The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet
1 9 5 2 - 1 9 6 6 (USA)
435 x 25 minute episodes
This show originated on CBS Radio between 1944 and 1954, where it
was originally known as The Ozzie Nelson - Harriet Hilliard Show. Transferring
to the new medium of television, The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet
was basically the real-life Nelson family, with all the little
adventures that an active middle-class American family might have.
(Even the house in the series - 822 Sycamore Road, Hillsdale - was modeled
on the Nelsons' real-life home in Hollywood).
Bandleader Nelson and his singer wife made their living with their
music in the '30s and '40s, appearing on Red Skelton's radio show and
even filling in for him when Skelton was drafted.
They got their own slot and built a show that revolved around the
family's lives (the Nelson boys took over from the actors playing them
in the original radio show) and the canny Nelson even talked ABC into
a 10-year contract that paid whether his series was cancelled or not.
In the early episodes the stories revolved mainly
around the four Nelsons, with only a few friends and neighbors, most
notably Thorny Thornberry, who regularly offered Ozzie bits of
ill-timed advice. Later, as the boys began to date, a succession of
girlfriends began to appear.
In time, both David and Rick got married and both
their real-life wives (June & Kris) then appeared on the show also.
David emerged from college as a lawyer and joined a law office, in
which Rick became a part-time clerk. Their boss was Mr. Kelley and
their secretary was Miss Edwards.
Ozzie was a perfectionist who insisted on high
production values and his efforts paid off in the show's remarkable
popularity.
The series also made a teenage singing idol of
Ricky Nelson. After Ricky sang
Fats Domino's I'm Walkin' in 1957, his
version became a runaway smash on vinyl. That launched a music career
that included such hits as Fools Rush In, Hello, Mary
Lou, Garden Party and Travelin' Man.
At a time when
Elvis Presley shocked the establishment
with his sexual gyrations, Ricky Nelson was safe, pleasant and as
middle-American as the street in Hillsdale (state never identified)
where the Nelson's lived.
Seven years after the show left the air, the elder
Nelsons returned with the syndicated Ozzie's Girls, in
which Ozzie and Harriet took in two female college-student boarders.
It didn't last a season.
HISTORICAL NOTES
The final 26 episodes were filmed in color. Rick Nelson died in a
plane crash in 1985.
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