''The Ann Sothern Show'' is an American

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 ...

starring

Ann Sothern Ann Sothern (born Harriette Arlene Lake; January 22, 1909 – March 15, 2001) was an American actress who worked on stage, radio, film, and television, in a career that spanned nearly six decades. Sothern began her career in the late 1920 ...

that aired on

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 ...

for three seasons from October 6, 1958, to March 30, 1961. Created by Bob Schiller and

Bob Weiskopf Bob Weiskopf (March 13, 1914 – February 20, 2001) was an American screenwriter and producer for television. He has credits for '' I Love Lucy'' which he and his writing partner Bob Schiller joined in the fifth season. They also wrote for ''The ...

, the series was the second starring vehicle for Sothern, who had previously starred in ''

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in ...

'', which also aired on CBS from 1953 to 1957. Sothern portrayed the character Katy O'Connor, the assistant manager of the upscale

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

hotel The Bartley House. Co-stars for the series included

Ann Tyrrell Ann Tyrrell (February 6, 1909 – July 20, 1983) was an American stage, film and television actress. Tyrrell is best known for her roles in both of the Ann Sothern CBS sitcoms ''Private Secretary'' (1953–1957) and ''The Ann Sothern S ...

, Don Porter and Jesse White who had also co-starred with her in ''Private Secretary''.

Synopsis

Ann Sothern Ernest Truex Ann Sothern Show 1958

Sothern starred as Katy O'Connor, the assistant manager of a

hotel A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. Facilities provided inside a hotel room may range from a modest-quality mattress in a small room to large suites with bigger, higher-quality beds, a dresser, a re ...

: The Bartley House. Katy frequently deals with the hotel's eccentric guests, alongside either her secretary and best friend/roommate Olive Smith (

), or her boss, Jason McCauley (

Ernest Truex Ernest Truex (September 19, 1889 – June 26, 1973) was an American actor of stage, film, and television. Career Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Truex learned acting at an early age after his father, a doctor, treated actor Edwin Melvin, who ...

), who is frequently bullied by his wife Flora (

Reta Shaw Reta Shaw (September 13, 1912 – January 8, 1982) was an American character actress known for playing strong, hard-edged, working women in film and on many of the most popular television programs of the 1960s and 1970s in the United Sta ...

). Katy was also an advanced character for her time, in that she was a woman who had a position of authority. In this position, she oversaw many male employees, including lovestruck bellboy Johnny Wallace ( Jack Mullaney) and suave French room clerk Paul Monteney (Jacques Scott). Storylines typically revolve around the personal lives of the staff and guests of the Bartley House. The setting of a hotel gave the series a chance to introduce a plentiful number of guest stars, often playing guests of the hotel. Midway through its first season, the series underwent a retooling to improve ratings. The McCauleys are transferred to a Bartley House branch in

Calcutta Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , List of renamed places in India#West Bengal, the official name until 2001) is the Capital city, capital of the Indian States and union territories of India, state of West Bengal, on the eastern ba ...

, and Katy is given a new boss, James Devery ( Don Porter). Whereas Katy and McCauley had a strictly professional relationship seen on an equal level, Katy and Devery's relationship is much more complex. Devery often asserts his authority over Katy, and the two frequently go toe-to-toe with one another over various things. A romantic undertone to the relationship becomes apparent by the final season, and was addressed shortly before the series was cancelled. Due to the retooling, the characters of Johnny Wallace and Paul Monteney also begin to be limited. Jacques Scott was written out after the end of the first season; Jack Mullaney was initially retained for season two, but also written out after the first few episodes. ''The Ann Sothern Show'' had strong ties to Sothern's previous CBS sitcom ''

'', which had ended a year before the debut of ''The Ann Sothern Show''. Sothern's characters of Susie MacNamara and Katy O'Connor were similar, though O'Connor held a position of authority MacNamara did not have. Tyrrell had portrayed the character of Violet "Vi" Praskins, who was nearly identical to her character of Olive Smith. Porter's character of James Devery was also similar to his role of talent agent Peter Sands. Jesse White had a recurring role on both series, playing the antagonist to the central characters.

Cast

as Kathleen "Katy" O'Connor: the witty, perceptive assistant manager at The Bartley House, an upscale hotel in

. She frequently deals with the various situations that arise from the eccentric customers, or her boss, initially Mr. McCauley, later Mr. Devery. A spinster, Katy was an unusual character in her time, in that she was a woman who was not only in the workplace, but allowed the series to explore the issues women faced in the work force. Katy not only held a position of authority in the hotel, but also was the supervisor of many male staff members. Throughout the series, a potential romance between Katy and Mr. Devery lingered; it is finally touched upon in what became the series finale, ending on a cliffhanger ultimately never answered. *

as Olive Smith: Katy's secretary and roommate. Also a spinster, Olive is a bit scatter-brained and naive. Nonetheless, she means the best, and is a loyal friend to Katy. In the third season, Olive begins dating – and later marries – dentist Dr. Delbert Gray. Tyrrell was a regular on ''Private Secretary'', playing the similar role of Vi Perkins. * Don Porter as James Arlington Devery: Katy's second boss, who is the manager of The Bartley House. Devery is a younger manager than McCauley, and is a much more stern, stubborn manager than he is. Devery tends to get carried away with new ideas, and frequently finds himself at odds against Katy. In what turned out to be the series finale, Devery realizes he is in love with Katy, and impulsively proposes to her; Katy kisses him back, but leaves her answer on an unanswered cliffhanger. Porter was also a regular on ''Private Secretary'', where his character Peter Sands was the boss of Sothern's Susie McNamara. Unlike Tyrrell, Porter was not initially carried over to ''The Ann Sothern Show''; he was introduced in an effort to increase ratings.

Semi-regulars

as Jason McCauley: Katy's first boss, the manager of The Bartley House. McCauley is a timid, elderly man, who likes to keep the guests of The Bartley House satisfied. In episode twenty-four ("Katy's New Boss"), McCauley is transferred to The Bartley House in

Calcutta, India Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comm ...

. The McCauleys were written out in a midseason retooling of the show, to include Sothern's ''Private Secretary'' co-star Don Porter. *

as Flora McCauley: the wife of Mr. McCauley. Flora is a woman of high standards, who is portrayed as an overbearing, domineering wife who frequently bullies her husband. In In episode twenty-four ("Katy's New Boss"), she accompanies her husband when he is transferred. The McCauleys were written out in a midseason retooling of the show, to include Sothern's ''Private Secretary'' co-star Don Porter. * Jack Mullaney as Johnny Wallace: a bellboy at The Bartley House. Johnny is a college student, who is working at the hotel to pay for his classes. He has an unrequited crush on Katy, who usually ignores it. Mullaney was the only one of the first season semi-regulars to appear in season two, though he is written out after the first couple of season two episodes to be replaced by Woody Hamilton. * Jacques Scott as Paul Monteney: a room clerk at The Bartley House. He is a suave

Frenchman The French people (french: Français) are an ethnic group and nation primarily located in Western Europe that share a common French culture, history, and language, identified with the country of France. The French people, especially th ...

. Though he survived the series' retooling midway through the first season, Scott was written out after the end of the first season.

Recurring

* Jack Wagner as Alfred, a desk clerk at The Bartley House. (seasons 1–2) * Jesse White as Oscar Pudney, a scheming and dishonest newsstand owner who is the nemesis of Katy and Mr. Devery. White was previously a semi-regular on ''Private Secretary''. (seasons 2–3) * Jimmy Fields as Richy Gordon, a child prodigy playing the piano, who helps support his widowed mother and three sisters by delivering newspapers. (seasons 2–3) * Ken Berry as Woody Hamilton, a young bellhop. Berry's role replaced that of Jack Mullaney's character Johnny. (seasons 2–3) * Louis Nye as Dr. Delbert Gray, a dentist who becomes Olive's boyfriend and eventual husband. (season 3) * Gladys Hurlbut as Mrs. Gray, Delbert's overbearing mother who dislikes Olive. (season 3)

Notable guest stars

Ann Sothern Barry Gordon Ann Sothern Show 1958

Lucille Ball Ann Sothern Ann Sothern Show 1959

Some of the notable guests stars of ''The Ann Sothern Show'' included: *

Jack Albertson Harold Albertson (June 16, 1907 – November 25, 1981), known professionally as Jack Albertson, was an American actor, comedian, dancer and singer who also performed in variety. Albertson was a Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winning actor. For his perfo ...

as Mr. Dooley ("The Witness" and "Billy") *

Lucille Ball Lucille Désirée Ball (August 6, 1911 – April 26, 1989) was an American actress, comedienne and producer. She was nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, winning five times, and was the recipient of several other accolades, such as the Golde ...

as Lucy Ricardo ("The Lucy Story") * Frances Bavier as Mrs. Wallace ("Johnny Moves Up") * Constance Bennett as Guinevere Fleming ("Always April") * Joe E. Brown as Mitchell Carson ("Olive's Dream Man") *

Harry Cheshire Harry V. Cheshire (August 16, 1891 – June 16, 1968), originally from Emporia, Kansas, was an American character actor who appeared in over 100 films, mostly playing small roles. He was also a stage actor and performed on a St. Louis radio ...

as Justice of the Peace ("The Elopment") * Jackie Coogan as Barney Dunaway ("Surprise, Surprise" and "Wedding March") * Gladys Cooper as Dutchess ("The Countess of Bartley") * Jeff Donnell as Helen ("The Girls") *

Kathleen Freeman Kathleen Freeman (February 17, 1923August 23, 2001) was an American actress. In a career that spanned more than 50 years, she portrayed acerbic maids, secretaries, teachers, busybodies, nurses, and battle-axe neighbors and relatives, almost in ...

as Miss Bennett ("A New Lease on Life") * Eva Gabor as Elsa Kotchka ("The Royal Visit") * Barry Gordon as Donald ("Governess for a Day" and "The Thanksgiving Show") * Don Grady as Eddie ("The Thanksgiving Show") * Joel Grey as Billy Wilton ("Billy") *

Charles Herbert Charles Herbert Saperstein (December 23, 1948 – October 31, 2015), known as Charles Herbert, was an American child actor of the 1950s and 1960s. Before reaching his teens, Herbert was renowned by a generation of moviegoers for an on-screen ...

as David Travis ("Slightly Married") *

Marty Ingels Marty may refer to: Names * Marty (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters, also includes stage names * Marty (surname), a list of people Places in the United States * Marty, California, a former settlement * Marty, Min ...

as Erskine Wild ("Always April") *

Van Johnson Charles Van Dell Johnson (August 25, 1916 – December 12, 2008) was an American film, television, theatre and radio actor. He was a major star at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer during and after World War II. Johnson was described as the embodiment o ...

as Terry Tyler, a television writer who does research at The Bartley ("Loving Arms") *

Cecil Kellaway Cecil Lauriston Kellaway (22 August 1890 – 28 February 1973) was a South African character actor. He was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor twice, for '' The Luck of the Irish'' (1948) and '' Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ...

as Sean O'Connor, Katy's uncle ("Hurrah for the Irish" and "The O'Connors Stick Together") *

Guy Madison Guy Madison (born Robert Ozell Moseley; January 19, 1922 – February 6, 1996) was an American film, television, and radio actor. He is best known for playing Wild Bill Hickok in the Western television series ''The Adventures of Wild Bill Hicko ...

("Katy and the Cowboy") *

Jayne Meadows Jayne Meadows (born Jane Cotter; September 27, 1919 – April 26, 2015), also known as Jayne Meadows Allen, was an American stage, film and television actress, as well as an author and lecturer. She was nominated for three Emmy Awards duri ...

as Liza Vincent ("Top Executive") * Sid Melton as Tompkins ("Johnny Moves Up") *

Sal Mineo Salvatore Mineo Jr. (January 10, 1939 – February 12, 1976) was an American actor, singer, and director. He is best known for his role as John "Plato" Crawford in the drama film '' Rebel Without a Cause'' (1955), which earned him a nomination ...

as Nicky Silvero ("The Sal Mineo Story") * Howard McNear as Jack Lambert ("A New Lease on Life") and Mr. Bixby ("The Dog Who Came to Dinner" and "A Touch of Larceny") *

Janis Paige Janis Paige (born Donna Mae Tjaden; September 16, 1922) is an American retired actress and singer. Born in Tacoma, Washington, she began singing in local amateur shows at the age of five. After high school, she moved to Los Angeles, where she b ...

as Edith ("The Girls") *

Alice Pearce Alice Pearce (October 16, 1917 – March 3, 1966) was an American actress. She was brought to Hollywood by Gene Kelly to reprise her Broadway performance in the film version of '' On the Town'' (1949). Pearce played comedic supporting roles in ...

as Ethel ("Operation Pudney") and Lahona St Cyr ("The Beginning") * Stefanie Powers as Mary Ann ("Mr. Big Shot") *

Cesar Romero Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

as Bernardo Diaz ("Hasta Luego") *

Olan Soule Olan Evart Soule (February 28, 1909 – February 1, 1994) was an American actor, who had professional credits in nearly 7,000 radio shows and commercials, appearances in 200 television series and television films, and in over 60 films. Soul ...

as Johnson ("Katy's New Boss" and "Katy Goes Through Channels") * Connie Stevens ("The Bridal Suite") *

Lyle Talbot Lyle Florenz Talbot (born Lisle Henderson, also credited Lysle Talbot; February 8, 1902 – March 2, 1996) was an American stage, screen and television actor. His career in films spanned three decades, from 1931 to 1960, and he performed on ...

as Eddie ("Katy's Investment Club") *

Mary Treen Mary Treen (born Mary Louise Summers, March 27, 1907 – July 20, 1989) was an American film and television actress. A minor actress for much of her career, she managed to secure a plain, unassuming niche for herself in the Hollywood of the 1 ...

as Mary Conway ("One for the Books") * Lurene Tuttle as Bertha Schyler ("The Widow") *

Estelle Winwood Estelle Winwood (born Estelle Ruth Goodwin, 24 January 1883 – 20 June 1984) was an English actress who moved to the United States in mid-career and became celebrated for her wit and longevity. Early life and early career Born Estelle Ruth Go ...

as Mrs. Parker ("One for the Books")

Crossover with ''The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour''

The second-season premiere featured a crossover between ''The Ann Sothern Show'' and '' The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour'' (then titled ''The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show''). In the episode "The Lucy Story", Katy is greeted by her old friend Lucy Ricardo (

), who has checked into The Bartley House after an argument with Ricky (

Desi Arnaz Desiderio Alberto Arnaz y de Acha III (March 2, 1917 – December 2, 1986) was a Cuban-born American actor, bandleader, and film and television producer. He played Ricky Ricardo on the American television sitcom '' I Love Lucy'', in which he c ...

). Lucy attempts to play matchmaker for Katy and Mr. Devery, but ultimately spreads chaos through her scheme, which backfires on her. Ball was the only cast member to appear in the episode, with Ricky being mentioned as having gone on vacation with Charlie Snyder; at the time of filming, Arnaz and Ball were on the verge of a divorce. Ball and Sothern had been close friends since the beginning of their careers in the 1930s. In 1957, Sothern had guest starred on the premiere of ''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour'' ("Lucy Takes a Cruise to Havana") as her ''Private Secretary'' character, Susie MacNamara, who was also a friend of Lucy Ricardo. Arnaz was the executive producer of ''The Ann Sothern Show'', through his role as head of Desilu.

Episodes

Series overview

Season 1 (1958–59)

Season 2 (1959–60)

Season 3 (1960–61)

Production

A film actress for many years, Sothern moved to television with the CBS sitcom ''

'' in 1953. During the series' fifth season, Sothern discovered her business manager had embezzled money from her, and she owed back taxes to the Internal Revenue Service as a result. Following the season's end, Sothern discovered ''Private Secretary'' producer

Jack Chertok Jack Chertok (July 13, 1906 – June 14, 1995) was an American film and television producer perhaps best known to modern viewers as producer for the 182 black and white episodes of ''The Lone Ranger''. Career Born in Atlanta, Georgia, to Russi ...

had sold the series rights to

Metromedia Metromedia (also often MetroMedia) was an American media company that owned radio and television stations in the United States from 1956 to 1986 and controlled Orion Pictures from 1988 to 1997. Metromedia was established in 1956 after the DuMon ...

without her permission and sued him. Although CBS had renewed the series for a sixth season, Sothern departed the series due to the lawsuit, which was eventually settled out of court. However, she reprised her character of Susie McNamara on the first episode of '' The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show'' in November 1957, co-starring with her friend

. Following the success of the special, and wanting more control over her project, Sothern established her own production company Anso Productions, to develop a new series with

Desilu Productions Desilu Productions () was an American television production company founded and co-owned by husband and wife Desi Arnaz and Lucille Ball. The company is best known for shows such as ''I Love Lucy'', ''The Lucy Show'', ''Mannix'', ''The Untouchabl ...

, owned by Ball and her husband

. Ball and Arnaz enlisted their writers, Bob Schiller and

, to develop a series for Sothern with producer Arthur Hoffe. Hoffe kept rejecting Schiller and Weiskopf's pitches, before they eventually went to Arnaz directly with the idea to center Sothern as a career woman managing a hotel. The duo also oversaw the first few episodes before returning to the Ball specials. Sothern enlisted her ''Private Secretary'' co-star

to co-star with her in her new series, and added

in place of ''Private Secretary'' co-star Don Porter. After

General Foods General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the United States by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The company changed its name to "General Foods" in 1929, after several corporate ...

agreed to sponsor the first season, CBS picked up ''The Ann Sothern Show'' in May 1958. The series was filmed at Desilu Studios though not in front of a live studio audience like most other Desilu sitcoms of the era. Sothern reportedly did not like to perform comedy in front of an audience, and thus, a

laugh track A laugh track (or laughter track) is a separate soundtrack for a recorded comedy show containing the sound of audience laughter. In some productions, the laughter is a live audience response instead; in the United States, where it is most common ...

was used throughout the show's run. Some episodes featured a disclaimer during the end credits reading "Audience Reaction Technically Produced". Sothern and her sister, Bonnie Lake, wrote the series' theme song "Katy". The series premiered in October 1958 to satisfactory ratings and an earned a Golden Globe Award for Best TV Show. Despite the respectable ratings, Sothern was reportedly dissatisfied with the series and felt Ernest Truex's character was funnier and was garnering more attention. Midway through the first season, Ernest Truex and

, who portrayed the role of Truex's character's wife, were written out. Don Porter, who had previously portrayed Sothern's boss on ''Private Secretary'', joined the series as the boss to Sothern's Katy O'Connor. Ratings for the series improved, prompting CBS to renew the series for a second season. Jack Mullaney and Jacques Scott were also dropped from the cast at the beginning of the second season, and ''Private Secretary'' alum Jesse White joined the series. The second season also did well enough for CBS to renew the series for a third season. At the beginning of the third season, CBS moved ''The Ann Sothern Show'' from its timeslot on Mondays at 9:30 pm EST (immediately following ''

The Danny Thomas Show ''The Danny Thomas Show'' (titled ''Make Room for Daddy'' for its first three seasons) is an American sitcom that ran from 1953 to 1957 on ABC and from 1957 to 1964 on CBS. Starring Danny Thomas as a successful night club entertainer, the show f ...

'') to Thursdays at 9:30 pm EST. The move put the series in direct competition with the highly popular top 10 hit ''

The Untouchables Untouchables or The Untouchables may refer to: American history * Untouchables (law enforcement), a 1930s American law enforcement unit led by Eliot Ness * ''The Untouchables'' (book), an autobiography by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley * ''The U ...

''. As a result, ''The Ann Sothern Show'' ratings declined, and CBS chose to cancel the series in the spring of 1961.

Attempted spin-offs

During ''The Ann Sothern Shows third season, two episodes aired which were intended to be spin-offs. The series would have been produced by Sothern's company Anso Productions, but were not picked up by any network. The first

backdoor pilot A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...

, "Always April", aired on February 23, 1961, and starred Constance Bennett, John Emery and Susan Silo. In the episode, Bennett portrayed Guinevere Fleming, a former actress who had retired along with her actor husband David Fleming (Emery) to Vermont. Much to their chagrin, their daughter April (Silo) longs to be an actress and runs away from boarding school to the Bartley House. April meets Katy O'Connor, who convinces her to tell her parents of her plans. The second proposed spin-off episode was "Pandora", which aired on March 16, 1961. The episode featured Pat Carroll as Pandora, a young, slightly eccentric country girl who traveled to Los Angeles on the advice of her mother. Katy O'Connor hires her as a secretary for handsome Hollywood actor Anthony Bardot (

Guy Mitchell Guy Mitchell (born Albert George Cernik; February 22, 1927 – July 1, 1999) was an American pop singer and actor, successful in his homeland, the UK, and Australia. He sold 44 million records, including six million-selling singles. In the fa ...

Sponsors and syndication

During its run, ''The Ann Sothern Show'' was also sponsored by General Foods Corporation ( Tang,

Maxwell House coffee Maxwell House is an American brand of coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Heinz in North America and JDE Peet's in the rest of the world. Introduced in 1892 by wholesale grocer Joel Owsley Cheek, it was named in honor of the M ...

), Johnson Wax (Glo-Coat and Pledge), and

Post Cereals Post Consumer Brands (previously Post Cereals and Postum Cereals; also known as simply "Post") is an American breakfast cereal manufacturer headquartered in Lakeville, Minnesota. The company, founded in 1895 by C. W. Post, owns a large portfoli ...

. Sothern and her cast mates would often appear in commercials for the sponsors' products at the end of the episode. Sothern would then sign off with, "Well, goodnight everybody. Stay happy!". The series was previously distributed by Desilu Productions,

United Artists Television United Artists Television (UATV) was an American television production/distribution studio of United Artists Corporation that was formed on New Year's Day (January 1), 1958. The company is remembered for producing series such as ''This Man Dawso ...

, and Paramount Television. In a unique situation, Sothern kept the rights to ''The Ann Sothern Show'', even after Desilu was sold to Paramount. In 1980, Sothern and Paramount sold ''The Ann Sothern Show'' to Metromedia Producers Corporation.

20th Television 20th Television (formerly 20th Century Fox Television, 20th Century-Fox Television, and TCF Television Productions, Inc.) is an American television production company that is a division of Disney Television Studios, part of The Walt Disney Comp ...

currently holds the rights to the series.

Syndication

Cable channel Nick at Nite aired ''The Ann Sothern Show'' from 1987 to 1990.

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

Sources

* Schultz, Margie (1990). ''Ann Sothern: A Bio-Bibliography''. Greenwood Publishing Group. * Spangler, Lynn C. (2003). ''Television Women from Lucy to Friends: Fifty Years of Sitcoms and Feminism''. Greenwood Publishing Group. * Tucker, David C. (2007). ''The Women Who Made Television Funny: Ten Stars of 1950s Sitcoms. McFarland''.

External links

*
Sitcoms Online: ''The Ann Sothern Show''
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ann Sothern Show, The 1958 American television series debuts 1961 American television series endings 1950s American sitcoms 1960s American sitcoms 1960s American workplace comedy television series Black-and-white American television shows CBS original programming English-language television shows Television series by CBS Studios Television series by Desilu Productions Television series by Metromedia Television series set in hotels Television shows set in New York City