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The Raleigh Cigarette Program

The Raleigh Cigarette Program
Other names The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton
The Red Skelton Show (see below)
Genre Comedy
Running time 30 minutes
Country United States
Language(s) English
Syndicates NBC
Starring Red Skelton
Ozzie Nelson
Harriet Nelson
Wonderful Smith
Announcer Truman Bradley
Written by Edna Stillwell
Jack Douglas
Benedict Freedman
John Fenton Murray
Sol Saks
Directed by Keith McLeod
Produced by Keith McLeod
Air dates October 7, 1941 (1941-10-07) to June 6, 1944 (1944-06-06)
No. of series 3
Sponsored by Raleigh cigarettes
The Red Skelton Show
Skelton card 1948.jpg
1948 cast photo
Other names The Raleigh Cigarette Program
Genre Comedy
Running time 30 minutes
Country United States
Language(s) English
Syndicates NBC
CBS
Starring Red Skelton
GeGe Pearson
Lurene Tuttle
Verna Felton
Wonderful Smith
Anita Ellis
Martha Wentworth
Dick Ryan
David Forrester
David Rose
Announcer Pat McGeehan
Rod O'Connor
Written by Edna Stillwell
Jack Douglas
Benedict Freedman
John Fenton Murray
Directed by Keith McLeod
Produced by Keith McLeod
Air dates December 4, 1945 (1945-12-04) to May 26, 1953 (1953-05-26)
Other themes Great Day
Sponsored by Raleigh cigarettes
Tide
Norge

The Raleigh Cigarette Program (alternatively known as The Raleigh Cigarette Program Starring Red Skelton) was an American old-time radio comedy program that starred comedian Red Skelton.

Skelton was, at the time, an up-and-coming comedian who made it big with an appearance on The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour (aka The Rudy Vallée Show), in 1937 and for hosting Avalon Time on NBC for several months after the departure of country singer Red Foley in 1939.

Other principal performers on the program included actors Ozzie and Harriet Nelson and comedian Wonderful Smith. Ozzie Nelson was the bandleader on the program while Harriet served as the program's vocalist and in the female leads, even, on occasion, serving as Skelton's comic foil. Smith served as Skelton's antagonist on the program.

Skelton introduced his famous catchphrase "I dood it!" on this program along with his popular long-running characters "Clem Kadiddlehopper" and "Junior, the mean widdle kid".

The program originally premiered on October 7, 1941 on NBC. The program was a hit in the ratings airing Tuesday nights at 10:30 for its entire three season run. The program was cancelled after Skelton was drafted into World War II. The final broadcast of the show aired on June 6, 1944. The program spun off The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet which premiered on CBS in October of that year.

The program was sponsored by the Raleigh cigarettes division of the Brown & Williamson Tobacco Company.

The Raleigh Cigarette Program premiered on October 7, 1941 on the Red Network of the National Broadcasting Company. The program starred comedian Red Skelton. Skelton had already established himself as a professional comedian and radio personality as a guest star on Rudy Vallée's Royal Gelatin Hour and as host of Avalon Time.


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