The Red Skelton Show

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Writers:

Red Skelton | Dave O’Brien | Sherwood Schwartz | Arthur Phillips | Jesse Goldstein | Martin Ragaway | Mort Greene | Al Schwartz | Ed Simmons | Larry Rhine | Seaman Jacobs | Robert Orben | Bruce Howard | Rick Mittleman | Hugh Wedlock Jr. | Fred S. Fox | Pat McCormick | George Balzer | Bob Mott | Mike Settle | Tony Webster | Benedict Freedman | John Fenton Murray | Lionel Burt | Jack Lloyd | Jeffrey Barron

Fewer than 10 episodes:

Will Fowler | Jack Douglas | Mort Green | Lou Meltzer | Bob Schiller | Bob Weiskopf | Hal Goodman | Larry Klein | O. Henry | Joe Bigelow | Johnny Carson | Hal Hudson

Regulars:

Red Skelton

David Rose and His Orchestra

Art Gilmore – Announcer

Tom Hansen Dancers

The Alan Copeland Singers

The Skelton Dancers

Ray Kellogg – Police Officer

Carol Worthington (1970 – 1971)

Chanin Hale (1970 – 1971)

Jan Arvan (1970 – 1971)

Bob Duggan (1970 – 1971)

Peggy Rea (1970 – 1971)

Brad Logan (1970 – 1971)

The Burgundy Street Singers (1970 – 1971)

United States

Cecil Barker – Producer

Guy Della Cioppa – Executive Producer / Executive Producer: Van Bernard Productions

Bill Martin & Howard A. Quinn – Associate Producers

Perry Cross – Producer / Co-Producer

Red Skelton, Seymour Berns & Douglas Whitney – Producers

Sue Canter – Assistant Producer / Associate Producer

James Loren – Co-Producer

Dee Caruso & Gerald Gardner – Producer / Co-Producers

Seymour Berns | Terry Kyne | Bill Hobin | John Gaunt | Jack Donohue | Howard A. Quinn | Martin Rackin | Ed Hiller

20

622

September 30, 1951 – August 29, 1971

Sammy Gallop – Composer

Some of the many guests to appear on The Red Skelton Show were:

Jackie Coogan | Vincent Price | Mickey Rooney | Cesar Romero | George Gobel | Audrey Meadows | Peter Lorre | Martha Raye | Beverly Powers | David Rose | Amanda Blake | The Lettermen | Vivian Vance | The Modernaires | Helen O’Connell | Lon Chaney Jr. | Ed Sullivan | The Redettes | Ed Wynn | Eve Arden | Jayne Meadows | Raymond Burr | Don Knotts | Abe Lane | Jamie Farr | Liberace | George Raft | Arthur Godfrey | Merv Griffin | Fernando Lamas | Phyllis Diller | Marcel Marceau | Xavier Cugat | Buster Crabbe | Jack Benny | Milton Berle | Jayne Mansfield | Ginger Rogers | Johnny Rivers | Greer Garson | Dionne Warwick | Lou Rawls | Walter Brennan | Jackie Gleason | The Mills Brothers | Tennessee Ernie Ford | Charles Coburn | Johnny Carson | Boris Karloff | Forrest Tucker | Carol Channing | Jane Russell | Fabian | Connie Stevens | Rosemary Clooney | Robert Goulet | Robert Vaughn | John Wayne | Dale Evans | Roy Rogers | Nipsey Russell | The Jackson Five

Emmy Awards

1966 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Variety Series - Seymour Berns (Producer)

1963 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy - Seymour Berns

1963 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Variety

1963 – Nominated Emmy Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy - Ed Simmons | Dave O'Brien | Martin Ragaway | Arthur Phillips | Larry Rhine | Mort Greene | Hugh Wedlock Jr. | Red Skelton | Bruce Howard | Rick Mittleman

1962 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy - Seymour Berns

1962 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor

1962 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy – Writers: Ed Simmons | David O'Brien | Martin Ragaway | Arthur Phillips | Al Schwartz | Sherwood Schwartz | Red Skelton

1961 - Won Emmy Outstanding Writing Achievement in Comedy - Sherwood Schwartz | Dave O'Brien | Al Schwartz | Martin Ragaway | Red Skelton

1960 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy - Seymour Berns

1960 - Nominated Emmy Outstanding Program Achievement in the Field of Humor

1959 - Nominated Emmy Best Comedy Series

1952 - Won Emmy Best Comedy Show

Golden Globes, USA

1965 - Nominated Golden Globe Best TV Show

1964 - Nominated Golden Globe Best TV Show

1959 - Won Golden Globe Best TV Show - Red Skelton

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Comedian Red Skelton, son of a circus clown, was one of the brightest young stars in radio during the 1940s. While many of radio’s big names never fully made the transition to television, Red did. He had been essentially a visual comedian all along. In September 1951, almost ten years to the day after he had first appeared with his own show on network radio, he arrived on TV and remained a TV superstar for the next 20 years.

Most of Red’s repertoire of regular characters had been developed on radio, before a live audience and they worked just as well on television. Among the best known were The Mean Widdle Kid, who left chaos wherever he went (his favorite expression: “I dood it!”); Clem Kadiddlehopper, the befuddled rustic; Sheriff Deadeye, the scourge of the West; boxer Cauliflower McPugg; Willie Lump-Lump, the drunk; San Fernando Red, the con man; and Bolivar Shagnasty. The one major addition to Red’s character list for the TV show was Freddie the Freeloader, a hobo who never spoke. The sketches with Freddie were always pantomimed and would, therefore, have been completely lost on a radio audience.

The format of the show consisted of an opening monologue by Red, performances by his guest stars and comedy sketches with them. The only other regular on the show was orchestra leader David Rose, who had been with Red on radio and stayed with him throughout his 20 years on television. This finally changed for Red’s last season on NBC, when he worked with a regular repertory cast. In general the humor was broad, but occasionally it could be touching and warm, particularly in the mime sketches with Freddie the Freeloader. These were often included in the completely pantomimed “Silent Spot”, which for years was written for Red by Mort Greene.

Skelton was a warm, human performer who loved his audience as much as they loved him. His closing line was always a sincere, “God bless”.

The name was later changed to The Red Skelton Hour

Red Skelton had a reputation among comedy writers as being extremely difficult to work with, since he didn't like writers in general and resented CBS for insisting that he use them on his show; he wanted to write all the sketches himself, his reasoning being that no one knew his characters as well as he did. Sherwood Schwartz, prior to taking the position as head writer on the show, had it written into his contract with CBS that Skelton was under no circumstances allowed to discuss anything about a show's script with him before he was given it prior to taping, which often resulted in Skelton not knowing what a sketch was about or even what character he would be playing until shortly before airtime. That's why Skelton would often break character in the middle of a skit and turn to the audience and say something like, "Don't blame me, folks, I don't write this stuff."

God Bless