The Laytons
| The Laytons | |
|---|---|
| Genre | Sitcom |
| Created by | Pat Faye |
| Written by | Barbara Boothe |
| Starring |
Amanda Randolph Vera Tatum |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 30 minutes |
| Broadcast | |
| Original channel | DuMont |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original run | August 11, 1948 – October 13, 1948 |
The Laytons was an American sitcom that was broadcast on the now defunct DuMont Television Network, from August to October 1948. The series starred Vera Tatum and Amanda Randolph, and was one of the first (if not the first) network television series to feature an African-American performer in a regular role.[1]
Overview
According to The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, "little is known about the content of this early series". The 30-minute program, produced and distributed by DuMont, aired on Wednesdays at 8pm (ET) on DuMont's affiliate stations. The program had been seen locally on DuMont's New York flagship station WABD, beginning in May/June 1948.[1]
According to Donald Bogle, the series made such a small impression that few remember The Laytons. However, the program paved the way for later TV shows starring or featuring black actors.[2] The final episode of the program aired on October 13, 1948.[1] Later in 1948, Randolph appeared again on DuMont, on a daytime series titled Amanda.
Episode status
As with most DuMont series, no episodes of The Laytons are known to exist.
See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts
- 1948-49 United States network television schedule
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (2007-10-17). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present (9 ed.). Ballantine Books. p. 776. ISBN 0-345-49773-2.
- ↑ Bogle, Donald (2001). Primetime Blues: African Americans on Network Television. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, p. 14. ISBN 0-374-12720-4
Bibliography
- David Weinstein, The Forgotten Network: DuMont and the Birth of American Television (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2004) ISBN 1-59213-245-6
- Alex McNeil, Total Television, Fourth edition (New York: Penguin Books, 1980) ISBN 0-14-024916-8
- Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh, The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows, Third edition (New York: Ballantine Books, 1964) ISBN 0-345-31864-1