The Tab Hunter Show
| The Tab Hunter Show | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Stanley Shapiro |
| Written by |
Dan Beaumont Michael Fessier Shirley Gordon Alex Gottlieb |
| Directed by |
William J. Hole, Jr. Richard Kinon Philip Rapp Norman Tokar |
| Starring |
Tab Hunter Richard Erdman Jerome Cowan Reta Shaw |
| Theme music composer | Pete Rugolo |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 32 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Dick Clayton |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Production company(s) | Shunto Productions |
| Release | |
| Original network | NBC |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | September 18, 1960 – April 30, 1961 |
The Tab Hunter Show is an American sitcom starring Tab Hunter. The series ran new episodes on NBC from September 18, 1960, to April 30, 1961; rebroadcasts then aired from May until September 17.
It was Hunter's first recurring role in a TV series, although he had appeared on a medium numerous times.
Synopsis
Hunter stars as Paul Morgan, a 29-year-old cartoonist whose comic strip Bachelor at Large profiles his amorous adventures around Malibu Beach, California. The program also starred Jerome Cowan as Hunter's boss; John Larsen, the owner of Comics, Inc.; Richard Erdman as his best friend, the rich playboy Peter Fairfield, III; and character actress Reta Shaw as Hunter's housekeeper, Thelma, who disapproved of his lifestyle.
The Bachelor at Large comic strips seen on camera were drawn by veteran cartoonist Zeke Zekley, who had worked closely with George McManus on the strip Bringing Up Father from 1935 to 1954.
Cast
- Tab Hunter - Paul Morgan
- Jerome Cowan - John Larson
- Richard Erdman - Peter Fairchild, III
- Reta Shaw - Thelma
Notable guest stars
Scheduling and reception
Hunter was looking to star in a TV series but could not find a script he liked, especially as he did not want to do Westerns. He eventually picked this sitcom.[1]
The Tab Hunter Show was scheduled at 8:30 Eastern on Sundays, under the sponsorship of Lorillard Tobacco (Newport cigarettes) and General Time's Westclox division, and featured a selection of guest stars. Norman Tokar produced.[2]
All the episodes had the same theme and similar plots. The Tab Hunter Show followed National Velvet, based on a successful film of the same name on the Sunday evening schedule. It preceded The Dinah Shore Chevy Show.[3]
The Los Angeles Times called the show "well written, nicely played by Mr Hunter and very funny".[4]
The show failed to compete effectively with CBS's The Ed Sullivan Show, and was canceled after one season.
Selected episodes also aired on BBC Television in 1961.[5]
Reception
The failure of the show hurt Hunter's career. "Hollywood has a tendency to drink the blood from your veins and then discard what's left," he said. "It can be devastating. Obviously, I wasn't really working at that point; so I ran off to Europe and started working there. The important thing was to keep working, to be a survivor."[6]
Episode list
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "One Blonde Too Many" | September 18, 1960 |
| 1-2 | "For Money or Love" | September 25, 1960 |
| 1-3 | "My Brother, The Hero" | October 2, 1960 |
| 1-4 | "Be My Guest" | October 9, 1960 |
| 1-5 | "Operation Iceberg" | October 16, 1960 |
| 1-6 | "The Matchmaker" | October 23, 1960 |
| 1-7 | "I Love a Marine" | October 30, 1960 |
| 1-8 | "Double Trouble" | November 6, 1960 |
| 1-9 | "The Doll in the Bathing Suit" | November 13, 1960 |
| 1-10 | "Hot and Cold" | November 20, 1960 |
| 1-11 | "My Darling Teacher" | November 27, 1960 |
| 1-12 | "One Night in Paris" | December 4, 1960 |
| 1-13 | "Devil to Pay" | December 11, 1960 |
| 1-14 | "How to Lose a Girl" | December 18, 1960 |
| 1-15 | "Happily Unmarried" | December 25, 1960 |
| 1-16 | "Portia Go Home" | January 1, 1961 |
| 1-17 | "Turnabout" | January 8, 1961 |
| 1-18 | "Weekend on Ice" | January 15, 1961 |
| 1-19 | "Girl Overboard" | January 22, 1961 |
| 1-20 | "The Art Patron" | January 29, 1961 |
| 1-21 | "The Golden Arrow" | February 5, 1961 |
| 1-22 | "Galatea" | February 12, 1961 |
| 1-23 | "Me and My Shadow" | February 19, 1961 |
| 1-24 | "The Movie Set" | February 26, 1961 |
| 1-25 | "Sultan for a Day" | March 5, 1961 |
| 1-26 | "Holiday In Spain" | March 12, 1961 |
| 1-27 | "Italian Riviera" | March 19, 1961 |
| 1-28 | "Crazy Over Horses" | March 26, 1961 |
| 1-29 | "Dream Boy" | April 9, 1961 |
| 1-30 | "Personal Appearance" | April 16, 1961 |
| 1-31 | "Those Happy College Days" | April 23, 1961 |
| 1-32 | "The Invitation" | April 30, 1961 |
References
- ↑ Tab Takes TV Plunge in Comedy: Tab Will Make Plunge Into Comedy on TV Barnes, Aleene. Los Angeles Times 18 Sep 1960: L2.
- ↑ FILMED TV SHOW FOR TAB HUNTER: He Will Star in a Comedy Series on N.B.C. -- Brasselle Program Ends in June By VAL ADAMS. New York Times 19 Apr 1960: 75.
- ↑ 1960-1961 American network television schedule
- ↑ TV REVIEWS: NBC Wins Twice in New Season Derby Smith, Cecil. Los Angeles Times 19 Sep 1960: A11.
- ↑ http://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/40a5afc022024349b06fda0dfc98851d
- ↑ TAB HUNTER: FROM HUNK TO HONCHO IN 'LUST': Miller, Ron. Chicago Tribune 24 Feb 1985: 9.