Mary Kay and Johnny
Encyclopedia
Mary Kay and Johnny is the first situation comedy
broadcast on network
television
in the United States
. Starring real-life married couple Mary Kay Stearns and Johnny Stearns, the series is the first program to show a couple sharing a bed, and the first television series to show a woman's pregnancy on television.
on Tuesday, November 18, 1947. The Stearnses created and wrote all the scripts for the show. The program was broadcast live
, most of the action taking place on a set representing the New York City
apartment of the title characters, a young married couple.
After a year on DuMont, the show moved to CBS
for half a year, much of the time being broadcast every weeknight, and then ran for one more year each Saturday night on NBC
, which broadcast the final episode on March 11, 1950.
In 1948, Mary Kay became pregnant. After unsuccessfully trying to hide it, the show's producers wrote her pregnancy into the show. On December 31, 1948, the Stearnses' son Christopher, less than one month old, appeared on the show and became a character.
s so that it could be shown, with some delay, on the West Coast
. The entire series from then until 1950 was recorded in this way. Many episodes survived in full as late as 1975.
The fate of the NBC episodes is unknown. Fragments of the show's last few episodes survive, most on 16-mm film
; these are not commercially available, though TV Land
used a clip in an episode of Inside TV Land called "Taboo TV".
The Paley Center for Media has one 1949 episode in its collection.
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
broadcast on network
Television network
A television network is a telecommunications network for distribution of television program content, whereby a central operation provides programming to many television stations or pay TV providers. Until the mid-1980s, television programming in most countries of the world was dominated by a small...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Starring real-life married couple Mary Kay Stearns and Johnny Stearns, the series is the first program to show a couple sharing a bed, and the first television series to show a woman's pregnancy on television.
Network runs
Mary Kay and Johnny debuted on the DuMont Television NetworkDuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
on Tuesday, November 18, 1947. The Stearnses created and wrote all the scripts for the show. The program was broadcast live
Live television
Live television refers to a television production broadcast in real-time, as events happen, in the present. From the early days of television until about 1958, live television was used heavily, except for filmed shows such as I Love Lucy and Gunsmoke. Video tape did not exist until 1957...
, most of the action taking place on a set representing the New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
apartment of the title characters, a young married couple.
After a year on DuMont, the show moved to CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
for half a year, much of the time being broadcast every weeknight, and then ran for one more year each Saturday night on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, which broadcast the final episode on March 11, 1950.
In 1948, Mary Kay became pregnant. After unsuccessfully trying to hide it, the show's producers wrote her pregnancy into the show. On December 31, 1948, the Stearnses' son Christopher, less than one month old, appeared on the show and became a character.
Lost episodes
Before 1948, Mary Kay and Johnny was broadcast live and not recorded. In early 1948, still broadcast live, the show was also recorded on kinescopeKinescope
Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program made by filming the picture from a video monitor...
s so that it could be shown, with some delay, on the West Coast
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
. The entire series from then until 1950 was recorded in this way. Many episodes survived in full as late as 1975.
The fate of the NBC episodes is unknown. Fragments of the show's last few episodes survive, most on 16-mm film
16 mm film
16 mm film refers to a popular, economical gauge of film used for motion pictures and non-theatrical film making. 16 mm refers to the width of the film...
; these are not commercially available, though TV Land
TV Land
TV Land is an American cable television network launched on April 29, 1996. It is owned by MTV Networks, a division of Viacom, which also owns Paramount Pictures, and networks such as MTV and Nickelodeon...
used a clip in an episode of Inside TV Land called "Taboo TV".
The Paley Center for Media has one 1949 episode in its collection.
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
- Lost episodeLost episodeA lost episode of a television series or radio series is one which is, or was at one point, not available for rerun or release on home video or DVD. In some cases, the term is something of a misnomer, used to describe an episode that for any number of reasons was not aired in its original...