Radio: The New Shows

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Bing Crosby Show (CBS-TV). The Crooner's first regular telecast, a long time abrewing, arrived last week with an unmistakable thud. The filmed show was reminiscent of many of the earliest TV efforts: Crosby spent much of his time standing in front of a stage curtain, delivering mild jokes that were greeted with uproarious laughter supplied by a film sound track. Jack Benny appeared as a foil and traded fairly predictable banter with Crosby. Bing sang four songs, danced with a chorus, and was so smothered in facial makeup as to be expressionless. The most exciting thing in the show was long-legged Sheree North, a pretty girl with a modest ability to read funny lines and a whole-bodied way of dancing. Crosby's next TV show, to appear when he has digested the lessons learned in this one, cannot help but be better.

That's Rich (Fri. 9:30 p.m., CBS radio) stars Stan Freberg, known to televiewers as the voice of Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent on Time for Beany, and to record fans as the author and star of the bestselling Dragnet parody, St. George and the Dragonet. In his new show, Freberg plays the part of Richard E. Wilt ("When you think of wilted lettuce, think of me"), a gentle bird watcher and shipping clerk, whose lack of aggressiveness makes Wally Cox's Mr. Peepers seem like a pushing extrovert. Scriptwriters Frank and Doris Hursley have supplied Freberg with some amusing situations and some funny lines. That's Rich should shake down into a successful radio show and may eventually make the move to TV. Currently the program is unsponsored.

Martin Block Show (weekdays 2:35 p.m., ABC radio) brings to the. network a disk jockey who has dominated the Manhattan field for the past 18 years on station WNEW's Make-Believe Ballroom. Veteran Block, 50, has made few changes in his format for a national audience: there are still the same chatty introductions to records, interviews with musicians and singers, and such features as all-request shows, "Past-Year Favorites" and "Stars of Tomorrow." Block has not yet captured a single sponsor for his network program but when he does, ABC promises that he "can earn over $3,000,000 in the course of the contract."