Stan Freberg CBS Radio Show No. 15 - The Last CBS Show - Oct. 20, 1957 - Comedy

Published: July 20, 2022, 3:13 p.m.

The Stan Freberg Show was a weekly radio comedy show that ran on the CBS Radio Network for only fifteen episodes in 1957–58. The show, starring comedian Stan Freberg and featuring the vocal talents of Daws Butler, June Foray, and Peter Leeds and the musical direction of Billy May, ran in the 7 p.m. timeslot previously occupied by The Jack Benny Program. The show was produced by Pete Barnum with sound effects by Bill James and Gene Twombly. Despite its short run, the show managed to develop some running gags and stock jokes, from Freberg's ambivalence toward Madison Avenue (faux advertisements for "Puffed Grass" and "Food", as well as the classic sketch "Gray Flannel Hatful of Teenage Werewolves") to the overwhelmingly popular interviews with a sneaker-wearing Abominable Snowman. By the thirteenth episode, it was clear that The Stan Freberg Show was suffering from a lack of advertiser interest (perhaps helped by Freberg's werewolf comparisons). CBS canceled the series after fifteen episodes; according to Joe Bevilacqua, it was the last American network radio show to devote itself purely to comedy. Stan's radio series lasted just 14 weeks; the reason was because he refused "participating sponsorship", insisting on ONE major sponsor- and turned down at least two tobacco companies who wanted to susutain him. CBS wasn't going to wait for "big ticket" sponsors to step forward (and nobody else seemed to want to sponsor the show, since it continually satirized the very advertisers Stan was trying to attract), and cancelled Freberg's series to make way for one with "participating sponsors": Henry Morgan's panel show "SEZ YOU", which continued through the 1957-'58 season. Playlist "Stan Freberg" contains all 15 shows of the CBS Radio series. That playlist is on Heirloom Radio on Soundcloud.com