October 14, 1952 - May 13, 1955
CBS & NBC Comedy/Variety Series
Host:
Red Buttons
Regulars:
Pat Carroll
Beverly Dennis
Betty Ann Grove
Dorothy Jolliffe
Phyllis Kirk
Elliot Lawrence
Paul Lynde
Bobby Sherwood
Joe Silver
Allan Walker
The Red Buttons show featured monologues and dance
numbers by Red, and sketches with his regulars and guest
stars. Some of the recurring characters played by Red
were Rocky Buttons, a punchy boxer; the Kupke Kid, a
lovable little boy; the Sad Sack; and Keeglefarven,
a dumb, blundering German. There were also
regular sketches about Red and his wife.
A smash hit in its first season, the show began to fade
in its second year on CBS and was picked up by NBC after
it had been canceled. The NBC series started as a variety
show with guests but no regulars other than Red. That
didn't seem to work so the format was changed to a
situation comedy. Red played himself as a TV comic who
was always getting into troubles of one sort or another.
Phyllis Kirk was his wife, Bobby Sherwood his pal and
director of the TV show, and Paul Lynde played Mr.
Standish, a network vice-president with whom Red had
constant run-ins. Nothing seemed to help and Red, who
had gone through literally dozens of writers in his
quest to find a workable format, left the air that
spring after only one year on NBC.
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An Official Website
Red Buttons
From Hollywood Celebrity Corner
The Red Buttons Show
From The Internet Movie Database
These links were last tested August 2004.
Check out these classic TV Guide covers...
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