About this season
The Phil Silvers Show, originally titled You'll Never Get Rich, was a sitcom which ran on CBS from 1955 to 1959 for 142 episodes, plus a 1959 special. The series starred Phil Silvers as Master Sergeant Ernest G. Bilko of the United States Army. The series was created and largely written by Nat Hiken, and won three consecutive Emmy Awards for Best Comedy Series. The show is sometimes titled Sergeant Bilko or simply Bilko in reruns, and is very often referred to by these names, both on-screen and by viewers. The show's success transformed Silvers from a journeyman comedian into a star, and writer-producer Hiken from a highly-regarded behind-the-scenes comedy writer into a publicly recognized creator.
Episodes (37)
1. Bilko's Merry Widow
Aired 17 September 1957 • 30 min
2. Bilko's Boy's Town
Aired 24 September 1957 • 30 min
When the army go on maneuvers the Colonel orders Bilko to stay in camp, so with Fort Baxter empty he uses the time to form a boy's camp.
3. Hillbilly Whiz
Aired 1 October 1957 • 30 min
When the platoon lose again in a baseball game Bilko is desperate to find new players. Then a recruit from the south Hank Lumpkin turns up and Bilko can hardly believe his luck, as Lumpkin is a baseball star in the making. Bilko then contrives to have a New York Yankee's scout to 'accidentally' find Lumpkin so he can traded, but as a Southerner Lumpkin doesn't want to play for the Yankee's
4. Bilko's Valentine
Aired 8 October 1957 • 30 min
When Bilko forgets valentines day, Joan Hogan leaves the army, When Bilko realises what he has done, he follows her and tries to get her to reenlist
5. The Big Man Hunt
Aired 15 October 1957 • 30 min
When two men (who have been employed by a soldier who is looking for the man who saved his life during the war ) come looking for Bilko, he comes to the wrong conclusion, why they want him, until he recognises the name of the soldier, but when the two of them finally meet, Bilko has changed so much, that the soldier fails to recognise him.
6. Bilko's Double Life
Aired 22 October 1957 • 30 min
When his money problems start to close in on him, Bilko departs for New York, but while there he is mistaken for a millionaire. Meanwhile the real millionaire is in Roseville sorting out Bilko's problems.
7. Sergeant Bilko Presents
Aired 29 October 1957 • 30 min
Unable to raise the necessary funds to back Pt Hugo Lockman's play 'Sharecropper's Summer', Bilko persuades the army to run a playwriting competition.
8. Bilko Talks in His Sleep
Aired 19 December 1957 • 30 min
Sgt's Grover,and Ritzik overhear Bilko talking in his sleep and he gives away all his betting secrets. Bilko soon realises what is happening and gets his own back.
9. Cherokee Ernie
Aired 26 November 1957 • 30 min
Bilko goes on leave with Cpl Charlie Whiteagle, a Cherokee Indian, to Tulsa for a poker game, but he gets caught up in a legal fight when a document is found stating that the Indians still own most of Oklahoma.
10. Bilko Buys A Club
Aired 3 December 1957 • 30 min
When Bilko learns that a new member of the platoon is a merchant banker, he tries to get him to invest in a club that Bilko wants to set up.but he asks the wrong man of advice.
11. Lieutenant Bilko
Aired 10 December 1957 • 30 min
Bilko decides to leave the army until he learns that during the war he was promoted to Lt . and due to a foul up he is still a Lt, and he is owed over $14,000 in back pay.
12. Bilko At Bay
Aired 17 December 1957 • 30 min
Trying to get to New York, and to save money Bilko and the corporals arrange to stop off at the homes of members of the platoon for free meals.
13. Bilko F.O.B. Detroit
Aired 24 December 1957 • 30 min
Bilko and the platoon go to Detroit to get the new trucks, the Colonel orders him back in two days, but he has other plans to stay on.
14. Bilko and the Flying saucers
Aired 31 December 1957 • 30 min
In order to go Washington for a date with a young singer, Bilko has to report to the Colonel that he has seen a U.F.O. and has to go to Washington to be debriefed.
15. Bilko and the Colonel's Secretary
Aired 1 January 1958 • 30 min
When the Colonel's secretary gets posted, Bilko make sure that the right WAC is posted in, but this posting takes her away from her fiance, When she learns that Bilko was responsible she makes his and the platoon's life hell, until Bilko gets rid of her and brings in another secretary only to find that he is her boyfriend and the same thing happens all over again.
16. Doberman the Crooner
Aired 10 January 1958 • 30 min
Bilko discovers that Doberman has a beautiful singing voice but only when he has a cold. So Bilko gets him to make a record, but by then the doctors have cured his cold and his real voice returns.
17. Bilko Presents Kay Kendall
Aired 17 January 1958 • 30 min
Movie star Kay Kendall visits Roseville to promote her film & Bilko gets her to appear in a show he's producing. Bilko's hoping to make a bundle of dough but Miss Kendall soon proves to be more than a match for the wily Sgt.
18. Bilko's Cousin
Aired 24 January 1958 • 30 min
When the Colonel hears that another Bilko is about to arrive he hopes that he is no relation to Ernie because with two Bilko's at the camp life is going to be worse that ever but he turns out to be Ernie's cousin Swifty, but there is a surprise in store for everybody.
19. Bilko's Pigeons
Aired 31 January 1958 • 30 min
When an order banning the use of pigeons comes through from Washington, Bilko's source of income dries up.
20. Cyrano De Bilko
Aired 11 February 1958 • 30 min
Bilko helps out one the platoon when he is to shy to ask for a date with a local girl called Natalie. But complications arise when it turns out that there are two girls called Natalie.
21. The Colonel's Reunion
Aired 17 February 1958 • 30 min
The Colonel goes all out in his fight against the gambling, so Bilko gets the Colonel to leave the camp to go to a class reunion, but just when he thinks he has a free hand to carry on the Colonel decides it would crazy to leave him at the camp, so Bilko has to drive the Colonel to the reunion.
22. Bilko Saves Ritzik's Marriage
Aired 22 February 1958 • 30 min
When Sgt Ritzik plays one too many poker games with Bilko, his wife leaves him, so Ernie has to find a way of bringing them back together.
23. Bilko The Art Lover
Aired 5 March 1958 • 30 min
In New York, Bilko stays with an old buddy who is a prospective artist, but he falls out with his father, until the father realises how good his son is.
24. Bilko The Genius
Aired 14 March 2001 • 30 min
In a mix up over test results, Bilko is told that he has a genius rating and he goes on a course with other test winners. They try and come up with a foolproof method of predicting the result of any horse race.
25. Bilko the Male Model
Aired 19 March 1958 • 30 min
When Bilko is caught in a photograph taken in a night club when he should be elsewhere, an advertising agency spots his potential and tries to sign him as a male model.
26. The Colonel's Inheritance
Aired 4 April 1958 • 30 min
When the Colonel is left $5000 Bilko gets hold of it and invests it on the stock market. When he gets wiped out, he is desperate to replace the money before the Colonel hears about it
27. Bilko's Honeymoon
Aired 9 April 1958 • 30 min
When Paparelli wins a competition for a holiday to Florida, he is overjoyed, until he learns that it is for newlyweds, then Bilko has an idea.
28. Bilko's Chinese Restaurant
Aired 25 April 1958 • 30 min
When they learn that one of the new recruit's father started a chain of Chinese restaurants with very little money he decides to get in on the food business.
29. Operation Love
Aired 30 April 1958 • 30 min
Fort Baxter's WAC's are fed up with their boyfriends gambling with Bilko, instead of taking them out, so they get themselves transferred.
30. Bilko's TV Pilot
Aired 6 May 1958 • 30 min
A cowboy joins the platoon, and Bilko gets the idea of building a TV show around him
31. Bilko Retires From Gambling
Aired 13 May 1958 • 30 min
Colonel hall hires a professional card player, to beat Bilko at cards. He is so upset at losing that he gives up gambling
32. Bilko's Vacation
Aired 23 May 1958 • 30 min
When he wants a free holiday at Dimmeldorf lodge, Bilko convinces the platoon, and the Colonel to go as well. But after they realise what has happened, the Colonel gets his own back.
33. Bilko's Insurance Company
Aired 30 May 1958 • 30 min
A car accident near the camp gives Bilko the idea of starting an insurance company.
34. Bilko's Prize Poodle
Aired 3 June 1958 • 30 min
Doberman gets attached to a poodle, and Bilko sees a chance of winning $10,000 in a dog show.
35. Bilko's School Days
Aired 10 June 1958 • 30 min
Bilko learns that a new training camp is to be opened at Fort Baxter, Just when it looks like a new source of cash has presented itself, he finds that it is for M.P.'s not trainees.
36. Joan's Big Romance
Aired 24 June 1958 • 30 min
Joan Hogan is fed up waiting for Bilko, so she takes off for Chicago, and meets up with a wealthy playboy on the train. When her picture appears in the paper, she sees a way of making Bilko jealous.
37. Papa Bilko
Aired 18 July 1958 • 30 min
During the war Bilko befriends a French family. Years later, the daughter of the family calls to see ‘ Papa Bilko ‘ as she calls him. Meanwhile the platoon's lady killer Pearly trying to find dates for the platoon falls for her.