The Honeymooners is the greatest classic sitcom of all time. I Love Lucy, while a classic in its own right, is just not as good in comparison. One of the reasons why The Honeymooners is the better of the two is because of its main star: Jackie Gleason. Preferring the results of spontaneity and the unexpected, Gleason refused to over rehearse. And the viewers benefited with often hilarious unscripted results.
Supporting Gleason was Art Carney. The original wacky neighbor. Carney won numerous Emmy's for his portrayal of loyal friend Ed Norton. Always willing to go along with Ralph in his schemes for riches and fame, Norton was a friend Ralph could rely on. Of course, Norton was also the cause of much aggravation for Ralph. But he always had the best of intentions.
Along with Ralph and Norton, were their wives Alice and Trixie. It was Ralph's love for Alice that made him try so hard to get rich. But Alice didn't care about that. She just wanted Ralph. And this was the heart of the show. At the end of the day, Ralph's schemes may have failed, but he was surrounded by love and friendship. And thats all that mattered.
Every episode remains funny despite being dated. The Kramdens getting their first tv set. The costume contest. The Raccoon convention. Hello ball! Each episode has something to love about it. Only 39 episodes were produced because Gleason didn't think they could produce the same quality episodes for another season. He might have been right.
The Honeymooners is still airing on TV to this day. In New York, every New Years Eve is brought in with the Honeymooners marathon on channel 11. The Honeymooners may be gone, but their fanbase remains. How sweet it is!
Sorry but I never found The Honeymooners funny at all..and just so you know Carney only won a single Emmy for playing Norton as The Honeymooners ran but one season..I Love Lucy on the other hand ran for 6 seasons and Lucille Ball won 4 Emmys for the show..I Love Lucy is the greatest sitcom of all time and The Honeymooners is all but forgotten
ReplyDeleteNot true. The Honeymooners was a sketch on Gleason's variety show and often times The Honeymooners was 70% of the Gleason hour aND it ran for several years, as such, Carney won best supporting actor on more than one occasion. Additionally, The Honeymooners achieved world fame with the simplest and arguably most depressing set in television history: a kitchen with a table, a few chairs, a window without curtains, and an icebox. Imagine that? There was no need for fancy Hollywood actors, trips to Europe, Ricky Ricardo's music at the club like in I Lover Lucy..The Honeymooners was pure genius, brilliant acting, spontaneity (Gleason hated to rehearse)...and every episode was a gem. With only 39 episodes, The Honeymooners set the standard for absolute brilliance and synergy among the cast that was evident in later shows such as All in the Family, The Jeffersons..etc ..Baby, The Honeymooners was the Greatest''
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