The Joan Davis Show
September 3, 1945 – June 23, 1947 · 16 broadcasts
Fresh from a record-breaking Swan Soap contract, Joan Davis moved to CBS in the autumn of 1945 and took over the timeslot Burns and Allen had just vacated. The new premise put her behind a small-town tea room -- Joanie's Tea Room, the name most listeners still use for the series -- where she chased romance, chiefly after the show's singer, and generally made things worse before making them funnier. The writing room was extraordinary for a sitcom of its day: Abe Burrows ran it, years before Duffy's Tavern and his Broadway career, and a teenaged Larry Gelbart passed through on his way to a life in comedy. Around Davis stood singer Andy Russell, announcer Harry von Zell, her real-life husband Si Wills as the hapless Serenus, and Verna Felton, who turned up as both Rosella Hipperton III and Cousin Cornelia. Sixteen broadcasts survive from the two seasons, including a rehearsal recording.
Episode Spine
Grouped by year. Jump to the full list below, or open a season on its own page.
1945
1946
Fresh from a record-breaking Swan Soap contract, Joan Davis moved to CBS in the autumn of 1945 and took over the timeslot Burns and Allen had just vacated. The new premise put her behind a small-town tea room -- Joanie's Tea Room, the name most listeners still use for the series -- where she chased romance, chiefly after the show's singer, and generally made things worse before making them funnier. The writing room was extraordinary for a sitcom of its day: Abe Burrows ran it, years before Duffy's Tavern and his Broadway career, and a teenaged Larry Gelbart passed through on his way to a life in comedy. Around Davis stood singer Andy Russell, announcer Harry von Zell, her real-life husband Si Wills as the hapless Serenus, and Verna Felton, who turned up as both Rosella Hipperton III and Cousin Cornelia. Sixteen broadcasts survive from the two seasons, including a rehearsal recording.