"Our Miss Brooks" (1952) TV series 1952-1956

User Rating:

8.2/10   

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

Release Date:

3 October 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

Miss Brooks teaches English at Madison High, rents a room from Mrs. Davis, gets rides to school with student Walter...

Plot Keywords:

Biology Teacher | High School | Landlady | English Teacher | Based On Radio Show

Awards:

Won Primetime Emmy. Another 6 nominations

Cast

Eve Arden	...	Connie Brooks (130 episodes, 1952-1956)
Gale Gordon	...	Osgood Conklin / ... (130 episodes, 1952-1956)
Jane Morgan	...	Mrs Margaret Davis / ... (110 episodes, 1952-1956)
Robert Rockwell	...	Philip Boynton / ... (103 episodes, 1952-1956)
Richard Crenna	...	Walter Denton (89 episodes, 1952-1955)
Gloria McMillan	...	Harriet Conklin / ... (88 episodes, 1952-1955)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Desilu Studios - 9336 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

CBS Television Network

Quotes:

Daisy Enright: When I was in my teens, there weren't very many stars on television.
Connie Brooks: When you were in your teens, there weren't many stars on the flag.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Bold and the Beautiful: (#1.5611)" (2009)

Soundtrack:

Brooks Theme

I have seen the TV show

and heard the radio show, too. The show made a seamless transition from radio to television with the original cast and writers intact. It was filmed by Desilu as a one-camera show, so it lacks some of the energy which shows like I Love Lucy derived from a live studio audience. But the cast was perfectly cast and the writing was sharp. The only false note in the program concept is Arden's desperate and somewhat pathetic attempt to "hook" shy biology teacher "Mr. Boynton." There is almost no chemistry between the two and no evidence of passion on "Miss Brooks'" part. The real sizzle here comes from the classic exchanges between "Miss Brooks" and principal "Osgood Conklin." Gale Gordon as "Mr. Conklin" is far funnier than in his later roles as foil for Lucille Ball. Richard Crenna is a bit too old to play a high school boy in the TV version but his strong abilities as a comic actor allow him to pull it off. The TV show is not available on DVD or video tape; the movie version is shown regularly on TCM and is very close to the TV series (albeit with more money to spend on the production). The main difference between the two, the movie focused on the Brooks-Boynton romance and downplayed "Miss Brooks'" work in the classroom, interactions with students and - unfortunately - her classic exchanges with "Mr. Conklin."