Lisa's Nostalgia Cafe--TV in the 1950s


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General TV Sites TV Spinoffs & Crossovers TV Single Dads Hall Of Fame TV Crazy Collectibles Top TV Shows Year-By-Year TV Behind The Scenes Photos Classic TV Shows ======================================== ======================================== Quotes Say kids, what time is it? --It's Howdy Doody Time! Say the secret word and win $100! --win Groucho's money (You Bet Your Life) Well, I'll be a dirty bird... --George Gobel Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Superman!	-----	Audio/Video Collections TV Tunes Online Toon Tracker Classic Kid Show Themes My Playlists 1950s TV 1950s Kids TV 1950s Complete Episodes

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The Television Industry before the 1950s During the 1920s and 1930s, several radio stations and electronics manufacturers operated experimental television stations. Commercial broadcasting was approved by the FCC in 1941, but World War II soon put a damper on things. Between 1942 and 1946, production of TV equipment came to a halt and only a handful of stations remained on the air. Broadcasting resumed for all stations in 1946. By 1948, everything was in place: we had coaxial transmission between cities, kinescopes for recording live broadcasts, four networks, 37 operating stations and 86 more under construction. network broadcasting In the beginning, there were four networks: NBC, CBS, ABC and DuMont. Before 1951, transcontinental broadcasts were not possible. Network flagship stations used coaxial cables to send programs out to their regional affiliates, and kinescopes (films) of the live shows were sent to distant cities for later viewing. In 1951, the new technology of microwave transmission made the first coast-to-coast broadcasts possible. History Of The NBC Chimes History Of The DuMont Network Early TV Logos Evolution Of The NBC Logo NBC Xylophone & Chimes Video Clip Snowy Kinescopes, Two Weeks Late	-----	moving to the west coast At first, most network shows originated from New York or Chicago. Beginning in 1949, a few shows were produced in Los Angeles. In 1952, the three major networks each opened a new state-of-the-art television production facility in Hollywood and began relocating their operations to the West Coast. ABC In 1949, ABC purchased the old Vitagraph Studios in Los Angeles, where they constructed a new television facility that opened in 1952. CBS In 1949, the CBS variety series The Ed Wynn Show was the first network program to originate from Los Angeles. In 1952, CBS opened a new production facility in Hollywood known as Television City. They introduced their distinctive "eye" logo in 1951. NBC On the radio, NBC introduced their three-note NBC chimes in 1929. In 1954, the chimes were incorporated into their new animated television logo. NBC's Burbank studio opened in 1952, and their special color studio (Color City) opened in Hollywood in the mid 1950s. DuMont DuMont was unable to compete with the other three networks, and they ceased operations in 1956.

Comedy


In the early days of TV, many comedy programs had their origins in radio, where they had been popular for decades. For the most part, radio sitcoms featured adults and regular adult storylines, and this trend carried over to television. There were several family sitcoms on the air, but it was clear that the wacky secretaries, nutty housewives and blustery bus drivers were in charge!	-----
family life Mama The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet The Aldrich Family Make Room For Daddy--Danny Thomas Father Knows Best Leave It To Beaver The Life Of Riley Dennis The Menace The Goldbergs school days Our Miss Brooks Mr. Peepers Did you know? The Honeymooners was an independent sitcom for only one season (1955-56). During the rest of its long run, it was a regular skit on Jackie Gleason's many variety shows.	-----	grown-ups I Love Lucy December Bride Topper Amos n' Andy The Honeymooners Private Secretary The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show The Phil Silvers Show--Sgt. Bilko Meet Millie I Married Joan My Little Margie My Friend Irma funny stuff The Colgate Comedy Hour Your Show Of Shows Ernie Kovacs


Fred Rogers The Children's Corner: Remember When? Sioux Falls: Captain 11 Chicago: Uncle Mistletoe The Cool Ghoul Broadcasting In Chicago 1921-1989 Uncle Johnny Coons Noontime Theater Chicago Video Veteran E-Gor's Chamber Of TV Horror Hosts History Of Bozo The Clown Vampira NET local programming Many TV stations belonged to a network and received nationwide programming from flagship stations in New York and Chicago. The network feed didn't begin until late afternoon, and some stations didn't belong to a network at all. These were the times when local programming was necessary. Every station had some sort of local programming, whether it was a five-minute news broadcast or a 15-minute children's show. In the early days, most local shows were only five, ten or 15 minutes long. In the 1950s, local fare included talk shows, teen dance shows and old movies. Before it went nationwide in 1957, American Bandstand was a local music show in Philadelphia. The "late, late show" gave us scary old movies hosted by corny actors in costume. Vampira (1954) and the Cool Ghoul (1957) were two of the earliest horror movie hosts. For the kids, puppet and circus shows rounded out the schedule. The cartoons that once accompanied the main feature at the theater also found a new home on television. Bozo The Clown was created in 1946 and starred in his first local TV show in 1949. In 1956, Larry Harmon purchased the rights to the character and began creating Bozo shows in various cities on a franchise basis.	-----	Local Programming Educational Stations educational & public television In 1952, the FCC set aside 242 channels for educational use. In 1953, the University of Houston launched the first of these stations, KUHT. In 1954, WQED in Pittsburgh was the first community-supported educational station. Instead of receiving its funding from a university, WQED was supported by subscriptions and local cultural groups. Everyone's favorite neighbor, Fred Rogers, worked at WQED from the very beginning, serving as a producer, musician and puppeteer for The Children's Corner with Josie Carey. Educational stations formed their own distribution networks, which allowed them to share programming. The largest of these was National Educational Television (NET), a nationwide network formed in 1952. By 1958, there were 30 educational stations on the air. UHF stations Channels two to 13 are located in the Very High Frequency (VHF) band. Channels 14 to 83 are found in the Ultra High Frequency (UHF) band. The FCC made the first UHF channels available in 1952, and the first UHF station was launched that year. Unfortunately, many people were using older TV sets that couldn't receive UHF stations. The growth of this new branch of the industry was slow at first.

Music & Variety


Music and variety shows were perfect for TV, and would remain a big part of the television landscape well into the 1970s. Most comedians, being visual performers, made the transition from radio to TV quite easily. This was especially true for Milton Berle, who became "Mr. Television" to a whole generation of viewers.	-----	Ed Sullivan Does Broadway
music Your Hit Parade Dodge Dancing Party--Lawrence Welk American Bandstand The Voice Of Firestone Arthur Murray Dance Party musical variety Chesterfield Supper Club--Perry Como The Dinah Shore Show "Tennessee" Ernie Ford Show The Dinah Shore Chevy Show Garroway At Large Shower Of Stars Kraft Music Hall new talent Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club Ted Mack Amateur Hour	-----	Between 1952 and 1957, American Bandstand was a local Philadelphia music show. At first, the studio audience consisted of teenage girls who stopped by on their way home from school. They grew bored with the tedious technicalities of live television, and requested permission to dance to the songs. The producers agreed. When a cameraman decided to swing his camera in their direction, the show's format was set for the next 35 years. American Bandstand went nationwide on ABC in 1957. Do you remember.... following the on-screen romances of Arlene and Kenny? Bob and Justine? Did you know... that Elvis Presley and Ricky Nelson never appeared on American Bandstand? comedy variety The Jackie Gleason Show The Jack Benny Show The George Gobel Show The Red Skelton Show The Garry Moore Show The Red Buttons Show Texaco Star Theater--Milton Berle a little bit of everything Toast Of The Town--Ed Sullivan Cavalcade Of Stars Arthur Godfrey & His Friends


	Most Americans who watched TV in the 1950s have fond memories of the Indian Head Test Pattern. This makes perfect sense. During the early years, viewers saw this image (and others like it) more often than they saw actual programs! In the beginning, TV stations operated in the evening only. By the late 1950s, many had expanded their offerings to 20 hours per day. Even so, there was still quite a lot of dead air. Test patterns (or test cards, as they were called in England) served many purposes: they gave studio technicians and home viewers an image to focus on while they adjusted their equipment, and they gave people something to look at while they were waiting for their favorite station to sign on each day. The Indian Head Test Pattern The Test Card Gallery TV Test Patterns Indian Head Test Pattern Original Artwork

Drama, Action & Adventure


TV executives and sponsors had no idea what would work on this new medium known as "television." Consequently, they borrowed from entertainment forms they knew and trusted...radio and theater. Westerns and detective shows were popular, and drama anthologies adapted many plays and short stories for the small screen.	-----	-----
westerns Gunsmoke The Lone Ranger Hopalong Cassidy Wagon Train The Life & Legend Of Wyatt Earp The Rifleman Davy Crockett Maverick Zane Grey Theater Cheyenne Sky King Roy Rogers & Dale Evans Have Gun, Will Travel hard-boiled Martin Kane, Private Eye Dragnet Man Against Crime The Big Story Gangbusters The Lineup 77 Sunset Strip drama & adventure The Millionaire Alfred Hitchcock Presents Circus Boy Superman Buck Rogers	-----	drama anthologies Philco TV Playhouse Kraft Television Theatre Armstrong Circle Theatre General Electric Theater Studio One Ford Theatre Fireside Theatre Lux Video Theatre Playhouse 90 Cavalcade Of America Goodyear TV Playhouse The Loretta Young Show the animal kingdom Lassie The Adventures Of Rin Tin Tin


	Both CBS and RCA developed color television during the 1940s. In 1950, the FCC chose the CBS system as the industry standard, even though it was not compatible with black & white sets. In 1951, CBS produced a few color programs, but the Korean War intervened and CBS halted their color broadcasting. By the time the Korean War ended in 1953, RCA had taken the lead and their system, which was compatible with both color and black & white sets, was chosen as the standard. NBC led the way in color TV broadcasting. After all, they were owned by RCA, and more color shows meant more color TV sales! At first, most color programs were commercials and specials, like the 1954 Tournament Of Roses Parade. The first series to be regularly broadcast in color was The Colgate Comedy Hour in late 1953.
	NBC adopted the NBC peacock as their color logo in 1956. An animated version with music was produced in 1957. This image was updated through the years and preceded every NBC color program until the mid 1970s. While the technology was available, the equipment often wasn't. Many network affiliates didn't have the proper setup for broadcasting in color, so the process was slow to catch on. Black & white programs would dominate the small screen until the mid 1960s. Network Color Logos From The 50s & 60s Color Television History 1954: From Black & White To Color In Living Color On NBC

Other Shows & Specials


Game shows were extremely popular in the 1950s, before it was revealed that many of the shows were "fixed." The program now known as The Wonderful World Of Disney started life as Disneyland, and was created to promote Walt's new theme park. It would undergo several name changes in the coming decades, and would eventually become the longest-running prime-time series in TV history.	-----	Musicals On Television When God Was On "You Bet Your Life" Quiz Shows Of The 50s The Quiz Show Scandal
game shows Stop The Music You Bet Your Life I've Got A Secret What's My Line The $64,000 Question Strike It Rich Twenty-One Beat The Clock To Tell The Truth Queen For A Day Name That Tune Tic Tac Dough Who Do You Trust? anything can happen Disneyland Omnibus Candid Camera Hallmark Hall Of Fame In 1951, the Hallmark Hall Of Fame* aired its first production, which was written especially for the series....Amahl & The Night Visitors. interview, news, talk You Asked For It The Stork Club Today This Is Your Life Person To Person Meet The Press The Tonight Show (Steve Allen) The Tonight Show (Jack Paar) *The Tonight Show was hosted by Steve Allen from 1954 to 1957, and by Jack Paar from 1957 to 1962. By lending their distinct personalities to the show, both men put "late night TV" on the map. sports Gillette Cavalcade Of Sports Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts	-----	Charles Van Doren on Twenty-One, the program that exposed the quiz show scandal Broadway's Peter Pan, starring Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard, was televised live in 1955. It was such a hit that the cast came back to do it again in 1956. A full-color videotaped version was broadcast in 1960. special presentations Peter Pan Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Cinderella" The Edsel Show Miss America Pageant Muscular Dystrophy Telethons The Edsel Show was the first program to use videotape after it became available to the television industry in 1956 The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) was formed in 1950. The first MDA fund-raising telethon was held at Carnegie Hall in 1955, and was broadcast by DuMont station WABD. During the late 1950s, locally-produced MDA telethons were held in various cities at different times throughout the year. Comedian Jerry Lewis became involved with MDA in 1951. He hosted several telethons between 1956 and 1959, including one with Dean Martin.


	Cable TV In 1948, several men in different parts of the country pioneered the cable TV concept. In Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, John Walson opened an appliance store and began selling the latest technological marvel....televisions. However, the closest TV station was 90 miles away, in Philadelphia, so reception was almost non-existant. Walson built an antenna on nearby New Boston Mountain to catch the TV signals, and ran a wire down to his store for the signal to travel on. In this way, he was able to demonstrate his product. Along the way, he wired up his neighbors' homes, and thus was born the first documented cable system. Ed Parsons in Astoria, Oregon and Robert Tarleton in Lansford, Pennsylvania started similar systems at around the same time.
	During the 1950s, cable companies sprang up all across the country, usually in rural areas and small towns. Cable had many advantages over broadcast TV: it was more reliable, it could carry more channels, and it gave a clearer picture than the on-air networks. In addition, cable was often the only way that people in rural or remote areas could get decent (or any) TV reception. During this time, there wasn't any original cable programming. Cable simply carried the regular broadcast TV stations to areas that otherwise could not receive them. Cable TV History Timeline

For The Kids


Cowboy and space shows were a big hit with kids, and puppet shows were simple and inexpensive to produce, making them perfect for TV. Educational shows were straightforward, with sets that looked like classrooms and hostesses who reminded us of our own teachers. We all longed to be a member of Howdy Doody's "Peanut Gallery," and Annette was every pre-teen boy's heartthrob.	-----	Howdy Doody Collectibles
live action The Mickey Mouse Club Captain Video & His Video Rangers Space Patrol Tom Corbett, Space Cadet Soupy Sales Spin & Marty The Pinky Lee Show Super Circus The Magic Clown	-----	educational Romper Room Ding Dong School Captain Kangaroo Mr. Wizard animation & puppets Winky Dink & You Howdy Doody Kukla, Fran & Ollie Rootie Kazootie Gumby

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