The Early Shows

The history of American television is finally written. The shows your grandparents chose as their favorites during the dawn of network television inspired the series of today. The genesis of genres began with The Laytons; Barney Blake, Police Reporter; Off the Record; The Dennis James Carnival; Meet the Press; The Original Amateur Hour; Texaco Star Theater; Toast of the Town ; Candid Camera; Kukla, Fran and Ollie;  Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts; Hopalong Cassidy; Mama; The Lone Ranger; The Life of Riley. 

Arthur Godfrey, Milton Berle, Ed Sullivan, Jack Carter, Jackie Gleason, Gertrude Berg, Jack Lemmon, Boris Karloff, Mike Wallace, and Perry Como stand out among the stars of groundbreaking series that premiered in the 1940s. Each are categorized along with descriptions of most episodes of the Top 300 comedies, dramas, variety shows, and game shows.

Classic television series. The roots of today’s reboots. 

Index. Illustrated.

About the author: Richard Irvin’s other works include Forgotten Laughs: An Episode Guide to 150 TV Sitcoms You Probably Never Saw, and Spinning Laughter: Profiles of 111 Proposed Spin-offs and Sequels that Never Became a Series.