Trivia / Colgate Comedy Hour

• The Cast Showoff: The plot was usually unimportant. No one cared if it got pulverized in the name of Funny.
• Dueling Shows: The show was an early competitor to The Ed Sullivan Show (which was then called Toast of the Town); it actually outdrew Sullivan in the ratings up until 1954.
• Executive Meddling: Colgate's ad agency Ted Bates took over the production of the show from NBC on the 1954-55 season. While an ad agency producing a TV show wasn't unusual in this era, Ted Bates had little experience in the field. This, coupled with the departure of several of the hosts, contributed to the Seasonal Rot the show suffered late in its run.
• Throw It In!: If something funny came up during pre-show rehearsal, it would often be written into the script. The live nature of the program also resulted in several unscripted ad-libs and incidents.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Groucho Marx was considered as one of the hosts for the first season but ended up being unavailable when he decided to bring his hit radio quiz show You Bet Your Life to television instead.
  • Frank Sinatra was scheduled to appear on the February 3, 1952 episode but had to cancel due to a cold.