Even though Chic Young’s comic strip characters, Blondie and Dagwood Bumstead and their children, Cookie and Alexander, had been enormously successful in a series of films, two attempts to turn Blondie into a TV situation comedy series failed.
The first attempt starred Arthur Lake as Dagwood (he had played Dagwood in the film series of the 1940s) and Pamela Britton as Blondie. Anne Barnes and Stuffy Singer played Cookie and Alexander. Florenz Ames was Dagwood’s boss, Mr Dithers, and Elvia Allman his wife, Cora Dithers.
Blondie and Dagwood’s next door neighbour, Herb Woodley, was played by Hal Peary.
A second attempt to turn Blondie into a television series occurred 10 years later. Will Hutchins and Patricia Harty played Dagwood and Blondie, Jim Backus and (real-life wife) Henny Backus played Mr and Mrs Dithers, and Pamelyn Ferdin and Peter Robbins played Cookie and Alexander.
Even Dagwood’s familiar and funny blunders at work and at home, his famous oversized Dagwood sandwich and the Bumsteads’ lovable and comic dog, Daisy, and her pups, could not turn either of these series into hits, and they were both cancelled after less than one full season each on air.
Dagwood Bumstead
Arthur Lake
Blondie Bumstead
Pamela Britton
Cookie Bumstead
Anne Barnes
Alexander Bumstead
Stuffy Singer
Mr Dithers
Florenz Ames
Mrs Cora Dithers
Elvia Allman Herb Woodley
Hal Peary Mr Beasley
Lucien Littlefield
Dagwood Bumstead
Will Hutchins
Blondie Bumstead
Patricia Harty
Cookie Bumstead
Pamelyn Ferdin
Alexander Bumstead
Peter Robbins
Mr Dithers
Jim Backus
Mrs Cora Dithers
Henny Backus Tootsie Woodley
Bobbi Jordan Mr Beasley
Bryan O’Bourne
