Lum and Abner

The show debuted on April 26, 1931 on KTHS in Hot Springs, Arkansas before moving to NBC, then CBS, and finally ABC. Lauck and Goff played virtually every character in the show — over 40 distinct voices between them — with only occasional outside cast. At its peak in the 1940s, the show drew audiences of over 30 million. The fictional town of Pine Ridge was so beloved that the real town of Waters, Arkansas renamed itself Pine Ridge in 1936. The Jot 'Em Down Store became a cultural touchstone, and the show spawned several films. The show is remarkable for its gentle humor, lack of mean-spiritedness, and affectionate portrayal of rural American life.