The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet | |
---|---|
Created by | Ozzie Nelson |
Directed by |
|
Starring |
|
Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 14 |
No. of episodes | 435 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Camera setup | Single-camera |
Running time | 25 minutes |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network | ABC |
Release | October 3, 1952 April 23, 1966 | –
Related | |
Ozzie's Girls |
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952, to April 23, 1966, and starred the real-life Nelson family. After a long run on radio, the show was brought to television, where it continued its success, initially running simultaneously on radio and TV. In terms of seasons, it was the longest running live-action sitcom in U.S. television history until It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia surpassed it on December 1, 2021 (though it still retains the record in terms of total episodes produced: 435).[1] The series starred the entertainment duo of Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson, and their sons, David and Ricky. Don DeFore had a recurring role as the Nelsons' neighbor "Thorny".
Cast
The Nelsons
Supporting
The following represents the show's major supporting cast.[2]
- Don DeFore as Erskin "Thorny" Thornberry
- Parley Baer as Clarence Darby
- Lyle Talbot as Joe Randolph
- Mary Jane Croft as Clara Randolph
- Connie Harper (Constance Nelson) as Miss Edwards
- Skip Young as Wally Plumstead
- Gordon Jones as Butch Barton
- Frank Cady as Doc Frank Elroy Williams
- Lloyd Corrigan as Wally Dipple
- Joseph Kearns as Herb Dunkle
- James Stacy as Fred
- Jack Wagner as the announcer and the soda clerk
- Joe Flynnas Mr. Kelley
- Kent McCord as Kent, Kappa Sigma fraternity brother
- Jimmy Hawkins as Jimmy, Kappa Sigma fraternity brother
Background
Early radio days
In the early 1930s, a booking at the
The Red Skelton Show
In 1941, the Nelsons joined the cast of
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet radio show
When
The Nelsons' sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until the radio show's fifth year (initially appearing on the February 20, 1949, episode, at ages 12 and 8, respectively). The two boys were played by professional actors prior to their joining because both were too young to perform.
Here Come the Nelsons feature film
In 1952, the Nelsons starred with
Television series
Before the television series aired, Ozzie Nelson formed his own film production company, Stage Five Productions,[6] and persuaded ABC to agree to a 10-year contract that paid the Nelsons whether the series was canceled or not. The unprecedented contract and Ozzie's insistence on perfection in the series' production paid off in the series' remarkable longevity.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet premiered on ABC on October 10, 1952, staying until April 23, 1966; in 1962, it became the first prime-time scripted series on American television to reach the 10-year milestone. The series strove for realism and featured exterior shots of the Nelsons' actual southern California home at 1822 Camino Palmero Street in Los Angeles as the fictional Nelsons' home. Interior shots were filmed on
Like its radio predecessor (which finally ended in 1954), the series focused mainly on the Nelson family at home, dealing with everyday problems. As the series progressed and the boys grew up, storylines involving various characters were introduced. Many of the series story lines were taken from the Nelsons' real life. When the real David and Rick married June Blair and Kristin Harmon, respectively, their wives joined the cast of Ozzie and Harriet and the marriages were written into the series. What was seldom written into the series was Ozzie's profession or mention of his lengthy and successful band-leading career. The popular joke about his career was that the only time he left the house was to go buy ice cream. According to his granddaughter, actress Tracy Nelson, Ozzie went to Rutgers to study law and when pressed would tell interviewers that the TV Ozzie was a lawyer.
By the mid-1960s, America's social climate was changing, and the Nelsons, symbolizing the 1950s values and ideals, were beginning to seem dated. Ozzie, who wrote and directed all of the series' episodes, attempted to alter the series to fit the times, but most viewers associated the series with a bygone era. The series cracked the top thirty programs in the Nielsen ratings for the first and only time in its eleventh season (1963–1964), when it ranked in 29th place. It made the transition from black-and-white to color in the
Having run for a total of fourteen seasons, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which averaged 29–30 episodes per season, was at one point the longest-running live-action American television sitcom.[8] On April 1, 2017, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia was renewed for a thirteenth and fourteenth season, and then through an eighteenth season on December 10, 2020, which led to its breaking the record for longest-running live-action scripted comedy series,[9] but those seasons amount to only around a third as many episodes as Ozzie and Harriet.
Broadcast history
- Fridays at 8:00–8:30 PM, October 3, 1952 – June 8, 1956
- Wednesdays at 9:00–9:30 PM, October 3, 1956 – June 11, 1958
- Wednesdays at 8:30–9:00 PM, October 1, 1958 – May 10, 1961
- Thursdays at 7:30–8:00 PM, September 28, 1961 – June 6, 1963
- Wednesdays at 7:30–8:00 PM, September 18, 1963 – January 5, 1966
- Saturdays at 7:30–8:00 PM, January 15, 1966 – April 23, 1966
Springboard for Ricky Nelson's music career
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet made the Nelsons' younger son, Rick, into a music teen idol. Ozzie realized the impact his musically gifted son could have on the series, and went on to write storylines featuring Rick singing. Rick first sang in the April 10, 1957, episode, "Ricky the Drummer," performing a version of Fats Domino's hit "I'm Walkin", and later signed a recording contract with Domino's label, Imperial Records. Subsequent episodes that aired after Rick became one of the nation's most successful musicians were some of the series' highest-rated episodes.[10]
Syndication
In the decades since the series' cancellation, it has been continuously shown on stations using public domain prints. Between 1985 and 1994,
The series was also aired on the
Home media
Most of the pre-1964 episodes of the television series are in the public domain in the United States, except for the musical performances of Ricky Nelson included in the episodes (these are the exclusive and sole property of Ozzie & Harriet Enterprises, LLC). Many episodes have been unofficially released on home video, including VHS and DVD, on various low-budget compilations .[11] Sixteen DVDs containing episodes from the series are available from Alpha Video. One hundred of the episodes in the public domain have been released on DVD by Mill Creek Entertainment as part of the Essential Ozzie & Harriet Collection.
Ozzie & Harriet Enterprises, LLC (the Nelson family's company) and
On June 21, 2022, the complete digitally remastered seasons one and two were released on DVD, marking the first time complete seasons of the show have been released on home video. As of October 10, 2023, all fourteen seasons of the show have been released, with the entire Box Set due for release on December 19, 2023. Many of these episodes are being made available for the first time since they aired in the 1950s, though the quality has varied widely between some of the episodes even on the same disc.
Episodes of the television series have been screened at the non-profit Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention held annually in Aberdeen, Maryland. 16 mm prints were used.
Collector/historian Martin Grams Jr. presently owns the production materials, scripts, casting call sheets, contracts, telegrams, letters and other materials significant to the radio and television series.
Author
Ozzie's Girls
In September 1972, six years after the show ended, NBC aired a
Ozzie's Girls premiered on local stations, including New York's WABC-TV, in September 1973. It ended in September 1974 after one season. (Though never a major hit, Ozzie's health was beginning to fail at the same time, and he would die in June 1975, less than a year after Ozzie's Girls ended.)
The Nelsons' post-TV lives
Ozzie
Ozzie Nelson continued to work in show business after the failure of the short-lived sitcom Ozzie's Girls. He took on the role of producer and director for some of TV's popular series, most notably Adam-12, The D.A., and Bridget Loves Bernie. In 1975, Ozzie Nelson died of liver cancer at the age of 69.[13]
Rick
In the years after Ozzie and Harriet was cancelled, Rick Nelson's career and personal life changed drastically. Rick continued to record and perform music. He shied away from his teen idol image and sound, forming the rock and roll/country-fused Stone Canyon Band. Rick and the Stone Canyon Band had success with the 1972 single, "
Harriet
Following Ozzie's death in 1975, Harriet grew reclusive. In 1989, she made her last onscreen appearance in her granddaughter Tracy Nelson's TV series, Father Dowling Mysteries. Harriet never fully recovered from Rick's death and died of congestive heart failure and emphysema in 1994 at the age of 85.[16]
Ozzie, Harriet, and Rick are interred together at
David
David Nelson continued to produce feature films and television commercials and owned his commercial production company. David died from colon cancer on January 11, 2011.[13]
Legacy
The series attracted large audiences and became synonymous with the 1950s ideal American family life. Although it was never a top-ten hit, Nelson's long-term contract with ABC and the lower expectations that came with being on the lowest-rated of the
References
- ^ a b Hernandez, Joe (December 2, 2021). "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' is TV's longest-running live-action sitcom". NPR. NPR. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023. Retrieved January 5, 2022.
- ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
- ISBN 0-7864-1303-4. Retrieved March 19, 2012.
- ^ a b "Ozzie and Harriet Nelson". museum.tv/archives. Archived from the original on February 7, 2005. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ISBN 978-0-7864-0351-6.
- ^ a b "Press and Sun-Bulletin from Binghamton, New York". Newspapers.com. September 27, 1953. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ "Ozzie Changes History". YouTube. 1959. Retrieved February 1, 2018.[dead YouTube link]
- ^ Eng, Joyce (January 12, 2011). "David Nelson, Last Surviving Member of Ozzie and Harriet Family, Dies at 74." Tvguide.com. Retrieved February 21, 2012.
- ^ Goldberg, Lesley (December 10, 2020). "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' Renewed for Four More Seasons at FX". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 29, 2021.
- ^ Broeske, Pat H. (2002). "Ricky Nelson". St. James Encyclopedia of Pop Culture. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ Copyright Catalog (1978 to present), U.S. Copyright Office.
- ^ "1970–1973 TV Shows/TV in 1972". tvparty.com. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ a b Curtis, Gregory (January 19, 1997). "Leave Ozzie and Harriet Alone". New York Times. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ Demaret, Kent (January 20, 1986). "Rick Nelson 1940–1985". Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ "Ricky Nelson". rockhall.com. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ "Harriet Nelson, 85, Matriarch Of 'Ozzie and Harriet' Show". New York Times. October 4, 1994. Retrieved August 6, 2008.
- ^ "'It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia' is TV's longest-running live-action sitcom". NPR. Archived from the original on May 16, 2023.