Radio
Legends:
The Couple Next Door
Liner notes written by Ivan G. Shreve Jr.
Aside from old-time radio buffs, very few people are familiar with the name of
writer Peg Lynch. Her critically-acclaimed quarter-hour sitcom, "The Couple Next
Door," premiered during the waning days of the medium (over the CBS network on
December 30, 1957), and in fact was cancelled on the fateful day of November 25,
1960 - the same day that radio waved bye-bye to "The Right to Happiness,"
"Whispering Streets," "Ma Perkins," "Young Dr. Malone," and "The Second Mrs.
Burton". During its short-lived run, however, "The Couple Next Door" had
generated quite a bit of critical buzz as a show that poked gentle fun at the
small eccentricities of married life in the same fashion as similar classics
like "Vic and Sade" and "Easy Aces".
Lynch,
in addition to her writing duties, also played the part of the wife on the
program, assisted by actor Alan Bunce as her better half. Oddly enough, they
were never identified by name; most of the time, the two leads referred to each
other only as "dear." The reason for this is that the show was originally
scheduled to be an updated version of Lynch's most famous comedy creation, "The
Private Lives of Ethel and Albert" -- but Lynch was disqualified from calling it
that, having given up rights to those characters several years before.
Lynch was born on November 25, 1916 in Lincoln, Nebraska and, upon graduating
from the University of Minnesota, found work as a copy editor for a small
Minnesota radio station, where her duties included writing commercials, radio
plays, a daily half-hour women's show and a weekly farm news program. With each
successive job at various stations, she began to develop the idea for a radio
sitcom about a married couple, Ethel and Albert Arbuckle, and their ability to
find humor in life's little eccentricities. "Ethel and Albert" would eventually
premiere over station KATE in Albert Lea, Minnesota, but by May of 1944 its
popularity was such that it secured a berth on the ABC network's midday
schedule.
In the early episodes, Peg played the part of Ethel and a young radio actor
known as Richard Widmark essayed the role of Ethel's hubby. Six months later,
Widmark left for bigger and better things, and was replaced by Alan Bunce.
Bunce, who had just finished a long run as radio's "Young Dr. Malone," was
considered the weakest of the candidates assembled to take over the Albert role;
he even admitted he'd never heard of the series. But Lynch was convinced that
he'd fit in - correctly, as it turned out - and the two continued weekdays on
ABC until June 1949. (The series had also branched out into a half-hour version
on Monday nights beginning January 16, 1949, that adaptation lasting until
August of 1950).
For the most part, "Ethel and Albert" was essentially a two-actor show; it was
only in the program's third year when the Arbuckle's daughter, Baby Suzy, was
born that another presence was detected in their Sandy Harbor home. (Later, "The
Couple Next Door" adopted the same three-character approach by introducing
character actress Margaret Hamilton as Aunt Effie.) After finishing its radio
run, "Ethel and Albert" crossed over to the cathode ray tube, first as a segment
on NBC's "The Kate Smith Hour" in 1952 and then as a half-hour situation comedy
seen on NBC, ABC and CBS for three seasons before being cancelled in July 1956.
Very few of the radio "Ethel and Albert" episodes have survived the ravages of
time, but fortunately "The Couple Next Door" is alive and well today. It's
timeless domestic comedy - the creation of a talented writer who, though her
name might not be immediately on the lips of comedy fans, was once effusively
praised by her co-star in Newsweek Magazine: "All Peg needs is a word and she
can write a script. She can write about nothing and do it entertainingly."
This Radio Legends collection offers ten full hours of "The Couple Next Door,"
as first aired in 1957 and 1958 - 48 warm and comedic episodes that are sure to
be a delightful addition to your personal radio library. Here is the complete
content of this 10-CD set:
New Year's Resolutions (#1)
Monday, December 30, 1957 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Bully (#2)
Tuesday, December 31, 1957 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A Call to Mexico (#3)
Wednesday, January 1, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Kendall's File a Lawsuit (#4)
Thursday, January 2, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Betsy Wants a Dog (#5)
Friday, January 3, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Brisk Toothpaste
Going to a Wedding (#6)
Monday, January 6, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Brisk Toothpaste and Candettes
Home Movies (#7)
Tuesday, January 7, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Rub
Algebra Homework (#8)
Wednesday, January 8, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Locked Garage (#9)
Thursday, January 9, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A New Hat (#10)
Friday, January 10, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
French Cake Recipe (#11)
Monday, January 13, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Spending the Night in Your Own Guest Room (#12)
Tuesday, January 14, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
Fixing the Hot Water Heater (#13)
Wednesday, January 15, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Feeling Tired (#14)
Thursday, January 16, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A Tired, Worn-Out Feeling (#15)
Friday, January 17, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Retrieving Borrowed Books (#17)
Tuesday, January 21, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold Ban Tablets
A Bridge Game or a Dinner Invitation? (#18)
Wednesday, January 22, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Memories of a First Kiss (#19)
Thursday, January 23, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Facts of Life (#20)
Friday, January 24, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A Marriage Bet (#21)
Monday, January 27, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Betsy is Invited to the Ballet (#22)
Tuesday, January 28, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
The Case of the Phantom Splasher (#23)
Wednesday, January 29, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Plans for a Family Reunion (#24)
Thursday, January 30, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A Trip to the Ice Carnival (#25)
Friday, January 31, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A Lost Coat Check Stub (#26)
Monday, February 3, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Jewelry Store Robbery (#27)
Tuesday, February 4, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets
A Visit to the Police Station (#28)
Wednesday, February 5, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets
The Picky Eater (#29)
Thursday, February 6, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets
Throwing Out Unwanted Things (#30)
Friday, February 7, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets
Selling the House? (#31)
Monday, February 10, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets
To Sell or Not to Sell (#32)
Tuesday, February 11, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
Signing the Contract (#33)
Wednesday, February 12, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
An Evening Out (#34)
Thursday, February 13, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
Property on the Lake (#35)
Friday, February 14, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
Betsy Decides to Leave Home (#36)
Monday, February 17, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Mrs. Haines Needs Help (#37)
Tuesday, February 18, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets
A Visit from the Architect (#38)
Wednesday, February 19, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
A Little Late at the Department Store (#39)
Thursday, February 20, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Architect Has Bad News (#40)
Friday, February 21, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Hollyhock Dance (#41)
Monday, February 24, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Vest Removal Trick (#42)
Tuesday, February 25, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills
A Portrait of Great-Great-Grandfather (#43)
Wednesday, February 26, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Looking for an Apartment (#44)
Thursday, February 27, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
Who Broke the Candy Dish? (#45)
Friday, February 28, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The Ant Farm (#46)
Monday, March 3, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
An Important Phone Call (#47)
Tuesday, March 4, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS,
sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Rub
Will Betsy Become a Model? (#48)
Wednesday, March 5, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
The School Bus (#49)
Thursday, March 6, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining
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