The Bob Burns Show

The Bob Burns Show
Other namesThe Arkansas Traveler
GenreComedy
Running time30 minutes
Country of originUnited States
Language(s)English
SyndicatesNBC
CBS
StarringBob Burns
Ginny Simms
Edna Mae Oliver
Ann Thomas
James Gleason
Una Merkel
Shirley Ross
Mantan Moreland
Ben Carter
Directed byThomas Freebairn-Smith
Joe Thompson
Andrew C. Love
Produced byThomas Freebairn-Smith
Joe Thompson
Andrew C. Love
Original releaseSeptember 16, 1941 (1941-09-16) –
May 25, 1947 (1947-05-25)
No. of series6
No. of episodes230 (original series)
2 (failed revival series)
Sponsored byCampbell's Soup
Lever Brothers' Lifebuoy Soap
American Home Products
Dreft (see below)

The Bob Burns Show (also known as The Arkansas Traveler) was an American old-time radio comedy program that starred comedian Bob Burns. The program derived from a character Burns performed for five years on Bing Crosby's Kraft Music Hall entitled "The Arkansas Traveler".[1]

The program originally premiered as The Arkansas Traveler on September 16, 1941[2] on CBS. In 1943, Bob Burns moved his program over to the Red Network of the National Broadcasting Company. The January 7 broadcast was the first episode to use the title The Bob Burns Show.[3]

The program moved from its Thursdays at 7:30 timeslot to Sundays at 6:30 for its last season on September 29, 1946. The program concluded its run on May 25, 1947. Two failed revival attempts of the program aired between November 1947 and July 1949. Both audition programs were sponsored by Dreft but never made air.[4]

Other principal actors on the program included actors Ginny Simms, Edna Mae Oliver, Ann Thomas, James Gleason, Una Merkel and Shirley Ross.[5][6]

  1. ^ "Bob Burns (1890–1956) aka: Robin Burn". www.encyclopediaofarkansas.net. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
  2. ^ The Bob Burns Show at the Old-Time Radio Catalog
  3. ^ "A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE; FORGOTTEN ONES: BOB BURNS". 13 May 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2015.
  4. ^ The Bob Burns Vintage Radio Log at otrsite.com
  5. ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. p. 102. ISBN 0-19-507678-8. Retrieved October 17, 2015. the bob burns show.
  6. ^ Terrace, Vincent (1998). Radio Programs, 1924-1984: A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-4766-0528-9. Retrieved October 18, 2015.