A DATE WITH JUDY

A DATE WITH JUDY

(ABC, June 2, 1951-September 30, 1953)

American Broadcasting Company

MAIN CAST:

Patricia Crowley & Mary Linn Beller – Judy Foster

Jimmy Sommer – Ogden “Oogie” Pringle

Gene O’Donnell & John Gibson – Melvin Foster

Anna Lee & Flora Campbell – Dora Foster

Judson Rees & Peter Avarmo – Randolph Foster

            A Date With Judy began its life as a teenage comedy radio series on NBC as a summer replacement for Bob Hope’s show, The Pepsodent Show (named for sponsor of both shows, Pepsodent toothpaste). Starring then 14-year-old Ann Gillis as Judy, the series focused on the teenaged girl who was deemed the most datable in town, but had a habit of attracting trouble and causing chaos wherever she went. The show began on June 24^th, 1941 and ran until May 25, 1950; with Dellie Ellis (later known as Joan Lorring) taking over as Judy in the second season, and Louise Erickson in the third for the remainder. The series moved to ABC for its final season, sponsored by Ford Motors and Revere Cameras. 

The radio cast photo from an article after Erickson took over the role.

            The show proved immensely popular, gaining a movie adaptation from MGM in 1948 starring Jane Powell in the title role. The movie was also a hit, earning over $4.5 million at the box office. When the radio show ended, ABC decided to adapt it again; this time for their television network. Patricia Crowley played the title role, with Gene O’Donnell and Anna Lee as her parents, Melvin and Dora, Judson Rees as her brother, Randolph, and Jimmy Sommer as Judy’s boyfriend, Ogden “Oogie” Pringle. The series was produced and written by Aleen Leslie and primarily sponsored by Clorets Chewing Gum.

Judy and Oogie sharing a shake.

            A Date with Judy debuted on ABC on June 2^nd, 1951, airing on Saturday mornings. When the season ended, ABC decided to retool the show and move it to primetime on Thursdays and later Wednesdays for the remainder of its run. The entire cast was replaced, with Mary Linn Beller as Judy; John Gibson as Melvin; Flora Campbell as Dora; and Peter Avarmo as Randolph. Only Sommer was retained as Oogie, and Leslie continued to produce and write for the show. It ended after three seasons on September 30, 1953; replaced by British detective drama Saber of London (also known as The Vise).

Judy's first comic appearance.

            While the radio show was on the air, National Periodical Publications (the precursor of DC Comics) began publication of a comic based on the series. It ran for 79 issues between 1947 and 1960, outliving every incarnation of the show. As for the show itself, clips and stills have not yet found their way online, assuming any had survived their initial broadcasts due to storage issues and the wide practice of wiping and recycling expensive film stock.

EPISODE GUIDE:

Unavailable at this time.

Originally posted in 2018. Updated in 2025.

THE PORKY PIG SHOW

THE PORKY PIG SHOW

(ABC, September 20, 1964-March 14, 1965)

American Broadcasting Company, Warner Bros. Television

MAIN CAST:

Mel Blanc – Porky Pig

For the history of the Looney Tunes, check out the post here.

The Porky Pig Show was the second anthology show featuring Warner Bros.’ stable of Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies theatrical shorts and was the first show centered around the original Looney Tune, Porky Pig (Mel Blanc).

Daffy and Sylvester helping to celebrate Porky.

Similar to its predecessor, The Bugs Bunny Show, The Porky Pig Show featured new animation showing a group of Looney Tunes characters and kids gathering at a barn for a hootnanny and a viewing of Porky’s show. Amongst the featured characters were Daffy Duck, Sylvester Cat, Tweety Bird, Yosemite Sam, Foghorn Leghorn, Sam Sheepdog, Granny and Elmer Fudd, although Porky was the only one to ever speak. Linking the various shorts were new segments in the barn with a brief comedy bit inspiring Porky to segue into the short--such as Sylvester chasing Tweety as Porky tried to address the audience--or a clip from a short with new dialogue dubbed over it, like from “Fool Coverage” where a mishap with Daffy and a rocking chair prompted Porky’s line “You’ll go off your rocker too when you see the next cartoon.” Each episode ended with a tearful ending song and Porky giving a plug to that episode’s advertiser.

Yosemite Sam plays with the band.

TThe Porky Pig Show made its debut on ABC on September 20, 1964. The animation for the new segments in comparison to the featured shorts was noticeably different. Following the conclusion of The Bugs Bunny Show’s original run in 1962, Warner Bros. shut down their animation studio in 1963. As a result, animation duties fell to the New York-based Hal Seeger Productions. Each episode was a half-hour and comprised of three different shorts, with the first typically featuring Porky. The series’ opening and closing theme was composed by Barbara Cameron and were sung by the on-screen characters.

They're watching the show we're watching. Whoa...meta.

The series ran for 26 episodes, with the last original compilation airing on March 14, 1965. It remained on the network until 1967. In 1971, ABC revived the show as Porky Pig and His Friends, reusing the same animated segments but with a different collection of shorts. In 2004, the show’s intro was featured as a bonus feature in the compilation DVD Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 2. The first episode was included as part of the 2009 compilation DVD Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1960s Volume 1, and the third episode on Volume 2. 

EPISODE GUIDE:

“Often an Orphan / Mice Follies / The Super Snooper” (9/20/64)

“Awful Orphan / Bell Hoppy / Wild Wife” (9/27/64)

“Scaredy Cat / Baton Bunny / Feather Dusted” (10/4/64)

“The Wearing of the Grin / The Unexpected Pest / Which is Witch?” (10/11/64)

“Thumb Fun / Ready, Woolen and Able / Wise Quackers” (10/18/64)

“The Prize Pest / Room and Bird / Early to Bet” (10/25/64)

“Drip-Along Daffy / Too Hop to Handle / Chow Hound” (11/1/64)

“The Pest That Came to Dinner / Goldimouse and the Three Cats / Two Crows from Tacos” (11/8/64)

“Dog Collared / Strife with Father / Feline Frame-Up” (11/15/64)

“My Little Duckaroo / A Fox in a Fix / Much Ado About Nutting” (11/22/64)

“Fool Coverage / The Bee-Deviled Bruin / Go Fly a Kit” (11/29/64)

“Bye, Bye Bluebeard / The Lion’s Busy / Speedy Gonzales” (12/6/64)

“An Egg Scramble / Mouse and Garden / Punch Trunk” (12/13/64)

“Dime to Retire / Bad Ol’ Putty Tat / Kiss Me Cat” (12/20/64)

“Jumpin’ Jupiter / A Hound for Trouble / Of Rice and Hen” (12/27/64)

“Boston Quackie / A Bear for Punishment / The Egg-Cited Rooster” (1/3/65)

“Porky Chops / It’s Hummer Time / Mouse Warming” (1/10/65)

“Boobs in the Woods / The Hypo-Chondri-Cat / Mixed Master” (1/17/65)

“Riff Raffy Daffy / Swallow the Leader / Three Little Bops” (1/24/65)

“Dough for the Do-Do / Gopher Broke / Pizzicato Pussycat” (1/31/65)

“Duck Dodgers in the 24½th Century / Sleepy Time Possum / The Honey-Mousers” (2/7/65)

“Paying the Piper / Caveman Inki / Lumber Jerks” (2/14/65)

“Deduce, You Say / Heir-Conditioned / Cat’s Paw” (2/21/65)

“Rocket Squad / By Word of Mouse / West of the Pesos” (2/28/65)

“China Jones / Rabbit Rampage / Mouse Mazurka” (3/7/65)

“Cracked Quack / A Ham in a Role / Sheep Ahoy” (3/14/65)