I Married Joan

Like "I Love Lucy", "I Married Joan" featued an upstanding, sensible husband married to a wacky but well-meaning wife who caused problems everywhere she went. In this case the husband was Brad Stevens, a domestic court judge. Each episode opened with Judge Stevens in the courtroom relating to the parties involved some similar situation he had encountered with his wife Joan. Then the story would be acted out as the show progressed (in sydication most of the opening courtroom scenes are edited out.) Slapstick, physical comedy was at the core of the show and the crazier the stunts, the better. (Joan did everything from jitterbugging with a chimp to feeding Brad a hot water bottle!) The show featured several different actors and actresses as the friends of the Stevens' including Hope Emerson, Hal Smith and Dan Tobin. Also featured in seasons two and three was Beverly Wills, Joan Davis' real-life daughter, who portrayed Joan's kid sister on the show.