Voting Station

Our Miss Brooks

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TV Series

The Resume

    (October 3, 1952-May 11, 1956)
    Originally aired on CBS
    Created by Al Lewis
    Eve Arden as Connie Brooks
    Jeff Chandler as Phillip Boynton
    Gale Gordon as Osgood Conklin
    Richard Crenna as Walter Denton
    Jane Morgan as Margaret Davis
    Gloria McMillan as Harriet Conklin
    Isabel Randolph as Ruth Nestor (1955-56)
    Paula Winslowe as Martha Conklin
    Orangey as Minerva the Cat
    Based on the popular radio show of the same name (broadcast from 1948 to 1957)
    Premise: Focuses on the misadventures of a zany schoolteacher, along with her students and tyrant principal, all while pining for the affections of an oblivious colleague

Why Our Miss Brooks might be annoying:

    There was sexual tension between Connie and Philip despite Arden's being twelve years Rockwell's senior in real life.
    Walter sounded like he had just been kneed in the groin and had his fingers slammed in a car door (had to be the slowest transition into puberty ever...)
    It was hard to evaluate Connie's actual teaching skills, considering that she was rarely ever seen before a full class.
    In fact few students other than Walter or Harriet were ever shown in the otherwise empty school hallways.
    Jeff Chandler was the original Mr. Boynton on the radio, but his burgeoning film career made him pass on doing the TV show, which would have been deemed a downgrade.
    Gale Gordon would mainly play variations of the pompous tyrant Mr. Conklin for the rest of his career including in several (less funny) Lucille Ball sitcoms.
    Its popularity suffered in the last season, when they had Connie and Mr. Conklin relocate from Madison High to a private elementary school.
    What's more, they unwisely changed Connie's romantic focus from Mr. Boynton to a gym teacher played by Gene Barry (and also now HE was the pursuer where for years Miss Brooks had been the pursuer).
    They tried to rectify their mistake by bringing Rockwell back for several mid-season episodes. But ratings continued to sag, and it died a quiet death by cancellation.
    Eve Arden had a thirty plus year film career but would only ever be known for playing the title character of the show (it would also result in her being typecast as schoolmarms, such as in the 'Grease' films).

Why Our Miss Brooks might not be annoying:

    It brought Richard Crenna to people's attention.
    They spoofed This Is Your Life in a Season 3 episode.
    It was one of the few popular radio programs to successfully move into the television format.
    It was the template for every high school comedy series to come.
    Eve Arden received several offers to be a real-life teacher, but couldn't take that big of a pay-cut.
    In fact, many jokes revolved around Miss Brooks' being underpaid, at a time when the issue wasn't common knowlege.
    It finished at #14 - 15 in the Nielsen ratings during its second and third seasons.
    Eve Arden won an Emmy Award for Best Female Star of Regular Series (1954).
    Gale Gordon was nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Regular Series (1955).
    It broke ground by depicting a professional working woman who excelled at her job (whereas Lucy got laughs showing a woman fail at jobs).
    Eve Arden received an award from the Teachers College of Connecticut's Alumni Association 'for humanizing the American teacher,' in 1952.
    The theatrical film released the year of its cancellation was actually pretty faithful to the original material and even saw Connie and Mr. Boynton become engaged.

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 13 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 1 Votes: 100% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying