Joey Barnes (Joey Bishop) starred as public relations man Joey Barnes who worked for the Los Angeles firm of Wellington, Willoughby and Jones.
Joey – who had been a sergeant in the Army (82nd Airborne Division, Abel Company) – owned a house on Wiltshire Boulevard and provided the sole support for his entire family including his widowed mother, Mrs Barnes (Madge Blake) who he gave $300 a month to run the house; his sister Stella (Marlo Thomas) who was studying to become an actress (Joey paid for her acting lessons); and his young brother, Larry (Warren Berlinger) who was attending medical school.
He also found himself supporting his married sister, Betty Grafton (Virginia Vincent) and her adverse-to-work husband, Frank (Joe Flynn) who impressed people by telling them he didn’t need a job (Joey said he should impress people by telling them he needed a job).
Barbara (Nancy Hadley) was Joey’s girlfriend; JP Willoughby (John Griggs) was his boss and Peggy (Jackie Russell) was JP’s secretary.
The premise of The Joey Bishop Show changed in season 2 with Joey now a former nightclub comedian who gave up the circuit in 1960 to host The Joey Barnes Show, a daily 60-minute talk-variety series.
Joey was now married to Ellie (Abby Dalton) and, a year later, became the father of a young son, Joey Jr (Matthew David Smith). Hilda (Mary Treen) was the baby’s nurse.
Ellie and Joey lived in the Carlton Arms Apartments in New York City. Jillson (Joe Besser) was the building’s overweight superintendent.
Larry Corbett (Corbett Monica) was Joey’s writer. The pair first met in 1953 when Larry was a struggling young writer. Freddy (Guy Marks) was Joey’s agent and the two had known each other since childhood.
Joey Barnes
Joey Bishop Stella Barnes
Marlo Thomas Larry Barnes
Warren Berlinger Frank Grafton
Joe Flynn Betty Grafton
Virginia Vincent Mrs Barnes
Madge Blake J.P. Willoughby
John Griggs Peggy
Jackie Russell Barbara Simpson
Nancy Hadley
Ellie Barnes
Abby Dalton Larry Corbett
Corbett Monica Freddy
Guy Marks Jillson
Joe Besser Hilda
Mary Treen Joey Barnes Jr
Matthew David Smith
