The Joey Bishop Show

Its amazing that if any if some of the episodes from this series are somewhere on either video cassette or DVD. In all,this was a great series and some of Joey Bishop's deadpan humor and insults intakes were not only funny but they were classics. But this is what gets me about this classic show of the early 1960's......

"The Joey Bishop Show",ran on two networks,NBC and CBS from 1961-65. His run on NBC-TV(B&W episodes:1961-62;color episodes: 1962-64),and his run on CBS-TV(B&W episodes:1964-65)

1. When Joey's show premiered on the NBC-TV network in 1961,its first season was shown in black and white which had several unknowns in that first season including a teenage looking Marlo Thomas of "That Girl" fame later on(who played one of Joey's next door neighbors or some family member).

2. When the show went to its second season in 1962,the show was regarded to the Peacock Network as "brought you in living color". This was when Joey had co-stars Abby Dalton(as his wife),Corbitt Monica, Joe(of the 3 Stooges fame),and the second and third seasons had some wonderful guest stars including Andy Williams,Jimmy Durante and many others......... NOTE: This was the only situation comedy series that creators Sheldon Leonard and Danny Thomas produced in color for the NBC network(they had also Andy Griffith and Dick Van Dyke and Danny's own show as well,but they were still in black and white,until the color formation would applied to Leonard's episonage drama "I Spy" in 1965 for the NBC network).

3. But when the show went to CBS-TV in the fall of 1964,the show went from wonderful color to drab black and white(why?)and it wasn't the same anymore but still you had Joey's great sense of humor and great guest stars like Peter Lawford,Sammy Davis,Jr.and many others. But it wasn't the same until CBS cancelled the series in 1965(when the Tiffany Network would make the color formation change in the fall of that same year).

Starring Joey Bishop as comedian Joey Barnes, this series allowed its star to basically play himself. While quick quips make the grade for guest hosting "The Tonight Show", they have almost no place in a scripted show like TJBS. I would argue that many of the most successful comedy series of the early 60s were stale and lacking (when compared to other top comedy series), but that is no excuse for the lackluster efforts of any one show.

The additions of (the wife) Abby Dalton and the hilarious idiosyncracies of (the building super) Joe Besser certainly helped, but the deadpan comedy misfirings of star Joey cannot be overlooked. Many times his schtick works against the comedic efforts of his costars. For example, in one scene Corbett Monica is demonstrating his impersonation of a housefly. Joey ridicules the routine throughout, eventually tossing Corbett out of the apartment.

Though Joey had talents--- comedic and musical--- this series did not showcase them in the best light. Compare this show with "The Jack Benny Show", for example, which always felt fresh and creative. To those who think "Son of a gun" is waggishly amusing, I wryly reply, "Well!"

IMO - Had this early-1960s TV Sit/Com not made frequent use of "canned laughter", then, you can be certain no one (in their right mind) would be laughing, or giggling (or, even snickering, for that matter) at the comedy that was delivered here.

Personally, I failed to see the humor of the situations in this show that centered around a dull, middle-aged man (Joey Bishop) who was still living with his mother (as were his younger brother, his sister, and his sister's husband, too) and who was repeatedly being fired from his job.

As a "so-called" comedian - I found Joey Bishop's persona to be so dry, flat, and uncharismatic that I could only describe him as being nothing but a big, egocentric bore.

I cannot believe that in its day this decidedly dreary TV show apparently had its audiences at home breaking out into peals of uncontrollable laughter.... Like - Duh!

The other reviewer described the first season, the second season evolved with, Joey getting his own show, marrying Abbey Dalton, etc. These shows have a better supporting cast and some genuinely funny characters and one-liners. Not the best, but not a one star either.

This show was truly "a breath of fresh air." At a time when turmoil was beginning to shape things to come in this country, this program was nothing but a barrel of laughs. Joey Bishop's deadpan deliveries were nothing short of hilarious. The times that he did break up on camera were classics. Guy Marks was my all-time favorite sidekick compared to Corbett Monica. One thing that confused me, though - Abby Dalton was pregnant during both seasons, but when the series moved to CBS they identified the child-to-be as their first. I remember her son Matthew David Smith playing the baby in the second season. Anyone know what was up with that? It's still fun to watch on the TV Land network with all the original laughs intact.