“The Christmas Tree Lot”
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, season 6, episode 11
Original Air Date: December 18, 1957

Dave and Ricky try to open a Christmas tree lot in order to make some extra money to buy Christmas gifts. As they begin their business venture, the boys are met with complications that prevent them from making a profitable business. Dave and Ricky struggle to find a location in which to set up shop, but soon are able to make a deal with Mr. Ferguson. However, the boys are not keen on upholding their end of the trade—taking Mr. Ferguson’s two nieces out. Once the lot is set up and open for business, no paying customers come. Upon the suggestion of Ozzie, whose gift of showmanship proves useful, Ricky puts on a show, singing “Baby I’m Sorry”, to draw in more customers. The boys finally begin to sell their stock of Christmas trees to steady stream of customers. While busy at work, Mr. Ferguson’s nieces arrive, and the boys are more than willing to take them on a date. Ozzie and Harriet arrive to take over the lot so the boys may pick up their dates and as the boys are leaving the lot, Ozzie begins to sing “Baby I’m Sorry” much in the same style as Ricky had. In acknowledging how good their father is, Dave almost breaks the fourth wall with the line, “Dad was the Ricky Nelson of his day.”

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from October 3, 1952 until March 26, 1966. The show starred the real life Nelson family and many episodes had storylines taken from the Nelson’s real life. The show ran for 14 seasons, ending with 425 episodes in total. It was created and directed by Ozzie Nelson. Stage Five Productions, Volcano Productions, and ABC Productions produced the show with sponsors International Silver Company, H.J. Heinz Company, and Lambert Pharmacal’s Listerine. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet was the first prime-time scripted series on American television to reach the ten year milestone.

Like many early television shows, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet began as a radio show that was adapted to television. The radio show began on October 8, 1944 on CBS; moved to NBC in October of 1948; moved back to CBS in April of 1949; and again moved to ABC on October 14, 1949 where it stayed until June 18, 1954. The television broadcast of The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet began October 3, 1952. For a period, the series aired simultaneously on radio and on television. The series experienced several schedule changes throughout its run: season 1 through season 4 aired Fridays at 8 PM; seasons 5 and 6 aired Wednesdays at 9 PM; season 7 through season 9 aired Wednesdays at 8:30 PM; and season 10 through season 14 aired Thursdays at 7:30 PM.

The series strove for realism—often showing exterior shots of the Nelson’s actual Southern California home while interior shots were filmed on a sound stage reminiscent of the real interior of the Nelson home. The stories portrayed in The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet often came from the family’s own life. The family influenced the narrative of the show and the show also influenced their lives off screen. Rick Nelson began his music career on the show. Ozzie Nelson wrote storylines featuring his younger son, Ricky, singing when he realized the impact Ricky’s musical talent could have on the series. The series made Ricky Nelson into a music teen idol.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet made the Nelsons synonymous with the ideal 1950’s American family. However, by the mid-1960’s American society was changing and the Nelson’s values and ideals began to seem outdated in the new social climate. Despite efforts made to change the show to fit the times, viewers continued to see the Nelsons as a symbol of the 1950’s. The series remains the longest running live-action American television sitcom.

A good episode of Ozzie and Harriet, good to watch at this time of year...