The Abbott and Costello Show

Sitcoms had been around for a few years when this show premiered, but none of them were anywhere near as funny (Jerry Seinfeld is on record as saying this show was the inspiration for his creating "Seinfeld") as this one. The premise of the show lent itself to Bud & Lou's reprising many of their most famous routines, and it was good to see them back in action. The two of them--especially Costello--seemed to have regained the spark they once had before a string of movie failures and the team's personal and physical problems (Lou's infant son had fallen into their backyard pool and drowned several years previously, a tragedy Lou never got over; Bud--unknown to many at the time--had epilepsy and his seizures were becoming more serious) combined to send their career into a tailspin, and this show was their chance to revive it. Even though Costello was no longer a young man (he was in his mid-50s when the series debuted) he could still take the pratfalls he was famous for, and the team's exquisite sense of timing seemed to have resurfaced (in one episode they did their famous "Lemon" gag that was simply amazing to watch). A first-rate supporting cast and a somewhat more adult atmosphere (Costello had a major--and completely understandable--case of the hots for beautiful Hillary Brooke, and he and Joe Besser's wonderful Stinky had some quite nasty fights) elevated this show beyond just kid's fare.

Although it lasted only two seasons, this is a very fondly remembered show. It holds up well and is just as funny today as it was back when it was first shown.

For the love of . . . Cecil! This stream of Burlesque bits, connected by the flimsiest - and surreal-est - of segues is very funny.

Lou does tend to ad-lib, but watch also Abbott. He's hysterical! He was really the best "straight" man. He kept Lou on track. But, he also echoed Lou's actions in the background, as a sort of punctuation.

And, of course, Mr. Fields, with all his relatives.

Hard to pick a favorite bit. "Loafin'"; "Gold Ore"; "Floogle Street"; "Vacation".

Don't forget "Hold That Cuckoo!", the quiz show the boys went on. Lou wins 1,000 pieces of bubblegum. A few days after the show, Abbott says "Are you still chewing that gum?", slaps Lou, the gum falls on the sidewalk in front of Mr. Fields' Rooming House, where a "Mr. Rednose" (Bobby Barber), slips and falls on the gum, gets up claiming he broke his leg,and ends up suing Mr. Fields. They all go to court, where Lou drives the judge crazy. And, "I'm positive!" about that!

The wonderful nonsense that made up the comedy of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello is carefully preserved and is to be treasured in this two season television series which I can remember from my earliest days. It seemed like it was in syndication forever on WPIX TV in New York in the fifties, sixties and seventies. Made those Honeymooner episodes look like nothing.

A careful viewing of all their feature films will find all their famous routines in them at one point. But if you just want to see the boys do their stuff and not have to worry about the plot of some movie, than by all means try to acquire these shows on VHS or DVD.

The plots of these shows are absolutely meaningless. The common thread was the fact that they didn't pay the rent at their rooming-house and as their harassed landlord said on one show, they were going into their second year. Of course the fact that they didn't want to work and when they got jobs, they inevitably blew them up didn't help matters.

The landlord was Sidney Fields who went back in burlesque as long as Abbott and Costello did. Fields had one magnificent temper and when Abbott wasn't abusing his hapless partner, Fields was. He got almost as many laughs as the boys did, in fact they could have been a trio act.

Another tenant at the rooming-house was Gordon Jones, known as Mike the cop, though in one episode it did slip that his last name was Kelly. He also was driven to distraction by Costello's antics. There was the beautiful and ever patient Hillary Brooke who Costello was crushing out on big time. And there was Joe Kirk, in real life Lou's brother-in-law, who was the ever excitable Italian, Mr. Baciagalupe. Kirk was a poor man's Henry Armetta and the boys constantly made him lose his "temperature".

Somewhere on some cable station these shows are still playing, with comedy that is absolutely timeless and will be enjoyed a thousand years from now.

One thing I did wonder when I got older. Why didn't Fields just take Abbott and Costello to Landlord and Tenant Court. He had more than enough grounds.

The raison d'etre of these 52 shows is the desire of Lou Costello to leave behind definitive versions of all of their burlesque and vaudeville routines. Most of these were not original, some having circulated since Plautus. Floogle Street (also known, incorrectly, as the Susquehanna Hat Company), Crazy House,

Niagara Falls (Slowly I Turn) were all such staples that every new burlesque comic was expected to know them in case they were needed to fill in at a moments notice. They were part of the stock repertoire. What Abbott and Costello did was present the absolute perfect version of each bit. It was this absolute perfection which caused them to rise to the very top of burlesque, and to, uniquely, make the transition to the mass medium of films.

They did these bits in their films but they were usually compromised by having plots and sub plots and romance and songs and whatever the studio executives or their agents (actually the same person) thought people who went to the movies wanted. Comparing their late films with the TV series is night and day. They look old and tired and out of shape in the films but crisp and perfectly timed on TV. The big difference with the TV series is that Lou Costello was in complete charge and did things his way. Absolutely the ne plus ultra of the burlesque comic genre, pardon my French.

One day the National Film Registry will have to list the entire series as a national treasure. Lou Costello was right and their act was for the ages and this black and white series preserves it perfectly. Meanwhile watch that bit again where Mr. Bacciagalupe (I still call my greengrocer Mr. Bacciagalupe) convinces Lou that two bananas are really three bananas. Also the routine where Abbott convinces Costello not to let Mike the Cop push them around which keeps getting Lou hit on the head which is so much like modern international politics that it's frightening.

P.S. Doing my Joe Besser ('Stinky') impression got me out of the draft.

I must rebuff the previous comments made in the Feb 04 and Feb 06 reviews. First off, the individual who thought this was poorly written and predictable is entitled to his opinion, regardless of how unfounded it may be. But to call this classic comedy duo boring is grossly unfair. A comedic legend that inspired Jerry Seinfeld? What credentials are you going by? That person writes--"How about a joke"...the joke is on you!! This is sketch comedy at its finest!! I can't see how anyone cannot find humor and at least one good laugh in Costello's birthday skit between Lou and Mr. Fields. How Fields turns Costello's every word against him is just grand farce!! Or when Lou walks the old lady across the street. To see that old lady bonk Lou over the head, breaking her cane not once but twice is priceless. Throw in Mike the Cop several times in the same routine and you have a surefire recipe for laughter. And how one can overlook the banter between Lou and Stinky is beyond me, those two provide the show with many of its finest moments.

And for the reviewer who thought Joe Besser's "Stinky" character brought the series down, come on!!! Stinky's interactions with Costello are hilarious. To see the two of them beat upon each other, interjecting witty comments along the way-"I'll harm you" (from the Susquehanna Hat Company routine) is riotous.

It seems that no matter how wonderful a performer is, how universally recognized, a forum such as this is always bound to bring out the few dodos who have to go against the grain... Give these two comedy giants their complete due and give them a break!!!