The Couple Next Door

Aside from old-time radio buffs, very few people are familiar with the name of writer Peg Lynch. Her critically-acclaimed quarter-hour sitcom, "The Couple Next Door," premiered during the waning days of the medium (over the CBS network on December 30, 1957), and in fact was canceled on the fateful day of November 25, 1960 - the same day that radio waved bye-bye to "The Right to Happiness," "Whispering Streets," "Ma Perkins," "Young Dr. Malone," and "The Second Mrs. Burton". During its short-lived run, however, "The Couple Next Door" had generated quite a bit of critical buzz as a show that poked gentle fun at the small eccentricities of married life in the same fashion as similar classics like "Vic and Sade" and "Easy Aces".

Lynch, in addition to her writing duties, also played the part of the wife on the program, assisted by actor Alan Bunce as her better half. Oddly enough, they were never identified by name; most of the time, the two leads referred to each other only as "dear." The reason for this is that the show was originally scheduled to be an updated version of Lynch's most famous comedy creation, "The Private Lives of Ethel and Albert" -- but Lynch was disqualified from calling it that, having given up rights to those characters several years before.

Lynch was born on November 25, 1916 in Lincoln, Nebraska and, upon graduating from the University of Minnesota, found work as a copy editor for a small Minnesota radio station, where her duties included writing commercials, radio plays, a daily half-hour women's show, and a weekly farm news program. With each successive job at various stations, she began to develop the idea for a radio sitcom about a married couple, Ethel and Albert Arbuckle, and their ability to find humor in life's little eccentricities. "Ethel and Albert" would eventually premiere over station KATE in Albert Lea, Minnesota, but by May of 1944 its popularity was such that it secured a berth on the ABC network's midday schedule.

In the early episodes, Peg played the part of Ethel and a young radio actor known as Richard Widmark essayed the role of Ethel's hubby. Six months later, Widmark left for bigger and better things, and was replaced by Alan Bunce. Bunce, who had just finished a long run as radio's "Young Dr. Malone," was considered the weakest of the candidates assembled to take over the Albert role; he even admitted he'd never heard of the series. But Lynch was convinced that he'd fit in - correctly, as it turned out - and the two continued weekdays on ABC until June 1949. (The series had also branched out into a half-hour version on Monday nights beginning January 16, 1949, that adaptation lasting until August of 1950).

For the most part, "Ethel and Albert" was essentially a two-actor show; it was only in the program's third year when the Arbuckle's daughter, Baby Suzy, was born that another presence was detected in their Sandy Harbor home. (Later, "The Couple Next Door" adopted the same three-character approach by introducing character actress Margaret Hamilton as Aunt Effie.) After finishing its radio run, "Ethel and Albert" crossed over to the cathode ray tube, first as a segment on NBC's "The Kate Smith Hour" in 1952 and then as a half-hour situation comedy seen on NBC, ABC, and CBS for three seasons before being canceled in July 1956.

Very few of the radio "Ethel and Albert" episodes have survived the ravages of time, but fortunately "The Couple Next Door" is alive and well today. It's timeless domestic comedy - the creation of a talented writer who, though her name might not be immediately on the lips of comedy fans, was once effusively praised by her co-star in Newsweek Magazine: "All Peg needs is a word and she can write a script. She can write about nothing and do it entertainingly."

This collection offers ten full hours of "The Couple Next Door," as first aired in 1957 and 1958 - 48 warm and comedic episodes that are sure to be a delightful addition to your personal radio library.

#1 New Year's Resolutions
Monday, December 30, 1957 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#2 The Bully
Tuesday, December 31, 1957 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#3 A Call to Mexico
Wednesday, January 1, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#4 The Kendall's File a Lawsuit
Thursday, January 2, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#5 Betsy Wants a Dog
Friday, January 3, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Brisk Toothpaste

#6 Going to a Wedding
Monday, January 6, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Brisk Toothpaste and Candettes

#7 Home Movies
Tuesday, January 7, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Rub

#8 Algebra Homework
Wednesday, January 8, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#9 Locked Garage
Thursday, January 9, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#10 A New Hat
Friday, January 10, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#11 French Cake Recipe
Monday, January 13, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#12 Spending the Night in Your Own Guest Room
Tuesday, January 14, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#13 Fixing the Hot Water Heater
Wednesday, January 15, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#14 Feeling Tired
Thursday, January 16, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#15 A Tired, Worn-Out Feeling
Friday, January 17, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#17 Retrieving Borrowed Books
Tuesday, January 21, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold Ban Tablets

#18 A Bridge Game or a Dinner Invitation?
Wednesday, January 22, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#19 Memories of a First Kiss
Thursday, January 23, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#20 The Facts of Life
Friday, January 24, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#21 A Marriage Bet
Monday, January 27, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#22 Betsy is Invited to the Ballet
Tuesday, January 28, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#23 The Case of the Phantom Splasher
Wednesday, January 29, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#24 Plans for a Family Reunion
Thursday, January 30, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#25 A Trip to the Ice Carnival
Friday, January 31, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#26 A Lost Coat Check Stub
Monday, February 3, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#27 Jewelry Store Robbery
Tuesday, February 4, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets

#28 A Visit to the Police Station
Wednesday, February 5, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets

#29 The Picky Eater
Thursday, February 6, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets

#30 Throwing Out Unwanted Things
Friday, February 7, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets

#31 Selling the House?
Monday, February 10, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets

#32 To Sell or Not to Sell
Tuesday, February 11, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#33 Signing the Contract
Wednesday, February 12, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#34 An Evening Out
Thursday, February 13, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#35 Property on the Lake
Friday, February 14, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#36 Betsy Decides to Leave Home
Monday, February 17, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#37 Mrs. Haines Needs Help
Tuesday, February 18, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Cold-Ban Tablets

#38 A Visit from the Architect
Wednesday, February 19, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#39 A Little Late at the Department Store
Thursday, February 20, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#40 The Architect Has Bad News
Friday, February 21, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#41 The Hollyhock Dance
Monday, February 24, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#42 The Vest Removal Trick
Tuesday, February 25, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Mentholatum Rub and Carter's Little Liver Pills

#43 A Portrait of Great-Great-Grandfather
Wednesday, February 26, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#44 Looking for an Apartment
Thursday, February 27, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#45 Who Broke the Candy Dish?
Friday, February 28, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#46 The Ant Farm
Monday, March 3, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#47 An Important Phone Call
Tuesday, March 4, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sponsored by Arrid Deodorant and Mentholatum Rub

#48 Will Betsy Become a Model?
Wednesday, March 5, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining

#49 The School Bus
Thursday, March 6, 1958 - 15:00 - CBS, sustaining