George Boyle
MeTV is a television network that airs off-network sitcoms and drama series, including 'The Honeymooners', a classic sitcom starring Jackie Gleason as Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, played by Audrey Meadows, and their neighbours, Ed and Trixie Norton, played by Art Carney and Joyce Randolph. The show follows Ralph's attempts to improve his working-class status through get-rich-quick schemes that are bound to go awry.
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What You'll Learn
Jackie Gleason's role as Ralph Kramden
Jackie Gleason created and starred in the American television sitcom, 'The Honeymooners', which aired from 1955 to 1956. The show is based on a recurring comedy sketch of the same name that was part of Gleason's variety show. Gleason played Ralph Kramden, a bus driver for the fictional Gotham Bus Company based in New York City.
Ralph Kramden is frustrated by his working-class status. This often leads him to develop get-rich-quick schemes that are bound to go awry. Ralph's poor choices and judgemental attitude in absurd dilemmas are portrayed in a comedic tone. However, the show also occasionally features more serious issues such as women's rights and social status.
Gleason's portrayal of Ralph Kramden was so iconic that he was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Television Hall of Fame in 1986. In 2000, a life-sized statue of Gleason, in uniform as bus driver Ralph Kramden, was installed outside the Port Authority Bus Terminal in New York City. Additionally, a Brooklyn bus depot was named in Gleason's honour after his death, and Ralph Kramden was ranked #13 on TV Guide's list of the 50 greatest TV characters in 1999.
Gleason's performance as Ralph Kramden was also recognised by his peers in the entertainment industry. In 1976, Paul Lynde received the award for the funniest man of the year at the Sixth Annual American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA) "Entertainer of the Year Awards". Lynde immediately turned over his award to Gleason, citing him as "the funniest man ever." Gleason's portrayal of Ralph Kramden has left a lasting impact on television and in popular culture.
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Audrey Meadows' role as Ralph's wife, Alice
Audrey Meadows, born Audrey Cotter, portrayed the iconic role of Alice Kramden, the deadpan housewife and wife of Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason) in the 1950s American television comedy The Honeymooners. She was the younger sister of Hollywood actress Jayne Meadows.
Meadows initially worked as a singer and sketch player on the Bob and Ray Show, before she was hired to play Alice on The Jackie Gleason Show. She replaced Pert Kelton, who had to leave the show due to being blacklisted. When The Honeymooners became a half-hour situation comedy on CBS, Meadows continued in the role.
In the show, Alice Kramden is the loving yet bickering wife of Ralph, who threatens "To the Moon, Alice" in each episode but ends by saying, "Baby, you're the greatest!". The character of Alice became more associated with Meadows than with other actresses who played her. She reprised her role as Alice on other shows as well, including a man-on-the-street interview for The Steve Allen Show and a parody sketch on The Jack Benny Program.
Meadows was the only member of the Honeymooners cast to earn residual royalties after the "Classic 39" episodes of the show from 1955 to 1956 started airing in reruns. She published her memoirs, Love, Alice: My Life As A Honeymooner, in 1994, and passed away in 1996.
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Art Carney's role as Ed Norton
Art Carney, born in Mount Vernon, New York, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known for his role as Ed Norton on the sitcom The Honeymooners, which aired from 1955 to 1956. Carney's portrayal of Norton, a sewer worker or "underground sanitation expert", earned him five Emmy Awards out of seven nominations. Carney's character was the best friend of Ralph Kramden, played by Jackie Gleason, and was often a source of frustration for Kramden due to his dim-witted behaviour and exasperating mannerisms. Carney's own father served as an inspiration for Norton's behaviour, with the actor recalling his father's fastidiousness when performing simple tasks such as signing a report card.
Carney's chemistry with Gleason has been described as "magic on TV", with Gleason himself stating that Carney deserved much of the credit for the show's success. Carney's portrayal of Norton was so iconic that Gleason refused to recast the role, even when Carney was unavailable for certain sketches. Carney's talent for physical comedy and mimicry, which he honed early in his career, likely contributed to his ability to embody the comedic Norton so successfully.
In addition to his work on The Honeymooners, Carney had a prolific career in television, film, and radio. He recorded comedy songs and spoken-word records for Columbia Records in the 1950s, including "The Song of the Sewer", sung in character as Norton. He also appeared in several notable films, including The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings (1975), and Going in Style (1979). Carney won an Academy Award for Best Actor for his performance in Harry and Tonto (1974), and was inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2004.
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Joyce Randolph's role as Trixie Norton
Joyce Randolph, born on October 21, 1924, in Detroit, Michigan, was an American actress best known for her role as Trixie Norton in The Honeymooners. She portrayed Trixie Norton, the loyal, strong-willed, and bossy housewife and best friend of Alice Kramden, and wife of Art Carney's Ed Norton. Trixie and Ed Norton were the neighbours of Ralph and Alice Kramden.
Randolph was not the original actress for the role of Trixie Norton. Elaine Stritch played the role originally and only once, when the character was thought of as a burlesque dancer. Randolph took over the role when the format changed from a skit to a series. Trixie's burlesque past was occasionally referenced in the show, with Ralph insulting her by bringing up her former career.
Randolph's portrayal of Trixie is the only one that most people remember, and she became so identified with the role that she found it challenging to land other acting roles after The Honeymooners ended. She did, however, reprise her role as Trixie in the 1991 episode "Fur Flies" of Hi Honey, I'm Home!. She also appeared in other shows such as The Doctors and the Nurses and made commercials.
Randolph passed away in January 2024 at the age of 99, as the last surviving cast member of The Honeymooners.
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Get-rich-quick schemes
The Honeymooners is an American television sitcom that aired from 1955 to 1956. The show follows the lives of New York City bus driver Ralph Kramden, his wife Alice, Ralph's best friend Ed Norton, and Ed's wife Trixie.
Ralph, frustrated by his working-class status and lack of success, often develops get-rich-quick schemes that invariably go awry. Ralph's schemes are a recurring theme in the show, and they provide comedic relief and drive the plot forward.
- Ralph and Norton want to buy a hot dog stand in New Jersey, but they need $600 first. They go to friends, relatives, and eventually a bank to secure funding. They manage to get a loan from the bank, but their plans are dashed when they learn that a Howard Johnson's restaurant is being built right down the road from their stand.
- Ralph wants to win a $100 gift certificate from a local furniture store by guessing how many jellybeans are in a jar. He buys thousands of jellybeans and a similar jar to practice his guess. He even has Norton call the store with his final guess, and he wins. However, the prize is not cash, but a $100 gift certificate redeemable only after buying $1,000 worth of furniture.
- Ralph plans to sell an all-purpose kitchen gadget with Norton's assistance and demonstrate it during a live TV commercial. However, Ralph's last-minute stage fright may ruin the commercial.
- Ralph decides to sue his employer, the bus company, for $10,000 after breaking his leg in a bus accident. He claims that the accident was due to company negligence, even though he was the driver of the bus. Despite being warned that suing the company may cost him his job, Ralph refuses a settlement offer and proceeds with the lawsuit.
- Ralph and Norton decide to write hit songs to get rich. Norton writes the music while Ralph provides the lyrics. After failing at various song genres, they finally settle on a novelty song and take it to a publisher. The publisher likes the melody but dislikes the lyrics and wants to bring in another songwriter.
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Frequently asked questions
'The Honeymooners' is a sitcom that follows Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), his wife Alice (Audrey Meadows), and their neighbours, Ed and Trixie Norton (Art Carney and Joyce Randolph). Ralph, frustrated by his working-class status, often comes up with get-rich-quick schemes that are bound to go wrong.
Audrey Meadows, who played Alice, was the last surviving member of the classic foursome. Joyce Randolph, who played Trixie, passed away later, leaving Meadows as the last one standing.
MeTV airs remastered widescreen prints of 'The Honeymooners', presenting its promotions in the 16:9 format.
