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The David Niven Show
GenreAnthology series
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (list of episodes)
Production
Running time30 minutes
Production companiesAmalfi Films
Four Star Productions
Original release
NetworkNBC
ReleaseApril 7 (1959-04-07) –
July 7, 1959 (1959-07-07)

The David Niven Show is an American half-hour television anthology series that was broadcast from April 7, 1959, through September 15, 1959.[1]

Premise

This series is an anthology series hosted by David Niven.[2] He acted in one episode.[3]

Episodes

No. Title Directed by Written by Original air date
1"Fortune's Folly"Lewis AllenUnknownApril 7, 1959 (1959-04-07)
Hal's wife wants to divorce him because of his gambling.
2"Lifeline"Robert FloreyAlfred BrennerApril 14, 1959 (1959-04-14)
A criminal hides in an amusement park.
3"Backtrack"Lewis AllenGene LevittApril 21, 1959 (1959-04-21)
A husband and a wife are blackmailed by an ex-mistress.
4"The Promise"Thomas CarrLeonard FreemanMay 5, 1959 (1959-05-05)
A family suffers the loss of a child.
5"The Twist of the Key"Don McDougallHank MoonjeanMay 12, 1959 (1959-05-12)
A quiet couple becomes involved in a mystery when they have new neighbors.
6"A Day of Small Miracles"Lewis AllenLeonard PraskinsMay 19, 1959 (1959-05-19)
A couple is concerned about the health of their son and gets help from a magician.
7"The Lady from Winnetka"UnknownUnknownMay 26, 1959 (1959-05-26)
A woman finds romance with a suave tour guide on a Mediterranean isle.
8"The Last Room"Lewis AllenFrederick J. LippJune 2, 1959 (1959-06-02)
A police interrogator tries to find information with threats and torture.
9"Maggie Malone"UnknownUnknownJune 9, 1959 (1959-06-09)
The owners of a successful nightclub are threatened by gangsters.
10"Portrait"Thomas CarrAaron SpellingJune 16, 1959 (1959-06-16)
A group of American soldiers in World War II try to find a mystery woman.
11"Sticks and Stones"UnknownUnknownJune 23, 1959 (1959-06-23)
The wife of a professional baseball player starts receiving threatening letters.
12"The Vengeance"Don McDougallJohn RobinsonJune 30, 1959 (1959-06-30)
A judge is stalked by an escaped prisoner.
13"The Good Deed"Thomas CarrJohn RobinsonJuly 7, 1959 (1959-07-07)
A journalist is asked to negotiate on the behalf of a fugitive.

Guest stars

Production

The David Niven Show was produced by Four Star Productions.[7] Vincent Fennelly produced the show,[1] which was broadcast on NBC on Tuesdays from 10 to 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time,[8] replacing The Californians.[9] Don Quinn wrote Niven's introductions to episodes, and Niven helped Fennelly select scripts.[7]

Episodes broadcast July 14, 1959, through September 15, 1959, were reruns.[10]

Niven said that he and the show's sponsor undertook the program with the understanding that it would continue in the fall of 1959. "It was never my intention -- nor that of my sponsor -- to do a summer replacement type of series," he said.[3] After the show began, NBC told them that when the new season arrived the time slot would be used for weekly specials. Niven added, "If we knew this was going to happen before we started, we would not have bothered to begin."[3]

Critical response

A review by Harriet Van Horne in the El Paso Herald-Post used Niven's role on The David Niven Show as an example of established actors on TV who "use the medium a bit contemptuously".[11] She cited his "minute, maybe less" time on screen to introduce a drama and his post-drama return "for as long as it took to point the moral", adding, "I expect most of us would have been even more grateful for a David Niven Show starring David Niven."[11] As for the drama itself, Van Horne wrote that "Fortune's Folly" made her feel "that I've seen it eight or nine times before", and she called it "a cynical little story, despite Mr. Mitchell's excellent performance."[11]

In a review in the Oakland Tribune, Bill Fiset had a different view of that episode, calling the 30-minute drama "the finest in a long time".[12] Fiset wrote that the show "was tightly written and well done, with no tricks or gimmicks."[12]

Home video

In April 2014, 12 of the 13 episodes produced were released in a 2-DVD set by Simply Media in the UK. "Episode 9, "Maggie Malone", is missing.[citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 202. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. ^ "The David Niven Show". TV Guide. Retrieved January 20, 2013.
  3. ^ a b c Kubasik, Ben (June 1, 1959). "Niven Says TV Network Gave Him a Run-Around". Newsday (Suffolk Edition). New York, Melville. p. 56. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Cain, Ira (June 9, 1959). "Julie London, Scott Brady To Fight Racketeers on 5". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. p. 15. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ Torre, Marie (April 7, 1959). "Take Your Choice". The Sentinel. North Carolina, Winston-Salem. p. 15. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Kinnard, Roy; Crnkovich, Tony (July 11, 2015). The Films of Fay Wray. McFarland. p. 176. ISBN 978-1-4766-0415-2. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Humphrey, Hal (March 30, 1959). "David Niven's Ground Rules for Hosting". Los Angeles Mirror. p. 21. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 332. ISBN 978-0-307-48320-1. Retrieved January 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Danzig, Fred (April 8, 1959). "Not Much to Say for New David Niven Show". Marysville Journal-Tribune. United Press International. p. 11. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Other Network Changes (Cont'd)". Ross Reports. July 13, 1959. p. 61. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
  11. ^ a b c Van Horne, Harriet (April 8, 1959). "Noted Actors Use Medium Of TV Bit Contemptuously". El Paso Herald-Post. p. 16. Archived from the original on January 4, 2024. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ^ a b Fiset, Bill (April 16, 1959). "These TV People". Oakland Tribune. p. 39. Archived from the original on January 5, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.

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