The Honeymooners

The Honeymoonersis an American television sitcom that originally aired from 1955 to 1956, created by and starringJackie Gleason, and based on a recurringcomedy sketchof the same name that had been part of Gleason's variety show. It follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason), his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), Ralph's best friend Ed Norton (Art Carney) and Ed's wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph) as they get involved with various schemes in their day-to-day living.
Most episodes revolve around Ralph's poor choices in absurd dilemmas that frequently show his judgmental attitude in a comedic tone. The show occasionally features more serious issues such aswomen's rightsandsocial status.
The original comedy sketches first aired on theDuMontnetwork's variety seriesCavalcade of Stars, which Gleason hosted, and subsequently on theCBSnetwork'sThe Jackie Gleason Show,which was broadcast live in front of a theater audience. The popularity of the sketches led Gleason to reworkThe Honeymoonersas a filmed half-hour series, which debuted on CBS on October 1, 1955, replacing the variety series. It was initially aratings successas the No. 2 show in the United States, facing stiff competition fromThe Perry Como ShowonNBC.Gleason's show eventually dropped to No. 19,and production ended after 39 episodes (now referred to as the"Classic 39 episodes").
The final episode ofThe Honeymoonersaired on September 22, 1956, and Gleason sporadically revived the characters until 1978.The Honeymoonerswas one of the first U.S. television shows to portray working-class married couples in a gritty, non-idyllic manner, as the show is mostly set in the Kramdens' kitchen in a neglectedBrooklynapartment building.One of the sponsors of the show wasBuick.
The majority ofThe Honeymoonersepisodes focus on four principal characters and generally use fixed sets within their Brooklyn apartment building. Although various secondary characters make multiple appearances, and occasional exterior shots are incorporated during editing, virtually all action and dialogue is "on stage" inside the normal backdrop.
Played byJackie Gleason, a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company based in New York City. He is never seen driving a bus (except in publicity photos), but sometimes is shown at the bus depot. Ralph is frustrated by his lack of success and often developsget-rich-quick schemes. He is short-tempered, frequently resorting to bellowing, insults, and hollow threats. Well-hidden beneath the many layers of bluster, however, is a softhearted man who loves his wife and is devoted to his best friend, Ed Norton. Ralph enjoys bowling and playing pool; he is proficient at both and is an enthusiastic member of the Loyal Order of Raccoons (although in several episodes, a blackboard at the lodge lists his dues as being in arrears). Ralph's mother rarely is mentioned, although she appears in one episode. Ralph's father is mentioned in only one episode ("Young Man with a Horn") as having given Ralph acornethe learned to play as a boy, and Ralph insists on keeping the cornet when Alice suggests it be thrown away.
The Ralph Kramden character was given honorary membership in the real New York City bus drivers' union (Local 100 of theTransport Workers Union) during the run of the show, and aBrooklyn bus depotwas named in Gleason's honor after his death.Ralph Kramden was the inspiration for the animated characterFred Flintstone.An eight-foot-tall bronze statue of a jolly Jackie Gleason in a bus driver's uniform was erected in 1999 in front of Manhattan's midtown Port Authority Bus Terminal.TV Landfunded the statue in cooperation with Gleason's estate and thePort Authority.Also in 1999, Ralph was ranked #13 onTV Guide's list of the 50 greatest TV characters.
Alice (née Alice Gibson), played in the first nine skits from 1951 to January 1952byPert Kelton, byAudrey Meadowsuntil 1966, then bySheila MacRae, is Ralph's patient but sharp-tongued wife of 14 years. She often finds herself bearing the brunt of Ralph's tantrums and demands, which she returns with biting sarcasm. She is levelheaded, in contrast to Ralph's pattern of inventing various schemes to enhance his wealth or his pride. She sees his schemes' unworkability, but he becomes angry and ignores her advice (and by the end of the episode, her misgivings almost always prove correct). Upon discovering the failures of his schemes and subsequent cover-ups, she demands to Ralph: "Oh, how I wish you had an explanation for that." Alice runs the finances of the Kramden household, and Ralph frequently has to beg her for money to pay for his lodge dues or crazy schemes. Alice studied to be a secretary before her marriage and works briefly in that capacity when Ralph is laid off.Wilma Flintstoneis based on Alice Kramden.
Anotherfoilfor Ralph is Alice's mother, who is even sharper-tongued than her daughter and despises Ralph as a bad provider. Alice's father is occasionally mentioned, but never seen. Alice's sister Agnes appears in episode 22, "Here Comes The Bride". (Ralph jeopardizes his newlywed sister-in-law's marriage after giving some bad advice to the groom, but it all works out in the end). Ralph and Alice lived with her mother for six years after getting married before they got their own apartment. In a 1967 revival, Ralph refers to Alice (played by MacRae in 1966–70 and once more in 1973) as being one of 12 children, and to her father as never working.
The Honeymoonersoriginally appeared as a sketch on theDuMont Network'sCavalcade of Stars, with the role of Alice played by Pert Kelton (1907–1968). When his contract with DuMont expired, Gleason moved to the CBS network where he hadThe Jackie Gleason Show, and the role of Alice went to Audrey Meadows because Kelton had beenblacklisted. According to playwrightArthur Miller, a family friend, writing many years later in his autobiographyTimebends: A Life, extensive inquiries finally revealed that her blacklisting was due to the fact that her husband Ralph had, many years earlier, marched in a May Day parade. "Ralph, I knew, had absolutely no leftist connections whatever but had simply thrown himself in with a gang of actors protesting whatever it was that year, and Pert had never even voted in her life."
The character's name is mentioned in the 1998 American stoner comedy filmHalf Bakedin the lyrics to the song by the movie's character "Sir Smoka-Alot".
Played byArt Carney; a New York City municipalsewerworker and Ralph's best friend (and upstairs neighbor). He is considerably more good-natured than Ralph, but nonetheless trades insults with him on a regular basis. Ed (typically called "Norton" by Ralph and sometimes by his own wife, Trixie) often gets mixed up in Ralph's schemes. His carefree and rather dimwitted nature usually results in raising Ralph's ire, while Ralph often showers him with verbal abuse and throws him out of the apartment when Ed irritates him. In most episodes, Ed is shown to be better-read, better-liked, more worldly and more even-tempered than Ralph, despite his unassuming manner and the fact that he usually lets Ralph take the lead in their escapades. Ed and Ralph both are members of the fictional Raccoon Lodge. Like Ralph, Ed enjoys and is good at bowling and playing pool. Unlike Ralph, Ed is good atping-pong.
Ed worked for the New York City sewer department, and described his job as a "Sub-supervisor in the sub-division of the department of subterranean sanitation, I just keep things moving along." He served in the U.S. Navy in World War II, and used hisG.I. Billmoney to pay for typing school, but felt he was unable to work in an office because he hated working in confined spaces. The relatively few scenes set in the Norton apartment showed it to have the same layout as the Kramdens' but more nicely furnished. Though Norton makes the same weekly $62 salary as Ralph (roughly $710 in 2023 dollars), their higher standard of living might be explained by Norton's freer use of credit; at one point he admits to having 19 charge accounts.
Ed is the inspiration forBarney RubbleinThe Flintstones,and forYogi Bear(in terms of design, clothing, and mannerisms).In 1999,TV Guideranked him 2nd on its list of the "50 Greatest TV Characters of All Time".According toEntertainment Weekly, Norton is ranked 8th of the "greatest sidekicks ever".
Thelma "Trixie" Norton was Ed's wife and Alice's best friend. She did not appear in every episode and had a less developed character, though she is shown to be somewhat bossy toward her husband. In one episode, she surprisingly is depicted as a pool hustler. Trixie is the inspiration forBetty RubbleinThe Flintstones.
Elaine Stritchwas the first and original Trixie Norton in aHoneymoonerssketch ("The New Television") with Gleason, Carney, andPert Kelton. Trixie's abrasive ex-burlesque-dancer character was rewritten and recast by Gleason after just one episode, withJoyce Randolphplaying the character as a wholesome housewife.
Joyce Randolphplayed the role in earlier sketches and on the 1955–56 sitcomThe Honeymooners
Jane Keanplayed the role in a series of hour-longHoneymoonersepisodes, in color and with music, onThe Jackie Gleason Showfrom 1966 to 1970, playing the role for many more years than her predecessor.
Some of the actors who appeared multiple times on the show includeGeorge O. PetrieandFrank Marthas various characters,Ethel Owenas Alice's mother,Zamah Cunninghamas apartment building neighbor Mrs. Manicotti, andCliff Hallas the Raccoon Lodge president.
Ronnie Burns, son ofGeorge BurnsandGracie Allen, made a guest appearance on one episode. On another episode, Norton makes a reference to a co-worker "Nat Birnbaum" (as in "'nat', a three-letter word for bug", says crossword puzzle aficionado Norton).George Burns's real name was Nathan Birnbaum. Seasoned actressEileen Heckartappeared as Alice's mother in the 1978The HoneymoonersChristmas special (who was in reality just three years older than her "daughter", Alice). Strangely, Heckart's character makes several comments in the episode alluding to her desire to become a grandmother by Ralph and Alice, this despite the fact that Meadows, who played Alice, was in fact 55 years old at that time.
The Kramdens and Nortons lived in an apartment house at 328 Chauncey Street in Brooklyn, New York City, in an area known as "Bushwick" – a nod to the fact that Jackie Gleason lived there after his family moved from his birthplace at 364 Chauncey Street.In the 1955 episode "A Woman's Work is Never Done", the address is referred to as 728 Chauncey Street. The landlord of the apartment house is Mr. Johnson. InThe Honeymoonersepisodes taped from 1967 to 1970, the address of the apartment house changed to 358 Chauncey Street, and the number of the Kramden apartment is 3B. The actual 328 Chauncey Street is located in theStuyvesant Heightssection of the borough, approximately eight miles northeast of the show's fictional location.
Most ofThe Honeymoonerstakes place in Ralph and Alice Kramden's small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment. Other settings used in the show included the Gotham Bus Company depot, the Raccoon Lodge, a neighborhood pool parlor, a park bench where Ralph and Ed occasionally meet for lunch, and on occasion the Nortons' apartment (always noticeably better-furnished than the Kramdens'). Many episodes begin with a shot of Alice in the apartment awaiting Ralph's arrival from work. Most episodes focus on Ralph's and Ed's characters, although Alice played a substantial role. Trixie played a smaller role in the series, and did not appear in every episode as did the other three. Each episode presented a self-contained story, which rarely carried over into a subsequent one. The show employed a number of standard sitcomclichésand plots, particularly those ofjealousy, get-rich-quick schemes, and comic misunderstanding.
As to the occasional plot continuations, there were two suchsequences —one concerning Ralph being sent to a psychiatrist because of "impatient" behavior during work that resulted in several passengers lodging complaints about his professional demeanor, and one that continued for two sequential shows in which Aunt Ethel visited and Ralph hatched a scheme to marry her off to the neighborhood butcher.
The series presents Ralph as aneverymanand anunderdogwho struggles to make a better life for himself and his wife, but who ultimately fails due to his own shortcomings. He, often along with Ed, devises a number of get-rich-quick schemes, none of which succeed. Ralph would be quick to blame others for his misfortune until it was pointed out to him where he had fallen short. Ralph's anger then would be replaced by short-lived remorse, and he would apologize for his actions. Many of these apologies to Alice ended with Ralph saying in a heartfelt manner, "Baby, you're the greatest," followed by a hug and kiss.
In most episodes, Ralph's short temper got the best of him, leading him to yell at others and to threaten comical physical violence, usually against Alice. Ralph's favorite threats to her were "One of these days ... One of these days ... Pow! right in the kisser!" or to knock her "to the Moon, Alice!" (Sometimes this last threat was simply abbreviated: as "Bang, zoom!") On other occasions, Ralph simply told Alice, "Oh, are you gonna get yours." All of this led to criticism, more than 40 years later, that the show displayed an ironic acceptance ofdomestic violence.But Ralph never carried out his threats, and others have pointed out that Alice knew he never would because of their deep love for eachother —indeed, Alice never was seen to back down during any of Ralph's tirades.In retaliation, the targets of Ralph's verbal abuse often responded by simply joking about his weight, a common theme throughout the series.
For the "Classic 39" episodes ofThe Honeymooners, there was no continuing story arc. Each episode is self-contained. For example, in the series premiere episode "TV or Not TV", Ralph and Norton buy a television set with the intent to share it. By the next week's show, the set is gone although in later episodes a set is shown in the Nortons' apartment. In the installment "The Baby Sitter", the Kramdens get a telephone, but in the next episode, it is gone. And, in the episode, "A Dog's Life", Alice gets a dog from the pound which Ralph tries to return. But, in the end, Ralph finds himself growing to love the dog and decides to keep it along with a few other dogs. However, in the next episode, the dogs are nowhere to be seen and are never referred to again.
Occasionally, references to earlier episodes were made, including to Ralph's various "crazy harebrained schemes" from the lost episodes. Norton'ssleepwalkingin "The Sleepwalker" was referenced in "Oh My Aching Back", but it was not until the 1967 "Trip To Europe" shows that aHoneymoonersstory arc is finally used.
In July 1950, Jackie Gleason became the host ofCavalcade of Stars, a variety show that aired on the strugglingDuMont Television Network. After the first year, he and his writersHarry Craneand Joe Bigelowdeveloped a sketch that drew upon familiar domestic situations for its material. Based on the popular radio showThe Bickersons, Gleason wanted a realistic portrayal of life for a poor husband and wife living inBrooklyn, his home borough. The couple would continually argue but ultimately show their love for each other. After rejecting titles such as "The Beast", "The Lovers" and "The Couple Next Door", Gleason and his staff settled on "The Honeymooners". Gleason took the role of Ralph Kramden, a blustery bus driver, and he chose veteran comedy film actressPert Keltonfor the role of Alice Kramden, Ralph's acerbic and long-suffering wife.
"The Honeymooners" debuted on October 5, 1951, as a six-minute sketch.Ensemble cast memberArt Carneymade a brief appearance as a police officer who is hit with flour that Ralph throws from the window. The tone of these early sketches was much darker than that of the later series, with Ralph exhibiting great bitterness and frustration with his marriage to an equally bitter and argumentative middle-aged woman (Kelton was nine years older than was Gleason). The Kramdens' financial struggles mirrored those of Gleason's early life in Brooklyn, and he took great pains to model the set on his memory of the apartment where he had lived.The Kramdens—and later the Nortons when those characters were added—are childless, an issue only occasionally explored, but a condition upon which Gleason insisted.Ralph and Alice did legally adopt a baby girl whom they named Ralphina. However, the biological mother requested to have her baby returned. A few later sketches had Ralph mistakenly believe that Alice was pregnant.
Early cast additions in later sketches were upstairs neighbors Ed and Trixie Norton. Ed was a sewer worker and Ralph's best friend, although his innocent and guileless nature was the source of many arguments between the two men. Trixie (maiden name never mentioned), Ed's wife, was originally portrayed byElaine Stritchas a burlesque dancer, but was replaced after just one appearance by the more wholesome-lookingJoyce Randolph. Trixie is afoilto Ed, just as Alice is to Ralph, but often offscreen.
With the colorful array of characters whom Gleason had invented, including the cast of "The Honeymooners" sketches,Cavalcade of Starsbecame a great success for DuMont and increased itsaudience sharefrom 9% to 25%. Gleason's contract with DuMont expired in the summer of 1952, and the financially struggling network (which suffered through ten rounds of layoffs from July through October 1953) was unable to retain him, and he moved to CBS.
In July 1952,CBSpresidentWilliam S. Paleysent Gleason and his cast on a highly successful nationwide five-week promotional tour, performing musical numbers and sketches (including the popular "The Honeymooners"). However, Kelton, who played Alice Kramden and other roles, wasblacklistedand replaced on the tour byBeulahactress Ginger Jones, who also became blacklisted (having earlier been named on theRed Channelsblacklist) by CBS. As a result, yet another Alice was needed.
Jones's replacement wasAudrey Meadows, known for her work in the 1951 Broadway musicalTop Bananaand on theBob & Raytelevision show. However, Gleason was concerned that Meadows was too attractive to make a credible Alice. To convince him, Meadows hired a photographer to take pictures of her in the early morning with no makeup, clad in a torn housecoat and with her hair undone.When Gleason saw the photos, he said, "That's our Alice." When he learned that it was Meadows in the photos, he reportedly said, "Any dame who has a sense of humor like that deserves the job."The lineup of Gleason, Carney, Meadows and Randolph was now in place.
The increasingly popular "The Honeymooners" sketches were prominent in episodes ofThe Jackie Gleason Showvariety show. During the first season, they appeared on a regular basis (although not weekly) as a series of short sketches ranging in length from seven to thirteen minutes. For the 1953–54 season, the shorter sketches were outnumbered by ones that ran for 30 minutes or longer. During the 1954–55 season, most episodes ofThe Jackie Gleason Showconsisted entirely of "The Honeymooners". Fan response became overwhelming, and Meadows received hundreds ofcurtainsandapronsin the mail from fans who wanted to help Alice lead a fancier life. By January 1955,The Jackie Gleason Showwas competing with—and sometimes beating—I Love Lucyas the most-watched television show in the United States. Audience members would queue around the block hours in advance in order to attend the show.
The "Classic 39" episodes ofThe Honeymoonersare those that originally aired as a weekly half-hour sitcom on CBS from October 1955 to September 1956.
Before Gleason's initial three-year contract with CBS expired, he was offered a much larger contract by CBS andGeneral Motors'Buickdivision. The three-year contract, reportedly valued at $11million (about $125million now),was one of the largest in showbusiness history at the time. It called for Gleason to produce 78 filmed episodes ofThe Honeymoonersover two seasons, with an option for a third season of 39 more. He was scheduled to receive $65,000 for each episode ($737,000 now)and $70,000 per episode in the second season ($794,000 now),but he had to pay all production costs out of that amount. Art Carney received $3,500 per week ($40,000 now),Audrey Meadows $2,000 ($23,000 now),and Joyce Randolph (who did not appear in every episode) $500 per week ($5,700 now).Production was handled by Jackie Gleason Enterprises Inc., which also producedStage Show, a program that aired directly before episodes ofThe Honeymoonersand starredthe Dorsey Brothers.Meadows, who later became a banker, was reportedly the only cast member to receiveresidualswhen the "Classic 39" episodes were rebroadcast in syndication because her brother Edward, a lawyer, had inserted language to that effect into her contract.Randolph received royalty payments when the "lost"Honeymoonersepisodes from the variety shows were released.
The first episode of the new half-hour series aired on Saturday, October 1, 1955, at 8:30 p.m.Eastern TimeoppositeOzark JubileeonABCandThe Perry Como ShowonNBC. Because the show was sponsored by Buick, the opening credits originally ended with a sponsor identification by announcerJack Lescoulie("Brought to you by your Buick dealer. And away we go!"), and the show concluded with a brief Gleason sales pitch for the company, all common practices at the time. All references to Buick were removed when the show entered syndication in 1957,although Gleason frequently said "And away we go!" frequently in various shows, and the quote is inscribed on his gravestone.
The initial critical reaction to the half-hour sitcomHoneymoonerswas mixed.The New York TimesandBroadcasting & Telecasting Magazinewrote that it was "labored" and lacked the spontaneity of the live sketches. ButTV Guidepraised it as "rollicking", "slapsticky" and "fast-paced".In February 1956, the show was moved to the 8:00 p.m. ET timeslot, but it already had begun losing viewers to the hugely popularPerry Como Show.Gleason's writers also had begun to feel confined by the restrictive half-hour format—in previous seasons, "The Honeymooners" sketches typically ran 35 minutes or more—and Gleason felt that were beginning to exhaust original ideas. After just one season, Gleason and CBS agreed to cancelThe Honeymooners, which aired its 39th and final original episode on September22, 1956. In explaining his decision to end the show with $7million remaining on his contract, Gleason said, "The excellence of the material could not be maintained, and I had too much fondness for the show to cheapen it."Gleason subsequently sold the films of the "Classic 39" episodes of the show to CBS for $1.5million.
In 1955, many television shows (includingThe Jackie Gleason Show) were performed live and recorded usingkinescopetechnology, although many sitcoms were recorded on film, such asAmos 'n' Andy,The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet,My Little MargieandI Married Joan.I Love Lucy, which was recorded directly onto35mm film, had influenced television production companies to produce directly on film. ForThe Honeymooners, Gleason utilized theElectronicamTV film system, developed by DuMont in the early 1950s, which allowed for a live performance to be directly captured on film. As a result of the superior picture and sound quality afforded by the system, episodes ofThe Honeymoonerswere much more suitable for rebroadcast than were most other live shows of the era.
All 39 episodes ofThe Honeymoonerswere filmed at the DuMont Television Network'sAdelphi Theatreat 152West 54th StreetinManhattanbefore an audience of 1,000. Episodes were never fully rehearsed because Gleason felt that rehearsals would rob the show of its spontaneity. As a result, mistakes often were made, with lines recited incorrectly or altogether forgotten, and actors did not always follow the scripted action directions. To compensate, the cast developed visual cues for each other. For example, Gleason patted his stomach when he forgot a line, while Meadows would glance at the icebox when someone else was supposed to retrieve something from it.
In contrast to other popular comedies of the era (such asFather Knows Best,Leave It to BeaverandThe Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet), which depicted their characters in comfortable,middle-classsuburban environments,Richard Rychtarik's set design forThe Honeymoonersreflected theblue-collarexistence of its characters. The Kramdens lived in a small, sparsely furnished two-room apartment in a tenement building at least four stories high (the Kramdens lived on the third floor and the Nortons lived one floor above them). They used the single main room as the kitchen, dining and living room. It consisted of a table and chairs, a chest of drawers, a curtainless window with a painted backdrop view of afire escapeand adjoining tenements, a noisy sink and an outdatedicebox. The Kramdens' bedroom never was seen.One of the few other sitcoms about a blue-collar family wasThe Life of Riley, a show that featured Gleason in its first season (1949–50).
The instrumentaltheme songforThe Honeymooners, titled "You're My Greatest Love", was composed by Gleason and performed by an orchestra led by Ray Bloch, previously the orchestra leader for Gleason's variety show as well as forThe Ed Sullivan Show. Although lyrics were composed, they were never sung. Sammy Spear, who later became Gleason's musical director, provided the arrangement.The music heard in the episodes was not performed during the show, so to enhance the feeling of a live performance for the studio audience, an orchestra performed before filming and during breaks.The show's original announcer wasJack Lescoulie, who also was a spokesman for the sponsor, Buick. For the unsponsored syndicated version, the introduction was voiced by CBS staff announcer Gaylord Avery.
On September 29, 1956, one week afterThe Honeymoonersended as a weekly 30-minute series,The Jackie Gleason Showreturned. "The Honeymooners" returned as part of the revived variety show. Eight episodes were produced as original full hour "Honeymooners" musicals with music and lyrics by Lyn Duddy and Jerry Bresler. The stories featured the Kramdens and Nortons touring Europe after winning a contest.Live musicals had become popular on live television following the success of the 1954-1955 live broadcasts ofMary MartininPeter Panas well as that of severalMax Leibmanoriginal musicals. Including the musical episodes, a total of 20 skits of various lengths were performed that season, including restaging of several older skits. (One episode, featuring a remake of "Six Months of Live" is still missing.)
In 1959,TV Guidemagazine mentioned Gleason's interest in producing newHoneymoonersshows. This did not happen for several years, but Gleason did team with Carney to revive an oldHoneymoonersscene for an October 1960 CBS special titledThe Big Sell.
After the spectacular failure of Gleason's 1961 game showYou're in the Pictureand the relative success of the eight-episode talk show that Gleason used to fill its time slot, his variety show returned in 1962 under the titleJackie Gleason and His American Scene Magazine. The "Honeymooners" sketches returned as part of the show whenever Carney was available. However, Meadows and Randolph were replaced bySue Ane Langdonand Patricia Wilson for two sketches.
In January 1966, Meadows returned on Gleason'sAmerican Scene Magazinevariety series as Alice for "The Honeymooners: The Adoption", a reenactment of a 1955 non-musical sketch of the same name, with original songs added by Duddy and Bresler.
WhenThe Jackie Gleason Show, by then based at Gleason's relocated headquarters inMiami Beach, Florida, returned in 1966, the "Honeymooners" sketches, in color for the first time, featuredSheila MacRaeandJane Keanin the roles of Alice and Trixie, as Meadows and Randolph declined to relocate to Miami. Gleason did not object to recasting the roles of the wives but was adamant that the Ed Norton role should never be played by anyone other than Carney.
The 1966 videotaped "Honeymooners" were also musical episodes that comprised 18 of the first season's 32 shows. Most of these were updated remakes of 1956-57 musical episodes with songs by Duddy and Bresler, expanded with new material. This include an addition episode added to the "Trip To Europe" sketches. Ten of these programs were syndicated for local stations asThe Honeymooners Go to Europeand the 1966-1970 color hour shows were released on DVD asThe Color Honeymooners.
One notable 1967 segment featured the return ofPert Kelton(in one of her last performances before her death in 1968), but as Alice's mother.
"The Honeymooners" ended again when CBS announced the cancellation ofThe Jackie Gleason Showon February 16, 1970, the result of a disagreement in direction between Gleason and the network. Gleason wanted to continue interspersing "The Honeymooners" within his regular variety show, while CBS wanted a full-hour "Honeymooners" every week. CBS's ongoing effort tomove its product toward younger audiences and away from established variety show starswas another potential factor in the show's demise. On October 11, 1973, Gleason, Carney, MacRae and Kean reunited for a "Honeymooners" sketch titled "Women's Lib" as part of a Gleason special on CBS. Four final one-hour specials aired on ABC from 1976 to 1978, with Meadows returning as Alice and Kean as Trixie. These specials came at a time when Gleason and Carney were each achieving newfound expanded fame, with Gleason'sprominent rolein the box office smashSmokey and the Banditand Carney winning anAcademy Awardfor his leading role inHarry and Tonto. These were the final original "Honeymooners" productions.
In May 2022, MPI releasedJackie Gleason TV Treasures, which includes three previously unreleased "Honeymooners" sketches from the early 1960s, the 1966 musical remake of "The Honeymooners: The Adoption" episode and seven color "Honeymooners" sketch episodes not included in previous collections.
Carney won fiveEmmy Awardsfor his portrayal of Ed Norton—two for the originalJackie Gleason Show, one forThe Honeymoonersand two for the final version ofThe Jackie Gleason Show. He was nominated for another two in 1957 and 1966, but lost. Gleason and Meadows both were nominated in 1956 for their work onThe Honeymooners. Gleason was nominated for Best Actor–Continuing Performance but lost toPhil Silvers, while Meadows was nominated for Best Actress-Supporting Role but lost toNanette Fabray. Meadows also was nominated for Emmys for her portrayal of Alice Kramden in 1954 and 1957.
The following table summarizes award wins by cast members, both forThe HoneymoonersandThe Jackie Gleason Show.
The Honeymoonersgained its greatest fame in syndication, where it has aired continually since its original cancellation.WPIXin New York City has aired the series for more than five decades (after it had initially run in 1957–1958 on WRCA-TV),with occasional brief breaks. It regularly airs on WPIX with a marathon that begins on the final hour of New Year's Eve and runs well into New Year's Day.In the United Kingdom, it originally aired onITVbetween 1958–1963.BBC Twoaired 38 of the original 39 episodes beginning in 1989 and ending in 1991.The show also has aired in Australia,Iran,Nigeria,Saudi Arabia, Ireland andSuriname.It previously was seen onWGN Americafrom June 2008 to September 2009 and onMe-TVfrom December 2010 to September 2011. In April 2012, the show returned toMe-TV. The show currently airs on the network on Sunday nights.Reruns of the show also air onCatchy Comedy.
In 1984, theMuseum of Television and Radioannounced the discovery of four original "Honeymooners" sketches fromThe Jackie Gleason Show, and response was overwhelmingly positive. In January 1985, Gleason announced the release of an additional group of "lost" episodes from his private vault. As with the previously released sketches, these "lost episodes" were actuallykinescopesfrom the 1952–55 and 1956–57 runs ofThe Jackie Gleason Show.Because the prints had not been stored under ideal conditions, parts of the soundtracks of three episodes were unusable, and the voices had to be redubbed. Gleason personally approved the soundalike actors, with noted voice actorJoe Alaskeyproviding Ralph Kramden's lines.
Gleason sold the broadcast rights to the "lost" episodes toViacom, and they first were aired from 1985 to 1986 as a series of 68 22-minute episodes on theShowtimecable network. They since have joined the original 39 episodes in syndication and also have been released on VHS and DVD.In September 2004, another "lost" episode was discovered at thePeabody Awardarchives inGeorgia. The episode, titled "Love Letter", originally aired onThe Jackie Gleason Showon October 16, 1954.It aired for the first time since then on October 16, 2004, its 50th anniversary, onTVLand. Viacom successorCBS Media Ventures, via CBS Broadcasting, owns the "Classic 39" series outright, while the Gleason estate owns the "lost episodes".
Paramount Home Entertainment/CBS DVDreleased a six-disc DVD box set titledThe Honeymooners "Classic 39" Episodesin November 2003 (only available inRegion 1). The set contains all 39 episodes from the series' original 1955–56 broadcast run. Also included in the set is an edited version of a 1990 anniversary special hosted by Meadows as well as original show openings and closings sponsored by Buick that were removed when the show entered syndication.
MPI Home Videoreleased 80 of the "lost episodes" in Region 1 DVD format in 2001–02 on 24 single-disc volumes. MPI subsequently re-packaged the 24 volumes into six four-disc box sets. Production of the 24 individual volumes and the six four-disc box sets ceased in 2008, but MPI has since renewed its deal with Jackie Gleason Enterprises and has continued to release new editions of the "lost" episodes and otherHoneymoonersmaterial not currently owned by CBS. In 2011, MPI announced the release of a completely restored set of all existingHoneymooners Lost Episodesfrom 1951 to 1957. The 50-hour, 15-DVD set contains 107Honeymoonerssketches and the home-video debut of the nine existing original DuMont Network sketches, six other sketches never before released on home video and the eight musicalHoneymoonersepisodes from 1957 (the "Trip To Europe" shows). The set was released on October 4, 2011.
In June 2006, MPI releasedThe Color Honeymooners – Collection 1(NTSCandPAL), which collects the "Trip to Europe" story arc presented onThe Jackie Gleason Showin 1966. It has since released an additional three volumes featuring additional episodes from this story arc.AmericanLife TV Networkhas also airedThe Color Honeymoonersshows under license from Gleason Enterprises andPaul Brownstein Productions.
In May 2022, MPI releasedJackie Gleason TV Treasures, which includes three previously unreleased "Honeymooners" sketches from the early 1960s, the 1966 musical remake of "The Honeymooners: The Adoption" episode and seven color "Honeymooners" sketch episodes not included in previous collections.
Paramount and CBS Home Entertainment released the 39 episodes onBlu-ray discin March 2014.
In Australia (Region 4), Shock Entertainment released "The Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes" five-disc set inNTSCformat on November 13, 2009,rereleased on August 5, 2020.
Because of its enduring popularity,The Honeymoonershas been referenced numerous times in Americanpop culture, and has served as the inspiration for other television shows, most notablyThe Flintstones. The show also introduced memorablecatchphrasesinto American culture such as "Bang, zoom, straight to the Moon!", "One of these days... one of these days...," "Homina, homina, homina," and "Baby, you're the greatest."
In 1960, theHanna-Barbera-produced animated sitcomThe Flintstonesdebuted on ABC. Many critics and viewers noted the close resemblance of the show's premise and characters to those ofThe Honeymooners,andWilliam HannaandJoseph Barberahave both stated thatThe Honeymoonerswas among their inspirations forThe Flintstones. Gleason later said that he considered suing but decided that becoming known as "the guy who yanked Fred Flintstone off the air" was not worth the negative publicity.The Honeymoonershad been compared in its day to the similar comedy seriesThe Bickersonsas well as to the work ofLaurel and Hardy(particularlySons of the Desert).The Flintstonesseries and its spinoffs changed over the years and deviated from the similarities toThe Honeymooners.
The success ofThe Honeymoonersin countries outside the United States has led to the production of new shows based entirely on it.
Two series, 26 episodes in all were made for R.C.T.I. in 1996. It was the first sitcom of that style ever attempted in Indonesia. It was titledDetak Detik(Ticking Seconds) and starred Mat Sola as the Jackie Gleason character. Art Carney rang the cast prior to production to give them his best wishes. It was decided to make Mat Sola a Silver Bird taxi driver, as they had a bit more prestige in Indonesia. They left Nurbuat, who mirrored Ed Norton, as a sewerage worker. The chemistry worked well. The series had to remove any references to alcohol, as Indonesia is a country with a Muslim majority population.
French Canada was entertainedfor years in the 1960s and '70s by a sitcom titledCré Basile, withOlivier Guimond,Béatrice Picard, Denis Drouin andAmulette Garneau, which was an uncredited Quebecois version ofThe Honeymooners. It could, by contemporary standards, qualify as plagiarism.
In 1994, the Dutch broadcasting networkKROproduced a version ofThe HoneymoonerstitledToen Was Geluk Heel Gewoon(Back then happiness was common), using translated scripts of the original series but changing its setting to 1950sRotterdam. After the original 39 scripts were exhausted, the series' lead actors,Gerard Coxand Sjoerd Pleijsier, took over writing, adding many new characters and references to Dutch history and popular culture. The series was a hit in the Netherlands and it finished its run after 16 years and 229 episodes in June 2009.The actors reprised their characters five years later in a feature-length movie.
In 1994, the Swedish networkTV4produced a version ofThe HoneymoonerstitledRena Rama Rolf, but changing its setting to contemporaryGothenburg, where Rolf (Ralph), played byLasse Brandeby, is working as astreetcar driver. The show ran until 1998.
In 1998, the Polish networkPolsatproduced a version ofThe HoneymoonerstitledMiodowe latawhich translates to "Honey years" (because in Polish a honeymoon is translated as a "honey month"), using both translated scripts of the original series and new ones, but changing its setting to modern-dayWarsaw. The original series ran until 2003 and was continued in 2004 asCałkiem nowe lata miodowe.
Vince Musacchia created a comic book series based onThe HoneymoonersforHypergraphicsbetween 1987 and 1989.
On June 10, 2005, afeature film remakeofThe Honeymoonerswas released, featuring a predominantly African American cast. The roles of Ralph, Alice, Ed, and Trixie were played byCedric the Entertainer,Gabrielle Union,Mike Epps, andRegina Hall, respectively. The movie was a critical and commercial failure, earning slightly more than US$13 million worldwide.The film was released byParamount Pictures.
In 1988, First Row Software released aHoneymoonerscomputer game for theCommodore 64andDOSsystems. The game involves the Kramdens and Nortons trying to earn $223 for train fare toMiami Beach, where Ralph wants to host the annual Raccoon Lodge convention, by playing a variety of mini-games related to the series. Additionally, players have the option of trying to double their money after each round by answering aHoneymooners-related question in a bonus round based on "The $99,000 Answer" episode.
In December 2016, a CBS reboot ofThe HoneymoonerswithBob Kushellwriting and executive producing the series was announced but it never came to fruition. Producers Sarah Timberman, Carl Beverly, Eric & Kim Tannenbaum, andJeff Greensteinwere also announced as part of the development deal.
In January 2022, a CBS reboot ofThe HoneymoonerswithDamon Wayans Jr.executive producing the series was announced.
In September 2017,Paper Mill Playhouseproduced the world-premiere of a musical adaptation ofThe Honeymooners, starringMichael McGrathas Ralph,Michael Mastroas Ed,Leslie Kritzeras Alice, andLaura Bell Bundyas Trixie. The musical had a book by Dusty Kay andBill Nuss, with music by Stephen Weiner and lyrics byPeter Mills. It was directed byJohn Randoand choreographed byJoshua Bergasse.