Produced by and starring Jackie Gleason, The Honeymooners aired on CBS from 1955 to 1956. The characters actually got their start on other shows in the early ‘50s, including Calvalcade of Stars, The Jackie Gleason Shwo, and in a sketch on The Ed Sullivan Show. The show was set in the Brooklyn apartment of frustrated bus driver Ralph Kramden (Gleason) and his level-headed and sarcastic wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows). The sitcom followed the lives of this working class couple as they struggled to make ends meet while working through their domestic squabbles. Despite Ralph’s threats to physically abuse Alice “one of these days…”, Alice remained unfazed by her husband’s brutish but empty rants. Another catchphrase also stemmed from Ralph’s threats, with “Bang, zoom, straight to the moon!” becoming yet another phrase that seemingly promoted domestic violence. Ralph’s dimwitted best friend was sewer worker, Edward Norton, played by Art Carney. Like the Ethel to Ralph’s Lucy, the easy-going Ed lived in the same apartment building as the Kramdens and often found himself caught up in Ralph’s get-rich-quick schemes. Ed’s wife, Thelma “Trixie” Norton (played by Joyce Randolph), is Alice’s best friend. Most of the scenes took place in the sparsely-decorated Kramden kitchen. After debuting at the number 2 spot, the half-hour comedy suffered when pitted against the popular Perry Como Show. After falling to number 19 in the ratings, the show ceased production after just 39 episodes. On the decision to pull the show, Gleason said, "The excellence of the material could not be maintained, and I had too much fondness for the show to cheapen it." Ethel Owen, who played Alice’s mother, outlived both Gleason and her on-screen daughter, Meadows, living to be 103 years old. Carney won five Emmy Awards for his portrayal of Ed Norton—two for the original Jackie Gleason Show, one for The Honeymooners, and two for the final version of The Jackie Gleason Show. Meadows also won an Emmy for Best Supporting Actress for portraying Alice on The Jackie Gleason Show. The Honeymooners went on to spur a number of imitations (The Flintstones was reportedly modeled off of the show) and pop culture references, including Family Guy and King of Queens.
