show the way most people remember it. If successful the Jean Hagan shows could be released.
When The Avengers was released on DVD, they started with the color Emma Peel shows which were the best remembered . Eventually all shows that could be located were released.

 

[Joe Lugoff]

When this show had network reruns (Mon-Fri and Saturday mornings), they reran the Jean Hagen episodes. People just knew his first wife had died. It really wasn't all that confusing.

 

[Hank Dearborn]

Exactly. This was a decision made by Danny and subsequently upheld by his estate that he did not want these episodes seen, for whatever reason. It's all speculation as there has never been a definitive explanation given but I would think that Hagen leaving the show after 3 seasons was not something that sat well with Thomas. And since they were able to accumulate enough episodes in the Lord era to put together a syndication package, there was no need to include the first 4 seasons. Stations did not want huge runs of shows with over 300 episodes. This is why other long running shows also had abreviated syndication packages. Other examples:

Ozzie and Harriet - 435 made, 200 syndicated
Bonanza - 431 made, 235 syndicated (first 6 seasons)
Gunsmoke - 1 package of 233 half hours & another of 225 color hours
My Three Sons - 380 made, first 5 seasons and last season and a half not syndicated
Donna Reed Show and Beverly Hillbillies also had about 100 episodes chopped off their syndication packages.

 

[Garysb]

In the My Three Sons case they left out the shows with William Frawley and original oldest son Mike, neither of whom was mentioned again after they left. The other shows left out of syndication are the ones after Robbie ( Don Grady) left.

 

[Garysb]

Seems odd that people would be honoring a request from people who are long dead. The reason for the request probably doesn't matter anymore. Hurt feelings, betrayal , or whatever. Again its all speculation.
I don't remember the Jean Hagan shows ever being syndicated. The shows I remember all started with Danny and Kathy on their honeymoon in Las Vegas.

 

[MatthewA]

I remember them airing these on Nick-at-Nite in 1990, however.

 

[AlanP]

I watched this series as a child on local television as "MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY". Well, they showed the Jean Hagen episodes. Also, a few years ago,
at COSTCO, they had a 12 video set with samples from every season including many with Jean Hagen, Danny as a widower, and Marjorie Lord, with two of the European episodes included. It was a twelve set series with three episodes on each. And the quality was very very good. So, this is not true that Jean Hagen episodes have not been around. And they were also in the daytime syndication package with Sherry Jackson and Penny Parker that played Terry for one or two seasons. But, Sherry remained with the series from 53-58.
Thanks,
Alan