The papers document Barbara Fishel's professional career during the 1950s, the period of her life when she worked as a production assistant for NBC television programs that originated from Hollywood. The papers are largely about the programs on which she worked, and there are no personal papers in the collection. Such papers are believed to have been retained by the donor. There are also no records of her association with Susskind or her career after she returned to New York City in the early 1960s.
A large part of the collection consists of mimeographed scripts which Fishel annotated to indicate rehearsal timing and some last minute changes in dialogue. Also present are a variety of production materials including rehearsal schedules, timing rundowns, and cast lists. Because of their bulky and routine nature only a sample of the daily timing sheets for each series has been retained. A few programs such as Summer on Ice and the Bob Hope Christmas shows are represented with memoranda to and from various members of the production staff. The collection is arranged alphabetically by program title.
Most extensively documented in the papers is Fishel's work on Colgate Comedy Hour, which was NBC's attempt to counter the competition of the Ed Sullivan Show and which regularly featured stars such as Martin and Lewis, Eddie Cantor, Fred Allen, and Abbott and Costello. This file begins with the script of September 30, 1951, which was the first regular commercial program to originate in Hollywood. Other programs with which Fishel was associated which are well represented include the Bob Hope Buick Show, Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Jerry Lewis Show, Saturday Night Review, and Up to Paar.
