Ruggles, The

1 9 4 9 – 1 9 5 2 (USA)
137 x 30 minute episodes

This ABC comedy starred insurance agent Charlie (veteran Hollywood character actor Charles Ruggles) and his wife Margaret (Erin O’Brien-Moore) who had their hands full with an active family.

Teenagers Sharon (Margaret Kerry) and Chuck (Tom Bernard) were anxious about things like first dates. The adorable twins Donna (Judy Nugent) and Donald (Jimmy Hawkins) just wanted to keep dad busy.

Stories revolved around such gentle subjects as who got to use the bathroom first in the morning, how the kids got dad to go square dancing, Sharon’s and Chuck’s first dates, etc.

Episodes were produced live at ABC’s Hollywood station, KECA-TV, premiering on a seven-station West Coast network on Sunday 23 October 1949.

Shortly thereafter the show began airing on ABC’s East and Midwest network, using kinescopes of the live West Coast show.

The poor quality of these dim kinescopes, and the constant movement of the series all over the ABC schedule, may have contributed to The Ruggles‘ failure to become a hit.

Charlie Ruggles
Charles Ruggles
Margaret Ruggles
Erin O’Brien-Moore
Sharon Ruggles
Margaret Kerry
Chuck Ruggles
Tom Bernard
Donna Ruggles
Judy Nugent
Donald Ruggles
Jimmy Hawkins
Mr Billings
Cy Stevens

Video