The Fisher Family: My Brother (1952, DuMont Network)

Episode 17 of The Fisher Family, 'My Brother'. An excellent religious drama dealing with racism. The series began under the title The Fisher Family, and premiered on the DuMont Television Network in September 1952, and aired on both DuMont and ABC until the fall of 1953. The show entered syndication shortly after its network run ended. The show's stories revolved around the Fishers, a typical family from Middleburg in an unnamed Midwestern state. The family included Carl, the father, who was a pharmacist; Anna, the mother (though they were referred to only as Mr. and Mrs. Fisher); their children Emily (18), Pete (16), and Freddie (10); and Grandpa Fisher (presumably Mr. Fisher's widower father), who lived with them. A recurring character was Pastor Martin, who presided over the Lutheran church where the Fishers were members. Each episode presented a difficult life issue for one or more of the Fishers (or sometimes, the people they encountered); the issue's resolution was found through their Christian faith. Pastor Martin would facilitate this resolving process when the family (or other central character for that particular episode) was unable to do so among themselves. Christian faith as the basis of a strong, functional family was the theme tying the episodes together. The show came to an end in the spring of 1956 and evolved into the spinoff series titled This Is the Life.