The Great Gildersleeve is a radio situation comedy that features the character Throckmorton P. Gildersleeve, a regular from the radio show Fibber McGee and Molly. The show focuses on Gildersleeve's life as he moves from Wistful Vista to Summerfield to oversee his late brother-in-law's estate and take care of his orphaned niece and nephew, Marjorie and Leroy Forrester. As a confirmed bachelor and the town's water commissioner, Gildersleeve navigates the singles scene, interacting with a colorful cast of friends and neighbors, including the Jolly Boys Club, Judge Hooker, pharmacist Richard Q. Peavey, and barber Floyd Munson.

The Great Gildersleeve aired from August 31, 1941, to March 21, 1957, with a total of 552 episodes. The show was initially broadcast on NBC and was one of the earliest spin-off programs in radio history. The series was created by Leonard Lewis Levinson and starred Harold Peary, who played Gildersleeve in four feature films released during the show's peak popularity. The show's main sponsor was Kraft Foods, promoting its Parkay margarine. As the show progressed, several characters evolved and developed, with Marjorie marrying college football star Walter "Bronco" Thompson, played by Richard Crenna. Despite its initial popularity, the show experienced a decline in the 1950s, with several long-time characters disappearing and new ones taking their place. The show eventually ended in 1958 after briefly changing formats to 15-minute daily episodes.

Sources: archive.org, wikipedia.org, otrcat.com