The Emmys were strange in the mid-1950s. I neglected to get into this in the last post, but for the 1957 awards, series were not split into category by comedy or drama, but by running time. There were nominees for half-hour programs, which were mainly comedies, and The Phil Silvers Show won that category. There was a separate category for hour-long programs, which also went to a comedy series, Caesar's Hour, and a category for best single program, which was mostly episodes of anthology drama shows. For this reason, it's weird from a historical perspective knowing how to categorize these wins. Perhaps I should go back and review Caesar's Hour as well.
For the 10th annual awards the following year, there was again a designated Comedy Series category, and The Phil Silvers Show won for the third year in a row. And despite it being long into the series run, the third year is an extremely important moment in television history, though one that doesn't often get discussed. The third episode of the season was called "Hillbilly Whiz" and it was the story of a new recruit from somewhere down south who had a great pitching arm. Bilko conspires to get him scouted by the pros, and there are cameo appearances by Yogi Berra and other players of the 1957 New York Yankees. And this would be neat in itself, but from a historical perspective, the other guest star is more important. You see, that hillbilly pitcher role was the television debut of Dick Van Dyke.
Dick Van Dyke apparently made such an impression that he returned later in the season playing Bilko's cousin, also a similarly folksy drawling amiable guy. It's clear from his two appearances that he has a kind of comedic personality that lights up the screen, and he plays well off of Phil Silvers. In just a few years, CBS would give Van Dyke his own series and he would become a star.
While Van Dyke's appearances are the main highlights of season 3, they are not the only bright spots. The series has settled into a groove and it knows what stories it tells. There are continued appearances from celebrities of the day. It's funny how some celebrities remain household names and others don't. Last season was the appearance of Ed Sullivan and Bing Crosby, and that still holds today, but it's quaint watching everyone flip out over the appearance of Kay Kendall, when most modern viewers would scratch their heads and say, "Who?"
Some of the stories also start to get a little sillier. Paparelli spends an episode in drag in order to use a vacation that he won in a contestant, not realizing it was for married couples. Doberman continues to be a source of humor, particularly in "Doberman the Crooner", where it turns out he has a gorgeous Irish tenor voice, but only when he's sick.
One issue I do have is that by season 3 Bilko is made out to be sort of a gambling genius, and this doesn't really hold with earlier depictions of the character. Yes, he consistently gets the better of guys like Ritzik or some of his men, but in the very first episode he had a gambling debt. This heightened confidence in his abilities does lead to a wonderful episode where Colonel Hall finally gets the better of Bilko by scamming him with a professional card manipulator, shattering Bilko's confidence. And that's one of the nicest things about this season, is the effort in a few episodes for Colonel Hall to no longer be just a bumbler but learn from his mistakes and he actually gets the better of Bilko several times. This is a nice reversal, and it pays off for long-time viewers. In another episode, Ritzik learns the secrets of Bilko's scams when he talks in his sleep. It's fun to see the master manipulator get one-upped every now and then.
FAVORITE EPISODES: Hillbilly Whiz, The Big Man Hunt, Bilko Talks in His Sleep, Bilko at Bay, Doberman the Crooner, The Colonel's Reunion, Bilko's Cousin
UP NEXT: The Jack Benny Program
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