Radio vs. Television

[ClassicFilmFan]

Hello Folks!
Sorry if this is already a really corny/closed subject here *I'm new, don't sue me! * but I was curious how you all think about the television episodes in comparison [as far as that's possible] with the radio shows.
Because for me, the radio episodes seem funnier, and less 'polished' than the television episodes. I love those radio 'ad-lib' moments and fluffs [turned into a runing gag].. but that's just my humble opinion!

[1426]

I agree that the radio shows are funnier. The monologues on the tv shows dont seem to be that funny. The tv shows seem to be paced slower too which is not really a negative. Many of the tv shows as well as the later radio shows and even some earlier ones reuse a lot of radio material. This is not necesarrily a negative either. The tv shows versions of radio bits are not always as good to me. I realize that I could face banishment for making criticisms (joking of course) but I believe that radio made the best use ofs Mr Benny's talents.

[shimp scrampi]

We have been around this block a few times in various chats and forum posts, but here's my take - in the "big picture", I think Jack's radio legacy is more solid than his TV legacy. But, when you get down into it, there is a whole "continuum" of THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM that goes from radio through TV, and there are better and worse eras across the run of the program in its entirety. Would I prefer almost any 1948 radio episode to almost any 1964 TV episode? Sure. But I'd also prefer almost any ca. 1954 TV episode to almost any of the 1933-1934 surviving radio shows.

Some of the traditional knocks against the TV show actually had come about in the radio era (Phil leaving, Mary's participation dwindling). Also without TV, so many of Jack's mannerisms (gestures, the audience stare) would be lost to us. At its best, the TV show had a sly visual humor that clicked along like the best of the radio "picture gags". Didn't always work, but lest we be blinded by rose-colored glasses, to mix a metaphor - it didn't always work on radio either.

So, to sum up, I think there's comedy gold to be found in both radio and TV Benny. We're lucky to have both!

[LLeff]

Something that I've noticed on the whole radio vs. TV debate is that when I get asked (which, as long-timers know, happens a LOT) for copies of the Si-Sy routine, a lot of people are looking for the TV version in preference to the radio version.

When I've asked people (which, as long-timers know, I've done a LOT) what makes this routine funny to them, the answer is often around seeing Jack crack up at Mel's deadpan face. Or sometimes it's just about Mel's expression.

So it's possible that this routine, invented and done many times on radio and obviously well-loved there, may actually work better--or have more mental "stickiness"--on television.

So if Speedy Gonzalez and Si-Sy are potentially politically incorrect now, what of Disney's Beverly Hills Chihuahua? Isn't it basically the same joke?

[Steve Carras]

Frank Nelson was quite obvioiusly better on the radio, where it was more of a surprise every time he spoke his famous lines...

[Fred Allen]

For my money, Jack's funniest tv episode was the 1960 Christmas Show.