Before there was Joe the Plumber, there was Joe the Bartender. And Rudy the Repairman. And Poor Soul. All characters from Jackie Gleason's Cavalcade of Stars comedy show which opened the decade.
Gleason worked on a number of different shows with a number of different formats during these years. Halfway through the 50's, Gleason suspended production on his other work, to concentrate on a little show known as The Honeymooners. The show ran for 39 episodes and just one season before it was cancelled (it slipped to - gasp - #19 in the ratings!). Despite the brief run, the show is considered a classic example of American comedy.
