''Pete and Gladys'' is an American

sitcom A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ...

television series starring Harry Morgan and

Cara Williams Cara Williams (born Bernice Kamiat; June 29, 1925 – December 9, 2021) was an American film and television actress. She was best known for her role as Billy's Mother in ''The Defiant Ones'' (1958), for which she was nominated for the Academy A ...

that aired on CBS on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific time for two seasons, beginning on September 19, 1960. The last episode was broadcast on September 10, 1962.

Synopsis

One of CBS television's most popular and highly rated sitcoms of the 1950s, '' December Bride'', starred

Spring Byington Spring Dell Byington (October 17, 1886 – September 7, 1971) was an American actress. Her career included a seven-year run on radio and television as the star of '' December Bride''. She was a Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer contract player who appeared i ...

and co-starred Harry Morgan as next-door neighbor Pete Porter. Pete spent most of his time complaining about his scatterbrained wife Gladys, who was unseen to viewers. In this

spin-off Spin-off may refer to: *Spin-off (media), a media work derived from an existing work *Corporate spin-off, a type of corporate action that forms a new company or entity * Government spin-off, civilian goods which are the result of military or gov ...

series, Gladys emerges as the redhaired comedian

. Pete is an insurance salesman, and the happy couple resides in Westwood, California. Besides leading-man Peter, another carryover from ''December Bride'' during the first season was the character of Hilda Crocker ( Verna Felton), a close equivalent of '' I Love Lucy''s Ethel Mertz; she appeared in 23 episodes. Frances Rafferty, another ''December Bride'' veteran, appeared in seven episodes of ''Pete and Gladys'' as Nancy (a different character from her role in the original series).

Barbara Stuart Barbara Stuart (born Barbara Ann McNeese; January 3, 1930 – May 15, 2011) was an American actress. Barbara Stuart starred as Violet Ryder in the Perry Mason episode “The Guilty Clients” in 1961. Early years Born in Paris, Illinois, S ...

had a recurring first-season role as Gladys' friend Alice, and Ernest Truex appeared in six episodes as Gladys' widowed father, "Pop".

Guest stars

* Jack Albertson * Norman Alden * Morey Amsterdam * Eleanor Audley *

Raymond Bailey Raymond Thomas Bailey (May 6, 1904 – April 15, 1980) was an American actor, and comedian on the Broadway stage, films, and television. He is best known for his role as greedy banker Milburn Drysdale in the television series ''The Beverly Hill ...

* Majel Barrett * Bea Benaderet * Whitney Blake * Willis Bouchey *

Frank Cady Frank Randolph Cady (September 8, 1915 – June 8, 2012) was an American actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in three American television series during the 1960s – '' Petticoat Junction'', '' Green Acres'', and ...

* Harry Cheshire * Richard Deacon * Fifi D'Orsay * Donna Douglas * Gale Gordon *

Sandra Gould Sandra Gould (July 23, 1916 – July 20, 1999) was an American actress, perhaps best known for her role as Gladys Kravitz on the sitcom ''Bewitched''. Gould was the second actress to portray the role, debuting at the start of the third season. L ...

* Sterling Holloway *

Ron Howard Ronald William Howard (born March 1, 1954) is an American director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He first came to prominence as a child actor, guest-starring in several television series, including an episode of '' The Twilight Zone''. ...

* Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. * Marty Ingels * Ted Knight * Nancy Kulp * Charles Lane * Nan Leslie * Howard McNear *

Carole Mathews Carole Mathews (born Jean Deifel, also credited as Jeanne Francis; September 13, 1920 – November 6, 2014) was an American film and television actress. Early years Born in Montgomery, Illinois, near Chicago, Mathews lived with her grandmoth ...

* Strother Martin *

Doris Packer Doris Packer (May 30, 1904 – March 31, 1979) was an American actress, possibly best known for her recurring role as Mrs. Cornelia Rayburn, Theodore Cleaver's elementary school principal in the television series, '' Leave It to Beaver''. ...

* Sue Randall * Cesar Romero * Sig Ruman * Reta Shaw *

Doris Singleton Dorthea "Doris" Singleton (September 28, 1919 – June 26, 2012) was an American actress, perhaps best remembered as Lucy Ricardo's nemesis/frenemy, Carolyn Appleby, in ''I Love Lucy''. Early life and career Singleton, born in New York City, ...

* Olan Soule * Will Wright

Reception

''Pete and Gladys'' never made it into the Nielsen ratings Top 30 during the course of its prime time run. After it ceased production, it was repeated as part of the CBS weekday-morning line up. It aired at 11:30 a.m. EST for two years from October 1, 1962 to October 2, 1964. Williams was nominated for a 1962 Emmy Award for Outstanding Continued Performance by a Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. She lost to veteran Shirley Booth of NBC's '' Hazel''.

Episode list

Season 1 (1960–61)

Season 2 (1961–62)

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, id=0053529 1960 American television series debuts 1960s American sitcoms 1962 American television series endings American television spin-offs Black-and-white American television shows CBS original programming English-language television shows Fictional married couples Television duos Television series about couples Television series about marriage Television series by CBS Studios Television shows set in Los Angeles