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. Gold Fever
Aired 23 September 1958 • 30 min
Bilko finds an old map of a secret gold mine near Grove City and investigates the site.
2. Bilko's Vampire
Aired 1 October 1958 • 30 min
When Ritzik starts watching horror films instead of playing poker, Bilko tries to scare him off
3. Bilko's De Luxe Tours
Aired 8 October 1958 • 30 min
When they have problems getting to town, Bilko goes into the transportation business, by joining the PTA and getting hold of one of their buses.
4. Bilko the Potato Sack King
Aired 15 October 1958 • 30 min
When offered a $20,000 wage Bilko leaves the army for a firm making potato sacks, but it is not long before he is back in the army.
5. Bilko v's Covington
Aired 22 October 1958 • 30 min
Bilko is getting beaten at his own game by a Sgt Covington, so he starts a rumour about a big money making opportunities in Japan, but the plan backfires when Covington learns the truth.
6. Bilko Joins the Navy
Aired 28 October 1958 • 30 min
When word of a big crap game for sailors only gets around Bilko Paparelli, and Zimmerman join the navy to take part but somehow they all end up at sea and have problems getting back ashore.
7. Bilko's Big Woman Hunt
Aired 5 November 1958 • 30 min
Cpl Henshaw falls in love and ruins Bilko's business,so when the same thing happens to Bilko, when he gets trapped in a lift with a girl, she then disappears and he has to go to the police in order to find her.
8. Bilko and the Crosby's
Aired 12 November 1958 • 30 min
Bilko dreams of what life would be like if he and not Bing were the father of the Crosby Sons.
9. Bilko's Allergy
Aired 19 November 1958 • 30 min
Bilko develops an allergy to playing cards which prevents him taking part in poker games.
10. Bilko and the Chaplin
Aired 26 November 1958 • 30 min
The Chaplin and Bilko get back at a crooked real estate agent, who wants to close a boys home and open a parking lot.
11. Bilko Presents the McGuire Sisters
Aired 3 December 1958 • 30 min
12. Bilko's Secret Mission
Aired 10 December 1958 • 30 min
When Ritzik is accidentally given a dose of electricity it makes him magnetic. He doesn't realise it, but it helps him control the ball in a roulette wheel. He thinks he has come up with a foolproof method of winning at roulette.
13. Bilko's Giveaway
Aired 17 December 1958 • 30 min
In Hollywood with no money, Bilko teams up with a child genius to win big prizes on a TV game show. but no cash.
14. Bilko and the Medium
Aired 22 December 1958 • 30 min
Hearing that Ritzik's have won $500 ,Bilko tries to borrow the money to open a pool hall.
15. Bilko's Bopster
Aired 1 January 1959 • 30 min
When jazz drummer Skinny Sanders joins the platoon, Bilko dreams of forming a band and touring Europe.
16. Bilko's Hollywood Romance
Aired 9 January 1959 • 30 min
A film star's agent decides that a romance with a soldier would be a good public relations exercise. Bilko gets chosen but in next to no time he becomes to powerful.
17. Bilko's Grand Hotel
Aired 28 January 1959 • 30 min
Bilko opens a pizza stand,But it burns down with Paparelli and Zimmerman in charge. So he tries again with a cheap hotel but the same thing happens again.
18. Bilko's Credit Card
Aired 4 February 1959 • 30 min
Bilko signs up the camp to his credit card scheme, the men like the idea, but when it comes time to settle their bills, the camp leave on manoeuvres.
19. Viva Bilko
Aired 11 February 1959 • 30 min
Bilko and three of the platoon are on holiday in Mexico, when they are robbed of their clothes by Mexican bandits, who use the clothes as a disguise to rob a bank. Later when Bilko gets their clothes back, they are arrested, until he can explain what happened.
20. The Colonel's Promotion
Aired 18 February 1959 • 30 min
When a promotion he expected doesn't happen Colonel hall goes to Washington and gets to play golf with Eisenhower.
21. Bilko's Sharpshooter
Aired 25 February 1959 • 30 min
Bilko discovers a WAC sharpshooter and starts to promote her as a new Annie Oakley, until she falls for another contestant in a competition.
22. Bilko's Formula Seven
Aired 4 March 1959 • 30 min
When applejack is accidentally mixed with crankcase oil, Bilko finds that they have discovered a formula for anti wrinkle, which Bilko tries to sell to the cosmetic firms.
23. Bilko's Ape Man
Aired 18 March 1959 • 30 min
Bilko hopes to launch Pvt Forbes in a film career, by entering him in a Mister Universe contest
24. Warrant Officer Paparelli
Aired 25 March 1959 • 30 min
Bilko gets Paparelli promoted, but he turns into a monster, so Bilko has to think of a way to demote him.
25. Bilko's Godson
Aired 3 April 1959 • 30 min
When he is named as the godfather to the son of a G.I. friend, Bilko tries to get the boy enrolled at Stanford University.
26. Guinea Pig Bilko
Aired 17 April 1959 • 30 min
Bilko takes a tranquilliser and loses his love for gambling, but the Colonel can't stand the change and tries to shock him out of it.
27. Bilko the Butler
Aired 24 April 1959 • 30 min
While helping out as a waiter, Bilko overhears a stock tip so he phones Cpl Henshaw to invest their money, but before Henshaw can act the Stock falls and Bilko thinks that their money has been lost.
28. Ritzik Goes Civilian
Aired 1 May 1959 • 30 min
Sgt Ritzik leaves the army, and sets up in roadside diner.But in no time he discovers that he has been swindled and calls for Bilko to help get his money back.
29. Bilko's Small Car
Aired 8 May 1959 • 30 min
When the police seize the Colonel's sports car Bilko converts a jeep and takes an order for ten from a local motor dealer.
30. Doberman Missing Heir
Aired 15 May 1959 • 30 min
Lord and Lady Rockford think they have discovered Doberman as their long lost son and heir, then they find it is all a mistake.
31. Bilko's Casino
Aired 20 May 1959 • 30 min
Bilko discovers an old document saying that the Grove City USO is exempt from California's Gambling laws. So Bilko opens a gambling club, but the mob muscle in on him so Bilko reverts the club back to the USO
32. The Colonel's Second Honeymoon
Aired 29 May 1959 • 30 min
With the Colonel away on a second honeymoon, Bilko and Zimmerman who has won a prize in a competition find that they are staying at the same hotel
33. Bilko in Outer Space
Aired 5 June 1959 • 30 min
Sgt's Ritzik and Grover win $600 but are terrified of losing it to Bilko, so they hide out in a space capsule mock up, but Bilko finds them
34. The Bilko Boycott
Aired 12 June 1959 • 30 min
Tired of the way Bilko is fleecing the platoon, Cpl Henshaw sets up a gamblers anonymous organisation, so with his source of money drying up ,he starts on the WAC's
35. Weekend Colonel
Aired 17 June 1959 • 30 min
CCTV set up by the Colonel cleans up the gambling, so Bilko finds a double of the Colonel who then orders the removal of the camera's.