Kate Smith Hour on NBC

The popular personality interviews and sings with guests in this series, which aired on weekday afternoons. The show also featured 15-minute comedy and drama segments, two of which became spin-off series: `The World of Mr. Sweeney' and `Ethel and Albert.' Smith, who helped popularize Irving Berlin's `God Bless America,' went on to host `The Kate Smith Evening Hour' from 1951 to 1952 and `The Kate Smith Show' in 1960.