Mickey Rooney Show, The (Hey Mulligan)

1 9 5 4 – 1 9 5 5 (USA)
34 x 30 minute episodes

Mickey Mulligan (Mickey Rooney) is a well-intentioned but bumbling young page (his official title is Guest Relations Staff) at the Los Angeles Bureau of the (fictitious) New York-based IBC (International Broadcasting Company) television network.

Mickey earns $47.62 a week take-home pay and believes he is meant for bigger and better things. His only problem is working out what those bigger and better things are.

Mickey, who considers himself “the tallest short man you’ll ever meet”, feels that his five-foot height is preventing him from going places at the network.

He has enrolled at the Jonathan Swift Academy of Drama and Theatre Arts (figuring acting may be his goal) which he attends at nights but also seizes upon every opportunity to find his actual goal in life.

Patricia (‘Pat’) Harding (Carla Balenda) is Mickey’s romantic interest, the secretary to Mr Charles Brown (John Hubbard), the studio program director.

J.L. Patterson (John Hoyt) is the head of the network. Freddie Devlin (Joey Forman) is Mickey’s best friend since childhood, a fellow page at IBC. They eat lunch at the Hamburger Hut.

Mickey still lives at home with his father, Joe Mulligan (Regis Toomey) – a retired police officer with the 23rd Precinct of the LAPD – and his mother, Nell Mulligan (Claire Carleton), a former vaudeville actress and burlesque dancer, who his father first met when he arrested her.

The series was also aired as Hey, Mulligan.

Mickey Mulligan
Mickey Rooney
Pat Harding
Carla Balenda
Freddie Devlin
Joey Forman
Sgt Joseph ‘Joe’ Mulligan
Regis Toomey
Nell Mulligan
Claire Carleton
J.L. Patterson
John Hoyt
Charles Brown
John Hubbard

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