brtcmfn

I have not had a chance to watch the Classic series since TV Land took it off the air which is now is a complete mess and disservice to classic TV. I was able to go to a website and purchase a package of 125 episodes of the 8 season run show which were run from CBN and WOR-NY back in the late 70's-early 80's.(Remember when there were networks that had classic TV and were not CW, UPN clones of each other?)

I have not laughed as hard with any sitcom that I have seen in the past or present. This show is a golden gem and deserves to be put back on a national network again- (TV Land does not count as a classic network anymore.- I know ME-TV in Chicago shows the show- but what about nationally?)

In watching the episodes I noticed the timing, acting, punch lines, the delivery between George and Gracie and any interaction with Gracie and the other actors is priceless. It amazes me of what she says she keeps a straight face and the other actors play along so well.

This show is a true classic, Not out dated, Often imitated but never duplicated.

Due the Son's recent passing I don't know if that holds the rights up for grabs or not.

May be Columbia will wise up and get it released on DVD in box sets or get it back in national syndication and get a whole other generation know what true comedy is.

That'sAllFolks

They had a 5-disc Burns & Allen comp. at Family Video a few days ago as their "steal of the day". I almost bought it, but I've been spending WAY too much $$$.

I love standup and the stuff I've seen (though very little) seemed to be pretty good. Maybe next time. I think I have some stuff I bought at the dollar store that I may dig up and watch. Thanks for the reminder!

BlueCC

I love the old time radio show. However, I have been hesitant to buy any DVDs of the tv show because there are always a few reviews talking about the terrible quality.

E. Honda

Was this show shot on film, or kinescoped? The surviving episodes might not be high enough quality for broadcast.

brtcmfn

I believe the majority were filmed as this show is running weekly on Chicago's channel 23 (WWME-TV). and was part of CBN's and WOR-9 in NY during the late 70's/early 80's- So there is no reason why this can't be run in national syndication

Jay G.

I don't see what makes this show "way ahead of it's time."

To me, the term "ahead of its time" indicates that the show was innovative in some way, but unappreciated when it first aired, only to find a new audience later on when the rest of television has "caught up" to it.

The titular show in this thread was not particularly innovative and, judging from the number of seasons, was popular from day one. If it's still entertaining now, that makes it "timeless," not "ahead of its time."

filmsoncon

Have you ever seen the show? It was decades ahead of its time. This was one of the first (if not THE first) "self-aware" TV shows-- George broke the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience, often stepped out of scenes and made comments on the show, etc. They even did episodes where he wanted to know what the other characters were up to, so he'd switch on the TV in his office to watch the scenes he wasn't in.

Many of these types of narrative tricks were proclaimed as innovative when Garry Shandling used them thirty-some years later on "It's Garry Shandling's Show". This was meta-TV in a very straight-forward time.

This was also one of the first shows to have entertainers play fictionalized versions of themselves. You don't have to squint too hard to see the connection between "Burns and Allen" and "Seinfeld" or Shandling's other show, "The Larry Sanders Show".

Flipper

Having Bill Goodwin drop by the Burns residence and suddenly break into a sales pitch for Carnation evaporated milk was also ahead of its time. It interrupted the story, and George was usually right there to make fun of what Bill was doing, but Carnation still got its message across very effectively. I bet some highly paid "innovative" ad agency will soon pitch the idea of using such integrated advertisements to the networks.

Doc Moonlight

I agree that the show was ahead of it's time in continuously breaking the 4th wall, but having commercials as part of the show and developing fictionalized versions of the host are throwbacks from radio. Jack Benny, for instance, also had commercials pop up during the show (without a commercial break) and also created a fictionalized persona for himself (the skinflint) as well as the supporting characters on the show (his wife, Mary Livingston, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, Dennis Day, Don Wilson, etc.).

Dana Carvey had a short-lived variety show on ABC a few years back where he experimented with Taco Bell commercials being part of the show. It didn't really work (but then again neither did anything else about the show).

Barings

It's funny Jack Benny was mentioned in this thread. I saw a few episodes of his show on the Canadian version of TV Land (which I think also had the George and Gracie show) and was surprised neither was on the US equivalent of the same channel.

I thought the joke of that show was Jack was as frugal in real life and just took it to hyperbole on the show (the eppy I saw had Rochester perform an appendectomy on him because Jack Benny was too cheap to pay an actual surgeon).

Another timeless show which doesn't seem to get any airing (and I believe was ranked as #1 in the UK) is Sergeant Bilko. I think it's time for me to order some of these shows via Netflix due to lack of any airings in the US.

Steve Phillips

It should be pointed this this series should NOT be judged based on the handful of PD releases on the market; they are mostly poor quality kinescopes from the series very early days when it was done live and they were still getting used to TV; the shows aren't nearly as good as the later filmed episodes were.

For the most part, the filmed shows were hilarious. I became a big fan from those CBN airings back in the 80s.

kvrdave

I'm a big OTR fan as well. When you listen to the old programs it is obvious that most everything on TV was done before and done better. It is amazing how many times I heard lines on the show Cheers that were done long ago on Duffy's Tavern or The Jack Benny Show.

Even though some of the sci-fi stuff was tame and lame by today's standards, they paved the way for The Twilight Zone, etc. as well.

Jay G.

I think too many people in this thread are equating a show that is innovative or groundbreaking with one that is "ahead of its time." To me, a show that is ahead of it's time is one that was pointed unappreciated at the time it did air. Even if Burns and Allen did break new ground in certain aspects of entertainment and storytelling, it was decidedly popular when it first aired.

For example, Blade Runner is a film that was ahead of its time, because it was a flop when it was first released. In contrast, Star Wars was groundbreaking in a lot of ways, but wasn't "ahead of its time," because it was recognized and appreciated instantaneously.

kvrdave

Bad example. Blade Runner was, and still is, a pretty average movie by any standards.

will travel

I am another big fan of OTR.
On The Jack Benny Program Announcer Don Wilson with the Sportsmen would barge in on Jack do a Lucky Strike Commerical. Usually it was a musical spoof on a popular song. FUNNY!!!

Many Comedy Radio shows had the middle commerical added into the story.
Fibber McGee & Molly in another good example with Annoucer Harlon Wilcox dropping in the the McGee and pitching Johnson Wax.

Quite a bit what people thought were was original on TV was actually done first
on the Radio.

kvrdave

Actually, it would be nice if there were a way to add the commercials to the shows now. I'm only thinking that it would help the ratings take DVR into effect. Old people watch crap live, while the cool kids (like me) DVR everything.

bloopbleep

just like jim carrey got from jerry lewis and hawkeye pierce of mash from groucho mark. basically hollywood keeps the same plots and ideas recycled with newer actors for the new generation. I am sure George Burns had to get his stuff from someone.

Nick Danger

Also, many programs on early television were groundbreaking and innovative. It was a new medium, and a lot of people were trying to figure out what they could do with it. They had to invent the sitcom, the late night interview program, and so on.