The Guy Mitchell Show
{{Short description|American musical TV series (1957–1958)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox television
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| writer = {{Plainlist|
- William Derman
- Ben Starr }}
| screenplay =
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| director = Kevin Jonson
| creative_director =
| presenter = Guy Mitchell
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| music = Van Alexander
| open_theme = "Singing the Blues"
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| country = United States
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| producer = Phil Cohan
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| network = ABC
| first_aired = {{Start date|1957|10|07}}
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| last_aired = {{End date|1958|01|13}}
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The Guy Mitchell Show is an American musical television series that was broadcast on ABC from October 7, 1957, until January 13, 1958.{{cite book|last1=McNeil|first1=Alex|title=Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present |date=1996|publisher=Penguin Books USA, Inc.|location=New York, New York|isbn=0-14-02-4916-8|page= 352|edition=4th}}
Format
Singer Guy Mitchell was the program's host, with Dolores Hawkins, the Guy Mitchell Singers, and the Ted Cappy Dancers as regular performers.{{cite book|last1=Brooks|first1=Tim|last2=Marsh|first2=Earle|title=The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present|date=1999|publisher=The Ballentine Publishing Group|location=New York|isbn=0-345-42923-0|page=415|edition=7th}} The Van Alexander Orchestra provided music. Guests on the show included Chuck Berry, Margaret Whiting, Jack Carson,{{cite news |title=Margaret Whiting To Be A Guest On Guy Mitchell Show |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-honolulu-advertiser/134507223/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |work=The Honolulu Advertiser |date=October 27, 1957 |page=85|via = Newspapers.com}} Peggy Lee,{{cite news |title=Television Highlights |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/ledger-enquirer/134502523/ |access-date=November 2, 2023 |work=Ledger-Enquirer |date=November 16, 1957 |location=Georgia, Columbus |page=16|via = Newspapers.com}} Marguerite Piazza, and Dizzy Dean.
The show's format was revised in November 1957 to increase the focus on music. Eddie Joy, who was the program's executive producer, said, "We made the same mistake everybody did, with a smattering of comedy, music — everything. From now on music will be the most important part of the show."{{cite magazine |date=November 13, 1957 |page=35 |title=Guy Mitchell's TV Alterations; Inked Guests Paid Off |magazine=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-11/page/n116/mode/1up |accessdate=November 2, 2023 }} That change included paying performers who had been scheduled to appear in upcoming episodes but found their contracts canceled.
Production
Phil Cohan was the producer of The Guy Mitchell Show, with Kevin Jonson as the director. The writers were William Derman and Ben Starr.{{cite book |last1=Hyatt |first1=Wesley |title=Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops |date=October 6, 2015 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0515-9 |pages=84–85 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ty21CgAAQBAJ&dq=%22Guy+Mitchell%22+ABC&pg=PA85 |access-date=November 2, 2023 |language=en}} The show was produced in Hollywood after initial plans called for it to originate from New York. That move required changes in guests and writers. The show was broadcast on Mondays from 8 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time, when its competition included The Restless Gun on NBC and The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show on CBS. ABC's Videotape Center in Chicago recorded episodes for delayed broadcasts in some markets.{{cite magazine |last=Brown |first=Les |date=November 13, 1957 |page=43 |title=Where else but Chi for relay? |magazine=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-11/page/n126/mode/1up |accessdate=November 2, 2023 }} Max Factor cosmetics sponsored the program,{{cite magazine |date=November 27, 1957 |page=35 |title=Munsel, Winchell Shift in Revamp Of ABC-TV Shows |magazine=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-11/page/n280/mode/1up |accessdate=November 2, 2023 }} Its theme was Singing the Blues. It was replaced by Love That Jill.{{cite book |last1=Leszczak |first1=Bob |title=Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide |date=November 16, 2012 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-0-7864-6812-6 |page=108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UvE6snvtSesC&dq=%22Guy+Mitchell%22+ABC&pg=PA108 |access-date=November 2, 2023 |language=en}}
Critical response
A review in the trade publication Variety said that the show's premiere episode "covered a lot of ground in its half-hour — too much so for viewer comfort."{{cite magazine |date=October 9, 1957 |page=29 |title=Guy Mitchell Show |magazine=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-10/page/n108/mode/1up |accessdate=November 2, 2023 }} The review commended Mitchell's efforts in "soloing, duetting and bantering with his two guests" but said, "since Mitchell is not yet a star of first magnitude, it was too much to expect him to overcome the excesses" of adding attempts at comedy to his musical performances.
A follow-up review in Variety called The Guy Mitchell Show "a pleasing, if not standout, musical half-hour."{{cite magazine |date=November 20, 1957 |page=34 |title=Guy Mitchell Show |magazine=Variety |url=https://archive.org/details/variety208-1957-11/page/n197/mode/1up |accessdate=November 2, 2023 }} The review complimented the singing of Mitchell and Hawkins and said that Mitchell "handles the emcee chores with a boyish enthusiasm."
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Peggy Lee}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Guy Mitchell Show, The}}
Category:1957 American television series debuts
Category:1958 American television series endings