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Created page with "'''''It's Always Jan''''' is an American situation comedy starring Janis Paige (born 1922), which aired twenty-six episodes on CBS in the 1955-1956 [..."
'''''It's Always Jan''''' is an [[United States|American]] [[situation comedy]] starring Janis Paige (born 1922), which aired twenty-six episodes on [[CBS]] in the 1955-1956 [[television]] season. It was the lead-in program at 9:30 p.m. Eastern on Saturday evenings to the first season of the long-running [[western]], ''Gunsmoke,'' starring James Arness (1923-2011).<ref>Alex McNeil, ''Total Television,'' Saturday night television schedule, 1955-1956.</ref>
==Synopsis==
The program centers on war widow and single mother Jan Stewart and her two single female roommates, secretary Pat Murphy (Patricia Bright), and model Val Marlowe (Merry Anders].<ref name=totalt>Alex McNeil, ''Total Television,'' p. 416.</ref> A Desilu Production, ''It's Always Jan'' borrowed elements of various programs and films from the period but lacked the ingredients for general popularity and long-lasting success. Janis Paige's hairstyle resembled that of Lucy Ricardo, CBS's most successful comedy character of the decade in the ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' program, starring [[Lucille Ball]], also the Desilu co-owner. With three single women in the series, the program borrowed on the theme of the films ''Three Coins in the Fountain'' and ''How to Marry a Millionaire'', later made into a syndicated television series co-starring Barbara Eden and Merry Anders (1934-2012), Paige's co-star.<ref name=tvparty>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvparty.com/50sitcom3.html|title=Wesley Hyatt, "Comedy Time"|publisher=tvparty.com|accessdate=August 27, 2020}}</ref>
In the series, Jan Stewart devotes much of her time not to the children or the roommates but to her potential paramours and her performances at [[New York City]]'s Tony's Cellar nightclub, the setting of the series. As with other programs like ''The Red Skelton Show'' and ''[[Ann Sothern|The Ann Sothern Show]],'' Paige closed each episode by bidding the home audience "Good night.<ref name=tvparty/>
==Program notes==
Two actors who later became known for other roles each guest-starred in three episode of ''It's Always Jan.'' Arte Johnson portrayed delicatessen delivery-boy Stanley Schreiber,<ref name=totalt/> and rocketed to fame more than a decade later in the [[NBC]] comedy ''Laugh-In.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Johnson,_Arte/|title=Arte Johnson|publisher=starpulse.com|accessdate=November 13, 2010}}</ref> Sid Melton (1917-2011) played Jan's agent, Harry Cooper; several years later, he became known as comical nightclub manager Charlie Halper on CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show,'' with Pat Carroll (born 1927), playing his wife "Bunny."<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047743/fullcredits#cast|title=''It's Always Jan''|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=August 27, 2020}}</ref>
Jeri Lou James appeared in ten episodes as Paige's young daughter, Josie Stewart. Episode titles include "Pat's Romance," "Guilty Conscience," "Housekeeper,"
"Propriety," and "Love Rings Bells." The program, a Jannard Production affiliated with Desilu, was filmed at RKO Studios in [[Hollywood]].
Patricia Bright (1922-2009) had minimal roles after ''It's Always Jan,'' but she made four appearances as Mrs. Claire Block in the [[NBC]] police sitcom, ''Car 54, Where Are You?''.
''It's Always Jan'' faced competition on NBC from the second season of ''[[The Jimmy Durante Show]]'', a comedy/variety show which ended its 51-episode run three months after the Paige series ceased production. In the 1956-1957 season, ''It's Always Jan'' was replaced by ''[[Hey, Jeannie!]]'', another unsuccessful situation comedy, which starred Jeannie Carson (born 1928) as a young [[Scotland|Scottish]] immigrant woman living in New York City.
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:It's Always Jan}}
[[Category:Television Shows]]
[[Category:New York City]]
[[Category:Comedy]]
==Synopsis==
The program centers on war widow and single mother Jan Stewart and her two single female roommates, secretary Pat Murphy (Patricia Bright), and model Val Marlowe (Merry Anders].<ref name=totalt>Alex McNeil, ''Total Television,'' p. 416.</ref> A Desilu Production, ''It's Always Jan'' borrowed elements of various programs and films from the period but lacked the ingredients for general popularity and long-lasting success. Janis Paige's hairstyle resembled that of Lucy Ricardo, CBS's most successful comedy character of the decade in the ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' program, starring [[Lucille Ball]], also the Desilu co-owner. With three single women in the series, the program borrowed on the theme of the films ''Three Coins in the Fountain'' and ''How to Marry a Millionaire'', later made into a syndicated television series co-starring Barbara Eden and Merry Anders (1934-2012), Paige's co-star.<ref name=tvparty>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvparty.com/50sitcom3.html|title=Wesley Hyatt, "Comedy Time"|publisher=tvparty.com|accessdate=August 27, 2020}}</ref>
In the series, Jan Stewart devotes much of her time not to the children or the roommates but to her potential paramours and her performances at [[New York City]]'s Tony's Cellar nightclub, the setting of the series. As with other programs like ''The Red Skelton Show'' and ''[[Ann Sothern|The Ann Sothern Show]],'' Paige closed each episode by bidding the home audience "Good night.<ref name=tvparty/>
==Program notes==
Two actors who later became known for other roles each guest-starred in three episode of ''It's Always Jan.'' Arte Johnson portrayed delicatessen delivery-boy Stanley Schreiber,<ref name=totalt/> and rocketed to fame more than a decade later in the [[NBC]] comedy ''Laugh-In.''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starpulse.com/Actors/Johnson,_Arte/|title=Arte Johnson|publisher=starpulse.com|accessdate=November 13, 2010}}</ref> Sid Melton (1917-2011) played Jan's agent, Harry Cooper; several years later, he became known as comical nightclub manager Charlie Halper on CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show,'' with Pat Carroll (born 1927), playing his wife "Bunny."<ref name=imdb>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0047743/fullcredits#cast|title=''It's Always Jan''|publisher=Internet Movie Data Base|accessdate=August 27, 2020}}</ref>
Jeri Lou James appeared in ten episodes as Paige's young daughter, Josie Stewart. Episode titles include "Pat's Romance," "Guilty Conscience," "Housekeeper,"
"Propriety," and "Love Rings Bells." The program, a Jannard Production affiliated with Desilu, was filmed at RKO Studios in [[Hollywood]].
Patricia Bright (1922-2009) had minimal roles after ''It's Always Jan,'' but she made four appearances as Mrs. Claire Block in the [[NBC]] police sitcom, ''Car 54, Where Are You?''.
''It's Always Jan'' faced competition on NBC from the second season of ''[[The Jimmy Durante Show]]'', a comedy/variety show which ended its 51-episode run three months after the Paige series ceased production. In the 1956-1957 season, ''It's Always Jan'' was replaced by ''[[Hey, Jeannie!]]'', another unsuccessful situation comedy, which starred Jeannie Carson (born 1928) as a young [[Scotland|Scottish]] immigrant woman living in New York City.
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:It's Always Jan}}
[[Category:Television Shows]]
[[Category:New York City]]
[[Category:Comedy]]