I Married Joan is a sitcom that aired on NBC from 1952 to 1955. It starred veteran vaudeville, film, and radio comedienne Joan Davis as the manic wife of a mild-mannered community judge, Bradley Stevens (Jim Backus). The show announced itself each week as "America's favorite comedy show, starring America's queen of comedy, Joan Davis, as Mrs. Joan Stevens." The series focused on a married couple, Joan and Bradley Stevens. Joan Stevens usually found herself in numerous wacky jams, with or without the help of her younger sister (played by her real-life daughter, Beverly Wills). Episodes usually began with Backus as Judge Stevens recalling yet another merry mishap, followed by the unfolding of the mishap, and ending with Stevens summing it up. Sponsored by General Electric, I Married Joan was aimed at the viewers who watched I Love Lucy, a year older and already television's top-rated situation comedy. Despite Davis's physical and verbal comedy talents, however, the show lasted only three full seasons in first-run production before falling victim to weakening ratings.
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