"The Goldbergs" (1949) TV series 1949-1956

Director:

Marc Daniels

Seasons:

unknown

Release Date:

17 January 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Plot Keywords:

Jewish | Jew | Partially Lost TV Series | Partially Lost Film | Lost Film

Awards:

Nominated for Primetime Emmy.

Cast

Lilia Skala	...	Mrs. Albert (1 episode, 1951)
Hilda Bruce	...	Mrs. Suddergreen (1 episode, 1954)
Michel Rosenberg	...	Muttel (1 episode, 1954)
Dora Weissman	...	Mrs. Herman (1 episode, 1954)

Also Known As:

Molly (USA) (new title)

Runtime:

30 min | 15 min (1952)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Trivia:

The live sitcom debuted on CBS on 10 January 1949 and remained on the Monday night line up at different times until June 1951. The Red Scare blacklisting (primarily affecting co-star Philip Loeb, ultimately with tragic results; forced off the show by nervous sponsors, he sank into a depression and committed suicide in 1955)) coincided with a production contract expiration and the popular series ended up on NBC for two seasons through September, 1953 (in 1952 it was shown as a 15 minute program on Mondays-Wednesdays and Fridays, reverting to a half-hour program for the remainder of the run). The show then jumped briefly to the financially strapped DuMont Network (Apr-Oct 1954) on Tuesday nights as a half-hour show. This last DuMont cast would carry on for an additional season in first run syndication. Around 20 of the DuMont episodes survive, along with all of the "filmed" syndicated episodes.

Quotes:

Molly Goldberg: Yoo hoo, Mrs Bloom!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mad Men: Marriage of Figaro (#1.3)" (2007)

simply the finest sitcom every made

i don't watch television entertainments (other than SNL occasionally). but, one night at about 2am, while channel-surfing the UHF band i stumbled onto an episode of "The Goldbergs".

the contrast between this show and today's dreck literally brought tears to my eyes. in this particular episode, a couple who were friends of the Goldbergs had just separated. it seems that they did not 'communicate' openly and honestly with each other during their marriage.

in discussing this, the Goldbergs started to become increasingly candid with each other about mutual disappointments from the past. as they did so, the emotional air became more and more acrid.

the point was that there is no easy answer to the question of how much to 'confront' and how much to sweep under the carpet. but, there was no hitting below the belt, no potty humor, no double (or mono) entendres. just two decent people discussing a universal domestic problem with a leavening of humor.

i haven't been able to find it again, but i wish it would go into syndication locally.