Mayor of the Town (TV series)

Mayor of the Town
GenreSitcom
Created byJean Holloway
Written byJean Holloway
Directed byJohn Rawlins
StarringThomas Mitchell
Kathleen Freeman
Jean Byron
Tudor Owen
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes39
Production
Executive producersJack J. Gross
Philip N. Krasne
ProducerJohn Rawlins
Running time30 minutes
Production companyGross-Krasne Productions
Original release
NetworkFirst-run syndication

Mayor of the Town is a syndicated[1] American sitcom that aired in 1954.

Premise

Mayor of the Town was based on the radio series of the same name, which ran from 1942 until 1949.[1] In 1954, writer Jean Holloway created a televised version of the radio program. The series, also titled Mayor of the Town, premiered in November 1954.[citation needed]

The series took place in the fictional small American town of Springdale. The series mainly focuses around the mayoral and personal life of Mayor Thomas Russell, (played by Thomas Mitchell). The series co-starred Kathleen Freeman as Mayor Russell's housekeeper, Marilly, and his ward, Butch, was played by David Saber.[1]

Background

Planning for the program began in 1951, calling for Lionel Barrymore to reprise his radio role as the title character. However, production did not begin until 1954, when Barrymore's health prevented him from acting. Mitchell was selected to take Barrymore's place.[2]

Cast

Production and distribution

Rawlins-Grant Productions and Gross-Krasne Films produced the series. UTP was the initial distributor, followed by MCA.[2] All 39 episodes of the series were broadcast in first-run syndication before generally ending in 1955.[3] The Los Angeles market was an exception, as broadcasting of the series there began in 1956 with sponsorship by Richfield Oil.[2] The series was filmed in black-and-white with no laugh track.[4]

John Rawlins and Marshall Grant were the producers and directors; Erna Lazarus was one of the writers.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 535. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ a b c Erickson, Hal (October 9, 2024). Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987. McFarland. pp. 66–67. ISBN 978-1-4766-1381-9. Retrieved December 21, 2024.
  3. ^ "Mayor of the Town 1954, TV show". TV Guide. Retrieved November 29, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Leszczak, Bob (November 16, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. p. 118. ISBN 978-0-7864-6812-6. Retrieved December 22, 2024.