How Long to Watch “Mister Ed”?

In a TV era that would soon breed movie star castaways and flying nuns, Mister Ed was a celebrated standard-bearer for '60s sitcom absurdity. Launched in 1961 as a mid-season replacement on CBS, the program followed the exploits of the title's talking horse and his owner, Wilbur (Alan Young). The series' many comical mishaps generally stemmed from Mister Ed's refusal to speak in front of anyone but Wilbur, leaving the man with no proof for his outlandish claims, and opening him up to take the fall for the horse's pranks and schemes. Ed's mischievous behavior played out against the backdrop of Wilbur's home life with wife Carol (Connie Hines) and neighbors Roger and Kay Addison (Larry Keating and Edna Skinner), later replaced by Gordon and Winnie Kirkwood (Leon Ames and Florence MacMichael). Over the course of its six seasons, the famous Mister Ed went surfing, ran away from home, met Zsa Zsa Gabor, and even fell in love; in 1963, much of this charming quirkiness was rewarded with a Golden Globe for Best TV Show.