Mrs. G. Goes to College
Encyclopedia
Mrs. G. Goes To College is an American situation comedy
which aired on CBS
from October 4, 1961 to April 5, 1962. The series starred Emmy Award
-winning actress Gertrude Berg
.
, Gertrude Berg returned to episodic television as Sarah Green, a 62-year-old widow who enters college
. The character of Sarah Green (very similar to "Molly Goldberg") had been previously introduced to viewers as "Aunt Sarah" on Jackie Cooper
's Hennesey
sitcom on CBS earlier in 1961. English actor Cedric Hardwicke
played Professor Crayton, and popular character actress Mary Wickes
portrayed Maxfield. Skip Ward was cast as Joe Caldwell, and Marion Ross
appeared as Berg's daughter, Susan Green. Leo Penn
appeared as Jerry Green.
The series aired at the 9:30 Eastern slot on Wednesdays, under the sponsorship of General Foods
, following CBS's Checkmate
. Mrs. G. Goes to College aired during the second half of ABC's Hawaiian Eye
and NBC
's Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
. Halfway through the first season, the series was retitled The Gertrude Berg Show. However, reviews for the series were unfavorable and ratings were moderate leading CBS to cancel the series after one season.
's Four Star Television
. The series was produced by Hy Averback
, the music was by Herschel Burke Gilbert
.
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...
which aired on 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...
from October 4, 1961 to April 5, 1962. The series starred Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning actress Gertrude Berg
Gertrude Berg
Gertrude Berg was an American actress and screenwriter. A pioneer of classic radio, she was one of the first women to create, write, produce and star in a long-running hit when she premiered her serial comedy-drama The Rise of the Goldbergs , later known as The Goldbergs.-Career:Berg was born...
.
Synopsis
Having previously starred in the long-running radio and television series The GoldbergsThe Goldbergs
The Goldbergs is a comedy-drama broadcast from 1929 to 1946 on American radio, and from 1949 to 1956 on American television. It was adapted into a 1948 play, Me and Molly, and a 1973 Broadway musical, Molly.-Radio:...
, Gertrude Berg returned to episodic television as Sarah Green, a 62-year-old widow who enters college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. The character of Sarah Green (very similar to "Molly Goldberg") had been previously introduced to viewers as "Aunt Sarah" on Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper
Jackie Cooper was an American actor, television director, producer and executive. He was a child actor who managed to make the transition to an adult career. Cooper was the first child actor to receive an Academy Award nomination...
's Hennesey
Hennesey
Hennesey is an American military sitcom that aired on CBS from 1959 to 1962. The series, which aired for three seasons, stars Jackie Cooper in the title role.-Synopsis:...
sitcom on CBS earlier in 1961. English actor Cedric Hardwicke
Cedric Hardwicke
Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was a noted English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly fifty years...
played Professor Crayton, and popular character actress Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes
Mary Wickes was an American film and television actress.-Career:Wickes was born as Mary Isabelle Wickenhauser in St. Louis, Missouri, of German Irish Protestant extraction. She graduated at the age of eighteen with a degree in political science from Washington University in St. Louis, where she...
portrayed Maxfield. Skip Ward was cast as Joe Caldwell, and Marion Ross
Marion Ross
Marion Ross is an American actress best known for her role as Marion Cunningham on the television series Happy Days from 1974 to 1984.-Early life:...
appeared as Berg's daughter, Susan Green. Leo Penn
Leo Penn
Leo Z. Penn was an American actor and director, and father of musician Michael Penn and actors Sean Penn and Chris Penn.-Early life:...
appeared as Jerry Green.
The series aired at the 9:30 Eastern slot on Wednesdays, under the sponsorship of General Foods
General Foods
General Foods Corporation was a company whose direct predecessor was established in the USA by Charles William Post as the Postum Cereal Company in 1895. The name General Foods was adopted in 1929, after several corporate acquisitions...
, following CBS's Checkmate
Checkmate (TV series)
Checkmate is an American detective television series starring Anthony George, Sebastian Cabot, and Doug McClure. The show aired on CBS Television from 1960 to 1962 for a total of 70 episodes and was produced by Jack Benny's production company, "JaMco Productions" in co-operation with Revue...
. Mrs. G. Goes to College aired during the second half of ABC's Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye
Hawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the American Broadcasting Company television network.-Premise:...
and 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...
's Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
Kraft Music Hall (TV series)
Kraft Music Hall is an umbrella title for several television series aired by NBC in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s in the musical variety genre, sponsored by Kraft Foods, the producers of a well-known line of cheeses and related dairy products...
. Halfway through the first season, the series was retitled The Gertrude Berg Show. However, reviews for the series were unfavorable and ratings were moderate leading CBS to cancel the series after one season.
Production notes
Mrs. G. Goes to College was released by Dick PowellDick Powell
Richard Ewing "Dick" Powell was an American singer, actor, producer, director and studio boss.Despite the same last name he was not related to William Powell, Eleanor Powell or Jane Powell.-Biography:...
's Four Star Television
Four Star Television
Four Star Television, also called Four Star International, was an American television production company. Founded in 1952 as Four Star Productions by prominent Hollywood actors Dick Powell, David Niven, Ida Lupino, and Charles Boyer, the company produced many well-known shows of the early days of...
. The series was produced by Hy Averback
Hy Averback
Hyman J. Averback, known as Hy Averback , was a radio, television, and film actor who eventually became a producer and director.-Radio:...
, the music was by Herschel Burke Gilbert
Herschel Burke Gilbert
Herschel Burke Gilbert was a prolific orchestrator, musical supervisor and composer of film scores as well as television scores and theme songs, including the themes for The Rifleman , Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater and The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor...
.
Episodes
| Episode # | Episode title | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "The First Day" | October 4, 1961 |
| 1-2 | "First Test" | October 11, 1961 |
| 1-3 | "Sam's Car" | October 18, 1961 |
| 1-4 | "Lonely Sunday" | October 25, 1961 |
| 1-5 | "Mrs. G. Meets Dr. Hennessey" | November 1, 1961 |
| 1-6 | "The Baby Affair" | November 8, 1961 |
| 1-7 | "Crayton on TV" | November 15, 1961 |
| 1-8 | "Red, Red Rose" | November 22, 1961 |
| 1-9 | "Romance for Maxie" | November 29, 1961 |
| 1-10 | "The Trouble with Crayton" | December 6, 1961 |
| 1-11 | "The Teacher" | December 13, 1961 |
| 1-12 | "Mrs. G. Meets the Faculty" | December 20, 1961 |
| 1-13 | "Mrs. G.'s Private Telephone" | December 27, 1961 |
| 1-14 | "Maxie's Silent Partner" | January 11, 1962 |
| 1-15 | "Mrs. G. Versus the Kingston Trio" | January 18, 1962 |
| 1-16 | "Sunday Dinner" | January 25, 1962 |
| 1-17 | "The Mother Affair" | February 1, 1962 |
| 1-18 | "Peace Corps" | February 8, 1962 |
| 1-19 | "Goodbye, Mr. Howell" | February 15, 1962 |
| 1-20 | "How Now, Brown Cow?" | February 22, 1962 |
| 1-21 | "High Finance" | March 1, 1962 |
| 1-22 | "One of Our Books is Missing" | March 8, 1962 |
| 1-23 | "Curfew Shall Not Ring Tonight" | March 15, 1962 |
| 1-24 | "Gentleman Caller" | March 22, 1962 |
| 1-25 | "Dad's Day" | March 29, 1962 |
| 1-26 | "The Bird" | April 5, 1962 |
Award nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | Emmy Award Emmy Award An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various... |
Nominated | Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actress | Mary Wickes |
| American Cinema Editors | Best Edited Television Program | Chandler House (For episode "A Lonely Sunday") |
||