Friday, November 27, 2009

Television: The Early Days

Those of us who were born in the late 40s and before remember the advent of television depending on how old we were when our families acquired what was once called a 'television set'. Depending on your antenna and how close you lived to a big city, two or three stations. I recall my dad up on the roof and adjusting the antenna (using words he learned in the Navy) in the hope that he could he could watch a football game on a Sunday afternoon. There were a lot of variety shows in what has become 'prime time' and they were great fun. Here are the openings to a couple shows I enjoyed.

And awayyyyyyyyyyyyyyy we go!!!!



Sunday Night Fever!



And everyone loved uncle Miltie!



Hope you had fun with these blasts from the past!!!

Happy Blogging!!!!!

Kay

6 comments:

  1. These are all great favorites of mine. I will especially always remember Elvis on The Sullivan Show. OMG, there is a photo of me and my bet friend literally levitating off the couch in our living room. I've got to find that. Thanks for the memories Kay.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh yes, I loved all of those, wouldn't miss them for the world. My father especially loved watching the June Taylor dancers and Jackie Gleason. Those were the days, huh, like Archie and Edith sang.

    ReplyDelete
  3. You know, i never liked Uncle Miltie.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Some very good memories there, Kay! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I remember watching the test pattern for at least an hour on Saturday morning waiting for Howdy Doody, but then the morning flowed in perfect rhythm. Mighty Mouse, Circus Boy, Fury, Sky King . . . all the greats. I love remembering those early flights into fantasy.

    ReplyDelete
  6. You picked a great Gleason clip. That overhead camera shot of the dancers was considered quite an innovative technique accomplishment. That was before the control rooms and cameras were able to much more easily produce a lot of special effects.

    We didn't have TV so don't recall seeing Milton Berle 'til years later. Little did I know that I would become good friends with the first female director (actually Asst. Director) on Uncle Miltie's network, or possibly the first on any of the then Big Three major TV broadcasting networks -- long before Cable.

    I did see Ed Sullivan, but don't recall if I ever saw the Elvis broadcast when it happened. I never thought he was so special though I know many friends my age were quite enamored with him. They saw him perform live in small settings when he was starting out, before he ever was a big name. They accepted his music that had been around a long time, but was sung and performed by different types of people that weren't accepted or appreciated in that part of the country where he started. Coincidentally, he made that type music okay for them to admit liking. The rest is history.

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments!!! If you wish to post as Anonymous, please leave a name in your comment otherwise your comment will not appear.