TV's Perfect Moms

TV's Perfect Moms
Nickelodeon
1989
Documentary
VHS
B-

Again, I'm not really sure what genre to put this under, but I think it is closer to a documentary than anything else.  Hostess Kerns talks about growing up with the "perfect" moms of the past and how her character on Growing Pains deals with that legacy.  Henderson and Billingsley provide insight into what it was like to play such moms, including the effect this had on their real families.  At times this feels like a plug for the Nick at Night line-up-- Mr. Ed for instance makes the cut-- but it's pretty well put together and it is nice to see these shows, even if I'm not a big fan of most of them.

Note that Kerns refers to the '90s, which I think Who's the Boss? started doing in '88.  People were a lot more impatient for this decade to end than the '60s or '70s as I recall, although honestly I don't think any of us fathomed what the '90s would actually be like.

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: Wardrobe Woman Wins Free Trip to Hawaii

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: Wardrobe Woman Wins Free Trip to Hawaii
CBS
October 9, 1952
Sitcom
DVD
B

This was the premiere for Season Three (when they switched over from live to film), and we can see that the show is closer to what we think of it as.  Earlier episodes had George standing by the curtain, making wisecracks and observations about the plots and subplots, but by this point the show-within-a-show aspect is firmly established.  In fact, when a wacky situation ensues out of the win of the title-- with Gracie thinking that her married wardrobe lady is single and thus needs a groom to take on a Hawaiian honeymoon-- George starts taking notes in hopes that it'll be a good premise for an episode.  (He ends up throwing away the notes at the end, figuring nobody would believe it.)  It's a gentle, quiet farce that works.  Instead of the Three's Company sitcom attitude of later (or some I Love Lucy episodes for that matter), this is not a case of "If only these people would talk to each other, this could be easily resolved."  No, we have George (the future God) being omniscient but letting things play out.  There's also a sweet but funny little scene of G & G reminiscing about their honeymoon.

The writers and director are again the same as before.  This sort of consistency was I believe a carryover from radio but would become gradually rarer as television continued.

Harry Von Zell doesn't take Gracie's matchmaking well.  Note George's notepad.

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: The Beverly Hills Uplift Society

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: The Beverly Hills Uplift Society
CBS
October 11, 1951
Sitcom
DVD
B-

The second episode of the second season, with the same director and writers as before, this shows an improvement, as people settle in more.  Fred Clark is the new Harry Morton and his bickering with Benadaret provides counterpoint to George and Gracie's loving, supportive relationship.  (Blanche sarcastically compares her husband to Errol Flynn after an air-kiss.)  Harry Von Zell steps in as the new announcer and would continue to the end.  He here plugs sponsor Carnation in a really overt way, which adds unintentional humor.  Gracie again has convoluted finances in this episode, this time impacting the women's group of the title.  Surprisingly, there's a reference to one woman's husband running off with the maid, which seems racier humor than on I Love Lucy or Jack Benny, although the only reference to "sex" is in the sense of gender.

Von Zell is sworn in as an honorary woman so he can donate $120 and promote Carnation.  And they say Gracie is the daffy one!

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: The Income Tax Man

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show: The Income Tax Man
CBS
March 1, 1951
Sitcom
DVD
C+

Co-written by Willy Burns (George's older brother), Sid Dorfman, Harvey Helm, and Paul Henning, and directed by Ralph Levy, all of whom would contribute to many other episodes in the series, this shows television in a very raw, primitive state.  It was the twelfth episode of the first season, and aired a few months before I Love Lucy debuted.  It was broadcast live and you can hear performers stumbling over their lines a bit.  (George and Gracie of course had had the luxury of scripts in front of them on radio.)  I consider the series to be under-rated, but it did take them awhile to find their bearings.  Still, it's interesting to see not only George and Gracie, but also Bea Benadaret as neighbor Blanche Morton (her voice unmistakably that of the future Betty Rubble).  As for this episode specifically, Gracie has a financial plan that of course confuses the title character.  There's a Truman reference, so this really is early television!

Note, this was the next to last episode for John Brown, who was soon to be replaced (multiple times) as Harry Morton.

This is actually the subplot, with a baker.