The Tennessee Ernie Ford Show

Episode 1

George Gobel

Thu, Sep 22, 1960

In the final season's opener, Ernie and guest George Goebel mention the upcoming presidential debates between Vice President Nixon and Senator Kennedy, and imagine, how a future match up might degenerate into an overly commercial,semi-entertainment oriented show.

Episode 2

Jaye P. Morgan

Thu, Sep 29, 1960

Episode 3

Gary Crosby

Thu, Oct 6, 1960

Episode 4

Eve Arden

Thu, Oct 13, 1960 30 mins

Episode 5

Jack Bailey

Thu, Oct 20, 1960

Episode 6

Tab Hunter, Cliff Arquette and Jack Bailey

Thu, Oct 27, 1960

Episode 7

Ernie and the Top Twenty

Thu, Nov 3, 1960

Episode 8

Joe Flynn, Major Joseph Walker USAF and Major Robert White USAF

Thu, Nov 10, 1960

Episode 9

Keenan Wynn

Thu, Nov 17, 1960

Episode 10

Merle Travis and Molly Bee

Thu, Nov 24, 1960

Ernie and The Top Twenty perform "Party Song", then Ernie and guest Merle Travis do a duet of "Nine Pound Hammer". Merle sings "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette". Guest Molly Bee joins them and performs "Fallin'" and "He Taught Me How To Yodel". The trio then sings "Dim Lights, Thick Smoke And Loud, Loud Music". Wrapping up the Thanksgiving episode, the entire cast joins Ernie on "Bless This House".

Episode 11

Tony Bennett

Thu, Dec 1, 1960

Episode 12

Jimmie Rodgers and Margarethe Vertelson

Thu, Dec 8, 1960

Episode 13

Roger Smith

Thu, Dec 15, 1960

Episode 14

Kate Smith

Thu, Dec 22, 1960

Episode 15

Ernie and the Top Twenty

Thu, Jan 5, 1961

In a rare programme without a guest, Ernie and the Top Twenty perform songs about American heroes, real and legendary. Anoriginal number about Ben Franklin has the girls in period costume, and the show ends with a rousing salute to the defenders of the Alamo.

Episode 16

Shari Lewis

Thu, Jan 12, 1961

Episode 17

Cliff Arquette

Thu, Jan 19, 1961

Episode 18

John Raitt

Thu, Jan 26, 1961

Episode 19

Brenda Lee

Thu, Feb 2, 1961

Ernie starts the show by trying to play a tuba, in the skit portion, he's a soda jerk. Brenda Lee comes into his shop and orders a "double". While she sings "One For my Baby" as Ernie keeps adding more and more to a sundae until it's a huge, awful mess of ice cream, pineapples, whipped cream and syrup, but her boyfriend takes her away before she even tastes it.

Episode 20

Bobby Lauher

Thu, Feb 9, 1961

Episode 21

Carmen

Thu, Feb 16, 1961

Episode 22

Minnie Pearl

Thu, Feb 23, 1961

Episode 23

Songs of the Open Sea

Thu, Mar 9, 1961

Episode 24

Gordon MacRae

Thu, Mar 16, 1961

Episode 25

Robert Horton

Thu, Mar 23, 1961

Episode 26

On Location at Sea - Aboard the U.S.S. Aircraft Carrier Yorktown

Thu, Mar 30, 1961

Aboard the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, Ernie and company perform for the sailors, with song and dance numbers and a skit where hayseed Ernie is coaxed into signing up for naval service, and given a plush cabin, a fruit basket and comely WAVES by the ship's Captain when he arrives.

Episode 27

Charles Laughton

Thu, Apr 6, 1961

Episode 28

The Everly Brothers

Thu, Apr 13, 1961

Ford's young guests are the Everly Brothers, whose rock n' roll/ rhythm and blues style brings the tempo up a little faster than usual for the show. Ernie joins them on several numbers, and at one point picks a few bars on the guitar while the brothers strum the along on the same instrument.

Episode 29

Roberta Sherwood

Thu, Apr 20, 1961

After the opening number, Ernie shows off what an apparent bountiful feast is really made of, wooden cake, plaster sandwiches, rubber vegetables, etc. as well as smudge pots to give the illusion of steam. He joins Roberta at a grand piano to do a medley of southern-themed songs.

Episode 30

Joe Flynn

Thu, Apr 27, 1961

Episode 31

Joanie Sommers

Thu, May 4, 1961

Episode 32

Cliff Arquette

Thu, May 11, 1961

Episode 33

Andy Devine

Thu, May 18, 1961

Taking the cameras backstage, Ernie runs into a mob from Dean Martin's spectacular and Wagon Train blocking the coffee vending machine, and gets caught in an apple dispenser.Andy Devine tries everything down to begging and blubbering a sad song to get Ernie to buy a broken down horse named Lightning.

Episode 34

Tab Hunter

Thu, Jun 1, 1961

After a musical salute to the month of June, Ernie and Tab Hunter imagine what it would be like if they were young unknown actors waiting for a big break in a run down flat. When a call comes in for Tab, they have to improvise a decent wardrobe for him to go in.

Episode 35

Gary Player

Thu, Jun 8, 1961

Episode 36

Hoagy Carmichael

Thu, Jun 15, 1961

In a show without any skits, Ernie and guest Hoagy Carmichael trade songs at a piano, and the Top Twenty sing some numbers too, most all of which come from Hoagy's sizable songbook.

Episode 37

Joe Flynn, Anita Bryant and the United States Marine Corps Drill Team

Thu, Jun 22, 1961

Episode 38

Ernie and the Top Twenty

Thu, Jun 29, 1961

In the final episode of the series, Ernie has no special guest, he shows the large pile of scripts from the five years run of the show, then retells a few selected jokes. He then introduces and reminisces with members of "The Top Top Twenty". Most of the rest of the program is devoted to several of Ernie's favorite hymns, including "The Rugged Cross".