''Leave It to Larry'' is an American television situation comedy that was broadcast on CBS from October 14, 1952, until December 23, 1952,
for a total of 11 episodes.
Premise
Larry Tucker (portrayed by
Eddie Albert
Edward Albert Heimberger (April 22, 1906 – May 26, 2005) was an American actor. He is known for his roles on stage and screen and received nominations for two Academy Awards, a BAFTA Award, and two Golden Globe Awards.
Albert made his actin ...
in his first TV series
) was a married man who, with his wife and two children, lived in a two-family house with his father-in-law, Mr. Koppel (portrayed by
Ed Begley
Edward James Begley Sr. (March 25, 1901 – April 28, 1970) was an American actor of theatre, radio, film, and television. He won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the film '' Sweet Bird of Youth'' (1962) an ...
). Tucker also was "a bumbling shoe salesman"
in Koppel's shoe store. That combination often put Tucker in the middle of conflicts.
Cast
At the time of its premiere (classified by one source as a pilot
), the show was titled ''Leave It to Lester'',
but "almost immediately" the title was changed to ''Leave It to Larry''.
Other changes occurred in the cast, with only Albert and Begley continuing. The title character's name went from Lester Tucker to Larry Tucker.
played Tucker's wife, Amy, replacing Katherine Bard. Lydia Schaeffer portrayed the Tuckers' daughter (whose name was changed from Helen to Harriet), replacing
Patsy Bruder. Glenn Walken had the role of the son, Steve, replacing Bradley Huston.
Production and rating
Leo Solomon was the producer of, and a writer for, ''Leave It to Larry'', with
Mervyn Nelson
Mervyn Nelson ( – 17 August 1991) was a stage actor, writer, director and producer. At the age of five, he started acting in vaudeville theatre, and then performed in Broadway theatre shows during the 1940s and 1950s. His stage performances were ...
as the director. Other writers were Vinnie Bogert and Billie Friedberg. The program originated at
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV (channel 2), branded CBS New York, is a television station in New York City, serving as the flagship of the CBS network. It is owned and operated by the network's CBS News and Stations division alongside Riverhead, New York–lic ...
.
[
''Leave It to Larry'' was broadcast on Tuesday nights from 8 to 8:30 Eastern Time.]Milton Berle
Milton Berle (born Mendel Berlinger; ; July 12, 1908 – March 27, 2002) was an American actor and comedian. His career as an entertainer spanned over eight decades, first in silent films and on stage as a child actor, then in radio, movies and ...
's ''Texaco Star Theater
''Texaco Star Theater'' is an American comedy-variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. It was one of the first successful examples of American television broadcasting, remembered as the show that gave M ...
'' on NBCFulton Sheen
Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen; May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an Catholic Church in the United States, American Catholic prelate who served as Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester, Bishop of Rochester from 1966 to 1969. He was ...
's ''Life Is Worth Living
''Life Is Worth Living'' is an inspirational American television series which ran on the DuMont Television Network from February 12, 1952, to April 26, 1955, then on ABC until April 8, 1957, featuring the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. Similar s ...
'' on DuMont. Sheen's Trendex rating for that week was 14.6 while Berle's program dropped to 35.2 and Albert's dropped to 7.6. When ''Leave It to Larry'' was cancelled, it was replaced on CBS by the second half of Ernie Kovacs' new hour-long evening program.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leave It to Larry
1952 American television series debuts
1952 American television series endings
American English-language television shows