Watch The Abbott & Costello Show Online - Full Episodes

The Abbott and Costello Show is a classic American sitcom that first aired in the fall of 1852 and ran until 1954. Starring Lou Costello and Bud Abbot, the program has 52 episodes that are now widely available on DVDs. It's been named one of the top 100 shows in history by both Time magazine and Entertainment Weekly. Jerry Seinfeld has cited the program as being in the inspiration for his own successful sitcom, Seinfeld.

Abbot and Costello began their act on the burlesque stage, moved on to makes several feature films and turned to television as a way to have more creative control over their material. Their television show depicted them as out-of-work actors living in a boarding house in Hollywood. The program was basically a series of of humorous sketches with little storyline or plots involved. Because it aired in syndication rather than being affiliate with any certain network, show times varied in different parts of the country. Although it became affiliated with CBS in late 1952, the network did not broadcast it nationally.

The Abbot and Costello Show featured a female chimpanzee named Bingo in several episodes. Bingo was always dressed in the exact same manner as Lou Costello, and was fired from the program after she bit Mr. Costello in the arm.

The program was actually owned by Lou Costello. Bud Abbott worked on a salary along with Bobby Barber, Joe Besser, Joe Kirk, Gordon Jones and several others. Production of the program ended in 1954, and it left a lasting legacy on American television.