''The Bob Crosby Show'' can refer to either of two television programs in the United States. One was broadcast in the afternoons on
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS (an abbreviation of its original name, Columbia Broadcasting System), is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainme ...
September 14, 1953 – August 30, 1957.
The other was broadcast in
prime time
Prime time, or peak time, is the block of broadcast programming taking place during the middle of the evening for television shows. It is mostly targeted towards adults (and sometimes families). It is used by the major television networks to ...
on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
June 14, 1958 – September 6, 1958, as a summer replacement for
Perry Como
Pierino Ronald "Perry" Como (; May 18, 1912 – May 12, 2001) was an American singer, actor, and television personality. During a career spanning more than half a century, he recorded exclusively for RCA Victor for 44 years, from 1943 until 1987 ...
's show.
Personnel
Singer/bandleader
Bob Crosby
George Robert Crosby (August 23, 1913 – March 9, 1993) was an American jazz singer and bandleader, best known for his group the Bob-Cats, which formed around 1935. The Bob-Cats were a New Orleans Dixieland-style jazz octet. He was the younge ...
was the host and star of both programs.
[ Other entertainers on the CBS version included ]Joan O'Brien
Joan Marie O'Brien (February 14, 1936 – May 5, 2025) was an American actress and singer. She made a name for herself acting in television shows in the 1950s and 1960s and as a film co-star with Cary Grant, Elvis Presley, John Wayne, and Jerry ...
, Cathy Crosby and The Modernaires
The Modernaires were an American vocal group, best known for performing in the 1940s with the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
Career
The Modernaires began in 1934 as "Don Juan, Two and Three," a trio of schoolmates from Lafayette High School in Buffa ...
. The announcers were Steve Dunne and Jack Narz
John Lawrence Narz Jr. (November 13, 1922 – October 15, 2008) was an American radio personality, television host, and singer.
Early years
Narz was born to John and Ado Narz, in Louisville, Kentucky, of Lithuanian descent, along with sister ...
. Crosby's Bobcats orchestra provided instrumental music. The NBC program featured Gretchen Wyler
Gretchen Wyler (born Gretchen Patricia Wienecke; February 16, 1932 – May 27, 2007) was an American actress and dancer. She was also an animal rights advocate and founder of the Genesis Awards for animal protection.
Biography
Early lif ...
, The Clay Warnick Singers and The Peter Gennaro Dancers. Carl Hoff led the orchestra,[ and the producer was Louis DaPron.][
]
Recognition
Readers of ''TV Radio Mirror'' magazine named ''The Bob Crosby Show'' their favorite television daytime variety program for 1954–1955. In 1955, the show was nominated for an Emmy Award
The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award categor ...
for Outstanding Program Achievement In Daytime.
Recording
issued a ''Bob Crosby Show'' album (CL 766), featuring Crosby, Paula Kelly and Carol Richards
Carol Swiedler (stage name Carol Richards or Carole Richards) (June 6, 1922 – March 16, 2007) was an American singer, radio and television performer, best remembered for her duets with Bing Crosby on the hit single "Silver Bells" and the song " ...
.
References
External links
A 1953 episode of ''The Bob Crosby Show'' from the Internet ArchiveA 1955 episode of ''The Bob Crosby Show'' from the Internet Archive
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bob Crosby Show
CBS original programming
NBC original programming
1953 American television series debuts
1958 American television series debuts
1957 American television series endings
1958 American television series endings