The western craze only grew stronger during the 1957-58 television season. The genre was represented by five entries in the season’s top ten-rated shows. Conversely, sitcoms went into decline, with just three series (The Danny Thomas Show, December Bride, and The Gale Storm Show) in the top 20. There was just one sitcom showdown that fall, and even that was affected by a western.
The Jack Benny Program/Bachelor Father vs. Sally on Sunday at 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Benny’s quasi-sitcom was coming off a 10th-place finish in the previous season’s Nielsen ratings. His series alternated weeks with popular sitcom Private Secretary, which finished in 25th place. CBS wanted to renew that series, but star Ann Sothern ended the show due to a dispute with the producer. The network replaced it with new sitcom, Bachelor Father, starring John Forsythe. NBC scheduled its own new sitcom, Sally, opposite CBS’ rotating comedies. Sally starred Joan Caulfield, late of the not particularly successful adaptation of Lucille Ball’s radio series My Favorite Husband. Hilarious actress Marion Lorne, formerly of Mr. Peepers, and later of The Garry Moore Show and Bewitched, was her co-star.
Sally proved to be little competition for CBS’ comedies. The show changed formats late in the season, adding Gale Gordon and Arte Johnson to the cast. Nothing helped, and the series was cancelled after one season. The Jack Benny Program remained popular (28th), though much less so than the previous season. Bachelor Father did not perform as well as Private Secretary, but was renewed for a second season. Never a big hit, it ran for five years on three networks. While Sally did nothing to hurt CBS, the network’s declining ratings in the half-hour can be attributed to ABC’s new western Maverick. Though not yet the giant hit it would become the next season, it gained enough viewers to have an impact on the slot.
Winner: The Jack Benny Program/Bachelor Father
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