Big Eddie

Big Eddie is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from August 23 until November 7, 1975. Its first three episodes, in a Saturday night time slot, did well in the ratings, but after it was moved to Friday nights, it had little success opposite Sanford and Son.

Premise
Big Eddie Smith, a reformed mobster tries to go legit as the owner of the Big E Sports Arena in New York City. Smith's family included his wife Honey, granddaughter Ginger, and brother Jessie.

Cast

 * Sheldon Leonard as Big Eddie Smith
 * Sheree North as Honey Smith
 * Quinn Cummings as Ginger Smith
 * Billy Sands as Bang Bang Valentine
 * Alan Oppenheimer as Jesse Smith
 * Ralph Wilcox as Raymond McKay
 * Lonnie Shorr as Too Late
 * Milton Parsons as The Goniff
 * Cliff Pellow as No Marbles

Production
Bill Persky and Sam Denoff created the series and were Big Eddie's executive producers and writers. Hy Averback was the producer and director. It had three "sneak preview" broadcasts (August 23 - September 6, 1975) from 8:30 to 9 p.m. Eastern Time on Saturdays. Ratings decreased after it was moved to 8 - 8:30 p.m. ET on Fridays beginning on September 19, 1975.

Episodes were recorded on videotape in front of a live audience using facilities at KTLA-TV.

Critical response
John J. O'Connor, in a review distributed by the New York Times Service, commented, ". . . to know Big Eddie is to loath it." The review implied that Eddie married Honey as a means of obtaining custody of his granddaughter, "who, for purposes of uncomplicated plotting, is conveniently orphaned." O'Connor commented that Eddie often shouted and that his speech was filled with pronunciations such as "'dat' for that, or 'foist' for first" and he added, "His black assistant (Ralph Wilcox) jive talks hysterically."

After watching four episodes, Lee Winfrey wrote in The Evening Sun, "The only thing large about Big Eddie is growing wonder as to why it is still on the air." The review added that "each week the plots grow more surpassingly stupid, the guest stars less interesting, and the whole show steadily more arthritic in pace." The title character was called "as dull as a reformed drunk" and the family's home life was summarized as "dull domesticity, just another unbelievable sitcom family, wrestling with piffling problems and pennywhistle crises."