In the meantime, the Reynolds Metals Co., the makers of “strong, dependable, rust-proof Reynolds Wrap alumninum foil”, was talked into sponsoring a filmed situation comedy on Sunday evenings at 7:30pm(et) on the network, “DOC CORKLE”, starring Eddie Mayehoff as a dentist surrounded by a “nutty family” and equally “nutty relatives” {obviously an emulation of the highly-successful “I LOVE LUCY”, the season before}. Once viewers and critics saw it, they stayed away in droves!! After just three episodes, Reynolds was desperate to find another series to quickly replace it. SOMEONE suggested to them, “What about ‘MISTER PEEPERS’?”…and they agreed. So producer Fred Coe, head writers Jim Fritzell & Everett Greenbaum, and Wally Cox and almost all of the cast hastily “reassembled” the series in time to return on the fourth Sunday in October 1952…and, despite appearing opposite “THE JACK BENNY PROGRAM” and “PRIVATE SECRETARY” on CBS for most of its run, “MISTER PEEPERS” endured for three seasons, until the summer of 1955.

Lorillard Tobacco [Kent] made a mistake in agreeing to sponsor “FATHER KNOWS BEST” in their 10-10:30pm(et) Sunday night time period on CBS in the fall of 1954 {“WHAT’S MY LINE?” followed, at 10:30}. The tobacco firm had just finished sponsoring the live mystery anthology, “THE WEB” [produced by Goodson-Todman], and, because of the “competition” opposite them (see below), decided they wanted to sustain a filmed series instead. But people who watched “FATHER KNOWS BEST” WEREN’T smokers, and did not respond to the Kent cigarette ads as Lorillard hoped viewers would. And then there was the fact it was scheduled opposite ANOTHER “wholesome” series, the highly inspirational {and highly rated} “LORETTA YOUNG SHOW” on NBC. That, and a slight dip in Kent’s overall sales, forced Lorillard to drop “FATHER KNOWS BEST” in March 1955, in favor of sponsoring another live New York-based dramatic anthology with more appeal to smokers, “APPOINTMENT WITH ADVENTURE” (replaced by “THE $64,000 CHALLENGE”, exactly one year later). Even though CBS was willing to buy “FATHER KNOWS BEST” outright in order to continue it on their network, Robert Young and his production partner Eugene Rodney refused to sell it to them, preferring to remain “independent” through their deal with Screen Gems/Columbia. When Scott Paper Company realized “MY LITTLE MARGIE”‘s ratings weren’t as high as they once were, they decided “FATHER KNOWS BEST” was not only a good family program, it was a “better buy” (and a perfect showcase for their line of family-oriented paper products) for their Wednesday night time period [8:30pm(et)] on NBC in the late summer of 1955. It was- Scott was the show’s primary sponsor for the rest of its original run {Lever Brothers became an “alternate sponsor” from 1957 through ’60}, including the first season of prime-time repeats in 1960-’61.

Procter & Gamble sponsored “THE LAW & MR. JONES”- first, in its Friday night time period [10:30pm(et)] in the 1960-’61 season, and then, after the outpouring of viewer’s mail, in its Thursday night time slot [9:30pm(et)] in the spring of 1962. Unfortunately, because “HAZEL” got more viewers opposite them on NBC, P&G eventually dropped it to sponsor “McHALE’S NAVY” in the fall.

Jim Aubrey, “The Smiling Cobra”, who was president of CBS in the early ’60s, HATED “EAST SIDE/WEST SIDE” with a vengeance. He really didn’t want to schedule series that discussed and championed “social issues”, and did everything he could to “sabotage” it. Star George C. Scott once visited his office around mid-season to discuss it. He was eating an apple with a pocket knife he carried with him as he talked to Aubrey. Suddenly, he leaped at Aubrey’s desk, holding the knife close to his throat, telling him his show WOULD stay on for the full season, quietly said good-bye, and left. That may have been the factor in Aubrey’s decision to finally cancel the show at the end of the season- no one was going to bully HIM into renewing a series he didn’t want.

And what did he replace it with? “SLATTERY’S PEOPLE”. Again, he just didn’t want THAT kind of show on the air, but the fact that BING CROSBY was behind the series made it impossible for him to refuse. Aubrey tried to “bury” it on Fridays in mid-season [to cover his "mistake", "THE REPORTER", produced by his old pal Keefe Brasselle, who sold him that series without a pilot episode, which had become bogged down in production problems and bad ratings]. Fortunately, “SLATTERY’S PEOPLE” survived its first season BECAUSE Jim Aubrey was no longer around to threaten its existance. However, the competition of “THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E.” on NBC and “THE JIMMY DEAN SHOW” on ABC left very few viewers to watch “SLATTERY” on Fridays that fall….