I Married Joan

"I Married Joan" (NBC) was a contemporary of "I Love Lucy" (CBS) and in many ways they were similar. The show wasn't a ratings hit, but it did make it into the top 25. Joan Davis was even nominated for an Emmy Award in 1953. Unfortunately "I Married Joan" didn't have as much syndication sales muscle behind its reruns. Desilu did an exceptional job of getting their old shows on the air, which is part of the reason why Lucille Ball is better known today.

I have watched each episode several times and find them priceless classics. Watching Joan Davis and Jim Backus together is a treat! The show is a must see for Jim Backus fans. If you can't watch "I Married Joan", find the Abbott and Costello movie "Hold That Ghost" Co-starring Joan Davis. It is a small sample of her comic genius. Some episodes of "I Married Joan" can be viewed on retrovision.TV at the time of this review, July 2013.

Joan Davis (radio comedian) plays an empty-headed housewife. Jim Backus (Peter Bowers in "Boys' Night Out") plays the husband, Judge Bradley Stevens (1952-1955) (38 episodes.)

Each episode is a wholly contained story that starts sane and logical. As time goes on unlikely elements creep in to make the situation hysterically ridiculous. Eventually, everything is wrapped up. The actors and their characters are what makes this comedy work so well.

Disk 1: Prize Fighter Wall Safe Joan's Haircut Changing Houses Talent Scout Bad Boy

Disk 2: Honeymoon Home Movies New House Neighbors Alteration Sister Pat.

When Lucille Ball was an acclaimed, but not very widely known B picture actress, Joan Davis was winning a lot more acclaim for her own brand of goofy physical humor on radio and on film. She was a mainstay of support to a lot of the glamor girls and guys at 20th Century Fox.

A long term extra marital affair with Eddie Cantor helped push her career along as Cantor featured her on radio and had her co-star in two of his films.

Like so many players when the motion picture studios started cutting down production and leaving people out of work, Davis turned to television. Unfortunately one year too late to get credit for originality.

Lucille Ball and her real life husband beat her to the tube by a year. They put on a very successful situation comedy about a wacky wife with an exasperated husband that we all know about.

So when Joan Davis debuted I Married Joan in 1952 she was accused of copying Lucy. Not so as any viewing of her films will so demonstrate.

But Lucy was there first and got the deserved credit.

I Married Joan was a very funny show that trailed in the wake of I Love Lucy. It ended in 1955 because her TV husband Jim Backus quit the show. As Judge Bradley J. Stevens, he was her exasperated straight man of a husband. He'd get to show his comic flair later on in Gilligan's Island.

Sad that Joan Davis was never able to develop another television show to show her talent before she died.

A very funny lady, with a very funny show.

Joan Davis was, with Lucy, Carole Lombard, and Carol Burnett, one of the GREAT female comedy clowns of all time. She was in many movies, and then, after I Love Lucy was a megahit, Davis was starred in this sitcom of similar format - and of similar title: I Married Joan. But instead of a Cuban bandleader it was a judge, played by the brilliant Jim Backus, she drove crazy. Everything worked out in the end. And the show was a delight. It also had one of the best theme songs of the Fifties which says it all about the comedy: I married Joan; what a girl, what a whirl, what a life... never know where her brain has flown...!".

"I Married Joan "is wonderful, delightful and hysterically funny. Joan Davis was an exceptionally gifted comedian. Her use of timing, delivery, and physical comedy make her a master of her craft. It is very unfortunate that few people have seen this great performer in her classic T.V. series. Many of the episodes are masterpieces that rival "I Love Lucy". In fact, in my humble opinion, are better. Joan Davis' real life daughter Beverly Wills plays her sister on the series and the very talented Jim Backus portrays her husband, Judge Bradley Stevens. If you admire and appreciate great comedy, this series is a MUST view. I hope that it is aired again soon.