The Jim Backus Show

Starring: Jim Backus, Nita Talbot, Bobs Watson, George Ives
First Aired: 1960
Number of Seasons: 1
Estimated Production Cost: $100,000*

You might be familiar with The Jim Backus Show under its previous moniker, Hot Off the Wire. Mike O’Toole, played by Jim Backus, was the star of this half-hour sitcom. O’Toole was the owner of a wire service that was fighting to stay afloat in the current economic climate. Nita Talbot, who portrayed Dora Miles, and Bobs Watson, who played Sidney, were among the other actors who appeared on the show. In 1960 and 1961, the show was syndicated nationally. The Jim Backus Show had some big-name guest stars stop by to try to boost the show’s lagging ratings, including George Ives, Alan Carney, Milton Frome, Vivi Janiss, and Olan Soule, among others, in an effort to boost the show’s ratings.

The Jim Backus Show

The Virginian

Starring: James Drury, Doug McClure, Lee J. Cobb, Roberta Shore
First Aired: September 19, 1961
Number of Seasons: 9
Estimated Production Cost: $330,000 per episode*

The Virginian was one of the most popular Westerns of its time, and it continues to be so now. In the last season, the show has renamed The Men from Shiloh to better reflect its setting. The ranch foremen played by Lee J. Cobb, Doug McClure, and James Drury were the stars of the show. Those who enjoy Western books may recognize the premise of this drama, which is set in the West. The program was partially based on Owen Wister’s novel The Virginian, A Horseman of the Plains, which was published in 1902. The show was filmed in a number of different sites in California, including the Iverson Movie Ranch, Bronson Canyon, and Lone Pine, among others. The show Laredo was a spin-off of the original series.

The Virginian