I Married Joan


The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

From Wikipedia

I Married Joan is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1952 to 1955. It starred veteran vaudeville, film, and radio comedienne Joan Davis as the manic wife of a mild-mannered community judge, Bradley Stevens (Jim Backus).

The show announced itself each week as "America's favorite comedy show, starring America's queen of comedy, Joan Davis, as Mrs. Joan Stevens." The series focused on a married couple, Joan and Bradley Stevens. Joan Stevens usually found herself in numerous wacky jams, with or without the help of her younger sister (played by her real-life daughter, Beverly Wills). Episodes usually began with Backus as Judge Stevens recalling yet another merry mishap, followed by the unfolding of the mishap, and ending with Stevens summing it up.

Sponsored by General Electric, I Married Joan was aimed at the viewers who watched I Love Lucy, a year older and already television's top-rated situation comedy. Displaying Davis' considerable physical and verbal comedy talents, the show ran three seasons in first-run production before falling victim to weakening ratings and Joan's personal health problems.

Who talked about this show

Ruth Engelhardt

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Ruth Engelhardt on packaging I Married Joan, and on learning the business from Ann Rosenthal
02:21

Rod Erickson

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Rod Erickson on working on The Goldbergs, The Aldrich Family, and I Married Joan
02:01

Stanley Frazen

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Stanley Frazen on editing I Married Joan with Joan Davis

John Rich

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John Rich on directing I Married Joan
07:30
John Rich on directing I Married Joan and working with Joan Davis
06:27
John Rich on the Hollywood Blacklist (and witnessing an actor being fired during a reading of an episode of I Married Joan)
03:15

Sol Saks

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Sol Saks on how he wrote for I Married Joan for 7 weeks to pay for his swimming pool
01:59

Sherwood Schwartz

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Sherwood Schwartz on his first TV writing job on I Married Joan starring Joan Davis
05:25
Sherwood Schwartz on leaving I Married Joan to work on a play, and then the show's cancellation
01:55

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