User Reviews

George Burns was one of the earliest pioneers of radio and television and he remained a staple of TV with frequent appearances well into the 1990s, when HE was well into his 90's. At the end he was still cracking jokes about his loony wife and longtime comedy partner Gracie Allen (whom he always claimed was the more talented one), but after her death in the early '60s, Gracie became increasingly under-appreciated for her comedy contributions while former-dramatic-actress Lucille Ball rose to prominence as the reigning queen of comedy. No disrespect to the talented Lucy (whose comedy style was more sight-gag oriented), but thanks to reruns of "Burns and Allen" on Antenna TV, I've come to the realization that Gracie was the one who paved the way for Lucy to become an icon.

George and Gracie moved from stage to radio in the early '30s, and by the '40s they'd honed and perfected their crazy-housewife-sitcom in which they portrayed exaggerated versions of themselves. Suddenly TV was catching on and George decided that was the next logical step in their careers; Gracie was already contemplating retirement, but succumbed to her husband's desires and they took their act to TV in 1950 (a year before Lucy). The setup was the same: Gracie was a "dizzy" housewife confounding everyone she met with her illogical perspective of the world; George was the adoring husband who loved her not despite her silly quirks but because of them. Their best friends were their neighbors, Blanche and Harry Morton, who were continuously getting mixed up in Gracie's shenanigans. Taking inspiration from the play "Our Town," Burns frequently stepped out of scenes and directly addressed the audience. There was frequent talk of their TV show, but George was the only one who was self-aware that THIS was the actual show.

The first two seasons were broadcast live biweekly but they encountered a variety of problems. Gracie was a consummate professional but, having become accustomed to reading off paper on radio, she was daunted by the staggering amount of confusing dialogue she now had to memorize for each show and was becoming increasingly unhappy. Hal March originally played Harry Morton but he left after 7 episodes when offered another show; John Brown stepped into his shoes and was let go after 10 shows when his name showed up on a Hollywood blacklist; and ultimately Fred Clark was given the part. Three Harrys became FOUR Harrys by the end of the first season when original announcer Bill Goodwin left and was replaced by Harry Von Zell, who portrayed himself. Because coast-to-coast transmissions were not yet the norm, they also had problems with other shows swiping their jokes before kinescope copies of new episodes were broadcast in various markets.

By the end of the second season, Lucy & Desi had revolutionized TV by shooting on film and George wanted to follow suit, but CBS wouldn't offer additional funding. Using his own money, George set up McCadden Productions and began shooting episodes on film. Not only did this prevent the sorts of blunders that occurred during the live seasons, but it afforded Gracie some extra time to breathe and figure out her next illogical rant. The shows were screened for a preview audience so they could capture organic laughter for each joke, and George and Gracie would then film their stand-up routine that closed each show.

An unhappy Fred Clark was having difficulty sustaining a long-distance relationship with his wife and went to George demanding an exorbitant pay raise; George decided the best solution was to let Clark out of his contract. There was talk of killing off Harry Morton or having him run away with another woman, but ultimately he was replaced by Larry Keating. Drastic adjustments were made to the character to suit Keating, but otherwise it was business as usual.

By the sixth season, there was concern that the formula was becoming stale, so George decided to relocate the characters to a Manhattan hotel and bring his son Ronnie in to add a new dimension to the plot. Charismatic and camera-friendly Ronnie was a fine addition to the cast (though from a 21st century perspective the character was a shameless womanizer) but the hotel setting didn't offer the comedic opportunities that they'd hoped for, so the setting returned to Beverly Hills for the final two seasons. It was at this point that George came up with the idea to add a "magic television" which allowed him to spy on his friends and neighbors and humorously meddle in their lives. The sponsors hated the notion of this plot device, but Burns stood firm and later credited himself with creating TV surveillance.

Throughout the final seasons, Gracie's health was deteriorating and she was tired of the daily grind of working on the show. George kept circumventing her to sign contracts for additional seasons, but by the eighth season Gracie demanded she be allowed to retire. George relented, but figured she'd soon change her mind, so he carried on. In the following season's "The George Burns Show," the setting was changed to his downtown office, Blanche became his secretary, Harry Morton worked down the hall, and Ronnie and Harry Von Zell continued to wander in and out. Gracie was a frequent topic of conversation but she was enjoying her retirement too much to return. To boost ratings, variety show segments were added, but it didn't help -- the show bowed out with a whimper in April 1959 and George had to reinvent himself as a solo act. Unfortunately, he did it so well that Gracie sort of fell by the wayside.

It's a travesty that the show hasn't received the endless exposure that Lucy has, but Antenna TV deserves enormous credit for bringing it back to public awareness. Now if only Sony would release the filmed seasons on home video uncut, I'd be a happy man.

There is something which has baffled me for years...why didn't this get into the syndication game from the start? We might never know for sure. But I am emphatically sure of is that THE GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN SHOW was and still is: the Best Comedy of All Time!

Yes, and it is all about Gracie. George Burns was a genius to impart the most wonderfully funny lines to Gracie. Gracie brought the most wonderful rendition of the "Dumb Dora" characterization to its zenith.

Her delivery of the most convoluted lines and the daffiest situations will never be equaled. She never broke character saying the most over-the-top dialogues. Having watched each of the almost 300 episodes several times and have come away with the most delightful laughter, I feel healthier.

If I get to reach old age, I will know that it was Gracie's character that has unequivocally been my fountain-of-youth medicine.

Now that the shows are everywhere online, I seldom go to my practically comprehensive DVD collection of the matchless classics. It is almost a daily obsession for me to get a dosage of this remarkable program.

Publicly, I want to acknowledge just how wonderful this program has become...and I want to thank the memories of George Burns and Gracie Allen for bringing so much delightful laughter and happiness to my life.

This was in the grandstand of classic TV shows from the golden age of the 1950's which from some never got the chance to see one of the greatest comedy acts of all time-the great George Burns and his lovely wife Gracie Allen. The last time Burns and Allen was ever shown was during the 1980's when repeats of this lost or another word for it seldom seen series was shown regularly on cable's CBN-TV,The Christian Broadcasting Network,which shown a lot of these classic shows which nowadays are totally forgotten but remain within our memories. This was classic TV from the golden age of early television during the 1950's. George and Gracie were the perfect couple and this was one of those unique shows that had a flair for its own brand of situation comedy and from there it was magical.....especially for the audiences who kept the show in the top ten of the Nielsens since it ran for eight seasons on CBS-TV from October 12, 1950 until the final episode on September 15,1958 for 291 episodes all in classic black and white. There was one comment that was mention about this show since Burns and Allen were compared to another couple,Lucy and Desi whose own show "I Love Lucy",was on the same network,but in all aspects both shows were fighting for competition here since Lucy's sitcom only ran for seven years,even after "I Love Lucy" went off the air in the summer of 1957,Burns and Allen were still on the airwaves providing the laughs until the final episode of the series in 1958. Repeated episodes for various seasons stayed on the CBS prime-time line until January 12,1959. The show's sponsors from the remainder of it's run were The Carnation Milk Company, The General Mills Corporation and B.F. Goodrich Tires.

And they say "I Love Lucy" was better than Burns and Allen? As far as the laughs were provided,Burns and Allen really dethroned the competition and lets face it,it was a better show....Lucy was good,but Gracie was excellent. Better than that Lucy spin off called "I Married Joan?". You bet! And you'll never imagine what Gracie would say next! How can anyone in there right mind be so dumb? Gracie prove it in just about every situation her and George went through,with George shaking his head throughout the course of every episode. Lets face it,in about every episode George would have to bail Gracie and her best friend Blanche(Bea Benederet)out of a tight situation in which they did one crazy stunt after another. You also have the usual characters involved too including George's next door neighbor Harry and the others which included Bill Goodwin and later by Harry Von Zell who would attract all the pretty girls over to the Burns' house for some side-splitting results that were just hilarious to boot! Then you have the Burns' son Ronnie,who was a student at the local university who would come home every so often as well. Then somewhere within the show,George Burns would step out of the scene to narrate the events that went on within the Burns' home,and then at the end of each episode George and Gracie would step out of these scenes together and toward the beginning of the credits at the end of the show...George would say these classic lines...

GEORGE: "Say Goodnight Gracie". GRACIE: "Goodnight".

This was one television show that really broke the molds during the golden age of classic TV during the early part of the 1950's and so forth. Gracie was sheer poetry to watch and she was one of the pioneers of situation comedy and no comedienne at the time was even better,which was second to Lucille Ball in providing the laughs,and she was the best around! Its kinda sad that this series is not shown on certain cable markets anymore since through the magic of DVD and Video, audiences today who never got to see this show,or who never even heard of George Burns or Gracie Allen need to see this to experience the magic of this classic show. Which is today a neglected milestone to needs to be seen again.

This show was, please don't kill me for saying this, even better than "I Love Lucy". Lucy was good, but this was better. Gracie and Blanche(Bea Benederett, voice of Betty Rubble and original choice for Ethel Mertz) would pull one crazy stunt after another. Meanwhile Bill Goodwin(later replaced by Harry Von Zell) would attract all the girls, and George would step out of the scene to narrate(A technique now used in the Disney cartoon show "The Weekenders"). Gracie's "Illogical logic", as George called it, cracks you up every time. By the way, the radio version featured music of Meredith Wilson(famous for writing "The Music Man").

I love to watch the Burns and Allen show as it is one to the unique shows that we had. Gracie and George were the perfect couple. You had to laugh as she took things so to there meaning and it worked perfect. I sometimes watch the 70's show and in a way Red and Kitty almost seem to be them in another era but still not exactly the same. I just find that their looks like Kitty's hair and Red even has a similar look like George. Back to George and Gracie now. I would love to have all their shows, especially the ones with that TV that could George could see what was going on in the show. That is something that really was to cool. I hope to see them release all their shows as I have only a few and wish that all were on DVD. One more thing I feel that if the show was aired more often and some people would show it to their children, it could bring a new light. I know this as when I show it on DVD to my kids they are older like 17 and up really start to get into it after a few shows. Hurry for Burns and Allen, and also their neighbors too.

The timeless comedy of George Burns and Gracie Allen moved to television in 1950 when Gracie brought her own unique perspective to all kinds of situations. The fourth wall was broken as George replete with cigar in hand gave a commentary to what Gracie was doing.

Gracie certainly marched to her own beat. The dialog between her and George was great, but we knew that George from years of living with her took her zany nonsequiters as they came. Not so their neighbors the Mortons who were played by Bea Benedaret and Fred Clark later replaced by Larry Keating.

But if strangers came Gracie's way they left questioning their sanity, she was so sure always. And George always amused at the people two steps behind his wife.

Gracie Allen was the funniest woman that ever walked the planet. Nobody else even close. The show came to an end because she wanted to retire. She died in 1964 and as we know George hit the century mark before being called home. George could never see himself not in show business, Gracie who had a heart condition needed the retirement.

But their legacy to comedy is unchallenged.

This truly is the perfect show to watch if you just want to brighten your day & laugh about the simple things in life.

At the time I discovered this show, I was in nursing school & usually started my day relatively early (0430). I turned on the TV & started making my coffee, but figured I'd turn the channel once I was all settled in. While I listened to the show, I couldn't help but smile & laugh. It was actually funny. It was also very interesting to see how the culture and social norms were back then. Their etiquette, clothing, speech & pronunciation of words, how they lived and which material items were important to them, and what was socially acceptable. I wanted to know more about them and was saddened to discover that they had both passed away, even their son, Ronnie, passed away. It really did bum me out, but I'm thankful that I'm still able to watch them 65+ years later.

I think this show was far ahead of its time and the Burns' are truly lovely people. During a clinical rotation I had in a nursing home, I decided to start asking my patients if they had watched Burns & Allen, but surprisingly many of them had not. The few that did were very surprised I had heard of the show and were delighted when I told them how much I liked it.

I wish the show was available on a streaming platform because I'd love to start watching it from the beginning. The channel that I first watched the show on no longer aires it, which is very unfortunate. It kind of makes me feel like their legacy will diminish if new people aren't able to accidentally discover it and watch it like I had.

Gracie Allen and George Burns were truly a match made in comedy heaven. Although Gracie played a ditzy but lovable wife to George. They had an ideal marriage til death do their part in real life. Gracie Allen played the ditzy wife perfectly but she wasn't really a ditz. She was smart and intelligent who had the audience fall in love with her just like George did. Their onscreen and offscreen marriage worked well for all of us. Sadly Gracie left decades before George. Together they were impeccable comedy duo.

George Burns and Gracie Allen deliver a comedic tour de force in their classic show that is both a sitcom and a vaudeville variety show. In each episode, George, Gracie, neighbors and friends deliver a standard sitcom story arc featuring Gracie's peculiar "logic" and sophism.

The key to the show is George's role. He operates both within and outside the story as a guide and overseer. He breaks the fourth wall continuously, often to deliver a lengthy joke. Sometimes he tunes into the show as it is being aired to find out what Gracie is up to. He will even tell the audience about decisions made in production or modify the script (supposedly on the fly) to achieve a desired result.

The vaudeville conceit is furthered by George's ditties, their fancy footwork, Gracie's stories about her family, and the use of a theatrical curtain at the end of the show.

Each episode is a glimpse of comedy history rooted in early radio comedy and even earlier stage entertainment. The show is a comedy treasure trove.

Gee whiz I don't think I've ever loved a show quite this much. I thought I'd found the best when I watched the Dick van Dyke show, but I have to say, George and Gracie top it. The wittiness is out of this world and Gracie delivers it with the utmost perfection. I, a person who does not laugh out loud quite often when watching anything, can't keep my mouth shut when watching. Time after time I find myself spending time I that I don't have on the show. It's highly addictive!

If you really enjoy watching vintage TV Sit-Coms that go all the way back to that medium's "golden years" - Then - "The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show" should be a truly delightful treat for you.

Presented by "Carnation Condensed Milk" (from "contented" cows) - This old-time TV program certainly contains some genuinely priceless moments of absolutely uproarious comedy.

With the cigar-puffing, George Burns playing the straight man against Gracie Allen's hilarious clueless-flake shtick - The excellent rapport that took place between these two seasoned actors has got to be seen to be believed.

Filmed in b&w - This 5-disc set contains 8, half-hour episodes, spanning from the years between 1950-1958. As an added bonus - There's a 50-minute "Hollywood Couples" documentary included, too.

*Note* Gracie Allen lived to be 70 years old. George Burns lived to be 100.

George, Bea, Larry, Fred, Ronnie, Harry & all the others were terrific. But, Gracie was the show & Gracie Allen was like no other -- the funniest woman on TV!

Back in the days before supermarket tabloids, there was a story that most Hollywood insiders already knew. George Burns and Gracie Allen, two stage performers who had made their names in the post-vaudeville era, loved each other. For real. Keeping in mind that this wonderful show is often contrasted to I LOVE LUCY -- where the stars ended up in one of the most public divorces Hollywood has ever seen -- that fact is worth remembering. Also worth remembering is that Burns basically played himself. And in his case, playing himself meant playing of the most charming, talented, and gifted storytellers in the world. George Burns practically invented comic timing. And he was a well-liked individual. (So well liked that years later when they were casting the role of GOD, giving him the part was a no-brainer!). Also interesting is the use of the hidden camera to watch the other characters. Not only a "show inside a show," but anticipating a trend that was decades away. Marshall McLuhan was a young man when this show aired, but somehow you know he watched it. Bottom line, not merely a show, a piece of history. With commercials. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

In this American sitcom, George Burns and Gracie Allen bring their "Burns and Allen" radio program to television. George Burns, Gracie Allen, and their son (Ronnie Burns) essentially play themselves. The Burns family and their friends constantly find themselves involved in situations which are usually the result of Gracie's state of perpetual confusion.

Many modern audiences have difficulty watching old television sitcoms from the 1950's. The acting seems a bit strange; and, the situations seem a bit exaggerated. One of the reasons why the old sitcoms seem so different from modern ones is that the shows from the fifties were essentially radio programs which were performed in front of television cameras. Audiences might notice that the actors' diction in the old sitcoms is different. Anyone who closes his or her eyes and listens to the audio from a 1950's sitcom will notice that the audio often sounds exactly like a radio show. Furthermore, many of the scenes on Burns' and Allen's show were essentially stand up comedy routines.

Members of modern audiences might be somewhat disappointed by George Burns' character in this sitcom. Many probably know George Burns better from his solo period following Gracie Allen's death. While performing alone, Burns proved himself to be a very funny comedian. During his earlier Burns and Allen period, George Burns usually served as the straight man to the ditzy character played by Gracie Allen. While Burns did demonstrate some of his dry wit during the Burns and Allen era, he also seemed a bit more subdued while reacting to the peculiar things which were said by Allen's character. People need to remember that this was a different period in George Burns' career; and, anyone who gives this show a chance will learn to appreciate Burns' role as a member of a comedy duo.

Some audience members might have difficulty coping with Gracie Allen's character. Many might be irritated by the character's unrelentingly ditzy personality as well as constant state of confusion. For those people, her character might seem excessively silly or exasperating; and, they might wonder why the Burns character would tolerate being married to somebody who was so infuriating. Modern audiences must remember that the characters were developed for the Burns and Allen stand up routine, and were never intended to be subtle or well rounded.

"The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" provides modern audiences with a fascinating look at television and comedy from an earlier era. Some viewers might find it difficult to get used to some aspects of the show. However, anyone who gives the show a chance will be rewarded; because, it has a way of growing on a person over time.

I never appreciated Burns and Allen as I was wee child when it aired. But as senior, I have come to appreciate the wackiness and use of language this show produced. Gracie and Bea were so much fun together and George Burns was the perfect straight man. The show started to slip a bit in my opinion when they added Ronnie to the cast, and they moved to New York. Gracie Allen has such chemistry!

I only discovered this show on tv about a year ago and cannot believe it's not as well known as shows like I Love Lucy. The writing is crisp and the characters lovable. I can't get enough!!

This is the television show that broke all the molds. There was no comedienne at the time (or for that matter, any time) better than Gracie! No one could act that dumb! She was poetry to watch. As George used to say, he stood while Gracie talked! What a pair they were. If you can find it, rent the episode about the checkbook. I got dizzy just watching! We can only hope that Nick at Nite goes back further than the 60s for the real classics of TV!

I'm sure that Rose, the character that Betty White played in Golden Girls , was based on Gracie Allen.

I've only seen about a dozen episodes from the earliest years now available on CD. Still, the magic is there thanks to Gracie's verbal nonsense and George's bemused straight-man. Tellingly, he shares the audience delight with Gracie's fractured reasoning. It's like he's a medium between her world and ours. Too bad Burns is often the underrated half of the couple's extraordinary success. Note, for example, how casually he breaks the fourth wall with bemused look and cigar in hand-- it's like we're sharing a Gracie joke together. As a team, their blend is effortless, as shown first in vaudeville, then on radio, and lastly TV.

Notable in these early entries is the miscasting of Hal March as Harry Morton. He's both too handsome and too youthful to fit Blanche's middle-age husband. Visually, he's a distraction from the otherwise ordinary looking cast. So, it's not surprising, I think, that both later versions of Harry (Keating & Clark) would be bald and unexceptional looking. Anyway, it's a classic series that deserves a full revival should the remaining episodes enter the public domain. Meanwhile I'll look forward to that day.

I'm not as verbose as others on this site, but I have to say that this show is SO much better than history will claim. I do not understand why this show wasn't a bigger hit, both when it was originally on the air, or since.

On a side note, I hope that it's run on CBN was not the cause of the "Ronnie's Fan Club" episode being pulled from the syndication package. I recently found it online, and I don't understand what could have cause such an uproar that it could no longer be shown, I have seen and heard much worse. In fact, a companion episode to it just aired this morning on Antennae TV. Even for 1958, the episode was tame. It had to be some oversensitive snowflake that got it pulled.