My Favorite Husband aired on CBS Radio in July of 1948 and ran to March 31, 1951. The show portrayed the "Coopers" - Liz (Lucille Ball) and George (Richard Denning)... two people who live together and LIKE it! The Coopers were a typical middle class family with George working at a local bank and Liz a stay-at-home wife who managed to get herself into all sorts of hilarious situations with George trying to help solve them. Gale Gordon (Mr. Conklin in Our Miss Brooks), plays George's boss, Rudolph Atterbury and Bea Benederet plays his wife, Iris. The show eventually became the prototype to the television hit series "I Love Lucy" but with Lucille Ball's real life husband, Ricky Ricardo, taking the role of her on-air husband. Gordon and Benederet were offered the role of Fred and Ethel Mertz, but contractual issues prevented them from doing the roles on television. This sitcom stands up quite well, even today. However, if you have ever seen "I Love Lucy" you know that Lucille Ball was at her best when doing her comedy visually before a live audience.
