The Red Buttons Show

The Red Buttons Show premiered on the CBS television network on October 14, 1952,^[1] and ran for two years on that network, then moved to NBC for the final 1954–55 season.

The Red Buttons Show
Genre	Variety show Sitcom
Created by	Marlo Lewis
Developed by	CBS
Directed by	Burt Shevelove
Starring	Red Buttons
Theme music composer	Elliot Lawrence
Composer	Mitch Miller
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
Production
Executive producer	Marlo Lewis
Producer	Al Span
Running time	30 min.
Original release
Network	CBS
Release	October 14, 1952 (1952-10-14) – 1955 (1955)

The series finished #11 for the 1952–1953 season in the Nielsen ratings and #12 in 1953–1954.^[2]

Format

The CBS run of the series featured monologues, dance numbers, and sketches with Red and the other series regulars. The characters played by Red included the boxer Rocky Buttons, the Kupke Kid, the Sad Sack, and Keeglefarven. When the series was canceled by CBS, it moved to NBC which at first kept it as a variety show. When the ratings remained low, the program was overhauled and turned into a sitcom with Red playing himself as a TV comic. Phyllis Kirk played his wife, Bobby Sherwood played the director of Red's program and Paul Lynde played the network's vice president.^[3]

CBS regulars

• Red Buttons
• Dorothy Jolliffe
• Pat Carroll
• Beverly Dennis
• Allan Walker
• Joe Silver
• Betty Ann Grave

NBC regulars

• Red Buttons
• Phyllis Kirk
• Paul Lynde as Mr. Standish
• Bobby Sherwood
• Nelson Case, announcer^[4]

Production

Bill Davenport and Johnny Green were writers for the NBC version.^[5] It was sponsored by Pontiac.^[6]