History of 1950s Television Shows
It was an era often referred to as the Golden Age of Television. The 1950s began with variety shows and sitcoms dominating the airwaves before game shows and Westerns started to become more popular later in the decade.
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The Early 1950s
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Milton Berle's "Texaco Star Theater" and "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" were the most popular shows of 1951 and '52, but it was Ed Sullivan who made Elvis Presley a superstar. Many situation comedies, including "Amos 'n' Andy" and "I Love Lucy," were either based on or developed from earlier radio serial programs
The Late 1950s
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The most popular and corrupt game show was "The $64,000 Question," which led to Congress investigating contest irregularities. In 1959, eight of the top 10 shows were Westerns, and "Gunsmoke" (1955 to 1975) became the longest-running prime-time drama ever.
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Late Night
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NBC introduced late-night viewing in 1950 with "Broadway Open House," a forerunner to "The Tonight Show."
Integration
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TV forced producers to fire white actors who played black characters on radio. The first network show to star a black actor was "Beulah," which aired from 1950 to 1953 and starred Oscar winner Hattie McDaniel.
Technology
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NBC permanently launched color TV in 1953 with the Rose Parade on January 1. Two sitcom staples were created--the three-camera shoot by Desi Arnez for "I Love Lucy" and the laugh track, for "The Hank McCune Show."
Advertising
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Some shows did not run commercials. Program sponsors had ad copy written directly into a show.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit flickr
