Bonino (TV series)

Bonino
Cast of the show.
Starring	Ezio Pinza Mary Wickes Chet Allen Van Dyke Parks David Opatoshu Conrad Janis Mike Kellin Lenke Peterson
Country of origin	United States
No. of seasons	1/2
No. of episodes	Unknown; no more than 16
Production
Running time	30 minutes
Release
Original network	NBC
Picture format	Black and white
Original release	September 12 – December 26, 1953

Bonino is an ethnic situation comedy television series starring Ezio Pinza (1892-1957) as an Italian-American opera singer trying to rear his six children after the death of their mother. The program aired on live NBC from September 12 to December 26, 1953.

Pinza's character is named Babbo Bonino. Character actress Mary Wickes (1910-1995) portrayed Martha the housekeeper, a role which she filled over the years in numerous other series. The actors portraying the children were Conrad Janis (born 1928), later of ABC-TV's sitcom Mork & Mindy, as eldest son Edward, Lenka Peterson (born 1925) as older daughter Doris, Chet Allen (1939-1984) as Jerry; Oliver Andes as Carlo, Gaye Huston as Fancesca, and Van Dyke Parks (born 1943) as Andrew, the youngest. Allen had earlier appeared as Amahl in Gian Carlo Menotti's Amahl and the Night Visitors on NBC's Hallmark Hall of Fame in 1951-1952. Parks, who grew up in Lake Charles, Louisiana, became a rock-music producer and composer who cowrote with Brian Wilson the Beach Boys' hits "Heroes and Villains" and "Surf's Up".Mike Kellin (1922-1983), who was cast the following year in Celeste Holm's short-lived CBS sitcom Honestly, Celeste!, appeared in the role of Rusty.