Blondie (1957 TV series) explained

Genre:Sitcom
Director:Abby Berlin
Paul Landres
Starring:Pamela Britton
Arthur Lake
Country:United States
Language:English
Num Seasons:1
Num Episodes:26
Camera:Multi-camera
Runtime:25 mins.
Company:Hal Roach Studios
King Features Productions
Channel:NBC

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]

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

Episodes

Title [3] Directed byWritten by Air date

Production

William Harmon was the producer, Hal Yates was the director, and John L. Greene was the director.[4] 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

A 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."[4] In contrast, it added, "the comic strip humor is diluted, the cliched lines and situations standing out like sore thumbs."[4]

Further reading

Blondie Goes to Hollywood, by Carol Lynn Scherling. Albany, 2010. BearManor Media. .

References

  1. Book: The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946–Present . Tim . Brooks . Earle . Marsh . 2007 . 9 . 154-155 . Random House Publishing . 978-0-345-49773-4 . 2024-05-23 .
  2. Web site: Blondie - the Complete 1957 Television Series - ClassicFlix.
  3. Web site: Blondie - the Complete 1957 Television Series - ClassicFlix.
  4. January 16, 1957 . 31 . Blondie . Variety . May 23, 2023 .
  5. January 2, 1957 . Nestle, Toni Will Split 'Blondie' Tab . Variety . 17 . May 20, 2023.