Mel Blanc Show

The Mel Blanc Show was a 30-minute comedy radio series that aired on CBS from September 3, 1946 to June 24, 1947. The show featured the legendary voice actor Mel Blanc playing a fictionalized version of himself as the hapless owner of a fix-it shop that was never able to successfully repair anything.

Blanc, known as “The Man of a Thousand Voices,” was famous for providing the voices of numerous iconic cartoon characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, and Tweety Bird. However, in The Mel Blanc Show, Blanc used his natural speaking voice, except when he would occasionally impersonate an exotic foreigner or other strange character to help carry out a minor deception on his girlfriend’s father.

The show’s one regular outlet for another Blanc voice was the character of Zookie, Mel’s stuttering young cousin who worked in the fix-it shop.

The Stars

In addition to Mel Blanc as the show’s star, The Mel Blanc Show featured several veteran actors of old-time radio in supporting roles. These included:

Betty Colby (Mel’s girlfriend): - Played by Mary Jane Croft Mr. Colby (Betty’s father): - Played by Joseph Kearns Mr. Cushing (lodge president): - Played by Hans Conried Mr. Potchnik (piano teacher): - played by Alan Reed Mrs. Longneck (rich socialite): - Played by Bea Benaderet

Other actors who frequently appeared on the program included Sheldon Leonard, Gale Gordon, and Parley Baer.

The announcer was John “Bud” Hiestand, and the show’s music was provided by Victor Miller and his orchestra.

Key Dates

• The Mel Blanc Show debuted on CBS on September 3, 1946 and ran for 42 episodes.
• its final broadcast was on June 24, 1947.
• The show was sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive-Peet, but in May 1947 the company decided to cancel the program as part of a “general retrenchment program.”

Other Information

While The Mel Blanc Show failed to achieve high ratings and was ultimately canceled after less than a year on the air, it provided Blanc with an opportunity to showcase his exceptional vocal talents in a starring role. One reviewer noted that the show’s “scripting” and “production” issues prevented it from reaching the “show-type average” of other popular sitcoms of the era.

However, Blanc’s natural voice and ability to seamlessly transition between a wide range of character voices were considered the program’s greatest assets. As one website commented, “Mel Blanc’s natural – and exceptional – voice talent was unquestionably the series’ greatest selling factor; and Mel got to show his acting and timing chops to a far greater degree with his own situation comedy.”

Some of the show’s recurring catchphrases and running gags included Mel’s “ugga-ugga-boo, ugga-boo-boo-ugga” password for the Benevolent Order of Loyal Zebras lodge, Mr. Colby’s threat to “break every bone in your body!”, and Mr. Cushing’s weepy lament “But I don’t know why I’m telling you all this; it’s just that I’ve got no one to talk to!”

While The Mel Blanc Show was short-lived, it provided a platform for the legendary voice actor to showcase his remarkable talents and helped to further cement his status as one of the most influential and versatile performers in the history of radio and animation.