Westerns dominated the television landscape in the mid-to-late 1950s. Their increasing popularity came in part at the expense of sitcoms. There were fewer new comedy series debuting in the fall of 1956, and only The Gale Storm Show became a long-term success. As a result of this sitcom drought, there was only one sitcom showdown that fall.
The Danny Thomas Show vs. The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on Monday at 8:00 p.m. (ET)
This was a season of change for the ABC sitcom formerly known as Make Room for Daddy. Now titled The Danny Thomas Show, lead actress Jean Hagen quit the show, so Thomas now played a widower. He also broke his leg and had to perform in a wheelchair.
His fourth-season series had the misfortune of moving to ABC’s low-rated Monday night schedule. Thomas’ CBS competition was The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, now in its seventh season, coming off a 27th-place finish the previous year.
Sandwiched between top 20 shows, The Adventures of Robin Hood and Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show finished 28th for the season. The Danny Thomas Show performed poorly on its new night and was moved to Thursdays at mid-season. However, the best was yet to come for The Danny Thomas Show. Thomas’ manager sold the show to CBS, which put it in the coveted Monday at 9:00 timeslot being vacated by I Love Lucy. The series soared to second place in the ratings during the 1957-58 season, while The George Burns and Grace Allen Show finished its run that season due to Gracie’s retirement.
Winner: The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
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