WGN cable will be airing the entire 36 episodes of the Honeymooners starting New Year's. Check your cable listing for times, and set your recorder.

Darn..I love those shows even though I'm not that old. :D I was hoping they would be "airing" in AIR for free!!

I've been recording them every Sunday on WGN for the past couple of months. The 36 episodes in one shot would be easier. I don't have enough hard disk space left though unless my networked drive is fast enough. Guess it's worth a try.

I understand that they were recorded with Electronicam which split the optics so they could record on film at the same time as producing video for broadcast. I've noticed that on a few episodes that when they zoom in the image gets fuzzy and sometimes vignettes. I thought optics were better than this even back in the 50s.

Also, on the WGN rebroadcasts the characters faces in closeups are often near the upper right and left corners. I would have thought that on the old round tubes they'd get cut off. I wonder if the film looks different than the video did since film would be viewed on a square screen, or if it's the same as the video was?

John Y.

As a TV historian, I have to tell you there were 39 Honeymooners episodes-hence the Classic 39 that were filmed using the Dumont Electronicam TV-Film system for the 1955-56 TV season. The Honeymooners originally aired on the CBS Television Network and was originally sponsered ny Buick-How I Love To Drive My Buick and Away We Go! These were the Classic 39 that was also broadcast in syndication for many years and still is in broadcast syndication as well which includes WSBK and WGN this year. Happy New Year and enjoy The Honeymooners on WGN:thmbsp:

http://www.pharis-video.com/p4612.htm

Above is a link to Chuck Pharis' electronicam. Very interesting device. I've always loved the Honeymooners, and as my first tv was a black and white portable, and I'd have to stand in front of the set holding the antenna to get the best reception. But I didn't care, even as a little kid, pulling in distant signals was great fun!

http://www.pharis-video.com/p4612.htm

Above is a link to Chuck Pharis' electronicam. Very interesting device. I've always loved the Honeymooners, and as my first tv was a black and white portable, and I'd have to stand in front of the set holding the antenna to get the best reception. But I didn't care, even as a little kid, pulling in distant signals was great fun!

Wow! That is interesting. I hope he's successful in finding the remaining pieces he needs.

Well, 308 gigabytes later and I have all the episodes that WGN broadcast, recorded. Now to delogo them and transfer them to DVD. That will probably take until next New Year.

I had to make a run to the local store that had a 1 terabyte USB drive on sale for $140, hook it up, reformat it to use with my networked drive and hope for the best. I've spent more than that on a 512k floppy drive.

John

Around here, WPIX Channel 11 broadcasts the original 39 starting 12 midnight on New Years Eve, Til 8 PM New Years Day. I watched a bunch, and have seen them all at one time or another. "I'd never lie to the IRS about a Clock with a horse in its stomach!!!" :D:thmbsp:

Thanks for the link on DuMont's Electronicam system... always saw it mentioned in the show's ending credits and wondered.

In Chicago, ME-TV channel 23 shows them every night at around 10:30pm.

i think my dvr said i had 28 recorded when i went to bed. i also like to watch them. steve

I love that show. I always laugh even though by now I can recite the lines as they come. My favorites: Ed: "Ralph, mind if I smoke?" Ralph: "I don't care if you burn."
and Ralph to his mother-in-law: "YOU..Are a BLABBERMOUTH!!!! a BLABBERMOUTH!!!"

"Ya wanna go to the Moon, Alice?"

"Get out!"

What a great show. Growing up in Brooklyn in the 60's was cool. You knew all your neighbors, and they knew you. Everyone on the stoop in the summertime till all hours of the night. Everyone looked out for everyone else. Not like today...

WPIX in New York airs the original 39 every year at New Year's.
after seeing them all I don't know how many times, they still crack me up. Definitely in my top 5 best sitcoms of all time with Seinfeld, Mary Tyler Moore, Bob Newhart, and All in the Family.

"I don't care if you burn." - Also one of my favorites.

And of course, "Can it core a apple? Ooh, it can core a apple!"