'Mister Ed' Makes its Television Debut on this Very Day in 1961: A Nostalgic Rewind
'Mister Ed' Makes its Television Debut on this Very Day in 1961: A Nostalgic Rewind
In a decade filled with TV witches, enchanting genies, radio-speaking mothers, flying nuns, and eccentric families; a talking horse wasn't so out of the ordinary. And it was in 1961 on this very day that we were introduced to the hilarious and outrageous character of Mister Ed.
Ed, the gold-hued palomino (voiced by renowned Western film actor Allan Lane), belonged to Wilbur Post (portrayed by Alan Young), a young architect determined to escape city life and embrace nature. Wilbur and his wife Carol (Connie Hines) found their dream country home, but it came with an unexpected addition - a horse that could communicate! Only Wilbur could hear this chatty steed.
The groundwork for Mister Ed was laid by children's author Walter R. Brooks, in a series of short stories that began with The Talking Horse published in the September 18, 1937 issue of Liberty magazine. The quirks of a talking horse, parallel to the Francis the Talking Mule film series, eventually led to the creation of the Mister Ed sitcom, which debuted in first-run syndication on January 5, 1961. Due to the lack of network interest, the series was sold independently to stations across America.
Mister Ed transitioned to CBS in the fall after its premiere (on October 1, 1961), running for an impressive five additional seasons, resulting in a total of six seasons and 143 episodes.
Just like other primetime sitcoms, Mister Ed featured an array of guest stars. Among them was a 32-year old Clint Eastwood, who appeared in the second-season episode "Clint Eastwood Meets Mister Ed" (originally televised on April 22, 1962).
A pilot for Mister Ed's revival was filmed in 2004 for Fox, featuring David Alan Basche as Wilbur and Sherman Hemsley as the voice of Ed, but it never saw the light of day.
Join us in celebrating 64 years since the debut of Mister Ed. In unison, let us chant, "A horse is a horse, of course, of course, and no one can talk to a horse, of course." That is, of course, unless the horse is the iconic Mister Ed.
Alan Young, who portrayed Wilbur Post in the classic TV series "Mister Ed," also lent his voice to the talking horse in the sitcom. During its run, the show welcomed guest stars like a 32-year-old Clint Eastwood in the episode "Clint Eastwood Meets Mister Ed."