The ''Joy Boys'' was a popular daily

improvised comedy Improvisational theatre, often called improvisation or improv, is the form of theatre, often comedy, in which most or all of what is performed is unplanned or unscripted: created spontaneously by the performers. In its purest form, the dialogue, ...

radio show in Washington, D.C., between 1955 and 1974 that launched the broadcast careers of the program's co-hosts Willard Scott and

Ed Walker Ed Walker may refer to: * Ed Walker (radio personality) (1932–2015), American radio personality * Ed Walker (American football), American football player and coach of football and basketball * Ed Walker (American football official), NFL official ...

. The two did various skits and satirized prominent people of the day, such as Scott's character "Arthur Codfish" (mocking Arthur Godfrey). They both regularly parodied NBC-TV's '' Huntley-Brinkley Report'' with their own zany "Washer-Dryer Report". Walker told an interviewer years later that the duo imitated some 20 voices in all. Scott and Walker teamed as co-hosts on WRC-AM, the NBC-

owned-and-operated station In the broadcasting industry, an owned-and-operated station (frequently abbreviated as an O&O) usually refers to a television or radio station owned by the network with which it is associated. This distinguishes such a station from an affiliate ...

in Washington, beginning July 11, 1955. Initially, the program was titled ''Two at One'' and aired at 1 p.m. The term Joy Boys originated when they adopted a brief song of that title, set to the " Billboard March" as their theme music:"Where did the theme music come from?"
-- The Joy Boys - History
''We are the Joy Boys, of radio,''
''We chase electrons to and fro-o-o-o...''
Later, the ''Joy Boys'' became a nightly feature at 7 p.m. on WRC. In a 1999 article recalling the ''Joy Boys'' at the height of their popularity in the mid-1960s, ''The Washington Post'' said they "dominated Washington, providing entertainment, companionship, and community to a city on the verge of powerful change". One of their many running gags was "As the Worm Turns", a spoof of the television soap opera, '' As the World Turns''. Walker, who was totally

blind Blind may refer to: * The state of blindness, being unable to see * A window blind, a covering for a window Blind may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Blind'' (2007 film), a Dutch drama by Tamar van den Dop * ''Blind' ...

since birth, said that growing up "radio was my comic books, movies, everything". On the ''Joy Boys'' program, Scott would sketch a list of characters and a few lead lines setting up the situation that Walker would commit to memory or note on his

braille typewriter Braille (Pronounced: ) is a tactile writing system used by people who are visually impaired, including people who are blind, deafblind or who have low vision. It can be read either on embossed paper or by using refreshable braille display ...

. Scott and Walker formed a professional and personal bond which continued up to Walker's death. Scott said in his book, ''The Joy of Living'', that they were "closer than most brothers". The ''Joy Boys'' moved from WRC to another Washington radio station, WWDC (now WQOF), in October 1972, where it was heard until the show's final broadcast on October 26, 1974. The show was sold in syndication that year. Their parody of Masterpiece Theatre's ''Six Wives of Henry VIII'', which they called ''Masterpuss Theater'' had a one-week airing on consecutive nights on

KBYU-FM KBYU-FM (89.1 MHz) is a classical music radio station run by Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. It is known on-air as Classical 89. It is a production of BYU Radio. It transmits at an effective radiated power of 32 kW. Its transmitt ...

Provo, Utah Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU). Provo lies between the ...

, in 1973.

American University The American University (AU or American) is a private federally chartered research university in Washington, D.C. Its main campus spans 90 acres (36 ha) on Ward Circle, mostly in the Spring Valley neighborhood of Northwest D.C. AU was charte ...

has released some of the ''Joy Boys'' radio broadcasts of the 1960s on CDs. The Joy Boys' roast of WRC newsman Bryson Rash, when he became president of the National Press Club in Washington, D. C. in 1963, was released on a CD, ''Is Bryson Rash?''.

References

{{reflist

External links

Interview with Ed Walker (University of Maryland video)

''The Joy Boys'' tribute site

''The Joy Boys'' YouTube channel, with airchecks

Joy Boys
Documentary produced by WETA-TV American comedy radio programs