This long-running half-hour CBS sitcom debuted on 4 October 1954 and was last broadcast on 20 April 61. Mostly remembered today for featuring neighbor 'Harry Morgan' as Pete Porter, who complained constantly about his unseen wife, Gladys. They'd eventually get their own show as a spin-off in the fall of 1960.
Pete's never seen but oft mentioned wife Gladys was said to be a blonde. But in the spin-off "Pete & Gladys" she is played by redhead Cara Williams.
The relatively unknown Dean Miller was cast to star as "Matt Henshaw" and provide a voice of reason amongst the crazy friends and neighbors. After the show's popular five year run, Miller had a brief stint on a celebrity interview show, but would soon leave Hollywood, buying a radio station in Ohio and then working as a news anchor in Michigan. December Bride remains Miller's main claim to fame.
This very popular 1950s sitcom was groundbreaking in many ways. Its primary stars were senior women. Like many future shows, December Bride ended its run after five years when original contracts expired. It was then sold into syndication where it continued to earn money for years. Finally, it produced one of the first spin-offs, Pete & Gladys.
Prior to this series, Frances Rafferty often was cast as a sexy young woman about town, while young Dean Miller was often seen as something of a skirt chaser. But in December Bride they morphed into the ideal happily married suburban couple with a mortgage and a live-in mother/mother-in-law.