The Red Skelton Show
Skelton Clears The Smog (with George Raft)
TV Flash files “Skelton Clears The Smog (with George Raft)” as hour 99 of 478 in the TV Flash guide — The Red Skelton Show (1951–1971) on NBC/CBS, season 4, episode 16, aired 1955-01-04, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S04E16: listed hour 99 of 478 in the The Red Skelton Show guide, hour 10 of 16 in season 4. It aired 1955-01-04 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “The Cop and the Anthem -The Unwanted Christmas Tree” (S04E14). Next is “Skelton Goes Back To School (with Diana Lynn)” (S04E17). Broadcast log — titles and dates, not a plot bible.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Skelton Clears The Smog (with George Raft) sit in the The Red Skelton Show guide?
S04E16 is listed hour 99 of 478 — hour 10 of 16 in season 4, season 4 episode 16.
When did The Red Skelton Show S04E16 air?
Skelton Clears The Smog (with George Raft) aired 1955-01-04 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with Skelton's recurring clowns — Freddie, Clem — and a pantomime sketch that uses the camera's close-up. The blessing is the door close.
In the series
Why this series still plays
The Red Skelton Show is pantomime pathos on a two-decade variety throne: Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, and a closing blessing America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted fashions. In 2026 it is the clown-with-a-tear master class, plus the benediction Good night and may God bless.
Red Skelton did not drop a sketch. He filled a weekly variety hour with recurring characters and wordless pantomime that played to the camera's intimacy — primarily 1951–1971 across NBC and CBS, 478 episodes, 20 seasons, a franchise that moved networks without dropping the blessing. Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, Mean Widdle Kid, David Rose's music, and a closing 'Good night and may God bless' America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted fashions. Pantomime pathos on a two-decade…
Filed against
- Red Skelton as Host / various characters
Red Skelton hosted The Red Skelton Show as pantomime pathos on a two-decade variety throne — Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, a closing blessing America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted fashions. TV Flash…
- David Rose as Music director
David Rose conducted The Red Skelton Show as pantomime pathos with a downbeat — Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, a two-decade variety throne, a closing blessing America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted…