1948: The Debut of a "Reeally Big Shew"
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, Sullivan brought an eclectic mix of entertainment into America's living rooms and introduced the nation to its future stars. The show's opening night lineup? Pianist Eugene List, musical theater collaborators Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein and — in their television debut — the comedy team of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Over the next 23 years, everyone who was anyone made their way to Ed Sullivan's stage. And if they weren't anyone when they stepped onto the stage, chances are they were when they left the "starmaker's" stage.
To see clips from an array of shows, check out The Ed Sullivan Show channel on YouTube.