The Jim Backus Show

The Jim Backus Show is a 39-episode American television sitcom that aired in broadcast syndication in 1960 and 1961. The series was also known as Hot Off the Wire.^[1]

The Jim Backus Show
Jim Backus as Mike O'Toole.
Starring	Jim Backus
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	39
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Production company	California National Productions
Original release
Network	First-run syndication
Release	October 6, 1960 (1960-10-06) – July 11, 1961 (1961-07-11)

Premise

The program focuses on Backus in the role of Mike O'Toole, the editor/proprietor of a low rent wire service struggling to stay in business.

Cast

• Jim Backus as Mike O'Toole
• Nita Talbot as Dora Miles
• Bobs Watson as Sidney

Episodes

• "The Woman's Touch" with George Ives as a bigamist con man, Douglas Aldrich.^[2]
• "Floundered in Florida" with Alan Carney as Hogan, Milton Frome as Irving Rudolph, Vivi Janiss as Mrs. Rudolph, and Olan Soule as Elmo^{[3][unreliable source?]}

No.	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date
1	"The Mad Bomber"	John Florea	John L. Greene	October 6, 1960 (1960-10-06)
2	"The Patriots"	Bretaigne Windust	Dick Conway & Roland MacLane	October 25, 1960 (1960-10-25)
3	"Mike O'Toole, Angler"	Gene Reynolds	Joseph Quillan	November 1, 1960 (1960-11-01)
4	"South Hampton Story"	James Sheldon	Bill Danch & Tedd Pierce	November 8, 1960 (1960-11-08)
5	"No Help Wanted"	Gene Reynolds	Dick Chevillat & Jay Sommers	November 15, 1960 (1960-11-15)
6	"The Marry-Go-Round"	Christian Nyby	Ray Singer	November 15, 1960 (1960-11-15)
7	"The Nephew"	Hollingsworth Morse	David Chandler & Don Quinn	November 22, 1960 (1960-11-22)
8	"Baby, Come Home"	Ralph Levy	Bill Danch & Tedd Pierce	November 29, 1960 (1960-11-29)
9	"The Frame Up"	Christian Nyby	Dick Chevillat & Ray Singer	December 6, 1960 (1960-12-06)
10	"Painting Caper"	Howard W. Koch	Dick Chevillat & Ray Singer	December 13, 1960 (1960-12-13)
11	"The Three Sisters"	James Sheldon	Jess Carneol & Kay Lenard	December 16, 1960 (1960-12-16)
12	"Uncle Chester"	Alan Crosland Jr.	Bill Davenport & Charles Tannen	December 20, 1960 (1960-12-20)
13	"Crime a la Carte"	Theodore J. Flicker	Bill Danch & John L. Greene	December 27, 1960 (1960-12-27)
14	"The Desk"	Howard W. Koch	Bill Danch & Tedd Pierce	December 27, 1960 (1960-12-27)
15	"Piano Prodigy"	Christian Nyby	Hendrik Vollaerts	January 10, 1961 (1961-01-10)
16	"Mike Cheats a Cheater"	James Sheldon	Peggy Chantler Dick & William Cowley	January 17, 1961 (1961-01-17)
17	"Meet Melvin"	Ben Feiner Jr.	George Atkins & Bob Ogle	January 24, 1961 (1961-01-24)
18	"The Woman's Touch"	Christian Nyby	Story by : Robert A. Cinader, Teleplay by : Marvin Marx & Manny Manheim	January 31, 1961 (1961-01-31)
19	"Sidney's Scoop"	Hollingsworth Morse	Peggy Elliott & Tedd Pierce	February 7, 1961 (1961-02-07)
20	"The Hypnotist"	Ben Feiner Jr.	Bill Danch & Tedd Pierce	February 14, 1961 (1961-02-14)
21	"Once Upon a Moose"	Christian Nyby	Harry Crane & John Tackaberry	February 21, 1961 (1961-02-21)
22	"Pinkmalion"	Alan Crosland Jr.	Bill Davenport & Charles Tannen	December 28, 1961 (1961-12-28)
23	"When a Body Meets a Body"	Sidney Salkow	George Atkins, John O'Dea, Bob Ogle & Sidney Salkow	March 7, 1961 (1961-03-07)
24	"Arabian Night"	James Sheldon	Walter Black	March 14, 1961 (1961-03-14)
25	"Old Army Game"	Christian Nyby	Story by : Robert A. Cinader Teleplay by : Stanley Davis & Elon Packard	March 21, 1961 (1961-03-21)
26	"The Fix"	Arthur Lubin	Arthur Alsberg	April 4, 1961 (1961-04-04)
27	"Sad Sack Santa"	Harvey Hart	Sam Locke & Joel Rapp	April 11, 1961 (1961-04-11)
28	"The Plant"	James Sheldon	Story by : Jay Sommers, Teleplay by : Carol & Joseph Cavella	April 18, 1961 (1961-04-18)
29	"The Temporary Scoundrel"	Theodore J. Flicker	Thomas Knickerbocker & Mort R. Lewis	April 25, 1961 (1961-04-25)
30	"Floundered in Florida"	Unknown	Unknown	May 2, 1961 (1961-05-02)
31	"Dear Minnie"	Unknown	Unknown	May 9, 1961 (1961-05-09)
32	"In the Rough"	Unknown	Unknown	May 16, 1961 (1961-05-16)
33	"Dora's Vacation"	Unknown	Unknown	May 23, 1961 (1961-05-23)
34	"The Birthday Boy"	Unknown	Unknown	May 30, 1961 (1961-05-30)
35	"War Bride"	Unknown	Unknown	June 13, 1961 (1961-06-13)
36	"The Texas Tycoon"	Unknown	Unknown	June 20, 1961 (1961-06-20)
37	"Gift for Grandma"	Unknown	Unknown	June 27, 1961 (1961-06-27)
38	"O'Toole and Son"	Christian Nyby	Stanley Davis & Elon Packard	July 4, 1961 (1961-07-04)
39	"Farewell to Dora"	Unknown	Unknown	July 11, 1961 (1961-07-11)

References

1. TV Guide Guide to TV. Barnes & Noble. 2004. ISBN 0-7607-5634-1.
2. "The Woman's Touch".
3. "Floundered in Florida on The Jim Backus Show". IMDb. May 2, 1961. Retrieved August 7, 2016.