Benny Keeps Punching

Jack Benny’s television series wasn’t on every week at the beginning, and the comedian seemed to vacillate over how many appearances in a season were best for him.

In 1953, he had moved from once a month to once every three weeks. He didn’t appear once a week until the 1960-61 season. Yet back in ’53, he mulled over whether that would have been better for him. (We’ve posted other interviews here where he thought once a week was overkill).

Here are a couple of stories from New York-based reporter Jack Gaver. The first is from September 20, 1953, the second was published September 4th. The first was part of a column of miscellaneous items; I suspect he held onto it from his original story to get some extra inches from his interview.

Benny’s weekly appearances ended in 1965 when his show was killed off in the ratings by Gomer Pyle. He followed the Bob Hope format afterwards—occasional specials under his NBC contract—and did that until he died. He still popped up as a guest elsewhere, meaning these was still lots of Benny on TV for his fans.

Benny Favors Weekly Show, Citing Continuity of Gags
By JACK GAVER
United Press Staff Correspondent
Despite what would seem to be a lot of extra work, Jack Benny feels it would be easier to do a television show every week instead of once every three weeks, as he is doing this season. Last year he was on once a month.
"The reason is simple," the comedian explained on a recent quick trip to New York. "With a show once a week you can have some continuity of gags or situations working for you. We've done that in radio for years.
"But when you come on only once every three or four weeks, you're starting from scratch each time. The listener can't be expected to carry around for that length of time some thought you might have expressed on your previous show."

Waukegan Virtuoso Starts Another Season
By JACK GAVER
NEW YORK (UP) — The old—39, that is—virtuoso from Waukegan was in prime shape to start another radio-television season last Sunday and he attributes this happy state of affairs to the attitude of himself and staff toward their work.
"We work always with the idea of doing the best we can,” Jack Benny explained, “but we don’t fret about it. If we happen to hit a low spot one week — and everyone does now and then—we don’t get into a panic and tell ourselves the next show has to be extra good to make up for it. We just try to make the next one good.
Do Not Press
"Also, if we happen to have an unusually good program, we don’t begin to press with the idea that the next one has to top it or we’ll look bad.” The comedian and his usual radio family will be operating at the old CBS stand every Sunday night. This will be Benny's fourth season on TV and his most active. This time he will do a Sunday TV show every three weeks instead of one a month as last season.
Taped in Advance

"The radio shows will be taped in advance, as we have been doing for some time,” Benny said. "Most of the television shows will be ’live,’ but we nave put four of these half-hour programs on film already and we will spot them when circumstances make it difficult for me to do a ‘live’ show.
“Funny thing, doing a half hour TV show of my type is tougher than if I did an hour show. In an hour show you can make clean breaks for the commercials. With the half-hour type you have to integrate the commercials so you don’t lose any more time than necessary.
“Everything in a half hour show has to be dovetailed and pointed to getting in the most in that space of time. I have to keep punching every minute. With an hour show, I could wander in and out from time to time, using a long sketch it I wanted to, and other performers would get more of a chance.
Public Reaction
"Now, last season we did a long Jeykll-Hyde sketch on one program. Writers and directors who saw it said it was the best thing we'd done. But the public’s reaction wasn’t nearly so good. You know why? The sketch used up nearly all of the 30 minutes and there wasn’t time for the usual fooling around that the audience has come to expect from me when I’m out there just as Jack Benny.”