This long-running half-hour CBS sitcom debuted on 4 October 1954 and was last broadcast on 20 April 61. Mostly remembered today for featuring neighbor 'Harry Morgan' as Pete Porter, who complained constantly about his unseen wife, Gladys. They'd eventually get their own show as a spin-off in the fall of 1960.
Pete's never seen but oft mentioned wife Gladys was said to be a blonde. But in the spin-off "Pete & Gladys" she is played by redhead Cara Williams.
This very popular 1950s sitcom was groundbreaking in many ways. Its primary stars were senior women. Like many future shows, December Bride ended its run after five years when original contracts expired. It was then sold into syndication where it continued to earn money for years. Finally, it produced one of the first spin-offs, Pete & Gladys.
Prior to this series, Frances Rafferty often was cast as a sexy young woman about town, while young Dean Miller was often seen as something of a skirt chaser. But in December Bride they morphed into the ideal happily married suburban couple with a mortgage and a live-in mother/mother-in-law.
Frances Rafferty, who played Ruth, was the younger sister of Max Rafferty, the California Chief Superintendent of Schools from 1963 to 1971.