Junior Rings in the New Year (Red Skelton Comedy)

Aired: December 31, 1948

This New Year’s–themed episode from The Red Skelton Show features one of Skelton’s most popular characters — Junior, the Mean Little Kid — as he welcomes 1949 in his own mischievous way.

While Junior’s parents head out to celebrate the holiday, Junior remains behind, delivering wisecracks, mangled logic, and unexpected moments of warmth as the old year gives way to the new.

Originally broadcast on New Year’s Eve, this sketch blends slapstick, verbal humor, and gentle sentiment, capturing Skelton’s gift for turning childhood mischief into something both hilarious and oddly reflective.

As Junior spars with the adults around him and contemplates resolutions in his own crooked fashion, the program offers a snapshot of postwar comedy — lighthearted, chaotic, and full of heart. The episode also showcases Skelton’s skill at live performance, where small missteps become part of the fun, reinforcing why his radio work remains so enduring more than seven decades later.

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