“Our Miss Brooks”: In the Beginning

When Eve Arden was first asked to read a script for the show by the producers Harry Ackerman and Hubbell Robinson she wasn’t too interested in reading it nor in doing radio, and they sensed her reluctance. However, they told her that the writers, Al Lewis and Joe Quillan were very good and would have a new script for her soon.

A week later she met with Ackerman and read the new script. This time she was impressed and remarked that she even “laughed out loud” while reading it. There was one problem remaining, however. She had a full summer planned with her children. Countering her objections, she was told that if she could tape the thirteen scripts before she left, that would be fine.

The episodes were taped, she headed off for Connecticut and thought no more of it. The show began as a summer replacement and soon after Ms Arden got a call from Frank Stanton, who was then president of CBS.

When she answered the phone, Stanton said, “Congratulations!”

“For what?”, she asked.

Stanton answered, “‘Miss Brooks’ is the number 1 program on the air.”

And so, a new chapter in Eve Arden’s life had begun.