The Bill Dana Show

Lore & Background

The series followed the daily life of José Jiménez, a goodhearted and naive Latin American bellhop who lived in bachelor quarters provided for hotel employees, ate in the hotel kitchen, and had social contact only with employees and guests. His fellow bellhop Eddie (Gary Crosby) constantly tried to get José to wise up, while the less-than-understanding hotel manager Mr. Phillips (Jonathan Harris) and bumbling hotel detective Byron Glick (Don Adams) added to his troubles. In the second season, Maggie Peterson played Susie, a waitress in the hotel's coffee shop. Walter Mitty-like dream sequences occasionally allowed José to escape the hotel environment.

Reader's Guide

The Bill Dana Show is significant for its role in television comedy history. It introduced Don Adams in a character virtually identical to the one he would later play on Get Smart, and featured the 'Would You Believe' routine, which Dana created. Dana helped Adams develop his William Powell impression into a character and brought him onto the show. Dana also brought Buck Henry to television on The Steve Allen Show. The series received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Achievement in the Field of Comedy at the 16th Primetime Emmy Awards in 1964. Bill Dana later made a cameo as José Jiménez on an episode of Batman titled 'The Yegg Foes in Gotham' (October 20, 1966), which was the last time he played the role on network television, though he continued on records and stage. The Disney Channel series The Suite Life of Zack & Cody also featured a haughty hotel manager and a comical Hispanic bellman, echoing elements of this show.

Did You Know?

• The Bill Dana Show was a spin-off from Make Room for Daddy, where José Jiménez first appeared as an elevator operator.
• Don Adams played hotel detective Byron Glick on this show, a character very similar to his later role on Get Smart.
• The 'Would You Believe' routine, created by Bill Dana, first appeared on this series.
• Bill Dana later appeared as José Jiménez on other network shows, including The Dean Martin Show and The Ed Sullivan Show, but his final network appearance as the character was not on Batman.