44 HM Classics + Essential Honeymooners:                         
              
    Final fifth season with the original crew of Meadows, Gleason, Rudolph, Carney 
    made 11 episodes, 7 short, 4 long ones.

40. Oct 13 1956 Double Anniversary Party
41. Oct 20 1956 Check Up                  
42. Oct 27 1956 Forgot to Register        
43. Nov 03 1956 Expectant Father          
44. Nov 10 1956 Goodnight Sweet Prince    
45. Nov 17 1956 Two Family Car   
46. Nov 24 1956 Love Letter      *
47. Dec 08 1956 Finders Keepers  *
48. Dec 15 1956 Catch a Star     *       
49. Jan 19 1957 My Fair Landlord *      
50. Jun 01 1957 Manager of the Baseball Team II, 
never released on video or fully shown
 
* over half hour shows

The musicals, European color trips shows, are not included, they are of different HM sort.
They could have done 11 half hour shows, staring on 10.13, culminating with 50th show on 1.5.57.

        I would recommend doing the 40th episode in the following manner:

        For 40th episode I'd add first & last show (Manager of the Baseball Team) 
first one would be the first ever with original Alice, Pert Kernel together
mixed with 10 minutes of 1990 Tribute to the Honeymooners, hosted by Audrie Meadows!
Thus there are proper 40 episodes as it was meant to be.
My Fair Landlord was the last half an hour episode. There should have been Classic 36 not 39.
Fourth season lasted from October 1 1955 to June 2 1956.
But additional 3 shows were filmed in September, should count as the fifth season, 
to complete the 39 shows contract. There was enough time (on 9/29) 
to do 40th show, then start Gleason's variety show on 10/6. I'd add Songwriters 
#40 finale. The Christmas episode should only be shown around Christmas time;
at the end of the show HM actors step out of their characters into reality
to wish audience & viewers happy holidays. It's special Christmas episode. 
Therefore, without Christmas episode, with first & last episode, with best 
of HM's special, with Songwriters & My Fair Landorld, there are total of 41 shows.

        Better yet let's call it HM 44 by officially adding 5 other  
episodes with tribute episode as bonus that includes their very first & last 1950's show.

        Other essential HM's:
40. Ralph's Sweet Tooth, 41. Songs & Witty Sayings, 42. The Songwriters, 
43. Love Letter, 44. My Fair Landlord, 99 year lease, 45. Tribute/Bio 
                 
By: Film Historian/Afficionado/Fan: L.J. Lary
10/2005 & 8/2008 

        Other Good Ones: 
Cold, Pickels, Letter to the Boss, Suspense, Dinner Guests,
Songs and Witty Sayings, The Songwriters, Norton Moves In,
Ralph's Sweet Tooth, Cupid, Manager of the Baseball Team (1957 only),
Principle of the Thing, Alice's Aunt Ethel, Goodbye Aunt Ethel, 
Brother-in-Law, The Hotdog Stand, Kramden vs Norton, 
The Peacemaker, Stars Over Flatbush, Ralph's Diet, The Hypnotist