The Corner Bar

This show had a lot of charm, and an interesting history. This was a summer replacement series that ran on ABC. The exterior shot was of a bar across the street from the ABC studios in New York and the characters were loosely based on the bar's staff. The bar was a well known ABC hang out. At one time the bar even had an ABC extension. The bar's owner in the early days of ABC would lend the former NBC blue network money to meet the payroll. Some say that he also lent ABC to money to cover President Kennedy's funeral. It is said he lent the some $20,000 in cash, and he told them, "I am giving you cash, and I want it back in cash." The owner was hard drinking Irish man with foul mouth that lived in the poshest of streets, fifth ave. He was such a character they turned him into this show, but toned down for TV.

This show lasted the two summer seasons of 1972 and 1973. The plots spun around the assorted characters hanging around Harry Grant the first season. The dialogue was great; the cabdriver used to say, "I got a Mother who's Irish and a Mother-in-law who's Italian. The only thing they can agree on is the pope." Then, there was the time the staff joined a union and went on strike only to discover that Harry had already given them wonderful benefits. This show came back in 1973, but lost most of its charm. What is interesting is that Harry Ritz and Huntz Hall were considered for the leads.