Whats your Favourite Comedy Show Part 1

Folks when it comes to comedy shows its so hard to pick a fav so this is just a fun exercise in choosing what your fav is today. This will end up as 40 part poll I am sure. Also there is no rhyme nor reason to the pick list it's what I thought of off the top of my head.

As per usual each vote counts towards $250,000 in club improvements. So vote early vote often.

Not a fan of OTR comedy but I can listen to Burns & Allen

I love Gildy the Harold Peary era. Was not much of a fan of Waterman as he was just doing an impression of Peary. Peary originated the character he built the house that was Gildy. Some hilarious episodes.

Life of Riley was sublime he was basically Fred Flintstone. The way Riley looks at life is brilliant. And Digger the undertaker with his gallows humor was always a fav.

Jack Benny was always funny the timing was precise just enough of a pause and Mel Blanc doing all the extra voices.

Always loved Our Miss Brooks. Eve Arden could carry a show. Top notch comedy.

Henry Aldrich was always my fav the scrapes he got in. Fave was halloween episodes.

Bob Hope is Bob Hope funny as hell and pretty risque on radio. Big guests funny banter. Especially when Crosby came on. His tax jokes were hilarious.

Loved Ozzie and Harriet. Ozzie and his missteps hilarious. The kids were funny. Little Ricky the best.

Abbott and Costello was basically their standup and movie skits but still funny. Not high on my play list.

Burns and Allen I did not listen to much. Or Fibber McGee.

Loads of funny laugh out loud radio. We are only scratching the surface.

My favorite is anything with Gracie Allen. Others will occasionally make me giggle. But she makes me laugh out loud regularly.

In the 1950's my two favorite comedy shows were
The Great Gildersleeve
and
Fibber McGee and Molly.

As I got older my favorite was
Jack Benny Show.


Signing off for now,

Great poll and so pleased to see it is labeled "Part 1".

Jack Benny's show is far and away my favorite on this list. The writing is wonderful and as I listen, I feel that each character has ownership in the show without their egos getting in the way. One thing that I wonder about, but admittedly have done zero research, is why the sponsor changes.  Did the Jello brand tire of the show and look for a new market or did Lucky Strikes approach CBS and offer more money to take over the time slot?

Fibber McGee and Molly is probably my 2nd favorite show on this list. I find the writing to be creative and insightful of human nature.  I so admire the way the Johnson Wax company supported the war effort and the many public service messages delivered by the cast. And how can you not like the puns and the alliteration by Fibber?

I also like Gildy, the early years. It seems to me that the writers ran out of ideas and recycled stories where Gildy was constantly chasing younger women and getting engaged to multiple women in the later run of the series.

Not a fan of Bob Hope. Some shows are ok but I find that the humor is too topical and hasn't aged well. As with the Benny Show and Burns and Allen, his timing is darn near perfect and his ability to ad lib is terrific. But the writing isn't that funny to me.

George and Gracie are one of the great comedy combinations of the 20th century IMO. As with some others, their years in vaudeville honed their timing and ability to ad lib. I think Gracie set a standard for humor that is copied to this day.

I can and do listen to the other shows but in small doses and with large breaks. Our Miss Brooks can be a hoot and delivers lots of laughs and chuckles but Gale Gordon's Mr. Conklin tends to wear on me when I am exposed to large doses of him. And yet, I think Gale Gordon is one of the premier actors in radio and I love him as Mayor La Trivia on the Fibber McGee and Molly.

Well, that's my 5 and dime's worth. Can't wait to see the next poll or polls.

Great observations Bill. On the Jack Benny Show i always loved when Frank Nelson would appear with that long drawn out Yesss. Makes me laugh every time. Played the waiter, the manager, the postman etc. Always sarcastic to Jack. Nelson was also great on I Love Lucy and other shows.

Bill_Atkins wrote:Great poll and so pleased to see it is labeled "Part 1".

Jack Benny's show is far and away my favorite on this list. The writing is wonderful and as I listen, I feel that each character has ownership in the show without their egos getting in the way. One thing that I wonder about, but admittedly have done zero research, is why the sponsor changes.  Did the Jello brand tire of the show and look for a new market or did Lucky Strikes approach CBS and offer more money to take over the time slot? . . .

Bill,

You may want to peruse the following website which has an INCREDIBLE AMOUNT of information on Jack Benny's shows:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]


Signing off for now,

OTRWash,

Thank you. The Jack Benny site looks terrific and I can see myself spending lots of
time there.

Greatly appreciate the recommendation and the link.

Bill

Folks part 1 has run its course. And the clear winner is Frank Race... no wait recount its Jack Benny.

Okay part 2 is coming for this one please folks chime in with your fav comedy to be included in Part2. If no one posts its up to me to come in with Part 2 and its gonna include weirdness extraordinaire so avoid the terror participate.

Thanks everyone that vote almost 72,000 votes were tabulated and reduced down to the key 16 you see above. We are OCD stringent on these polls.

Seamus,

Here are three that I enjoy:

Phil Harris and Alice Faye
Halls of Ivy
Lum and Abner

And here are three that are just "so-so":

Baby Snooks
Father Knows Best
Bergen and McCarthy

Bill

Super Bill they will appear