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Poster for The Phil Silvers Show

The Phil Silvers Show

Seen it?

1955 | 4 seasons | 30 min | Comedy

Weeknight Watchearly rating

Why it’s a Weeknight Watch

With a short run with a modest audience, it's a mixed bag. Fine if it's on; don't plan your night around it.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for anyone who wants a laugh.
The mood
Light and funny.
The pace
4 seasons, but most episodes stand on their own, so you can dip in anywhere (about 30 minutes each).
What might put you off
  • Rated TV-PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • Made in 1955: an older pace and style.

The Phil Silvers Show, originally titled You'll Never Get Rich, was a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko of the United States Army. The series was created and largely written by Nat Hiken, and won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Comedy Series. The show is sometimes titled Sergeant Bilko or simply Bilko in reruns, and is very often referred to by these names, both on-screen and by viewers. The show's success transformed Silvers from a journeyman comedian into a star, and writer-producer Hiken from a highly-regarded behind-the-scenes comedy writer into a publicly recognized creator.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsNot counted

    Not enough reviews on record yet

  • AudiencesNot counted

    Not measured yet: not enough ratings

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerBelow par

    Ran for 4 seasons and reached a small audience so far; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 60K people sought it out in the past year

Season by season

The show overall is a Weeknight Watch. Here's how each season stacks up; Season 1 is the high point.

  1. Sunday Safe Bet
    Season 11955 · 34 episodes · 7.6 out of 10
    Sunday
  2. Sunday Safe Bet
    Season 21956 · 36 episodes · 7.5 out of 10
    Sunday
  3. Season 31957 · 37 episodes
    Not rated yet
  4. Season 41958 · 37 episodes
    Not rated yet

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Cast & crew

Created by Nat Hiken

  • Phil SilversErnest Bilko
  • Harvey LembeckRocco Barbella
  • Paul FordJohn Hall
  • Allan MelvinSteve Henshaw
  • Billy SandsDino Paparelli
  • Maurice GosfieldDuane Doberman
  • Herbie FayeSam Fender
  • Terry CarterPrivate 'Sugie' Sugarman