The Imogene Coca Show
Encyclopedia
The Imogene Coca Show is a half-hour NBC
television series starring Imogene Coca
in both situation comedy
and variety show
formats. The program debuted on October 2, 1954
, after the ending of Sid Caesar
's Your Show of Shows
, on which Coca had been a popular regular performer.
The first two episodes of The Imogene Coca Show center upon the difficulties of a television star starting a new series. Her co-stars were Billy DeWolfe and Ruth Donnelly
. The program became a variety show in its third episode, with standard songs, comedy sketches, and weekly guest stars. Then in February 1955
, Coca was cast as a newlywed with a husband and two lively neighbors, Helen and Harry Milliken, portrayed, respectively, by Bibi Osterwald and David Burns
.
Eight years thereafter in the 1963-1964 season, Coca was cast in another NBC situation comedy, Grindl
, about the wacky life of a maid working for an employment agency.
The Imogene Coca Show aired on Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. EST preceding The Jimmy Durante Show
and opposite Two for the Money
on CBS. ABC
aired Saturday evening boxing
at the time.
The program was telecast from New York City
. It ended after a single season.
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
television series starring Imogene Coca
Imogene Coca
Imogene Fernandez de Coca was an American comic actress best known for her role opposite Sid Caesar on Your Show of Shows....
in both situation comedy
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
and variety show
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
formats. The program debuted on October 2, 1954
1954 in television
The year 1954 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1954.-Events:*January 1 – NBC broadcasts the Rose Parade in NTSC color on 21 stations.*January 3 – RAI launched in Italy....
, after the ending of Sid Caesar
Sid Caesar
Isaac Sidney "Sid" Caesar is an Emmy award winning American comic actor and writer known as the leading man on the 1950s television series Your Show of Shows and Caesar's Hour, and to younger generations as Coach Calhoun in Grease and Grease 2.- Early life :Caesar was born in Yonkers, New York,...
's Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows
Your Show of Shows is a live 90-minute variety show that appeared weekly in the United States on NBC , from February 25, 1950, until June 5, 1954, featuring Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca....
, on which Coca had been a popular regular performer.
The first two episodes of The Imogene Coca Show center upon the difficulties of a television star starting a new series. Her co-stars were Billy DeWolfe and Ruth Donnelly
Ruth Donnelly
Ruth Donnelly was an American stage and film actress. Her father was the mayor of Trenton, New Jersey....
. The program became a variety show in its third episode, with standard songs, comedy sketches, and weekly guest stars. Then in February 1955
1955 in television
The year 1955 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1955.-Events:*March 5 – Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time...
, Coca was cast as a newlywed with a husband and two lively neighbors, Helen and Harry Milliken, portrayed, respectively, by Bibi Osterwald and David Burns
David Burns (actor)
David Burns was an American Broadway theatre and motion picture actor and singer.Burns was born on Mott Street in the Manhattan Chinatown of New York City. He made his Broadway debut in Face the Music in 1932, Cole Porter's Nymph Errant was his London debut, and he appeared in many comedies and...
.
Eight years thereafter in the 1963-1964 season, Coca was cast in another NBC situation comedy, Grindl
Grindl
Grindl is an American situation comedy that began in the fall of 1963 on NBC, originally sponsored by Procter & Gamble. The show, starring Imogene Coca in the title role, lasted for one season.-Synopsis:...
, about the wacky life of a maid working for an employment agency.
The Imogene Coca Show aired on Saturday evenings at 9 p.m. EST preceding The Jimmy Durante Show
The Jimmy Durante Show
The Jimmy Durante Show is a 51-episode half-hour comedy/variety program presented live on NBC from October 2, 1954 to June 23, 1956.-Production background:...
and opposite Two for the Money
Two for the Money
Two for the Money may refer to:* Two for the Money * Two for the Money...
on CBS. ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
aired Saturday evening boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
at the time.
The program was telecast from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It ended after a single season.