The Egg and I (TV series)

The Egg and I is an American comedy television serial that was broadcast on CBS from September 3, 1951, to August 1, 1952.[1]

Overview

Based on Betty MacDonald's book, The Egg and I, the series focused on MacDonald's adventures with her chicken-farmer husband[1] after they sold their home in Manhattan and moved[2] to upstate New York.[3] John Craven portrayed Bob MacDonald, and Patricia Kirkland initially portrayed Betty MacDonald.[1] Claudette Colbert had been originally planned for that role, which she had played in the film based on the novel. Betty Lynn replaced Kirkland effective March 10, 1952,[4] because of Kirkland's pregnancy.[5] Some of the show's characters were carried over from the book and film, while others were new.[6] Ma and Pa Kettle were the MacDonalds' neighbors, and Jed Simmons was the couple's farmhand. Ed Peabody owned the general store.[4] The Egg and I differed from most serials in that each episode was self-contained; story lines did not continue from one episode to another.[7]

Cast

  • Bob MacDonald - Craven[8]
  • Betty MacDonald - Kirkland[8]
  • Ma Kettle - Doris Rich[8]
  • Pa Kettle - Frank Twedell[8]
  • Jed Simmons - Grady Sutton[8]
  • Lisa Schumacher - Ingeborg Theek[8]
  • Paula French - Karen Hale[8]
  • Gammy - Mary Perry[4]
  • Ed Peabody - William A. Lee[4]
  • Announcer - Allyn Edwards.[3]

Production

Montgomery Ford was the producer; Jack Gage[8] and Judson Whiting were the directors. Mel Goldberg,[4] Manya Starr and Robert Soderberg were the writers. The program was broadcast Monday - Friday from noon to 12:15 p.m. Eastern Time,[8] live, with no laugh track.[4] Originating from WCBS-TV,[9] the show initially was sustaining.[10] Later, Colgate was the sponsor on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while Procter & Gamble sponsored it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.[4] The production budget was $15,000 per week.[11]

Livestock

The Egg and I was the only TV show of its time that used barnyard livestock. The foxhound "was picked up at the Bide-A-Wee Home". The cow, rented from a riding academy, was brought to the studio in a van daily along with a stableman and two helpers. Chickens varied from day to day. Each day the studio received 50 chickens delivered from a market. After the episode they were returned to the market, from which they were sold to butcher shops and restaurants.[7]

Critical response

A review in the trade publication Billboard described The Egg and I as "gentle, humorous, and heartwarming".[10] The review commended Starr's writing and noted that the casting had been done "superlatively in all its roles".[10]

Time magazine's brief review said, "Betty MacDonald’s saga of a city couple on a chicken farm is inspirational in tone, concerned with small problems, and played to the hilt by the cast, notably by a breathless actress named Pat Kirkland."[12]

Pilot

Planning a 30-minute series, by 1951 CBS had bought the rights to The Egg and I and made a pilot film with William Prince and Diana Lynn in the leading roles.[11] (Another source says that Eddie Albert was the male lead and that the characters' names were Jim Blake and Betty Blake.[13])

References

  1. ^ a b c McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 254. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ Terrace, Vincent (January 10, 2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Terrace, Vincent (January 7, 2025). 1950s Television Advertising: The Sponsors and Programs. McFarland. pp. 113–114. ISBN 978-1-4766-9393-4.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Leszczak, Bob (November 8, 2012). Single Season Sitcoms, 1948-1979: A Complete Guide. McFarland. p. 44. ISBN 978-0-7864-9305-0. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  5. ^ Barron, Mark (March 28, 1952). "On Broadway: Betty Lynn Takes On TV's 'The Egg and I'". The Advertiser. Louisiana, Lafayette. p. 6. Retrieved October 16, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Hollis, Tim (July 27, 2010). Ain't That a Knee-Slapper: Rural Comedy in the Twentieth Century. University Press of Mississippi. ISBN 978-1-62846-726-0. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  7. ^ a b Lanigan, Bob (May 18, 1952). "Popularity of 'The Egg and I' Show, Based on Best-Seller, Shows Steady Rise". Brooklyn Eagle. p. 32. Retrieved October 16, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hyatt, Wesley (October 6, 2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. p. 32. ISBN 978-1-4766-0515-9. Retrieved October 14, 2025.
  9. ^ "This Week -- Network Debuts, Highlights, Changes". Ross Reports. September 2, 1951. p. 2. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  10. ^ a b c Morse, Leon (September 15, 1951). "The Egg and I". Billboard. p. 13. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Cox, Jim (October 16, 2024). The Daytime Serials of Television, 1946-1960. McFarland. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-1-4766-0470-1. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  12. ^ "Radio: The New Shows". Time. September 17, 1951. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
  13. ^ Terrace, Vincent (October 12, 2018). Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, 1945-2018. McFarland. p. 64. ISBN 978-1-4766-7206-9. Retrieved October 16, 2025.
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