THE JOEY BISHOP SHOW

Show Type: Sitcom

First Telecast: September 20, 1961

Last Telecast: September 7, 1965

Broadcast History:

September 1961 – June 1962, Wednesday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

September 1962 – September 1964, Saturday 8:30-9:00 on NBC

September 1964 – December 1964, Sunday 9:30-10:00 on CBS

December 1964 – September 1965, Tuesday 8:00-8:30 on CBS

Cast

Joey Barnes..... Joey Bishop

J.P. Willoughby (1961)..... John Griggs

Mrs. Barnes (1961-1962)..... Madge Blake

Barbara Simpson (1961-1962)..... Nancy Hadley

Frank (1961-1962)..... Joe Flynn

Betty (1961-1962)..... Virginia Vincent

Larry Barnes (1961-1962)..... Warren Berlinger

Stella Barnes (1961-1962)..... Marlo Thomas

Ellie Barnes (1962-1965)..... Abby Dalton

Mr. Jillson (1962-1965)..... Joe Besser

Charles Raymond (1962)..... Bill Bixby

Freddie (1962)..... Guy Marks

Hilda (1962-1965)..... Mary Treen

Larry Corbett (1963-1965)..... Corbett Monica

Dr. Sam Nolan (1964-1965)..... Joey Forman

SYNOPSIS

When it premiered in the fall of 1961, The Joey Bishop Show focused on Joey Barnes, a young assistant to Los Angeles press agent J.P. Willoughby. Barnes, as played by deadpan comic Joey Bishop, was a softhearted, nice guy who had tried to build up his importance in the eyes of his family. Unfortunately, the member of that family often tried to take advantage of Joey’s nonexistent influence with the big names of show business, and Joey spent much of his time getting into trouble while trying to help out his family.

The program seemed to have too many regular characters, and by the middle of the first season, four of them were gone; Joey's older sister Betty; her husband Frank, an unsuccessful salesman; Mr. Willoughby's secretary Barbara; and Willoughby himself. Joey's mother, stage-struck sister Stella, and kid brother Larry remained to the end of the first season.

At the start of the second season, both the format and the supporting were changed completely. Joey Barnes was now the host of a Tonight Show-type talk program that originated in New York. Stories revolved around his personal and professional life as a TV celebrity, and many guest stars appeared, playing themselves.

Joey was now married to a Texas girl named Ellie, had a manager named Freddie (later Larry Corbett became his manager), and lived in a fancy Manhattan apartment. In 1963 Ellie gave birth to a baby boy, who later was seen on the show, played by Abby Dalton's real-life infant son, Matthew Smith. Dr. Sam Nolan, a pediatrician neighbor, was added to the cast in 1964.

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