On this day in 1955, CBS introduced the prime-time variety show, The Johnny Carson Show. The half-hour program was one of the first starring vehicles for Carson, a Los Angeles-based comedian who came to the network's attention as a monologue writer for The Red Skelton Show. One could say it was a practice run for his eventual role as the long-running host of NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. Ironically the CBS show wasn't well-received, and was cancelled eleven months la

2012

Jun

1951: RADIO'S 'AMOS 'N' ANDY' MOVES TO TV By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1951, CBS debuted Amos 'n' Andy, the television version of the longest-running (and one of the most popular) radio programs in broadcast history. The television show was produced by the radio show's stars, Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll. Since both men were white, African-American actors — including (left to right) Spencer Williams Jr. as Andy, Alvin Childress as Amos and Tim Moore as George "The Kingfish" Stevens — were brought in for the television adaptation.T

2012

Jun

1983: KURALT'S "ON THE ROAD" GOES PRIMETIME By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1983, CBS gave newsman Charles Kuralt a half-hour primetime spot to showcase the folksy vignettes he'd perfected for the CBS Evening News beginning in 1967. On the Road with Charles Kuralt allowed Kuralt to present more in-depth pieces about the people and places he encountered during his treks along the nation's back roads in a motor home. The primetime On the Road lasted just two months. Kuralt continued producing On the Road pieces for CBS News until October, 1980. In 1984, K

2012

Jun

1955: LAST TELECAST OF IMOGENE COCA'S SOLO SHOW By Christy Slewinski

The day in 1955 marked the last telecast of the short-lived The Imogene Coca Show. Not long after Your Show of Shows ended in June, 1954, its stars returned to television in their own NBC shows. Sid Caesar's Caesar's Hour debuted on September 27, on NBC. Five days later, on October 2, Imogene Coca's self-titled series made its debut.Coca's show had major identity problems from the very start. Initially the show was a sitcom, and Coca played an actress whose real-life activities became the basi

2012

Jun

1949: 'HOPALONG CASSIDY' BEGINS AIRING ON NBC By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1949, feature film star William Boyd brought big-screen cowboy Hopalong Cassidy to NBC's prime time lineup. The early Hopalong Cassidy shows were actually re-edited versions of Boyd's feature films, to which Boyd had wisely purchased the rights. Before long, Boyd was producing all-new shows specifically for television, starring Edgar Buchanan as his sidekick, Red Connors. Hopalong was television's first Western and the precursor to future hits such as The Gene Autry Show and Th

2012

Jun

1980: DAVID LETTERMAN TAKES ON DAYTIME By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1980, NBC premiered The David Letterman Show — a 90-minute daytime show...

2012

Jun

1965: LINKLETTER'S 'HOLLYWOOD TALENT SCOUTS' DEBUTS By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1965, CBS introduced the variety show Hollywood Talent Scouts, a program hosted by Art Linkletter on CBS. On it, Hollywood celebrities brought unknown talent into the studio to make their television debut.A few future stars actually did make debuts during the show's run. On March 7, 1966, Tom and Dick Smothers introduced a comic by the name of Pat Paulsen. Paulsen later became a star in 1967 as a regular on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Other future stars to appear on the s

2012

Jun

2006: 'AMERICA'S GOT TALENT' DEBUTS ON NBC By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 2006, NBC introduced America's Got Talent, a competition show in the same vein as the hit singing competition, American Idol. Or, perhaps, The Gong Show, depending on your institutional memory.The show, produced by Idol's Simon Cowell, featured talents ranging from dancing and singing to acrobatics and stand-up comedy. And the featured performers ranged from elementary school-age kids to grandparents. The judges for the show's debut season were singer/actress Brandy Norwood, Dav

2012

Jun

1948: THE DEBUT OF A "REEALLY BIG SHEW" By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1948, CBS introduced what was to become The Ed Sullivan Show, one of television's most enduring variety shows. Originally known as Toast of the Town, the show was hosted by New York Daily News theater columnist Ed Sullivan. He was the quintessential newspaper man, but no one's idea of an on-screen personality. He did not possess rugged Hollywood looks, his delivery was flat and his mannerisms and elocution were parodied throughout his career. But, beginning the very first night

2012

Jun

1967: PAUL MCCARTNEY TALKS ABOUT LSD ON TV By Christy Slewinski

On this day in 1967, Paul McCartney sat down for an interview with the British television network ITV's news arm, Independent Television News (ITN), in the garden of his home on Cavendish Avenue in London. McCartney was responding to a media firestorm created by comments he made that were published in the June 17 edition of the then-weekly publication, Life. In the story, "The New Far-Out Beatles" by Thomas Thompson, McCartney talks about using the drug LSD — an unprecedented admissio

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