Meet the Meeks was an American radio comedy program that aired on NBC from 1947 to 1949. Originating in Chicago, the series starred Forrest Lewis as Mortimer Meek, with Fran Allison as Agatha Meek and Beryl Vaughan as Peggy Meek.
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Broadcast history
In August 1947, Variety reported that Meet the Meeks, which Swift & Company was scheduled to sponsor on NBC beginning November 8, was expected to receive a sustaining run at the network's expense beginning August 23. The item said Les Weinrott, who had sold the program through J. Walter Thompson, would be involved in production during the warmup interval.
A 1947 item in Broadcasting described the sponsored program as a new Chicago-originated family comedy-drama scheduled for Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. CST over 161 NBC stations beginning November 8, 1947. The item identified Swift & Company as the sponsor for its Allsweet margarine, named Les Weinrott as the program's writer-director, and said Swift's contract was for 52 weeks.
In October 1948, Broadcasting reported that Swift would begin sponsorship of Meet the Meeks for a second year on November 6, 1948, and that the program aired on the full NBC network.
Harrison B. Summers's 1958 history of national radio-network programming listed Meet the Meeks among network programs for both the 1947–48 and 1948–49 seasons, categorizing it as a Swift-sponsored daytime comedy-drama.
Reception
A 1947 review in Variety described Meet the Meeks as Les Weinrott's situation-comedy series under a new title, after its earlier run as Meet Mr. Meek. The review criticized the program as derivative, saying that its characters were stereotypes and that the ending of the reviewed episode was predictable. It also noted that the broadcast ran short, requiring an extended organ fill after the talent credits.
A January 1948 review in Radio Life evaluated Meet the Meeks together with Archie Andrews, criticizing both Saturday-morning family comedies for following the same "deplorable pattern" in their depiction of family life. The review said Meet the Meeks had "several redeeming features", particularly the "whimsicality and sympathy" in the performances of Forrest Lewis, Fran Allison, and Beryl Vaughan as Mortimer, Agatha, and Peggy Meek respectively. It also said Les Weinrott's writing often achieved a "gentle sincerity".
The Radio Life review's main criticism of Meet the Meeks was the use of Uncle Louie, played by Cliff Soubier, as a comic stooge. It argued that the central family characters were strong enough without that kind of blundering figure and that Louie's presence made the Meeks seem more like a slapstick unit.
Cast
A July 1948 Radio Best cast feature identified the principal cast and roles as follows:
Forrest Lewis as Mortimer Meek
Fran Allison as Agatha Meek
Beryl Vaughan as Peggy Meek
Cliff Soubier as Louie Leach
Elmira Roessler as Lily
A December 1948 Radio Best profile of Beryl Vaughan also identified her with the role of Peggy Meek, describing Peggy as the family's mischievous high-school daughter.