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{{Infobox radio show |
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| show_name = The Mel Blanc Show |
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| image = |
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| imagesize = |
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| caption = |
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| other_names = The Fix-It Shop<br>Mel Blanc's Fix-It Shop |
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| format = Situation comedy |
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| runtime = 30 minutes |
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| country = United States |
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| language = English |
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| home_station = |
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| syndicates = CBS |
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| television = |
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| presenter = |
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| starring = Mel Blanc |
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| announcer = |
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| creator = |
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| writer = David Victor<br>Herb Little<br>Mac Benoff |
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| director = Joe Rines |
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| senior_editor = |
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| editor = |
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| producer = Joe Rines |
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| exec_producer = |
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| narrated = |
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| rec_location = |
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| rem_location = |
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| oth_location = |
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| first_aired = September 3, 1946 |
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| last_aired = June 24, 1947 |
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| num_series = |
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| num_episodes = |
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| audio_format = |
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| opentheme = |
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| othertheme = |
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| endtheme = |
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| sponsor = Colgate |
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| website = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> |
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| podcast = <!-- {{URL|example.com}} --> |
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}} |
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'''The Mel Blanc Show''' was a [[Radio broadcasting|radio]] [[Sitcom|situation comedy]] in the United States. It was broadcast on [[CBS]] from September 3, 1946 to June 24, 1947.<ref name="dunningota">Dunning, John. (1998). ''On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio''. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. P. 447.</ref> |
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==Format== |
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Although [[Mel Blanc]] "did countless character impersonations on other radio programs, as well as being the voice of many cartoon characters," he used his natural voice in this program and played himself – except that instead of being an entertainer, the Mel Blanc character in the show was "the bumbling owner of a fix-it shop that was never able to fix anything."<ref name="reinehratoz">Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). ''The A to Z of Old Time Radio''. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3. P. 177.</ref> The show's one regular outlet for another Blanc voice was the character Zookie, a stuttering helper.<ref name=dunningota/> One website noted, however, "Many episodes required Mel to impersonate an exotic foreigner or other stranger in town, ostensibly for carrying out a minor deception on his girlfriend's father, but of course simply as a vehicle for him to show off his talents."<ref>{{cite web|title=Mel Blanc Show, The|url=http://www.myoldradio.com/old-radio-shows/mel-blanc-show-the|website=My Old Radio|accessdate=26 June 2014}}</ref> |
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The June 1947 issue of ''Radio Mirror'' magazine provided an insight into the program with this comment in its Recommended Listening column under "Tuesday night": "At 8:30, you'll have to make a choice between the Mel Blanc Show (CBS) and Date with Judy (NBC). If it's impossible-situations-made-to-seem-real that you like, you'll choose Mel and his girl and his fix-it shop".<ref>{{cite journal|title=Recommended Listening|journal=Radio Mirror|date=June 1947|volume=28|issue=1|page=61|url=http://archive.org/stream/radiom00mac#page/61/mode/1up|accessdate=27 June 2014}}</ref> |
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One old-time radio website commented, "Mel Blanc's natural – and exceptional – voice talent was unquestionably the series' greatest selling factor; and Mel got to show his acting and timing chops to a far greater degree with his own situation comedy."<ref name="dd2">{{cite web|title=The Mel Blanc Show|url=http://www.digitaldeliftp.com/DigitalDeliToo/dd2jb-Mel-Blanc-Show.html|website=The Digital Deli Too|accessdate=28 June 2014}}</ref> |
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A signature expression of the program was "ugga-ugga-boo, ugga-boo-boo-ugga," the password for Blanc's (the character's) lodge.<ref name=dunningota/> |
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==Characters and Cast== |
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''The Mel Blanc Show'' featured several veteran actors of old-time radio in addition to Blanc as himself and Zookie. The regular characters and actors were as follows: |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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|- |
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! Character !! Actor/actress |
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|- |
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| Betty Colby<br>(Mel's girlfriend)|| [[Mary Jane Croft]] |
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|- |
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| Mr. Colby<br>(Betty's father)|| [[Joseph Kearns]] |
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|- |
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| Mr. Cushing<br>(lodge president)|| [[Hans Conried]] |
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|- |
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| Mr. Potchnik<br>(piano teacher)|| [[Alan Reed]] |
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|} |
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Others who often appeared in the program were [[Bea Benaderet]], Leora Thatcher, [[Earle Ross]],<ref name=dunningota/> [[Jerry Hausner]], [[Elvia Allman]], [[Sandra Gould]],<ref name=dd2/> and [[Jim Backus]].<ref name="buxton">Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). ''The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950''. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. P. 157.</ref> The announcer was Bud Easton.<ref name="dunningtiy">Dunning, John. (1976). ''Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976''. Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN 0-13-932616-2. Pp. 405-406.</ref> |
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==Limited success== |
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A review in the trade publication ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' seemed to portend the program's demise. The review focused on the April 1, 1947, episode, commenting: <blockquote>After more than five months ... the Mel Blanc program still seems to be groping. Probably most responsible for its failure to come anywhere near the show-type average, or to top programs aired opposite, is the scripting, the production contributing to a lesser extent. Writers seem to have been misled by Blanc's vocal versatility into trying to introduce too many odd characters ...</blockquote> |
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After citing a number of specific examples, the reviewer concluded:<blockquote>Blanc still has great potentials [sic]. If Colgate [the sponsor], Sherman-Marquette [the advertising agency] or the writers can find the right formula, plus a production with pace, the show will get the cohesion it lacks now. As it stands, it'll take a lot of doing to edge the Hooper higher.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Csida|first1=Joe|title=The Mel Blanc Show|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=kAwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT10&dq=%22Mel+Blanc+Show%22|pages=11, 17|work=The Billboard|date=April 12, 1947}}</ref></blockquote> |
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Less than two months later, the same publication announced the end of ''The Mel Blanc Show''. Billboard's May 24, 1947, issue contained a story that reported, "Fate of the Mel Blanc show has reportedly been sealed by bank-roller Colgate-Palmolive Peet, who is understood to have ordered the show dropped at end of the current cycle, June 24." The story briefly referred to "a general retrenchment program now being mulled" by the company.<ref>{{cite news|title=Colgate To Drop Mel Blanc Show|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=SwwEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT12&dq=%22Mel+Blanc+Show%22|page=13|work=The Billboard|date=May 24, 1947}}</ref> |
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The Digital Deli Too website cited another factor in the program's fate as follows: <blockquote>There's no question that Blanc's truest fans would have loved simply 25 minutes of Mel Blanc reading a telephone book in various dialects. But that's not how CBS and Colgate billed The Mel Blanc Show; it was promoted as a situation comedy-variety show, competing with at least twelve other similar situation comedy-variety programs of the era--many of them very highly rated.<ref name=dd2/></blockquote> |
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The program did, indeed, end its run June 24, 1947.<ref name=dunningota/> |
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== References == |
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<!--- See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Footnotes on how to create references using <ref></ref> tags, these references will then appear here automatically --> |
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{{Reflist}} |
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== External links == |
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* [https://archive.org/details/OTRR_Mel_Blanc_Singles 42 streaming episodes of The Mel Blanc Show from Archive.org] |
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* [http://www.otrsite.com/logs/logm1004.htm Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: The Mel Blanc Show] |
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* [https://archive.org/stream/radio00mac#page/n181/mode/2up Mel, the Lion-Hearted – a "story written for Radio Mirror (in which) you meet Mel Blanc just as he's heard in his Fix-It Shop program ..."] |
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<!--- Categories ---> |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Mel Blanc Show, The}} |
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[[Category:Old-time radio programs]] |
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[[Category:1940s American radio programs]] |
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[[Category:American comedy radio programs]] |
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<!--- STOP! Be warned that by using this process instead of Articles for Creation, this article is subject to scrutiny. As an article in "mainspace", it will be DELETED if there are problems, not just declined. If you wish to use AfC, please return to the Wizard and continue from there. ---> |
Revision as of 11:29, 3 July 2014
Other names | The Fix-It Shop Mel Blanc's Fix-It Shop |
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Genre | Situation comedy |
Running time | 30 minutes |
Country of origin | United States |
Language(s) | English |
Syndicates | CBS |
Starring | Mel Blanc |
Written by | David Victor Herb Little Mac Benoff |
Directed by | Joe Rines |
Produced by | Joe Rines |
Original release | September 3, 1946 – June 24, 1947 |
Sponsored by | Colgate |
The Mel Blanc Show was a radio situation comedy in the United States. It was broadcast on CBS from September 3, 1946 to June 24, 1947.[1]
Format
Although Mel Blanc "did countless character impersonations on other radio programs, as well as being the voice of many cartoon characters," he used his natural voice in this program and played himself – except that instead of being an entertainer, the Mel Blanc character in the show was "the bumbling owner of a fix-it shop that was never able to fix anything."[2] The show's one regular outlet for another Blanc voice was the character Zookie, a stuttering helper.[1] One website noted, however, "Many episodes required Mel to impersonate an exotic foreigner or other stranger in town, ostensibly for carrying out a minor deception on his girlfriend's father, but of course simply as a vehicle for him to show off his talents."[3]
The June 1947 issue of Radio Mirror magazine provided an insight into the program with this comment in its Recommended Listening column under "Tuesday night": "At 8:30, you'll have to make a choice between the Mel Blanc Show (CBS) and Date with Judy (NBC). If it's impossible-situations-made-to-seem-real that you like, you'll choose Mel and his girl and his fix-it shop".[4]
One old-time radio website commented, "Mel Blanc's natural – and exceptional – voice talent was unquestionably the series' greatest selling factor; and Mel got to show his acting and timing chops to a far greater degree with his own situation comedy."[5]
A signature expression of the program was "ugga-ugga-boo, ugga-boo-boo-ugga," the password for Blanc's (the character's) lodge.[1]
Characters and Cast
The Mel Blanc Show featured several veteran actors of old-time radio in addition to Blanc as himself and Zookie. The regular characters and actors were as follows:
Character | Actor/actress |
---|---|
Betty Colby (Mel's girlfriend) |
Mary Jane Croft |
Mr. Colby (Betty's father) |
Joseph Kearns |
Mr. Cushing (lodge president) |
Hans Conried |
Mr. Potchnik (piano teacher) |
Alan Reed |
Others who often appeared in the program were Bea Benaderet, Leora Thatcher, Earle Ross,[1] Jerry Hausner, Elvia Allman, Sandra Gould,[5] and Jim Backus.[6] The announcer was Bud Easton.[7]
Limited success
A review in the trade publication Billboard seemed to portend the program's demise. The review focused on the April 1, 1947, episode, commenting:
After more than five months ... the Mel Blanc program still seems to be groping. Probably most responsible for its failure to come anywhere near the show-type average, or to top programs aired opposite, is the scripting, the production contributing to a lesser extent. Writers seem to have been misled by Blanc's vocal versatility into trying to introduce too many odd characters ...
After citing a number of specific examples, the reviewer concluded:
Blanc still has great potentials [sic]. If Colgate [the sponsor], Sherman-Marquette [the advertising agency] or the writers can find the right formula, plus a production with pace, the show will get the cohesion it lacks now. As it stands, it'll take a lot of doing to edge the Hooper higher.[8]
Less than two months later, the same publication announced the end of The Mel Blanc Show. Billboard's May 24, 1947, issue contained a story that reported, "Fate of the Mel Blanc show has reportedly been sealed by bank-roller Colgate-Palmolive Peet, who is understood to have ordered the show dropped at end of the current cycle, June 24." The story briefly referred to "a general retrenchment program now being mulled" by the company.[9]
The Digital Deli Too website cited another factor in the program's fate as follows:
There's no question that Blanc's truest fans would have loved simply 25 minutes of Mel Blanc reading a telephone book in various dialects. But that's not how CBS and Colgate billed The Mel Blanc Show; it was promoted as a situation comedy-variety show, competing with at least twelve other similar situation comedy-variety programs of the era--many of them very highly rated.[5]
The program did, indeed, end its run June 24, 1947.[1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. P. 447.
- ^ Reinehr, Robert C. and Swartz, Jon D. (2008). The A to Z of Old Time Radio. Scarecrow Press, Inc. ISBN 978-0-8108-7616-3. P. 177.
- ^ "Mel Blanc Show, The". My Old Radio. Retrieved 26 June 2014.
- ^ "Recommended Listening". Radio Mirror. 28 (1): 61. June 1947. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
- ^ a b c "The Mel Blanc Show". The Digital Deli Too. Retrieved 28 June 2014.
- ^ Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920-1950. The Viking Press. SBN 670-16240-x. P. 157.
- ^ Dunning, John. (1976). Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976. Prentice-Hall, Inc. ISBN 0-13-932616-2. Pp. 405-406.
- ^ Csida, Joe (April 12, 1947). "The Mel Blanc Show". The Billboard. pp. 11, 17.
- ^ "Colgate To Drop Mel Blanc Show". The Billboard. May 24, 1947. p. 13.
External links
- 42 streaming episodes of The Mel Blanc Show from Archive.org
- Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs: The Mel Blanc Show
- Mel, the Lion-Hearted – a "story written for Radio Mirror (in which) you meet Mel Blanc just as he's heard in his Fix-It Shop program ..."