''The Funny Side'' is an American
sketch comedy program that aired on
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
as part of its
1971 fall lineup.
Synopsis
''The Funny Side'' was hosted by
Gene Kelly and starred five pairs of actors and actresses who were presented as married couples. Each week was an examination of the "funny side" of a potential issue in real-life marriages, such as health, money, sex, and the like. Each couple was a
stereotype. Kelly also appeared as an actor in the sketches, and there was also a
musical aspect with production numbers.
Cast
*
John Amos
John Allen Amos Jr. (born December 27, 1939) is an American actor known for his role as James Evans Sr. on the CBS television series ''Good Times''. Amos's other television work includes ''The Mary Tyler Moore Show'', a recurring role as Admi ...
and
Teresa Graves
Terresa M. Graves (January 10, 1948October 10, 2002), credited as Teresa Graves, was an American actress and singer best known for her starring role as undercover police detective Christie Love in the ABC crime-drama television series '' Get Ch ...
as the
Black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ...
couple
*
Warren Berlinger
Warren Berlinger (August 31, 1937 – December 2, 2020) was an American character actor, with Broadway runs, movie and television credits, and much work in commercials.
Early life
Warren Berlinger was born in Brooklyn, New York City, New York, ...
and
Pat Finley as the
blue collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and power ...
couple
*
Dick Clair
Dick Clair (November 12, 1931 – December 12, 1988) was an American television producer, actor and television and film writer, best known for the television sitcoms ''It's a Living'', '' The Facts of Life'', and ''Mama's Family''.
Early life
...
and
Jenna McMahon
Mary Virginia Skinner (May 24, 1925 – March 2, 2015), known professionally as Jenna McMahon, was an American writer, producer, actress and comedian. She was best known for her Emmy Award-winning work as a writer on the variety/sketch comedy p ...
as the
wealth
Wealth is the abundance of valuable financial assets or physical possessions which can be converted into a form that can be used for transactions. This includes the core meaning as held in the originating Old English word , which is from an I ...
y couple
*
Michael Lembeck
Michael Lembeck (born June 25, 1948) is an American actor and television and film director. Best known as Max Horvath in '' One Day at a Time'' (1979-1984).
Life and career
Lembeck was born in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Caroline Dubs and ...
and
Cindy Williams
Cynthia Jane Williams (born August 22, 1947) is an American actress and producer, known for her role as Shirley Feeney on the television sitcom ''Happy Days'' (1975–1979), and ''Laverne & Shirley'' (1976–1982).
Early life
Williams was bo ...
as the
teenage
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...
couple
*
Burt Mustin and
Queenie Smith
Queenie Smith (September 8, 1898 – August 5, 1978) was an American stage, television, and film actress.
Life and career
Smith was born in Texas. Her family moved from Texas to New York shortly before Smith began studying at the Metropol ...
as the
elderly couple
Cancellation
''The Funny Side'' received poor
Nielsen ratings and was cancelled after less than four months on the air.
References
* Brooks, Tim and Marsh, Earle, ''
''
External links
*
NBC original programming
1970s American musical comedy television series
1970s American sketch comedy television series
1971 American television series debuts
1972 American television series endings
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