Mister Peepers / The Goldbergs

June 7, 2015 - 7:00 pm

Please note: This event takes place at 7 p.m. The time listed in the Archive's print calendar is incorrect. We apologize for any confusion.

A sitcom unlike any before or since, Mister Peepers (1952-55), created by David Swift and starring Wally Cox as mild-mannered science teacher Robinson Peepers, took a wry, witty, whimsical and always gentle look at the quirky characters (both students and teachers) of a junior high school in the small, Midwestern town of Jefferson City. A popular and critical success from first show to last, Mr. Peepers won a coveted Peabody Award in 1952 and received numerous Emmy nominations over the course of its three-year run.

Created, produced, written by and starring Gertrude Berg as Molly Goldberg, The Goldbergs (1929-46) made its radio debut on NBC in November 1929 and immediately became and remained one of radio’s most popular programs. And although it concerned itself with the trials and tribulations of a poor, Bronx-dwelling Jewish family, its emphasis on normal, everyday situations resonated with Americans of all stripes. The Goldbergs arrived on television in 1949 and as it had in radio, became an instant hit. Again, Gertrude Berg was the creative force behind the program, which was broadcast live, first on CBS, then NBC, and finally on the DuMont network. In the fall of 1954, The Goldbergs left network TV for one final season as a first-run syndicated filmed series.

Mister Peepers: "Pilot"

NBC, 5/15/52

In this pilot episode (possibly unaired), Mr. Peepers (Wally Cox) arrives at Jefferson Jr. High School six months early and is mistaken for a student. Walter Matthau, under the name David Tyrell, appears briefly as gym teacher Mr. Burr.

NBC. Producer: Fred Coe. Director: James Sheldon. Writer: David Swift. Cast: Wally Cox, Norma Crane, Joseph Foley, Leonard Elliott, Betty Sinclair, David Tyrell. DigiBeta, b/w, 35 min.

Mister Peepers: "Train Trip to Chicago"

NBC, 4/19/53

In one of series creator David Swift’s and writer Everett Greenbaum’s favorite episodes, Mr. Peepers’ best friend, history teacher Harvey “Wes” Weskit (Tony Randall), is nervous about his upcoming marriage to his fiancée Marge, as he, Mr. Peepers, Mrs. Gurney (Marion Lorne), and Nancy Remington (Patricia Benoit) take the train to Chicago for the wedding.

NBC. Producer: Fred Coe. Director: Hal Keith. Writers: Jim Fritzell, Everett Greenbaum. Cast: Wally Cox, Marion Lorne, Tony Randall, Patricia Benoit, Georgeann Johnson. DigiBeta, b/w, 30 min.

The Goldbergs: "The Mother-In-Law"

CBS, Oct. 1949

In this episode, 18-year-old Anne Bancroft (billed as Betty Walker) guests as a young, recently married woman at odds with her mother-in-law as Molly Goldberg (Gertrude Berg) concocts an unusual plan to make things right between the two women.

Producer: Worthington Miner. Director: Walter Hart. Writer: Gertrude Berg. Cast: Gertrude Berg, Philip Loeb, Eli Mintz, Larry Robinson, Arline McQuade, Betty Walker. DigiBeta, b/w, 30 min.

The Goldbergs

DuMont, 10/12/54

On Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, the Goldbergs attend synagogue for the solemn Kol Nidre services. However, Uncle David (Eli Mintz) is upset because his son is absent.

Producer: Cherney Berg. Director: Martin Magner. Writer: Gertrude Berg. Cast: Gertrude Berg, Robert H. Harris, Eili Mintz, Arlene McQuade, Tom Taylor, Michael Rosenberg, Dora Weissman. DigiBeta, b/w, 30 min.

Part of:

Archive Television Treasures—50th Anniversary

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