The Richard Boone Show is an anthology television series. It aired on NBC from September 24, 1963 until September 15, 1964. It was broadcast on Tuesdays from 9 to 10 p.m. Eastern Time.
Synopsis Richard Boone hosted the series and starred in about half of the episodes, garnering an Emmy nomination for himself and a Golden Globe award for the show. His repertory company of 15 actors included up-and-comers such as Guy Stockwell and Robert Blake as well as such established performers as Bethel Leslie, Jeanette Nolan (both of whom likewise received 1964 Emmy nominations), Warren Stevens and Harry Morgan. They rotated parts freely; each appeared in most episodes, and each starred in at least one.
A Goodson-Todman production, the series boasted Clifford Odets among its regular writers, and Buck Houghton produced.
Programmed against the CBS sitcom, Petticoat Junction, Boone's anthology show was unable to find or keep an audience. It was cancelled after only one season,Bawden, James; Miller, Ron (2019). Conversations with Legendary Television Stars: Interviews from the First Fifty Years. The University Press of Kentucky. . "BAWDEN: I'm intrigued by The Richard Boone Show [1963–1964] because it was very different. MORGAN: After Medic, Dick Boone could write his own ticket at NBC. And he asked for a TV repertory hour—different story every week, but with the same cast of actors. Sometimes I'd have the lead, on other occasions I'd get one line. NBC loathed it. It didn't fit in any of their boxes at all. [...] We started in September 1963, got walloped every week by Petticoat Junction on CBS. NBC lost patience and canceled us in March after just 15 episodes." and has not been syndicated or released on home video, except for a brief showing on the Global Television Network in Canada in the late 1980s.
The show's theme tune, "How Soon" by Henry Mancini, was released as a single in the United Kingdom by RCA Victor in August 1964; and peaked at no lower than Number 10 in the UK Singles Chart.
Repertory cast Richard Boone25 episodesJeanette Nolan25 episodesWarren Stevens16 episodesBethel Leslie15 episodesHarry Morgan15 episodesFord Rainey14 episodesGuy Stockwell14 episodesLloyd Bochner13 episodesLaura Devon 11 episodesRobert Blake10 episodesJune Harding 9 episodes
Notes
References
External links
The Richard Boone Show at CVTA with episode list