''Granby's Green Acres'' is a

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...

situation comedy from the United States. It was broadcast on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

July 3, 1950 – August 21, 1950, as a summer replacement for ''

Lux Radio Theatre ''Lux Radio Theatre'', sometimes spelled ''Lux Radio Theater'', a classic radio anthology series, was broadcast on the NBC Blue Network (1934–35) (owned by the National Broadcasting Company, later predecessor of American Broadcasting Company ...

''.

Premise

''Granby's Green Acres'' featured a former banker "who knew little about farming and proved it every week".

Characters and cast

Three of the main characters on ''Granby's Green Acres'' were much like those heard on many other situation comedies on radio: a husband, his "somewhat addled and impractical" wife, and "their breathless teenage daughter".Dunning, John. (1976). ''Tune in Yesterday: The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio, 1925-1976''. Prentice-Hall, Inc. . P. 244. Radio historian John Dunning wrote that the husband and wife were "inspired by characters heard on the Lucille Ball show, ''

My Favorite Husband ''My Favorite Husband'' is the name of an American radio program and network television series. The original radio show, starring Lucille Ball, evolved into the groundbreaking television sitcom '' I Love Lucy''. The series was based on the novels ...

''." In fact, radio regulars

Gale Gordon Gale Gordon (born Charles Thomas Aldrich Jr., February 20, 1906 – June 30, 1995) was an American character actor perhaps best remembered as Lucille Ball's longtime television foil—and particularly as cantankerously combustible, tightfiste ...

and Bea Benaderet (who played John and Martha Granby) also played Mr. and Mrs. Atterbury on ''My Favorite Husband''. Dunning noted, "The names were changed, but the basic characters remained the same." ''Granby's Green Acres'' was Benaderet's "one and only full-fledged starring role on radio". Two other regulars were also familiar to radio listeners. Louise Erickson played Janice, the Granbys' daughter, and

Parley Baer Parley Edward Baer (August 5, 1914 – November 22, 2002) was an American actor in radio and later in television and film. Despite dozens of appearances in television series and theatrical films, he remains best known as the original "Cheste ...

played Eb, the farm's hired hand.Terrace, Vincent (1981), ''Radio's Golden Years: The Encyclopedia of Radio Programs 1930-1960''. A.S. Barnes & Company, Inc. . P. 105. The storekeeper, Will Kimble, was played by

Howard McNear Howard Terbell McNear (January 27, 1905 – January 3, 1969) was an American stage, screen, and radio character actor. McNear is best remembered as the original voice of Doc Adams in the radio version of ''Gunsmoke'' and as Floyd Lawson, the ...

in the first episode and by

Horace Murphy Horace Murphy (June 3, 1880 – January 20, 1975) was an American film actor. He appeared in more than 120 films between 1931 and 1953. Early years Born in Osceola, Arkansas, Murphy was playing cornet by age 11, and six years later led the ...

in subsequent broadcasts.

Bob LeMond Robert West LeMond, Jr. (April 11, 1913 – January 6, 2008) was an American radio and television announcer who was best known as the voice who announced for the television shows '' Leave It to Beaver'' and ''Ozzie and Harriet''. LeMond was also ...

was the announcer, and

Opie Cates Opie Cates (10 October 1909, in Arkansas – 6 November 1987, in Oklahoma) was an American clarinet player and band leader in the 1930s and 1940s, during the swing era, who became a radio drama, radio actor. Life and career Cates was born Opal Ta ...

was the music director.

Television adaptation

Although ''Granby's Green Acres'' was not transferred directly to television, as were many old-time radio programs, it was the inspiration for '' Green Acres''. The television program followed two popular programs (''

The Beverly Hillbillies ''The Beverly Hillbillies'' is an American television sitcom that was broadcast on CBS from 1962 to 1971. It had an ensemble cast featuring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer Jr. as the Clampetts, a poor, backwoods family f ...

'' and ''

Petticoat Junction ''Petticoat Junction'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from September 1963 to April 1970. The series takes place at the Shady Rest Hotel, which is run by Kate Bradley; her three daughters Billie Jo, Bobbie Jo, and ...

'') produced by

Paul Henning Paul William Henning (September 16, 1911 – March 25, 2005) was an American TV producer and screenwriter. Most famous for creating the television sitcom ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', he was also crucial in developing the "rural" comedies ''Pett ...

, as Jeffrey Westhoff explained:

CBS asked Henning to create a third show. To avoid the stress of running three shows at once, Henning asked ''Petticoat'' writer Jay Sommers to create and produce this new program. Sommers proposed reviving ''Granby's Green Acres'', changing the farmer's name and shortening the title. This meant that Benaderet's old radio show had become a spinoff of her television show.

History

The show's creator,

Jay Sommers Jay Sommers (January 3, 1917September 25, 1985) was an American producer, director and comedy writer whose career spanned four decades. He wrote more than 90 television comedy episodes, produced 63, and was creator and producer of the ''Green Ac ...

, based its concept on memories of time he spent as a boy on a farm near Greendale, New York. His stepfather went broke trying to make the farm successful. In 1948, ''Granby's Green Acres'' was auditioned for a slot on ABC with

Hanley Stafford Hanley Stafford (born Alfred John Austin, September 22, 1899 – September 9, 1968), was an actor principally on radio. He is remembered best for playing Lancelot Higgins on ''The Baby Snooks Show''. Stafford also assumed the role of Mr. Dithers ...

originally set to star. Of the eight episodes that aired, five remain in existence, as does the unaired pilot episode.

References

External links

{{Portal, Radio}
Review
in ''

The Billboard The Billboard () is a massive granite monolith in the Sarnoff Mountains of the Ford Ranges of Marie Byrd Land, West Antarctica, standing just west of Mount Rea between Arthur Glacier and Boyd Glacier. It was discovered in November 1934 by a Secon ...

'' (p. 8), July 15, 1950

Episodic logs

Episodic log of ''Granby's Green Acres'' from Jerry Haendiges Vintage Radio Logs

Episodic log of ''Granby's Green Acres'' from radioGOLDINdex

Episodic log of ''Granby's Green Acres'' from the Old Time Radio Researchers Group

Streaming audio

Episodes of ''Granby's Green Acres'' from the Internet Archive

Episodes of ''Granby's Green Acres'' from the Old Time Radio Researchers Group Library
1950s American radio programs CBS Radio programs American comedy radio programs