The Betty White Show (1958 TV series)

The Betty White Show is an American variety television program that was broadcast on ABC February 5, 1958 - April 30, 1958.[1]

Background

After ABC canceled Betty White's program Date with the Angels, it announced that White would star in The Betty White Show, a live comedy-variety series that would include well-known guest stars. The new program filled the time slot of Angels. The show's live status was counter to that era's trend of more TV shows being presented on film. The New York Times wrote that the decision to go live was made by the sponsor, Plymouth, and the producer, Don Fedderson.[2] White said that she liked the live format because "It gives me a chance to play to my audience instead of a camera."[3] She felt that use of film was acceptable for situation comedies, but said that live broadcasts provided "an air of spontaneity" that was needed for variety shows to be effective.[4]

Overview

A typical episode of The Betty White Show consisted of three skits in which White played various roles, joined by the show's regulars and the episode's guest stars. Regulars on the program included Del Moore, Frank Nelson,[1] John Dehner, Johnny Jacobs, Peter Leeds, and Reta Shaw. Frank De Vol's orchestra provided music.[5] Tom Kennedy was the announcer.[6] Cornel Wilde and Charles Coburn were the guest stars on the premiere episode.[7] Other guest stars included Billy De Wolfe,[6] Boris Karloff and Buster Keaton.[8]

Production

The Betty White Show was broadcast on Wednesdays from 9:30 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time.[1] The high-budgeted show[9] was performed in a studio with seating for approximately 100 people.[10] The program originated from Los Angeles. James V. Kern was the director; Seaman Jacobs, Si Ross, and George Tibbles were the writers.[11]

Critical response

A brief review of the premiere episode in The Oregonian found the final skit to be "pretty funny ... a marked improvement on Date with the Angels".[7]

A review in the trade publication Broadcasting said that the live-sketch format suited White well. It said that she was funny when portraying various characters in sketches, but "she's even more fun when she reverts to Betty White, that true child of the medium and one who is on excellent terms with the camera".[6] That point was reinforced by the comment that White's production-number songs were the best parts of the episode being reviewed.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b c 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. 90. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  2. ^ Adams, Val (December 16, 1957). "A.B.C. Reverses Film Show Trend; Drops 'Date With Angels' for Live Betty White Program — C.B.S. Signs Fred Coe". The New York Times. p. 51. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
  3. ^ Bloskas, John (February 5, 1958). "Rodeo Clown Stars In Disneyland Show". The Houston Chronicle. p. 8 A. Retrieved June 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ "Betty White Likes Her Shows Live". Syracuse Herald-American. January 5, 1958. p. 29. Retrieved June 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ 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. 90. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  6. ^ a b c d "Betty White Show". Broadcasting. March 17, 1958. p. 20. Retrieved June 22, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "TV-Radio Highlights". The Oregonian. Oregon, Portland. February 5, 1958. p. Section 3, page 2. Retrieved June 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "'Goddess' Star In Color At 9". The Miami News. February 12, 1958. p. 6 B. Retrieved June 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Betty White Star Of New TV Show". Buffalo Courier-Express. January 26, 1958. p. 10 C. Retrieved June 21, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ Harrison, Bernie (February 5, 1958). "-TV's Retooling Phase Is Well Under Way". The Evening Star. District of Columbia, Washington. p. A 25. Retrieved June 20, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "This Week — Network Debuts & Highlights". Ross Reports. February 3, 1958. p. 14. Retrieved June 20, 2025.
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