The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet
Program Type: Situation Comedy

Broadcast Years: 1944-1954 (Radio)

The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet was one of the most enduring family-based situation comedies in American radio and television. Ozzie and Harriet Nelson portrayed fictional versions of themselves on the program, playing an "ideal" American family that eventually included their two sons.

Ozzie, a bandleader, and Harriet, his singer/actress wide, started out on radio the late 1930s. In 1941, Ozzie, Harriet and their band became a regular feature on Red Skelton's program. In 1944, when Skelton was drafted, they took over his time slot, initially sticking to the big band format with occasional married-couple skits. Ozzie proposed a show of his own to CBS, a situation comedy based on his own family life.

Initially The Adventures Of Ozzie And Harriet plots were about the trials and tribulations of bandleader Ozzie and his family and the shows included full-length musical numbers. By 1946, the musical numbers were gone and the shows were straight sitcoms.

Up until 1949, the parts of their two sons were played by actors. After a guest appearance by Bing Crosby and his sons, Ozzie decided to use his then 13 and 9 year old sons, David and Ricky, to play the parts themselves. The boys were an enormous success and lent an air of reality to the purely fictional shows.

In October 1949, the series moved from CBS to ABC. Ozzie Nelson negotiated the industries' first non-cancelable ten-year contract, guaranteeing the family at a basic salary for ten years. The contract gave ABC the option to move their program to television, which it did in 1952, becoming a well-remembered classic TV family-sitcom series.

References:
1. The Ultimate History of Network Radio Programming and Guide To All Circulating Shows", by Jay Hickerson, Box 4321, Hamden, CT 06514
2. The Museum of Broadcast Communications, Chicago, Ill. web site (http://www.museum.tv)

Compiled by Frank Passage, Sept. 2004