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The Phil Silvers Show (aka You'll Never Get Rich and Sergeant Bilko) was a half-hour comedy television series which was made by CBS TV from the years 1955 to 1959.
The main star of the show was the brilliant Vaudeville star Phil Silvers as
The show was the brainchild of legendary scriptwriter Nat Hiken. CBS paid Nat a years salary just to hang out with Phil Silvers, this was so he could work out what kind of a programme he could create for him.
Eventually he came up with this "Army show".
When it was first aired CBS put it on the air at
8 o'clock, at the same as the hugely successful
The MBS had wiped out every show opposite it for
years and years. The first weeks rating was 48
to the MBS and 10 to the PSS - a disaster.
The next week 47 for the MBS and 12 for the PSS.
Eventually, through word-of-mouth of children,
the show took off. And then the ratings were 4
8 to the PSS and 12 to the MBS. It was the first
time for over seven years that
The Milton Berle show had been knocked off its
number one perch.
When the Radio Times guide to TV comedy listed
their best ever sitcoms of all-time such
favourites as Fawlty Towers, Steptoe and Son
and Porridge were obviously high on the list,
alongside American imports like Seinfeld and
M*A*S*H.
But, to many peoples' astonishment
The Phil Silvers Show was rated number one, well
ahead of all the modern favourites, quite an
achievement for a fifty-year-old show. Every episode of 'Bilko' as the series became known, was clearly made to perfection and the word 'timeless' really does explain the shows long-lasting appeal.
This website is my unofficial tribute to a "GIANT" amongst TV comedy programmes.
This web site, its operators and any content on this site relating to The Phil Silvers Show are not authorized by CBS TV. The Phil Silvers Show is deemed to be in the Public Domain - If I'm treading on toes please let me know ASAP.
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Sergeant Ernie Bilko flanked
by Colonel John Hall and
Sergeant Joan Hogan
