''The Alan Young Show'' is an American radio and television series presented in diverse formats over a nine-year period and starring English born comedian

Alan Young Alan Young (born Angus Young; November 19, 1919 – May 19, 2016) was a British, Canadian and American actor, comedian, radio host and television host, whom ''TV Guide'' called "the Charlie Chaplin of television". His notable roles includ ...

Radio

The series began on NBC Radio as a summer replacement situation comedy in 1944, featuring vocalist

Bea Wain Beatrice Ruth Wain (April 30, 1917 – August 19, 2017) was an American Big Band-era singer and radio personality born in the Bronx, New York City. She had several hits with Larry Clinton and His Orchestra, including "My Reverie", "Deep Purple" ...

. It then moved to ABC Radio with Jean Gillespie portraying Young's girlfriend Betty. The program was next broadcast by NBC for a 1946–47 run and was off in 1948. When it returned to NBC in 1949, Louise Erickson played Betty and

Jim Backus James Gilmore Backus (February 25, 1913 – July 3, 1989) was an American actor. Among his most famous roles were Thurston Howell III on the 1960s sitcom ''Gilligan's Island,'' the father of James Dean's character in '' Rebel Without a Cause, ...

was heard as wealthy and snobbish playboy Hubert Updike III, a character he later adapted as Thurston Howell III in '' Gilligan's Island''.

Television

In 1950 ''The Alan Young Show'' moved to

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

television as a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

, sketch comedy show. Each program typically contained a monologue, one or two songs by a vocalist and two skits. Regulars included

Polly Bergen Polly Bergen (born Nellie Paulina Burgin; July 14, 1930 – September 20, 2014) was an American actress, singer, television host, writer and entrepreneur. She won an Emmy Award in 1958 for her performance as Helen Morgan in '' The Helen ...

, Ben Wright,

Joseph Kearns Joseph Sherrard Kearns
TV Guide. July 15–21, 1961, Savetheorgan.org; retrieved September 28, 2011.

Mabel Paige Mabel Paige (December 19, 1880 – February 9, 1954) was an American stage and film actress. Early years Paige began acting at age four, when she appeared in ''Van, the Virginian''. Career When she was 11 years old, Paige began acting ...

Phillips Tead Phillips Tead (September 29, 1893 – June 9, 1974) was an American character actor in film and television, sometimes billed as Phil Tead. Biography Born in Somerville, Massachusetts, in 1893, among his many roles, Tead might be best reme ...

and the

Lud Gluskin Ludwig Elias "Lud" GluskinState of New York Certificate and Record of Birth, January 4, 1899. (December 16, 1898 – October 13, 1989) was an American jazz drummer and bandleader.Donnelly, K.J. and Philip Hayward (2012''Music in Science Fiction ...

Orchestra.

Nina Bara Nina Bara (born Frances Joan Baur on May 3, 1920, died August 15, 1990) was an American actress who performed in films, on television, and on old-time radio. Early years The daughter of an Italian mother and an American father, George Baur, Bar ...

was also a featured comedienne. The show finished at No. 22 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1950–1951 season.http://www.classictvhits.com/tvratings/index.htm The show went on hiatus in March, 1952. When it returned for its final season in February, 1953, the tone and format of the show changed into the more conventional

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

, with Young playing a

bank teller A bank teller (often abbreviated to simply teller) is an employee of a bank whose responsibilities include the handling of customer cash and negotiable instruments. In some places, this employee is known as a cashier or customer representative. ...

with Dawn Addams cast as his girlfriend and Melville Faber portraying his son. The show alternated weeks with Ken Murray's ''

The Ken Murray Show ''The Ken Murray Show'' was an American music and comedy television show on CBS Television hosted by Ken Murray (entertainer), Ken Murray that ran from 1950 to 1953. Show An established entertainer and vaudeville regular, Murray had hosted comedy ...

'' under the title ''Time to Smile''. In the last two weeks of the season, the format returned to its earlier style, but it was cancelled at the end of the season. ''The Alan Young Show'' received two Emmy Awards during its run.

Cast

Ilene Woods Jacqueline Ruth Woods (May 5, 1929 – July 1, 2010) better known as Ilene Woods, was an American actress and singer. Woods was the original voice of the title character of the Walt Disney animated feature ''Cinderella'', for which she was nam ...

as Singing Neighbor

References

External links

*
''The Alan Young Show''
clips at TV4u.com
January 16 1951 episode
viewable on the Internet Archive
Four 1945-46 episodes
audio-only on the Internet Archive {{DEFAULTSORT:Alan Young Show, The 1944 radio programme debuts 1950 American television series debuts 1953 American television series endings 1940s American radio programs 1950s American sketch comedy television series 1950s American variety television series Black-and-white American television shows CBS original programming English-language television shows Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Series winners NBC radio programs ABC radio programs