The History of TV Talk Shows
The history of TV talk shows is long, as it represents one of the first formats of programming in television history. While the majority of the early shows were geared towards politics and government, a number of celebrity-oriented shows began to start up during the 1960s. During the 1970s, many of the game shows that played during the daytime began to get replaced by talk shows.
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Origins
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The first talk show to be broadcast on TV was in 1951. Called "The Joe Franklin Show," it was presented by Joe Franklin, a radio and television personality. The show ran for 42 years until 1993.
Early Television
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The first talk shows in the 1950s were generally broadcast on Sundays and dealt with political and social issues. The most famous of these was "Small World," hosted by Edward R. Murrow.
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Late Night
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Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, late night talk shows became highly popular. Nearly every network launched a rival program to be broadcast after prime time presentations. "The Tonight Show" gained nationwide notoriety during this period.
Daytime Talk
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The rise of the daytime talk show began in the late 1970s and gained headway throughout the 1980s. These dealt heavily with social issues and tips for the home. Still running as of 2009, "The Oprah Winfrey Show" became the most watched show in this format.
Tabloids
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Tabloid talk shows gained prominence in the 1980s. These shows capitalize on disagreements between its guests and push the boundaries of social consciousness. The most successful of these is "The Jerry Springer Show," a syndicated TV show which began in 1990.
World Record
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On August 28, 2007, Guinness established a world record for holding the longest talk show in history. Davor Dretar Drele and Kristijan Petrovic-Kiky of Varazdin, Croatia, hosted a 35 hour long talk show during a festival.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Michael Albov, Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:JayLeno.jpg
