Lum and Abner is a popular American radio comedy show that was created by Chester Lauck and Norris Goff. The show's premise is based on life in the small town of Waters, Arkansas, where Lauck and Goff grew up. The series features Lauck as Columbus "Lum" Edwards and Goff as Abner Peabody, co-owners of the Jot 'em Down Store in the fictional town of Pine Ridge, Arkansas. The two characters perform as a double act, with Lum generally playing the straight man to Abner's attempts to break free from Lum's influence. The pair are constantly stumbling upon moneymaking ideas only to find themselves fleeced by nemesis Squire Skimp before finally redeeming themselves. The tone and style of the radio show is primarily hillbilly humor, with a live house band playing string music to complement this theme.

The radio show aired from 1931 to 1954 and was broadcast on various radio networks, including NBC, Mutual, CBS, and ABC. Over its lifetime, Lum and Abner aired on all four major radio networks, and the show's format changed several times. In 1948, the show switched from a 15-minute "comedic soap opera" to a 30-minute self-contained show, but this change proved unpopular and the series went off the air in 1950. The revived show was discontinued in 1954 due to competition from television and Goff's failing health. The program broadcast more than 5,000 episodes, of which over 1,630 still exist today. During its run, Lum and Abner was sponsored by several prominent companies, such as Quaker Oats, The Ford Dealers of America, Horlicks Malted Milk, Postum cereal, and Alka-Seltzer.

Sources: wikipedia.org