An episode airing now on METV of Perry Mason "The Case of the Pint-sized Client" from 1958, a scene with Paul Drake in a living room you could see a Zenith Porthole set in the background; I think that's the first time I've seen one in a TV show. not sure of the model.

As I remember right there is a radio with record player on it and a hot girl with long black hair (or she was blond) and a knife byside.
I have her name not present, but I have her on an old TV guide from EBAY, she played 2 times
the nasty girl in Perry Mason episodes (the girl with the black hair).
The console is standing just right of the door, viewed from the room.
In an other Perry Mason episode an Admiral console 1948/49 is stored in a garage, maybe for the next
garbage day, because on the day they made this episode the console was about 12-14 years old - don`t remember
the title.
It was Bandersen`s set, visible in this thread:
http://www.videokarma.org/showthread.php?t=253800
I`ve stored about 100 episodes of Perry Mason on harddisk or S-VHS.
Only in the first Perry Mason episodes they drove GM cars, then they moved over to Ford.
Paul prefered the Thunderbirds, Perry the Lincolns!

Best regards and happy Eastern from Germany,

The SIXMILLION DOLLARMAN

Geez. I watched that Perry Mason this morning, and, missed those scenes.
I did see an Andy of Mayberry with a 16" round Admiral,
and, a Phil Silvers show where Sgt. Bilko tried auctionning off a non working 3" Pilot tv....
Bill Cahill

About 20 yrs ago I was channel suring and landed on Mr Rogers Neighboohood (don't aks me to explain that one). Anyway on that eposode, Mr Roders went to visit Mrs McFeeley who is the wife of Mr McFeeley the Speedy Delivery Man. In the McFeeley's living room was sitting a Zenith Porthole. In fact, every time I've caught Mr Rogers on since then, I've stopped long enough to see if he is going for a visit there. I'd love another glimpse of that set. I can't find out anything about it on any Mr Rogers sites online.

Doug

There is a Three Stooges short with Shemp called Don't Throw that Knife. Were they are census takers. And they go in a woman's apartment and her husband is jealous. And Larry hides behind a zenith porthole and the husband is about to throw knifes at moe and shemp. And larry pulls out the picture tube and talks like being on the tv about not harming anybody to get him from throwing them. That short is the only thing that i know of that really features a porthole.

IN an early 3 stooges, with Curley, there was one where they were plumbers that went into a wealthy home. There was a slight leak. Not after they finnished.
In one scene, the wealthy owner of the house told her party guesest to come see her new televison. It was an early Dumont.
She turned it on. She said you won't believe how realistic this picture looks!
An announcer says now we will show you Niagera Falls.
At first, the picture comes on, then, suddenly the "falls" come splashing out of the viewing area all over the guests, and, owner.

"It looks like you have the sword of Dameclees hanging over your head."
Bill Cahill

Doug, you beat me to it! That episode actually dates back at least 35 years as I remember seeing at at a friend's house when I was 11 or 12, just about the age I started collecting. It would be great if that clip turned up on youtube as I couldn't now tell you what year set it was (want to say '49 but am in no way certain) but so far no luck.

There were two versions of that story, the first with Curly and a later one with Shemp IIRC. The TV set in the early one was just a prop department mock-up.

btw, for anyone who's never seen either one (which is hard to imagine) the gag is that the boys managed to connect the water line to the electrical conduit, so in addition to Niagra Falls spilling out of the TV, there was the light bulb that slowly filled with water then burst, etc.

I know that episode. "A Plumbing We Will Go." Came out in 1940. I always thought that "TV" was a prop, especially in close up.

"Wonder what's wrong with that young man...?"

<Splat!>

"This hause is sho' gone crazy!"

Of course, "Goof On The Roof" (1953) with Shemp, is priceless.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXR3-TTN6_8

Check out 8:35 into the clip. 11:58 as well.

Wait a minute Moe, that thing costs a 100 bucks.

So it does, well here something for free.

And when Larry bends the control knob and then tries to straighten it on the drywall.

I can talk stooges all day.

My favorite part on "A Plumbing We Will Go", aside from water sprewing out from the TV, is when the cook is trying to prepare lunch. He looks up, and the clock on the wall is going crazy. It then fall in his cake batter! When he tries to turn on the stove, water spews from it!

Doug