| My Friend Irma | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Comedy |
| Created by | Cy Howard |
| Written by |
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| Directed by |
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| Starring |
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 39 |
| Production | |
| Producers |
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| Running time | 30 min |
| Original release | |
| Network | CBS |
| Release | January 8, 1952 – June 25, 1954 |
My Friend Irma is an American comedy television series [1] that was broadcast on CBS from January 8, 1952, until June 25, 1954. [2]
Premise and characters
My Friend Irma began on radio and moved to television with a similar format. Irma Peterson ("the proverbial dumb blonde" [3]) and her roommate lived at Kathleen O'Reilly's boarding house in Manhattan. Irma was secretary for Milton J. Clyde, the owner of a real estate company. Her initial roommate, Jane Stacy, was secretary for Richard Rhinelander III, the owner of an investment company. Stacy's transfer to Panama in 1953 brought Kay Foster, a newspaper reporter, in as Peterson's new roommate. Both Stacy and Foster sometimes spoke directly to the viewers, commenting on developments in an episode, [1] a technique that George Burns used on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show. [2]
When the program began, Peterson was in love with Al (no last name given), an unemployed con man. Al was replaced by Joe Vance, a "more respectable boyfriend", who worked for a cleaning company. Other characters who frequently appeared were Brad Jackson, Kay's boyfriend; Professor Kropotkin, Irma's neighbor; and Bobby, Peterson's nephew. [1] In 1953-54, Kropotkin was gone and Mr. Corday, an eccentric actor, was added. [4]
Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| Irma Peterson | Marie Wilson [1] |
| Jane Stacy | Cathy Lewis [1] |
| Kay Foster | Mary Shipp [1] |
| Al | Sid Tomack [1] |
| Joe Vance | Hal March [1] |
| Richard Rhinelander III | Brooks West [1] |
| Brad Jackson | Gerald Mohr [1] |
| Milton J. Clyde | Donald MacBride [1] |
| Professor Kropotkin | Sig Arno [1] |
| Mrs. O'Reilly | Gloria Gordon [1] |
| Bobby Peterson | Richard Eyer [1] |
| Mr. Corday | John Carradine [1] |
| Richard's mother | Margaret DuMont [1] |
Frank Bingham and Bob Lemond were the announcers. [1]
Schedule and production
My Friend Irma debuted at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays. From April 1952 through June 1953, it was broadcast at 9:30 p.m. E. T. on Fridays. From October 1953 through June 1954, it was on Fridays at 10 p.m. E. T. [4]
Cy Howard created the program. Richard Whorf was the director, and Nat Perrin was the producer. [2] Howard and Frank Galen were the writers. [3] Sponsors included Lever Brothers (Swan soap), and Kool cigarettes. [1] The October 4, 1952, episode of My Friend Irma came from a "nearly completed" sound stage in CBS's new Television City facilities, [5] making it the first series to be broadcast from that Hollywood site. [2]
Critical reception
Critic Jack Gould wrote in The New York Times that the series's debut episode "was a decided disappointment". [3] He felt that the innocent, fragile nature of Peterson was an asset, but that benefit was undermined because Wilson seemed to recite her lines more than portraying her character. [3] Gould praised Lewis's performance for providing substance and pace. He criticized the writers for using "trite coincidences and old jokes". [3] Whorf's direction received mixed reviews, described as "on the erratic side" although "in some of the lesser scenes he had nice imaginative touches". [3]
Proposed sequel
When My Friend Irma ended, Wilson still had a $100,000-per-year contract with CBS. Network officials worked with Burns to try to develop a sequel, My Wife Irma, with Wilson as the star, but CBS rejected it. [6] My Friend Irma had ended with Peterson's becoming engaged to Vance. The sequel would have picked up with her adapting to life as a newlywed. [7]
Episode status
UCLA has one 1952 episode of the program in its archives. [8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Terrace, Vincent (2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 730. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ a b c d McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 579. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
- ^ a b c d e f Gould, Jack (January 11, 1952). "Radio and Television: Shift of 'My Friend Irma' to TV Underlines Danger of Riding on Radio Reputation". The New York Times. p. 28. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 700. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
- ^ Spigel, Lynn (2008). TV by Design: Modern Art and the Rise of Network Television. University of Chicago Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-226-76968-4. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Irvin, Richard (2014). George Burns Television Productions: The Series and Pilots, 1950-1981. McFarland. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-0-7864-9486-6. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Terrace, Vincent (2018). Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, 1945-2018. McFarland. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4766-3349-7. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
- ^ Spigel, Lynn; Mann, Denise (1992). Private Screenings: Television and the Female Consumer. U of Minnesota Press. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-4529-0264-7. Retrieved May 18, 2022.