BW - EP126—008: April 1954—Jack Benny Holds A Seance

Breaking Walls: The Podcast on the History of American Network Radio Broadcasting

As The Jack Benny Program moved into the spring of 1954, the comedian was still seen as a ratings boon. Through the years, Benny made little tweaks to his team without losing his audience. Bob Crosby replaced Phil Harris as bandleader in the fall of 1952. In 1954, Mary Livingstone, always a victim of stage fright, began to record her lines at home. Joan Benny or Jeanette Eymann played the Mary role for the audience, and the real Mary was dubbed in for the broadcast tape. If a household had both a radio and TV they could tune into Benny’s CBS radio show at 7PM eastern time on Sundays, and then switch over to his TV show, which aired at 7:30. Benny’s 1949 deal with CBS helped make the network the 1950s powerhouse. For more info on Benny’s landmark deal and the CBS talent raids which followed, tune into the Breaking Walls episodes 108, 109, and 110.