Week 1 - Radio and Television, Golden Age of TV: Dramas

Phonograph

Early record player, Edison invention, records were easily scratched and expensive, had to be manually cranked

KDKA

First commercially licensed radio station

The Cuckoo Hour

First comedy radio program in 1930 with Raymond Knight

George Burns and Gracie Allen

Married couple that turned their vaudeville act into a radio (and later TV) sitcom, based on a fictionalized version of their lives

soap operas

Got their name by being sponsored by soap companies targeting housewives, serial dramas that were broadcasted daily

Guiding Light

Radio soap opera that transferred to TV and lasted for 57 years

War of the Worlds

The program that started the need for a disclaimer stating that events broadcast in horror and sci-fi programs weren’t real, Orson Welles

John Logie Baird

Scottish inventor, first person to demonstrate that TV is possible, sent a weak signal with image and sound, created the first working mechanical TV system, sent first transatlantic TV transmission

Vladimir Zworykin

Moved to the US during the Russian Civil War, invented the Iconoscope which transmitted images electronically using cathode ray tubes, stronger signal and more practical than early TVs

Philo Farnsworth

“the Father of Television,” created the first all-electronic TV, watched the Apollo moon landing

The Octagon

Experimental TV made by General Electric, screen was only 3 inches long, only 4 were made and they were never sold publicly, first successful television broadcast but this wasn’t fully successful due to technical limitations

The Television Ghost

Possibly considered the first televised dramatic anthology series, George Kelting played a spirit who told how they had been murdered, camera didn’t move, audio was broadcast simultaneously on radio stations, now lost media since the broadcast was never recorded

Kinescope

First way to record TV broadcasts, pointed at a film camera pointed at a specifically modified TV monitor, only became standard in the late 40s, varied in quality, magnetic videotape replaced it in the mid 50s

Golden Age of Television

Started with the invention of the kinescope in 1947, post WWII US, many shows were filmed live, considered a step down from film, theatre, and radio, executives adapted radio to television to bring an existing audience

Gertrude Berg

Creator and star of The Goldbergs, sometimes considered the first TV star, won the first Emmy Award for Lead Actress in a Television Series, won a Tony Award

Dramatic anthology series

Brought top writers, actors, and directors to television, self-contained standalone stories that wanted to bring live theatre experience to people’s homes, brought highbrow appeal, many were adapted to theatrical films

Milton Berle

TV’s biggest star, known for costumes, known as “Mr. Television,” pushed to integrate Texaco Star Theater, often did “man in dress” comedy

Sid Caesar

Sketch comedian, wasn’t a writer, hosted Your Show of Shows, helped start Mel Brooks’ career, disappeared from public life after the Golden Age due to addiction

NBC, ABC, CBS

Original big three TV networks, all started as radio networks with established talent

DuMont Television Network

Forgotten pioneer TV network, created to sell luxury TV sets, used talent from Broadway since they weren’t originally a radio station, aired first TV soap opera and sitcom, created shows for and hired actors of color, majority of programming is now lost

Allen B. DuMont

Inventor and businessman, invented cathode ray tube that could last for 1000 hours, manufactured high quality TV sets, created TV network, became philanthropist, paved the way for public television in the US

Phil Silbers and Nat Hiken

Comedian and writer that were paired together by executives, nearly had their career derailed by accusations of communism

Felix the Cat

Popular animated character created in 1919, statue of said character was broadcast under lights and was the first successful commercial broadcast, considered mascot for television

The Queen’s Messenger

First television broadcast drama, broadcast on The Octagon, commissioned play, espionage thriller, faces and hands weren’t able to be broadcast simultaneously creating a disconcerting viewing experience, struggled with technical difficulties

The Goldbergs

Radio show adapted for TV, first radio and TV show to portray Jewish people and culture in a positive light, star and showrunner was Gertrude Berg

Dragnet

First TV police procedural, adaptation of radio show, based on real police stories

Perry Mason

First weekly hourlong TV drama, courtroom procedural adapted from a radio show, detective novels, and films, starred Raymond Burr, based on novels by attorney Erle Stanley Gardner who insisted on legal accuracy

Requiem for a Heavyweight

Story of a washed up boxer, boosted Rod Serling’s writing career, live broadcast, won multiple Emmy Awards, Serling won first Peabody Award for teleplay

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Alfred Hitchcock told suspenseful stories, anthology series, added prestige to TV medium

Texaco Star Theater

First successful TV comedy and variety show, sponsored by oil company, highest rated show of 1950

Your Show of Shows

Hosted by Sid Caesar, ensemble cast, won Emmy for Outstanding Variety Series, influenced SNL

The Hazel Scott Show

Starred singer and jazz pianist, performed live music, first US TV show with a Black host, critically acclaimed but cancelled after HUAC accused the host of being a communist

The Gallery of Madame Liu-Tsong

Drama about art gallery owner who worked as a detective, starred Anna May Wong, first TV show to feature an Asian American lead actor,

Pinwright’s Progress

World’s first regular half hour TV sitcom, British, ran for 10 episodes, lost media

Mary Kay and Johnny

First American TV sitcom, starred real life married couple, aired on DuMont Network, first show where a couple shared the same bed, pregnancy was acknowledged on air and baby was written into show

The Honeymooners

Only ran for one year, one of the few DuMont shows with many surviving episodes, very popular, filmed with live studio audience, never fully rehearsed, no big guest stars and low production value, set was intentionally drab, template of foolish husband and suffering yet smart wife

I Love Lucy

#1 show for four six seasons, played by actual married couple, executives were initially reluctant because husband was Cuban American so the show would be about an interracial marriage, first scripted TV show to be shot on 35mm film, developed multi-cam technique to allow for a live studio audience without lots of takes, pushed for rebroadcasting rights and pioneered syndication

The Phil Silvers Show

Workplace sitcom set in the army, won multiple Emmys, show includes at least one character of color that doesn’t have many lines but is treated as an equal

Crusader Rabbit

First cartoon made specifically for television, first Saturday morning cartoon, based on the story of Don Quixote, appealed to all ages

Howdy Doody

Children’s show centered around a puppet, Western themed variety show, popular and wholesome

Captain Kangaroo

Lasted until 1984, starred Bob Keeshan, lots of puppets, warm and imaginative, surrogate grandfather

Kukla, Fran, and Ollie

Influential on future puppet shows like Sesame Street and Mystery Science Theater, starred Fran Allison and two puppets, appealed to all ages, created by Burr Tillstrom who played most of the puppets, meta about being a TV show, largely ad libbed