Archive for the ‘Old Television’ Category

On this day in 1948, Milton Berle was the first host of the Texaco Star Theater.

On this day in 1974, the Dean Martin Show ended on NBC.

Martin was initially reluctant to do the show, partially because he did not want to turn down movie and nightclub performances. His terms were deliberately outrageous: he demanded a high salary and that he need only show up for the actual taping of the show. To his surprise the network agreed, and Martin had to comply.

Martin believed that an important key to his popularity was that he did not put on airs. His act was that of a drunken, work-shy playboy, although the ever-present old-fashioned glass in his hand often only had apple juice in it. The show was heavy on physical comedy rather than just quips (he made his weekly entrance by sliding down a fireman’s pole onto the stage.) Martin read his dialogue directly from cue cards. If he flubbed a line or forgot a lyric, Martin would not do a retake, and the mistake — and his recovery from it — went straight to tape and onto the air.

Apple juice?!? Wow. I never thought he was drinking some sort of weight loss dietary supplement, but I never thought it would have been apple juice either.

You can find out more about this day in history at Those Were The Days, and InfoPlease.

On this day in 1956, Chet Huntley began his career with NBC. Just think, he could have ventured into another line of work and ended up selling fish food or cars or something. Instead we were graced with his presence on the air for so many years I can’t even count them. Everyone needs to know what’s going on in the world, that’s for sure.

On this day in 1964, The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show and girls everywhere have been searching for the best acne treatment ever since.

In late 1963 Sullivan and his entourage were at Heathrow and witnessed how The Beatles fans’ greeted the group on their return from Stockholm, where they have performed a television show as warmup band to local star Lill Babs. Sullivan was intrigued, telling his entourage it was the same thing as Elvis all over again. He initially offered Beatles manager Brian Epstein top dollar for a single show but the Beatles manager had a better idea—he wanted exposure for his clients: the Beatles would instead appear three times on the show, at bottom dollar, but receive top billing and two spots (opening and closing) on each show.

The Beatles appeared on three consecutive Sundays in February 1964 to great anticipation and fanfare as “I Want to Hold Your Hand” had swiftly risen to #1 in the charts. Their first appearance on February 9 is considered a milestone in American pop culture and the beginning of the British Invasion in music. The broadcast drew an estimated 73 million viewers, at the time a record for US television, and was characterized by an audience composed largely of screaming hysterical teenage girls in tears. The Beatles followed Ed’s show opening intro, performing “All My Loving”, “Till There Was You” which featured the names of the group members superimposed on closeup shots, including the famous “Sorry girls, he’s married” caption on John Lennon, and “She Loves You”. They returned later in the programme to perform “I Saw Her Standing There” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand”.

On this day in 1985, “The Dukes Of Hazzard” ended it’s run on CBS.

The Dukes of Hazzard could very well have been one of the major causes of adult acne, although I do wish I had just one of the cars they used on that show. Did you know they sometimes used up to eight cars per episode to film that show? The vehicle budget for one episode alone is more than some people make in a year.

On this day in 1953, Private Secretary debuted on CBS.

I know people vacationed in the oldern days, but I wonder if any of the “normal” vacation spots existed back then? Did people travel to Florida, spend time at Outer Banks rentals, or even visit Jamaica back then? When I watch these old shows I always wonder about stuff like this.

On this day in 1954, the Duoscopic TV receiver was unveiled. The TV set allowed a person or group to watch two different shows at the same time. It was a primitive, picture-in-picture, split-screen that was tested in New York City and Chicago. The set was a product of DuMont Laboratories; which owned the DuMont Television Network.

By this time everyone had a tv stand, but some wondered if they might need two in order to watch both pictures. Just kidding, we all know the tv’s stacked on top of each other.

On this day in 1961, Mr. Ed debuted on television.

From stables to breeches, Mr. Ed was an awesome show (of course I saw it in reruns).

The stars of the show are Mister Ed, an intelligent palomino American Saddlebred who could talk (“played” by gelding Bamboo Harvester and voiced by Allan Lane), and his owner, an eccentric and enormously klutzy architect named Wilbur Post (portrayed by Alan Young). Much of the program’s humor stemmed from the fact Mister Ed would speak only to Wilbur, as well as Ed’s notoriety as a troublemaker. According to the show’s producer, Arthur Lubin, Young was chosen as the lead character because he “just seemed like the sort of guy a horse would talk to.”Lubin, a friend of Mae West, scored a coup by persuading the screen icon to guest star in one episode.

Find out more about Mr. Ed at wikipedia.

On this day in 1955, the Lennon Sisters debuted on the Lawrence Welk Show, and they stayed for 13 years. Remember, this was in the day of no treadmills, no fitness centers, and no obsession with losing weight. Of course, we weren’t as obese then, and fast-food restaurants we just a small blip on the radar too.

The Lennon Sisters were a class act, you can’t find organic music like that anymore, not without hunting for a long, long time.

You can find out more about this day in history at Those Were The Days, and InfoPlease.

In 1985, ABC announced they were severing ties with Howard Cosell.

Many of us knew him simply as television commentator, but he started down a different road early in life.

Cosell was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina to Nellie and Isidore Cohen, who was an accountant. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York. His parents had wanted him to become a lawyer. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from New York University, where he was a member of Pi Lambda Phi. He then went to the New York University School of Law where he earned his JD, and was a member of the NYU Law Review.

Howard Cosell sold a lot of products in his day, I just can’t remember if he ever pitched the best hair loss products or not. Do you even remember Howard Cosell?