"The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (1952) TV series 1952-1966

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Release Date:

3 October 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

Very long running family saga, based largely on the actual actors involved. As the sons age we go through their teenage dating problems...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Based On Radio Show | Brother Brother Relationship | Sitcom | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

 (Series Cast Summary - 4 of 192)

Harriet Hilliard	...	Harriet Nelson / ... (392 episodes, 1952-1966)
Ozzie Nelson	...	Ozzie Nelson / ... (383 episodes, 1952-1966)
David Nelson	...	David Nelson / ... (381 episodes, 1952-1966)
Ricky Nelson	...	Ricky Nelson / ... (381 episodes, 1952-1966)

Also Known As:

Ozzie and Harriet

Runtime:

30 min (435 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Selznick International Studios - 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Stage Five Productions

Trivia:

On 11 August 2009 the US Postal Service issued a pane of twenty 44¢ commemorative postage stamps honoring early USA television programs. A booklet with 20 picture postal cards was also issued. The stamp honoring "The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" pictured stars Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Hilliard Nelson. Other shows honored in the Early TV Memories issue were: "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" (1955), "The Dinah Shore Show" (1951), "Dragnet" (1951), "The Ed Sullivan Show" (originally titled "Toast of the Town" (1948)), "The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" (1950), "Hopalong Cassidy" (1952), "The Honeymooners" (1955), "The Howdy Doody Show" (original title: "Puppet Playhouse" (1947)), "I Love Lucy" (1951), "Kukla, Fran and Ollie" (1947), "Lassie" (1954), "The Lone Ranger" (1949), "Perry Mason" (1957), "The Phil Silvers Show" (1955), "The Red Skelton Show" (1951), "Texaco Star Theater" (titled "The Milton Berle Show" (1948), 1954-1956), The Tonight Show (which began as "Tonight!" (1953)), "The Twilight Zone" (1959), and "You Bet Your Life" (1950).

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Movie Orgy (1968)

So underrated that it's criminal

I concur with the previous posts that Ozzie and Harriet was really a show "about nothing," and was quite funny until the boys got married (even then, it had its moments). Rather than showing how dull and boring the perfect traditional family could be, it celebrated the humor and fun in everyday life and its quirks. Most underrated was the comic talent of Ozzie. Not only was he hilariously adept and creative in his efforts to avoid work around the house, but when the situation resulted in physical comedy he was nothing short of amazing. I remember seeing a rerun 35 years ago, in which Ozzie has to swallow a big wad of ice cream. Just watching him, I could FEEL the brain freeze he got, and I still feel it just remembering. Personally, I like the 1952-1955 episodes with Don Defore as Thorny. The situations were believable but still funny-- Ozzie trying to convince everyone that he bought spot cleaner to help out an old lady instead of buying it to help out her sexy daughter, Ozzie scouring the town for tutti-fruity ice cream, Ozzie fretting over the rain damage that he knows he will get if he permits a nest of birds to remain in his rain gutter, Ozzie trying to send back a pair of chairs sent by mistake, Ozzie having to sleep apart from Harriet because she misinterprets Ozzie's support for separate rooms for the boys. In a way, Ozzie is a more functional and less stupid Homer Simpson. Since some of the shows can be obtained in the bargain DVD bins at Walmart and other places, do yourself a favor and give a few episodes a try.