Primetime TV in the 50s
We interrupt this program to bring you this late-breaking bulletin:
In the beginning, there was live TV. The migration from radio had
begun. From Donna Reed's perfect family to Marshal Dillon and Joe
Friday, from the Texaco Star Theater to You Bet Your Life to I Love Lucy,
all across the country, Americans begin to build their routine around
their favorite shows. A new lexicon is quickly established: TV Dinner.
Sitcom. "To the moon, Alice." Soon, familiar faces like Bob Hope, Jack
Benny, and Groucho Marx are joined by "new" performers, and cowboys,
spacemen, and loyal dogs and horses crowd the screen as the battle for
ratings begins. |
