Series Description:

The I Married Joan TV show was a 30 minute comedy series on NBC about a respected Judge in family court dealing mostly with marital problems. In each of the episodes the judge would start explaining that he loved his scatterbrained wife but once had a problem with her similar to that of the litigants. Then the scene would fade from him telling the story to a "flashback" of it actually happening.

Cast Members:

Joan Davis  ......... Joan Stevens
Jim Backus .......... Judge Bradley Stevens
Sheila Bromley ...... Janet Tobin
Wally Brown ......... Wally
Geraldine Carr ...... Mabel
Mary Jane Croft ..... Helen #1
Adele Jergens ....... Helen #2
Sandra Gould  ....... Mildred Webster
Hal Smith ........... Charlie
Elivia Allman ....... Aunt Vera
Sally Payne ......... Sally
Dan Tobin ........... Kerwin Tobin
Beverly Wills ....... Beverly Grossman
Hope Emerson ........ Minerva Parker

Trivia:

I Married Joan was Joan Davis' only series but there were plans to have her star in another one about the first female astronaut! Unfortunately, it never happened. She had a terrific career though. She started in Vaudeville and made quite a few movies in the 1930s and 40s. She received as much as $75,000 per film by the end of her movie career; a huge amount of money in those days! She received $1 Million per year for her radio program "Joanie's Tea Room" in 1945!

There are some similarities between this program and the "I Love Lucy" show of the same era. "I Married Joan" aired its first episode exactly one year to the day after the first episode of "I Love Lucy". Both series were about "zany" "scatter-brained" housewives of successful husbands. Both Lucille Ball and Joan Davis got a lot of resistance from being cast in their roles because they were not considered the typical "beautifull bombshells" that got most of the female roles at that time. Mary Jane Croft who played "Helen" also appeared in 2 episodes of "I Love Lucy" before working on "I Married Joan" and later became a regular cast member (Betty Ramsey) on "I Love Lucy" in 1957 after this show ended.

Jim Backus is best known for doing the voice of the Mr. Magoo cartoon character and for his role as Thurston Howell III on "Gilligan's Island". One of his teachers in grade school was Margaret Hamilton who played the role of the Wicked Witch of the West in "The Wizard of Oz". While attending the Kentucky Military Academy, he met classmate Victor Mature. Most people don't realize that he played the role of James Dean's father in the classic movie "Rebel Without A Cause.

Joan Davis started performing at six years of age. She was known then as "Cyclonic Josephine Davis" and "The Toy Comedienne".

Jim Backus was not the only cast member to do voices. Hope Emerson did the voice for Elsie the Cow on the Borden Milk commercials.

Joan Davis' sister on the show (Beverly Grossman) was played by her real life daughter (Beverly Wills).

I Married Joan Theme Song Lyrics

Title: "I Married Joan"

By: "Richard Mack"

I married Joan
What a girl, what a whirl, what a life.
Oh, I married Joan
What a mind, love is blind, what a wife.

Giddy and gay, all day she keeps my heart laughin'
Never know where her brain has flown.

To each his own
Can't deny that's why I married Joan.

Episodes List With Original Air Dates

The First Season

Pilot (10/15/1952)
Career(10/22/1952)
Title Unknown (10/29/1952)
Jitterbug (11/5/1952)
Crime Panel (11/12/1952)
Title Unknown (11/19/1952)
Title Unknown (11/26/1952)
Title Unknown (12/3/1952)
Birthday (12/10/1952)
Title Unknown (12/17/1952)
Title Unknown (12/24/1952)
Title Unknown (12/31/1952)
Title Unknown (1/7/1953)
Title Unknown (1/14/1953)
Title Unknown (1/21/1953)
Title Unknown (1/28/1953)
Title Unknown (2/4/1953)
Title Unknown (2/11/1953)
Title Unknown (2/18/1953)
Opera (2/25/1953)
Title Unknown (3/4/1953)
Title Unknown (3/11/1953)
Title Unknown (3/18/1953)
Diet (3/25/1953)
Title Unknown (4/1/1953)
Lateness (4/8/1953)
The Eviction Show (4/15/1953)
The Recipe (4/22/1953)
Repairs (4/29/1953)
Secrets (5/6/1953)
The Artist Show (5/13/1953)
The Threat (5/20/1953)
Country Club (5/27/1953)
Theatrical Can-Can (6/3/1953)
Neighbors (6/10/1953)
Talent Scout (6/17/1953)
Memory (6/24/1953)
Business Executive (7/1/1953)
Brad's Broken Toe (7/8/1953)

The Second Season

Brad's Mustache (10/14/1953)
First Lie (10/21/1953)
Furniture Quick Change (10/28/1953)
Sister Pat (11/4/1953)
Tropical Fish (11/11/1953)
Missing Food (11/18/1953)
Initiation (11/25/1953)
Bev's Boyfriend (12/2/1953)
Lost Check (12/9/1953)
The ShotGun (12/16/1953)
Circumstantial Evidence (12/23/1953)
Double Wedding (12/30/1953)
Superstition (1/6/1954)
Barbecue (1/13/1954)
Title Unknown (1/20/1954)
Mabel's Dress (1/27/1954)
Monkeyshines (2/3/1954)
Bev's Mistaken Marriage (2/10/1954)
Missing Witness (2/17/1954)
Anniversary Memo (2/24/1954)
Dented Fender (3/3/1954)
Mouuntain Lodge (3/10/1954)
Home Of The Week (3/17/1954)
Pop Retires (3/24/1954)
Changing Houses (3/31/1954)
Jealousy (4/7/1954)
Get Rich Quick (4/14/1954)
Masquerade (4/21/1954)
The Milkman Coneth (4/28/1954)
Joan's Curiousity (5/5/1954)
Predictions (5/19/1954)
Brad's Initiation (6/9/1954)
Confidence (6/23/1954)
Joan's Haircut (7/7/1954)

The Third Season

New House (9/29/1954)
Party Line (10/6/1954)
Wall Safe (10/13/1954)
Alienation Of Affections (10/20/1954)
Bombay Duck (10/27/1954)
Clothing Budget (11/3/1954)
Dancing Lessons (11/10/1954)
Two Saint Bernards (11/17/1954)
Manhole Cover (11/24/1954)
The Farm (12/1/1954)
Home Movies (12/8/1954)
Gun Moll (12/15/1954)
Crazy Toes Smith (12/22/1954)
Joan Plays Cupid - Part 1 (12/29/1954)
The Wedding - Part 2 (1/5/1955)
The Maid (1/12/1955)
Money In The Shotgun (1/19/1955)
Eye Glasses (1/26/1955)
The Allergy (1/2/1955)
Lieutenant General (2/9/1955)
The Letter (2/16/1955)
Ladies Prison (2/23/1955)
The Lady And The Prizefighter (3/2/1955)
How To Win Friends (3/9/1955)
The Cowboy (3/16/1955)
The Jail Bird (3/23/1955)