The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet opening title sequence
Format	Sitcom
Created by	Ozzie Nelson
Starring	Ozzie Nelson Harriet Nelson David Nelson Ricky Nelson
Country of origin	United States
No. Oswald George "Ozzie" Nelson ( March 20, 1906 - June 3, 1975) was an American entertainer who originated and starred in Oswald George "Ozzie" Nelson ( March 20, 1906 - June 3, 1975) was an American entertainer who originated and starred in Harriet Nelson ( July 18, 1909 &ndash October 2, 1994) was an American singer and actress David Oswald Nelson (born October 24, 1936) is an American Actor, director, producer, and son of famed bandleader/TV Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson ( May 8, 1940 &ndash December 31, 1985) was an The United States of America —commonly referred to as the  of episodes	435
Production
Running time	30 minutes (per episode)
Broadcast
Original channel	ABC
Original run	October 3, 1952 – September 3, 1966
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was a long-running American television series, airing on ABC from October 3, 1952 to September 3, 1966, starring the real life Nelson family. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's The year 1952 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1952. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius The year 1966 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1966. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A television program (US television programme (UK or television show (U The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The series starred Ozzie Nelson and his wife, singer Harriet Nelson (née Hilliard), and their young sons, David Nelson and Eric Nelson, better known as Ricky. Oswald George "Ozzie" Nelson ( March 20, 1906 - June 3, 1975) was an American entertainer who originated and starred in Harriet Nelson ( July 18, 1909 &ndash October 2, 1994) was an American singer and actress David Oswald Nelson (born October 24, 1936) is an American Actor, director, producer, and son of famed bandleader/TV Eric Hilliard "Ricky" Nelson, later known as Rick Nelson ( May 8, 1940 &ndash December 31, 1985) was an The series attracted large audiences, although it was never a top-ten hit, it became synonymous with the 1950s ideal American family life. It is the longest-running "live-action"/ non-animated sitcom in US TV history.

Orchestra

In the early 1930s, a booking at the Glen Island Casino landed Ozzie Nelson's orchestra national network radio exposure. After three years together with the orchestra, Ozzie and Harriet signed to appear regularly on The Baker's Broadcast (1933-1938), hosted first by Joe Penner, then by Robert L. Ripley, and finally by cartoonist Feg Murray. Ripley's Believe It or Not! is a franchise founded by Robert Ripley, which deals in bizarre events and items so The couple married on October 8, 1935 during this series run, and realized working together in radio would keep them together more than continuing their musical careers separately. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1935 ( MCMXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. In 1941, the Nelsons joined the cast of The Red Skelton Show, also providing much of the show's music. The year 1941 in radio involved some significant events Events May 27 - Fireside chat: Announcing Unlimited The Red Skelton Show was a staple of American Television for almost two decades from the early 1950s through the early 1970s The couple stayed with the series for three years. They also built their radio experience by guest appearances, together and individually, on many top radio shows, from comedies such as The Fred Allen Show, to the mystery titan Suspense, in a 1947 episode called "Too Little to Live On". Suspense was a Radio drama series broadcast on CBS from 1942 through 1962 The year 1947 in radio involved some significant events Events February 10 - The Netherlands Radio Union is established

Radio

When Red Skelton was drafted in March of 1944, Ozzie Nelson was prompted to create his own family situation comedy. Richard Bernard “Red” Skelton ( July 18, 1913 &ndash September 17, 1997) was an American comedian who was best known as a top The Draft redirects here For other uses see Draft. Conscription in the United States has been employed several times usually during The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet launched on CBS on October 8, 1944, making a mid-season switch to NBC in 1949. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. Events 314 - Roman Emperor Licinius is defeated by his colleague Constantine I at the Battle of Cibalae, and loses Year 1944 ( MCMXLIV) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's The final years of the radio series were on ABC (the former NBC Blue Network) from October 14, 1949 to June 18, 1954. Events 1066 - Norman Conquest: Battle of Hastings - In England on Senlac Hill seven miles from Hastings, the forces Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 618 - Coronation of the Chinese governor Li Yuan as Emperor Gaozu of Tang, the new Emperor of China, initiating three centuries Year 1954 ( MCMLIV) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1954 Gregorian calendar) In total 402 radio episodes were produced. In an arrangement that amplified the growing pains of American broadcasting, as radio "grew up" into television, the Nelsons' deal with ABC gave the network the option to move their program to television. The struggling network needed proven talent that was not about to defect to the more established and wealthier networks like CBS or NBC. CBS Broadcasting Inc ( CBS) is an American radio and Television network. The National Broadcasting Company ( NBC) is an American Television network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's

DC Comics' The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet comic book (October-November, 1949)

The Nelsons' sons, David and Ricky, did not join the cast until the radio show's fifth year. DC Comics is an American comic book and related media company The two boys were played by professional actors prior to their joining because both were too young to perform. ^[1] The role of David was played by Joel Davis from 1944 until 1945. Tommy Bernard and Henry Blair appeared as Ricky. Other cast members included John Brown as Syd "Thorny" Thornberry, Lurene Tuttle as Harriet's mother, Bea Benaderet as Gloria, Janet Waldo as Emmy Lou, and Dick Trout as Roger. Lurene Tuttle ( August 29, 1906, Pleasant Lake Indiana - May 28, 1986, Encino California) was a character actress Bea Benaderet ( April 4, 1906 &ndash October 13, 1968) was an American actress born in New York City and raised in Janet Waldo (born February 4, Yakima Washington sources say born February 4 1918 [[Grandview Vocalists included Harriet Nelson, The King Sisters, and Ozzie Nelson. The King Sisters were a Big band era quartet History Born and raised in Salt Lake City Utah, the four sisters—Donna Yvonne Luise and Alyce—took The announcers were Jack Bailey and Verne Smith. The music was by Billy May and Ozzie Nelson. William E May, better known as Billy May ( 10 November, 1916 – 22 January, 2004) was an American Composer, The producers were Dave Elton and Ozzie Nelson. ^[2]

Film

In 1952, the Nelsons starred with Rock Hudson in the feature film, Here Come the Nelsons. The year 1952 in film involved some significant events Events January 10 - Cecil B Rock Hudson (November 17 1925 &ndash October 2 1985 was an American Film and Television Actor, recognised as a romantic leading man during The film depicted Ozzie as an advertising executive assigned to a campaign promoting women's underwear. Here Come the Nelsons is the first, and only, instance that Ozzie Nelson's job is clearly stated. The film opened on February 23, 1952, little more than a week before the Nelsons' TV series premiered on ABC. Events 1455 - Traditional date for the publication of the Gutenberg Bible, the first Western Book printed from Movable Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

Television

The Nelson family

Before the show aired, Ozzie Nelson persuaded ABC to agree to a 10-year contract that paid whether the series was canceled or not. The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. The unprecedented contract and Ozzie's insistence for perfection in the show's production paid off in the show's remarkable popularity.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet premiered on ABC on October 10, 1952, staying until September 3, 1966. Events 680 - Battle of Karbala: Shia Imam Husayn bin Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, is decapitated Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The show strove for realism and featured exterior shots of the Nelsons' actual southern California home as the fictional Nelsons' home. Interior shots were filmed on a sound stage recreated to look like the real interior of the Nelsons' home. Like its radio predecessor, the series focused mainly on the Nelson family at home, dealing with run-of-the-mill problems. As the series progressed and the boys grew up, storylines involving various characters were introduced. Many of the series storylines were taken from the Nelsons' real life. When the real David and Rick got married, to June Blair and Kristin Harmon respectively, their wives joined the cast of Ozzie and Harriet, and the marriages were written into the series. June Blair (born Margaret June Blair on October 20 1933 in San Francisco, California) is an American model and Actress. Kristin (Harmon Nelson (born 25 June 1945) is an American Actress and painter.

By the mid 1960s, America's social climate was changing, and the Nelsons' all American nuclear family epitomized the 1950s values and ideals that were quickly becoming a thing of the past. The term nuclear family developed in the Western world to distinguish the Family group consisting of parents most commonly a Father and Mother Ozzie, who wrote and directed all of the series' episodes, attempted to change with the times, but most viewers related the show to a long gone era. The show made the transition from black-and-white to color in its 1965–66 season, but ABC canceled Ozzie and Harriet in 1966. The year 1966 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1966.

A number of actors had supporting roles on Ozzie and Harriet, including Jimmy Hawkins, Don DeFore, Mary Jane Croft, Lyle Talbot, Frank Cady, Skip Young, and Kent McCord. Donald John DeFore ( August 25, 1913 - December 22, 1993) was an American Actor who played "the regular guy" Mary Jane Croft ( February 15, 1916 - August 24, 1999) was an American actress best known for her role as Mary Jane Lyle Talbot ( February 8, 1902 - March 2, 1996) was an American actor best known for playing Joe Randolph on television's Frank Cady (born September 8, 1915) is an American Actor best known for his role as storekeeper Sam Drucker in the Kent McCord (born September 26, 1942) is an American actor best known for his role as Officer Jim Reed on the the television series Adam-12

Ozzie's Girls

In 1973, David Nelson produced a short-lived syndicated spin-off to Ozzie and Harriet entitled, Ozzie's Girls in which Ozzie and Harriet rented the boys' old room to two college students, portrayed by Susan Sennett and Brenda Sykes. The year 1973 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1973. A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new Organization or Entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a Television series based on a pre-existing Ozzie's Girls is an American sitcom spin-off of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, which ran in First-run syndication Storylines centered around the Nelsons attempting to aid in the problems of two girls after having raised two sons.

The series premiered on January 1, 1973, and was canceled on September 1, 1974. New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Events 462 - Possible start of first Byzantine indiction cycle. Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar.

Recordings

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet made the Nelsons' youngest son, Rick, into a music teen idol. ‎ Teen idols refers to someone idolized by teens a teen idol is often young but in many cases no longer teenaged Unlike many American parents of the era, Ozzie Nelson actually liked rock and roll and encouraged his son's obvious talent. Rock and roll (also known as rock 'n' roll) is a form of Music that evolved in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s with roots in mostly African Ozzie also realized the impact his musically gifted son could bring to the series, and went on to write storyline featuring Rick singing. Rick first sang in the April 10, 1957, episode, "Rick the Drummer," performing a version of Fats Domino's hit, "I'm Walkin", and later signed a recording contract with Domino's label, Imperial Records. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 1957 ( MCMLVII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1957 Gregorian calendar) Antoine Dominique "Fats" Domino (born February 26, 1928 in New Orleans Louisiana) is a classic R&B and Rock and roll This article is about the Imperial Records label currently owned by EMI. Subsequent episodes that aired after Rick became one of the nation's most successful musicians were some of the show's highest rated episodes.

Television and home video releases

It has been suggested that at least most of the series is in the public domain, and has been unofficially released on home video, including VHS and DVD, on many different low-budget company labels. The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is Five DVDs containing episodes from the show are available from Alpha Video. Alpha Video (also known as Alpha Home Entertainment) is an entertainment company based near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, that specializes in the manufacturing In the decades since the show's cancellation, the series has been continuously shown on stations in public domain prints. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, The Disney Channel aired the show as remastered from original 35 mm film elements, with new introductions by Harriet Nelson. For the Disney Channel in other countries see Disney Channel around the world. 35 mm film is the basic Film gauge most commonly used for both still Photography and Motion pictures, and remains relatively unchanged since its

The Rick Nelson Company, LLC, currently owns the rights to the original film elements. An officially released video version of The Best of the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was released May 1, 2007 by Shout! Factory under license from The Rick Nelson Company. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2002 that was started by Richard Foos (co-founder of Rhino Records) Bob Emmer (former Warner Music Group Both the Nelson company and David Nelson hold copyright ownership for any new material derived from the film elements.

Episodes of this television series have been screened at the non-profit Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention held annually in Aberdeen, Maryland. The Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention is held annually in Aberdeen Maryland. Original 16 mm negatives were used.

Collector/historian Martin Grams, Jr. presently owns more than 12 storage bases of production materials, scripts, casting call sheets, contracts, telegrams, letters and other materials significant to the radio and television series. Martin Grams Jr (b April 19, 1977, Baltimore Maryland) is an Old time radio historian who has written authoritative articles and books on

Author Jim Cox wrote an article for SPERDVAC's Radiogram in early 2008, discussing the cultural significance of the radio program. The Honourable James Glennister "Jim" Cox (born 1 October 1945) is a Tasmanian Labor politician and member of the Tasmanian

The Nelsons' post-TV lives

Ozzie Nelson continued to work in show business after the failure of the short lived sitcom Ozzie's Girls. He took on the role of producer and director for some of TV's popular shows, most notably: Adam-12, The D.A., and Bridget Loves Bernie. Adam-12 is a Television program which ran from September 21, 1968 until August 30, 1975 on NBC for 175 The DA was a half-hour television Legal drama aired in the United States by NBC (now NBC/ Universal Studios) as part of its Bridget Loves Bernie is an American television comedy program created by Bernard Slade. In 1975, Ozzie Nelson died of liver cancer at the age of 69. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC also called hepatoma) is a primary malignancy (cancer of the Liver. ^[3]

In the years after Ozzie and Harriet was canceled, Rick Nelson's career and personal life changed drastically. Rick never regained the same momentum of his early career, though he continued to pursue a career in music. He shied away from his teen idol image and sound, forming the rock and roll/country fused Stone Canyon Band. Rick and the Stone Canyon Band had success with the 1972 single, "Garden Party". Events January 17 - Highway 51 South in Memphis Tennessee is renamed " Elvis Presley Blvd" January 20 - " Garden Party " was a 1972 hit song for Rick Nelson and the Stone Canyon Band from the album Garden Party. Ironically, Rick and the Band wrote the song in response to having been booed off the stage at a rock and roll revival concert at Madison Square Garden when he refused to play his old hits from his teen idol days. Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG, and known colloquially as The Garden, has been the name of four Arenas in New York City. Throughout the 1970s, Rick's life was riddled with debt and drug abuse. In 1981, he and wife Kristin Harmon divorced. Divorce or dissolution of marriage is the termination of a Marriage. While touring the United States, Rick Nelson was killed in a plane crash on December 31, 1985, in DeKalb in Bowie County near Texarkana in northeast Texas. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1985 ( MCMLXXXV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link displays 1985 Gregorian calendar) De Kalb is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. The population was 1769 at the 2000 census Bowie County is a County located in the US state of Texas. It is part of the Texarkana Texas - Texarkana Arkansas Metropolitan Texarkana is a city in Bowie County, Texas, United States. It effectively functions as one half of a city which crosses a state line — the other Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. He was en route to a New Year's Eve concert in Dallas. New Year's Eve is on December 31, the final day of the Gregorian year and the day before New Year's Day. In 1987, he was inducted posthumously into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is a Museum located on the shores of Lake Erie in downtown Cleveland Ohio, United States

Following Ozzie's death in 1975, Harriet turned somewhat reclusive. In 1989, she made her last onscreen appearance in her granddaughter Tracy Nelson's TV series, Father Dowling Mysteries. The year 1989 in television involved some significant eventsBelow is a list of Television -related events in 1989. Tracy Kristin Nelson (born October 25, 1963 in Santa Monica California) is an American actress Father Dowling Mysteries (also known as Father Dowling Investigates in the UK) is an American Television mystery series Harriet never fully recovered from son Rick's death and she herself died of congestive heart failure and emphysema in 1994. Heart failure is a Cardiac condition that occurs when a problem with the structure or function of the Heart impairs its ability to supply Emphysema is a chronic obstructive Pulmonary disease ( COPD) formerly termed a chronic obstructive Lung disease (COLD ^[4]

Ozzie, Harriet, and Rick are interred together in Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemetery in Los Angeles, California. Forest Lawn - Hollywood Hills Cemetery is part of the Forest Lawn chain of Southern California cemeteries Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West

David Nelson is still a producer of feature films and television commercials and owns his commercial production company.

References

Listen to

• Ozzie and Harriet (22 episodes)
• Radio of Yesteryear: Ozzie and Harriet: "The Prince's Gift" (1945)

External links

• The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet at the Internet Movie Database
• Encyclopedia of Television
• The Nelson Brothers
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet website from Vintage TV & Movies