Television
Me in 1958 with our new TV
During
WWII (before my time), families would gather around the radio to listen to
President Roosevelt and his fireside chats. During the 50s, black and white
televisions exploded onto the scene. I remember a road trip we took to see
Daddy's sister (Billye Merle) and her family. They were doing well financially
and had a TV, a brick home, and Billye even had a mink coat. My memory of the
TV is less than desirable, as the picture was only snow and my attention was
quickly diverted to play time with my cousin David so most of my memories of
that trip were playing with Lincoln Logs and erector sets. This television must
have made an impression on Mother and Daddy as I don't remember not having a
television. Daddy must have promptly purchased one. I would have been pre-school at the time of
this trip.
So the first
televisions that I remember were a very primitive form, probably a Zenith or
RCA. Many times it had a snowy picture that sometimes could be adjusted by the
rabbit ears on top. Tin foil wrapped around those would sometimes help with
reception. Most houses had TV antennas
to pick up the only 3 channels available. TV stations would sign off at
midnight with the playing of the national anthem and the iconic countdown with
the Indian chief being the center of the spinning digital dial. Initially, there
was no remote control. That came into vogue in the 60s, and by the late 60s,
most everyone had a remote control color TV.
Shows like I Love Lucy, and Leave It To Beaver gave birth to the modern sitcom. Game shows like The Price Is Right, What's My Line, The Dating Game, The Newlywed Game, Jeopardy were the rage. At its peak between 1955-1958, there were 22 game shows on air. In 1958, it came to light that the shows were rigged. It was called the fall from innocence as the American public realized that they couldn’t blindly trust everything seen on TV. The winning contestants in a show called The $64,000 Question had been supplied the answers in advance and this scandal prompted Congressional hearings. Though there were no laws prohibiting this, the networks and sponsors kept game shows off the air for quite some time.
The first half-hour serial "As the World Turns" began on CBS in 1956. It became the highest rated show on TV. (In 2010 it was cancelled by CBS due to low ratings.) I remember Mimi taking time out of every day to tune into “As the World Turns.” Other TV shows that I remember: The Lawerence Welk Show, Lassie (every Sunday evening) Bonanza, The Munsters, Hee Haw, I Dream of Jennie, The Andy Griffith Show, The Today Show every morning, Captain Kangaroo, and late night Johnny Carson. I watched Popeye every single day while I munched on my after school snack which was often homemade cookies that Mother had baked. I loved Popeye, Brutus and Olive Oil. I adored the Wizard of Oz, as it always aired Thanksgiving weekend, which was the kick-off to the holiday season. I loved Saturday morning cartoons and the Christmas cartoon classics of Rudolph and Frosty.
The Ed Sullivan Show brought to light many budding stars, including Elvis Presley and The Beatles. I remember as a child being appalled at their hair styles, music and antics. But they took America by storm.
