The Honeymooners rose to classic status after releasing only 39 episodes of the slapstick lives of the Kramdens and their best friends, the Nortons. A tenement building at 358 Chauncey Street in Brooklyn, New York, was where all the action took place. Madison Avenue bus driver and blow bag, Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), insulted his wife and friends on a daily basis, as an unhappy blue collar worker. He took his frustrations out on them all, but occasionally revealed his need and love for them, although he was rarely able to show it.

Alice Kramden was his long-suffering, yet sarcastic wife, who was initially played by Pert Kelton when the sketches appeared on the Cavalcade of Stars.

Kelton didn’t last long, and was replaced by the perfect-for-the-part Audrey Meadows. She imparted her wisdom to Ralph, but in the end, he always ignored her and, of course, eventually found out how very wrong he was for doing so. Some of the many threats and endearments that Alice had to endure from Ralph on a regular basis, were “Baby, you’re the greatest,” “One of these days, Alice…POW, right in the kisser, ” “You’re going to the moon, Alice,” and my favorite, “I Gotta Big Mouth!”

Ralph was a member of the Hurricanes Bowling Team with his sewer-working buddy Ed Norton (Art Carney), who always seemed to be the fall guy and recipient of abuse from his blustering downstairs neighbor. Ed bestowed the endearing nickname of Ralphie-boy on his good friend, and joked about how fat he was, as a not-so-subtle way to put him in his place. Ed’s wife Trixie (Joyce Randolph) was a former burlesque dancer and Alice’s best friend. While the two men devised bizarre ways in which to get rich quickly, they always failed, and although their wives constantly bickered with them, they put up with their antics.

The Honeymooners began as six minute sketches on the Cavalcade of Stars variety show, and were later recreated at CBS on the Jackie Gleason Show. It proved to be such a hit that the premise became a half-hour spin-off series in 1955. The first season saw the show rise to number two in the ratings, but it couldn’t sustain its popularity the following year, and was canceled on September 22, 1956. Syndication began in 1957, where it remains today, and The Honeymooners “Classic 39″ episodes can be purchased on DVD.