"The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet" (1952) TV series 1952-1966

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14

Release Date:

3 October 1952 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Family

Plot:

Very long running family saga, based largely on the actual actors involved. As the sons age we go through their teenage dating problems...

Plot Keywords:

Marriage | Based On Radio Show | Brother Brother Relationship | Sitcom | Actor Shares First Name With Character

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Harriet Hilliard	...	Harriet Nelson / ... (375 episodes, 1952-1966)
Ozzie Nelson	...	Ozzie Nelson / ... (358 episodes, 1952-1966)
David Nelson	...	David Nelson / ... (356 episodes, 1952-1966)
Ricky Nelson	...	Ricky Nelson / ... (356 episodes, 1952-1966)

Also Known As:

Ozzie and Harriet

Runtime:

30 min (435 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Filming Locations:

Selznick International Studios - 9336 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Stage Five Productions

Trivia:

The Nelsons' house shown in exterior shots on the show is actually the Nelson family's real home in the Hollywood hills above Hollywood Boulevard.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Supernatural: Sex and Violence (#4.14)" (2009)

Some commenter's apparently haven't watched the show

"Ozzie and Harriet" is often used as a buzzword for white-bread America: Husband runs the family spouting words of manly wisdom, while the wife stays home with the well-behaved kids. Funny thing is, the show really isn't like that. Ozzie is a guy who apparently never goes to work - it's a running gag throughout the show. His "great ideas" usually lead to disaster, and usually it's Harriet who quietly gets everything to turn out all right in the end. The kids, especially Ricky, often shoot off at the mouth. It was even Seinfeld-esquire (and I say that as a rabid Seinfeld fan) - most episodes could fairly be described as being "about nothing".

In truth it's one of the funniest shows ever on television. It was even cutting edge, for its time: Ozzie and Harriet slept in the same bed, which was unheard of. Ever see anyone on a TV show "break the fourth wall" (start talking to the camera)? This started on O&H - first with Ricky's end-of-show shrugs, and later with full-blown conversations directed to the camera. My personal favorite example of this is when Ozzie pretended to be a mind-reader (who of course no one recognized because of a cheesy goatee). When he gets exposed at the end, just about every character quips something or other straight into the camera.

Do yourself a favor though. Don't start off with the late episodes where the boys are grown up and married. Those can be quite funny, but the show at times was just coasting on its reputation by then. Watch the earlier stuff from when the boys were little, when Thorny still lived next door. Give yourself time to get to know the characters, and you certainly won't regret it!