Title:

Father Knows Best

Type:

Situation comedy

Length:

30 minutes

Broadcast history:

Aug. 25, 1949 - Nov. 19, 1953 NBC. Thursdays at 8:30 PM except

at 8 PM 1951 - 1952. Sponsored by

General Foods (Maxwell House).

Cast:

Robert Young as Jim Anderson

June Whitley as Margaret Anderson

Jean Vander Pyl as Margaret Anderson

Rhoda Williams as Betty Anderson

Ted Donaldson as Bud Anderson

Norma Jean Nilsson as Kathy Anderson

Eleanor Audley as Elizabeth Smith

Herb Vigran as Hector Smith

Sam Edwards as Billy Smith

"Father Knows Best" is one of the best of the "sweetness-and-light" sit-coms where misunderstanding is life's worst problem and everything works out fine in the end. The Anderson's were an average family in an average town in an average time in average America. Most shows revolved around some sort of misunderstanding, usually involving one of the children. By the end of the show everything worked out and usually a lesson of some sort was learned. Robert Young went on to star in the 1954 - 1963 television show of the same name.

Announcer:

Marvin Miller; Bill Forman

Source:

On the Air - John Dunning

The Big Broadcast 1920 - 1950 - Buxton and Owen