A couple of folks have written me — Gene Popa was the first — reminding me that Jack Benny didn't have a weekly TV show at the time he did that 1954 episode of General Electric Theater. His TV show was on from 1950 until 1965 but, as Gene wrote me, "His CBS program was actually a 'wheel show', initially appearing only once every six weeks or so when it debuted, although by the 54-55 season, he was airing every other week. It wasn't until 1960 that he consented to do his show every week."
That's true and I knew that but that part of my brain wasn't working when I posted that item last night. Benny was always worried that on television, a performer could or would wear out his welcome more quickly than when he was heard but not seen on radio. A lot of folks in television back then thought like that.