Mister Roberts is an American sitcom that aired on NBC from September 17, 1965 to September 2, 1966. Based on the best selling 1946 novel, 1948 play, and the 1955 film of the same name, the series stars Roger Smith in the title role and Richard X. Slattery as the ship's captain.[1]
| Mister Roberts | |
|---|---|
 Roger Smith and Richard X. Slattery. | |
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Written by | Richard Baer Bob Barbash Bobby Bell Robert C. Dennis Herman Groves Thomas Heggen Ed Jurist Bill Lee Lee Loeb Douglas Morrow James O'Hanlon Ken Pettus Don Tait |
| Directed by | James Komack Allen Baron Robert Butler Lawrence Dobkin Richard Kinon Leslie H. Martinson Gene Reynolds Seymour Robbie William Wiard |
| Starring | Roger Smith Richard X. Slattery Steve Harmon George Ives Ray Reese Richard Sinatra |
| Theme music composer | Frank Perkins and Stan Kenton |
| Composers | Johnny Mandel Gordon Bau (make-up) |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 30 (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producer | William T. Orr |
| Producer | James Komack |
| Running time | 22–24 minutes |
| Production company | Warner Bros. Television Division |
| Original release | |
| Network | NBC |
| Release | September 17, 1965 – September 2, 1966 |
| Related | |
| Mister Roberts (novel) Mister Roberts (play) Mister Roberts (1955 film) | |
Synopsis edit
Set during World War II, the series chronicled the adventures of the crew of the USS Reluctant AK-601 cargo ship. Produced by Warner Bros. Television, Mister Roberts was executive produced by William T. Orr. The series' theme song was composed by Frank Perkins.
Lieutenant Roberts found life on a cargo ship monotonous, and he wanted to get transferred to another ship so he could participate more fully in the war effort. Ensign Pulver was constantly trying to liven up the ship's routine, and most of the crew were looking for ways to drive stern Captain Morton out of his mind.[1]
Featuring a cast of Warner Bros. Television stars and unknowns, the series aired on Fridays at 9:30 and was canceled after its first season due to low ratings.[2]
Cast edit
- Roger Smith as Lieutenant Douglas Roberts
- Steve Harmon as Ensign Frank Pulver
- George Ives as Doc
- Ray Reese as Seaman Reber
- Richard Sinatra as Seaman D'Angelo
- Richard X. Slattery as Captain John Morton
- Ronald Starr as Seaman Mannion
Episodes edit
Season One (1965-66) edit
| Episode # | Episode title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-1 | "Bookser's Honeymoon" | Fielder Cook | James O'Hanlon | September 17, 1965 |
| 1–2 | "Liberty" | James Komack | Ed Jurist | September 24, 1965 |
| 1–3 | "Physician, Heal Thyself" | Robert Butler | Lee Loeb & Ken Pettus | October 1, 1965 |
| 1–4 | "The Conspiracy" | TBA | Herman Groves | October 8, 1965 |
| 1–5 | "Old Rustysides" | Lawrence Dobkin | Don Tait | October 15, 1965 |
| 1–6 | "Lover, Come Forward" | Gene Reynolds | James O'Hanlon | October 22, 1965 |
| 1–7 | "The Captain's Party" | TBA | Earl Barret & Robert C. Dennis | October 29, 1965 |
| 1–8 | "Happy Birthday, To Who?" | Richard Kinon | Bob Barbash | November 5, 1965 |
| 1–9 | "Love at 78 RPM" | Seymour Robbie | Ken Pettus & Leo Rifkin | November 12, 1965 |
| 1–10 | "Don't Look Now, But Isn't That the War?" | Robert Butler | Douglas Morrow | November 19, 1965 |
| 1–11 | "Which Way Did the War Go?" | Robert Butler | Douglas Morrow | November 26, 1965 |
| 1–12 | "Getting There Is Half the Fun" | Robert Butler | Douglas Morrow | December 3, 1965 |
| 1–13 | "Dear Mom" | William Wiard | Lee Loeb | December 10, 1965 |
| 1–14 | "The Reluctant Mutiny" | Seymour Robbie | Ken Pettus and Arnold & Lois Peyser | December 17, 1965 |
| 1–15 | "Rock-A-Bye Reluctant" | TBA | Story by: Lee Orgel & Sam Ross, Teleplay by: Ken Pettus | December 24, 1965 |
| 1–16 | "Carry Me Back to Cocoa Island" | Lawrence Dobkin | Richard Baer & Don Tait | December 31, 1965 |
| 1–17 | "The Replacement" | William Wiard | Story by: James Komack, Teleplay by: Ken Pettus |
January 7, 1966 |
| 1–18 | "Black and Blue Market" | William Wiard | Ken Pettus | January 14, 1966 |
| 1–19 | "The World's Greatest Lover" | Seymour Robbie | Herman Groves & Ken Pettus | January 21, 1966 |
| 1–20 | "Eight In Every Port" | Leslie H. Martinson | Don Tait | January 28, 1966 |
| 1–21 | "The Super Chief" | Seymour Robbie | Ken Pettus | February 4, 1966 |
| 1–22 | "The Doctor's Dilemma" | Allen Baron | Douglas Morrow | February 11, 1966 |
| 1–23 | "The Reluctant Draggin'" | Seymour Robbie | Douglas Morrow | February 18, 1966 |
| 1–24 | "#*@% the Torpedoes!" | Seymour Robbie | Herman Groves & Ken Pettus | February 25, 1966 |
| 1–25 | "A Turn For the Nurse" | Leslie H. Martinson | Douglas Morrow | March 4, 1966 |
| 1–26 | "Son of 'Eight In Every Port'" | William Wiard | Phil Leslie & Ken Pettus | March 11, 1966 |
| 1–27 | "Unwelcome Aboard" | Seymour Robbie | Story by: James Komack, Teleplay by: Bobby Bell & Bill Lee |
March 18, 1966 |
| 1–28 | "Undercover Cook" | Seymour Robbie | Story by: Roger Smith, Telelplay by: Ken Pettus |
March 25, 1966 |
| 1–29 | "In Love and War" | Leslie H. Martinson | Don Tait | April 1, 1966 |
| 1–30 | "Captain, My—Captain?" | Lesie H. Martinson | Ken Pettus | April 8, 1966 |
References edit
- ^ a b Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows 1946 – Present (first edition), pages 409-410, Ballantine, 1979
- ^ Holsinger, M. Paul (1999). War and American Popular Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 285–286. ISBN 0-313-29908-0.
External links edit
