For other uses, see The Honeymooners (disambiguation).
The Honeymooners
Title card
Genre
Sitcom
Created by
Jackie Gleason
Written by
Marvin Marx Walter Stone A.J. Russell Herbert Finn Leonard Stern Sydney Zelinka
Directed by
Frank Satenstein
Starring
Jackie Gleason Audrey Meadows Art Carney Joyce Randolph Pert Kelton
Theme music composer
Jackie Gleason Bill Templeton
Opening theme
"You're My Greatest Love"
Ending theme
"You're My Greatest Love" (extended version)
Composers
Sammy Spear, Jackie Gleason
Country of origin
United States
Original language
English
No. of seasons
1
No. of episodes
39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Jack Philbin Stanley Poss
Producer
Jack Hurdle
Production locations
Adelphi Theatre, New York, New York
Cinematography
Daniel Cavelli Doug Downs Jack Etra
Camera setup
Multi-camera
Running time
26–27 minutes
Production company
Jackie Gleason Enterprises
Original release
Network
CBS
Release
October 1, 1955 (1955-10-01) – September 22, 1956 (1956-09-22)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)
The show's cast in 1955 as it premiered on CBS: Jackie Gleason, Audrey Meadows, Art Carney and Joyce Randolph
The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starring Jackie Gleason, and based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason), his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), Ralph's best friend Ed Norton (Art Carney) and Ed's wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph) as they get involved with various schemes in their day-to-day living.
Most episodes revolve around Ralph's poor choices in absurd dilemmas that frequently show his judgmental attitude in a comedic tone. The show occasionally features more serious issues such as women's rights and social status.
The original comedy sketches first aired on the DuMont network's variety series Cavalcade of Stars, which Gleason hosted, and subsequently on the CBS network's The Jackie Gleason Show,[1] which was broadcast live in front of a theater audience. The popularity of the sketches led Gleason to rework The Honeymooners as a filmed half-hour series, which debuted on 1 October 1955 on CBS, replacing the variety series. It was initially a ratings success as the No. 2 show in the United States, facing stiff competition from The Perry Como Show on NBC.[2][3] Gleason's show eventually dropped to No. 19,[3][4] and production ended after 39 episodes (now referred to as the "Classic 39 episodes").
The final episode of The Honeymooners aired on 22 September 1956, and Gleason sporadically revived the characters until 1978. The Honeymooners was one of the first U.S. television shows to portray working-class married couples in a gritty, non-idyllic manner, as the show is mostly set in the Kramdens' kitchen in a neglected Brooklyn apartment building.[5] One of the sponsors of the show was Buick.[6]
^Cite error: The named reference times was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (7th ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 464. ISBN 0345429230.
^ abJones, Gerard (1993). "Sweet Subversion". Honey I'm Home!: Sitcoms – Selling the American Dream. MacMillan. p. 112. ISBN 0-312-08810-8.
^Brooks; Marsh, "Top-Rated Programs by Season," p. 1245
^Conner (2010), Sitcoms Often Reinforce Racial Ethnic Stereotypes Archived October 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
^"1956 Buick". AutomotiveTimelines.com. Retrieved December 28, 2023.
unreleased "Honeymooners" sketches from the early 1960s, the 1966 musical remake of "TheHoneymooners: The Adoption" episode and seven color "Honeymooners" sketch...
A honeymoon is a holiday taken by newlyweds after their wedding to celebrate their marriage. Today, honeymoons are often celebrated in destinations considered...
actress who portrayed the deadpan housewife Alice Kramden on the 1950s American television comedy TheHoneymooners. She was the younger sister of Hollywood...
the television series TheHoneymooners. He also developed The Jackie Gleason Show, which maintained high ratings from the mid-1950s through 1970. The...
best known for playing Trixie Norton on The Jackie Gleason Show and the television sitcom TheHoneymooners. Randolph was born in Detroit on October 21...
known sketches of TheHoneymooners. 26 sketches were known to have aired in the 1951–52 season on DuMont's Cavalcade of Stars and two on The Ed Sullivan Show...
1999) was an American comedy writer who helped to create the concept for TheHoneymooners and its signature characters. Crane was born Harry Kravitsky...
for his role as Ed Norton on the sitcom TheHoneymooners (1955–1956). His film roles include Harry and Tonto (1974), The Late Show (1977), House Calls...
its most popular feature, TheHoneymooners, and its former summer replacement series, Stage Show. In the fall of 1956, The Jackie Gleason Show returned...
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inspirations was TheHoneymooners, which was itself influenced by The Bickersons and Laurel and Hardy (Hanna considered it one of the finest comedies on...
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as the "Classic 39"). The final episode of TheHoneymooners aired on September 22, 1956. Creator/producer Jackie Gleason revived TheHoneymooners sporadically...
Honeymoon in Red is a concept album by a band of the same name, released in 1988, primarily written by Lydia Lunch and Rowland S. Howard. Honeymoon in...
Honeymoon rhinitis (or honeymoon nose) is a condition in which the sufferer experiences nasal congestion during sexual intercourse or arousal. The condition...
Honeymoon Bridge may refer to: Honeymoon Bridge (New Hampshire), a covered bridge in Jackson, New Hampshire, United States Honeymoon Bridge (Ontario),...
radio, and television actress. She was the original Alice Kramden in TheHoneymooners with Jackie Gleason. During the 1930s, she was a prominent comedic supporting...
associated with the title Three on a Honeymoon. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article...
Honeymooner is a 2010 British Comedy drama independent film. The film was written and directed by Col Spector. The film premiered at Edinburgh International...
Honeymoon Suite is a Canadian rock band formed in 1981 in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The band's name was a nod to the fact that Niagara Falls is the unofficial...
Almost a Honeymoon (1938 film), a 1938 British film adaptation This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Almost a Honeymoon. If an...
Honeymoon suite may mean: Honeymoon suite (hotel) Honeymoon Suite, a Canadian hard rock band Honeymoon suite (album), a 1984 album by the band The Honeymoon...
writer and director. The title Haunted Honeymoon was previously used for the 1940 U.S. release of Busman's Honeymoon based on the stage play by Dorothy...
These were so popular that in 1955 Gleason suspended the variety format and filmed TheHoneymooners as a regular half-hour sitcom (television's first spin-off)...
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