Aw, What the Hell, Just Listen: The Way It Was, 17 September

Since your chronicler can't make up his mind as to which deserves the feature highlight, he's going to say to hell with it, he can't make up his mind, so just sit back and enjoy them all. You get the customary cheerful absurdity from the small house halfway up in the next block, the Man of a Thousand Voices, the Sage of Summerfield, Mrs. Cugat (as she was still known), and Miss Brooks, plus a passable if no great shakes Cyrano . . .

CHANNEL SURFING . . .

VIC & SADE: UNCLE FLETCHER CLEANS HOUSE (A.K.A. DON'T HELP DUST, UNCLE FLETCHER; NBC, 1941)---Sade (Bernadine Flynn) has too much work to do to accompany Ruthie Stenbottom on a downtown jaunt, a load Uncle Fletcher (Clarence Hartzell) is only too happy to lighten for her and Sade is only too happy, likewise, to carry herself. Announcer: Vincent Pelletier. Writer/director: Paul Rhymer.

THE GREAT GILDERSLEEVE: McGEE'S INVENTION (NBC, 1944)---Ousted as water commissioner by the mayor he once challenged, Gildersleeve (Harold Peary) is surprised to hear from old buddy Fibber McGee with a new proposition he thinks is going to make them both rich---only he has to wait for a letter to learn just what the invention happens to be, while promising elaborate gifts to his family. Marjorie: Louise Erickson. Birdie: Lillian Randolph. Leroy: Walter Tetley. Hooker: Earle Ross. Music: Claude Sweeten. Director: Frank Pittman. Writers: John Whedon, Sam Moore.

THE MEL BLANC SHOW: MEL BAKES A PRIZE-WINNING PUTTY CAKE (CBS, 1946)---Mel (Blanc) and Betty (Mary Jane Croft) both look forward to the county fair, but Betty's plan to enter and win the fair's baking contest runs into an unlikely obstacle, courtesy of Mel's being hired to fix the YWCA's kitchen ovens. Colby: Joseph Kearns. Uncle Rupert: Earle Ross. Miss Stanhope: Bea Benaderet. Announcer: Bob LaMond. Director: Joe Rines. Writers: David Victor, Herb Little, Jr..

MY FAVOURITE HUSBAND: LIZ AND THE GENERAL (CBS; AFRS REBROADCAST, 1948)---He's an eccentric neighbour to Liz (Lucille Ball), a whack job to George (Richard Denning), and a retired Army general over whom Liz frets because he hasn't been out of his house for a week, which she thinks is very unlike him. Katie: Ruth Perrot. Additional cast: Unknown. Director: Jess Oppenheimer. Writers: Jess Oppenheimer, Madelyn Pugh, Bob Carroll, Jr.

OUR MISS BROOKS: ELOPEMENT WITH WALTER (CBS, 1950)---Frustrated by Boynton's (Jeff Chandler) involvement with the volunteer fire department, which cuts down on her chances to land him, Connie (Eve Arden) thinks a clever togetherness idea might be to become his ladder practise rescue---from Conklin's (Gale Gordon) house, assuming she can trick the principal into leaving the house. Mrs. Davis: Jane Morgan. Walter: Richard Crenna. Harriet: Gloria McMillan. Martha Conklin: Paula Winslowe. Announcer: Bob LaMond. Music: Wilbur Hatch. Writer/director: Al Lewis.

GENERAL ELECTRIC THEATER: CYRANO DE BERGERAC (NBC, 1953)---James and Pamela Mason highlight this passable adaptation of the classic Edward Rostrand play in which a disfigured dramatist provides the poetic depth by which a shallow baron (Dan O'Herlihy) romances a beauty. Additional cast: Ben Wright. Announcer: Ken Carpenter. Music: Wilbur Hatch. Adaptation: James Pohl.