The real life of the Nelson family was captured in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson that was aired on ABC Network for almost 14 years! This truly American sitcom starred the amazingly popular stars of yesteryear, Ozzie Nelson and Harriet Nelson, along with their two children David and Eric “Ricky” Nelson. Thorny was their friendly neighbor whose role was played by another great star Don DeFore. Though this particular show did not make it to the top ten rankings, it surely was a reflection of a true American family life set in the 1950s. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson aired for a total of fourteen years – one of the longest in the network’s history.

Every single one of the lead characters also got to act in a movie called “Here Come The Nelsons” in which Rock Hudson also played a huge role. This particular movie had Ozzie as an advertising executive who had to work on a campaign that promoted women’s undergarments. Unlike the television series, this particular movie is the only place where Ozzie’s true profession is highlighted. The TV series did very occasionally show Harriet as a singer, but Ozzie’s career as a band leader was only mentioned briefly on one episode!

Even before The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson could be aired, Ozzie actually made the ABC Network agree to sign a contract for ten years! Even more impressive is the fact that the Nelson’s were to be paid regardless of how well the series did in the ratings! This particular contract was something that was surely not a coincidence. It was a testament to Ozzie’s business and negotiating talents. It also helped that the network knew without a doubt that the public would absolutely fall in love with the Nelsons! Ozzie’s talents continued to shine during the filming of the series. He made certain that each and every scene was perfect and the pay-off was that the series itself became an everyday name among most American families.

On October 10, 1952, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson premiered and the show ran continuously till 1966. Since Ozzie was a perfectionist, the show had to be realistic and it actually featured the exteriors of the Nelson’s real life home in Southern California. The interiors of the home on the other hand were shot in a sound studio, but the interiors were made to exactly replicate those of the Nelson’s actual home.

Though this particular show was shot in black and white, people still appreciated it for showing the values of a nuclear family of that particular era and accepted it even further when the final season was made in color.

Jimmy Hawkins, Mary Jane Croft, Don DeFore, Lyle Talbot, Skip Young, Kent McCord and Frank Cady were some of the leading actors who acted in supporting roles in this particular series. This particular series has been the longest family sitcom in American show biz history to this very date. On conclusion of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson, the network came up with Ozzie’s Girls but without David and Ricky, that series suffered a quick death.

It should be noted that there was an Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet radio show that ran for ten years from 1944 to 1954 for a whopping 402 episodes! That series did highlight Ozzie as a bandleader who spent a lot of time missing his family when he was on the road. David and Ricky Nelson joined the radio show in 1949. Before that, child actors played their roles.

Author Bio: To learn more about The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet on the radio, visit this Ozzie and Harriet Radio Show Page. For Ozzie and Harriet on TV, visit this Ozzie and Harriet TV Show Page.

Category: Entertainment
Keywords: Ozzie,Harriet,David,Ricky,Nelson,Family,radio,TV,television,show,series,comedy,sitcom