February 25, 1950…”Your Show Of Shows” Debuts On NBC!
February 25, 1950…”Your Show Of Shows” Debuts On NBC!
“YSOS” debuted as part of a two and a half hour block that was called “Saturday Night Review.” The first hour, was “The Jack Carter Show,” live from WMAQ in Chicago and was a comedy and variety affair airing at 8 Eastern.
At 9, ninety minutes of fun on YSOS hit the air and was followed at 10:30 by “Your Hit Parade”. Jack Carter’s show was replaced the next year by “The All Star Review.” This two and a half hour block was the first time Pat Weaver’s “participating sponsor” plan was used, which gave us the now famous phrase; “Brought to you in part by _____,”
The show debuted from NBC’s first theater converted to television, The International at 5 Columbus Circle. YSOS was actually a carryover from a 1949 show that had been so popular, it was canceled!?!? What? It’s true!
“The Admiral Broadway Revue” was the start of one of television’s greatest early comedy teams…Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca, with the great Max Liebman producing. The show had great ratings but unbelievably, Admiral (who “owned” the show) ended it in May of ’49. It seems that the show generated sales of Admiral TV sets that were far beyond their capacity to manufacture them. Admiral had to either end the show or build a new plant.
Since they owned the show, it could not continue with another sponsor and they would not sell it. Such were the sponsorship problems of the early days of television. Soon after this, NBC Vice President Pat Weaver would solve this problem by having the network own the shows and sell spots to sponsors. He is the man that brought magazine style ad sales to radio and television, which spread the cost of production among several advertisers.
On February 25, 1950, four of The International’s brightest years started with the debut of “Your Show Of Shows,” Caesar and Coca were back with a cast of writers that have become the “who’s who” of comedy including Mel Brooks, Carl Reiner and more.
One of the funniest things I’ve ever seen is their take-off on “This Is Your Life.” Howard Morris is insane as “Uncle Goopy,” wailing and climbing all over Sid, and then latching onto his leg as he tries to walk. Just great!
If memory serves, the “Admiral Broadway Review” was carried on both DuMont and NBC at its start-up. “You Show of Shows” eventually moved to the Center Theater into Rockefeller Center. I know that for sure since I remember driving past, seeing the show title on the marquee and asking my father why we couldn’t park the car and go in (there was a long line outside). I finally got to wander around in there a couple of years layter when it was stating to be torn down for an office building to go up and someone left the stage loading dock open. I also vividly recall being at the International Theater for the “Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show.” I would have been 7 or 8 years old at the time. After the show, I made my mother and grandmother hang around with me in the orchestra section of the theater by the center ramp which held the camera on a Fearless dolly while I tried to convince the NBC techs that they needed my help (they were amused). — Peter Katz
If memory serves, the “Admiral Broadway Review” was carried on both DuMont and NBC at its start-up. “You Show of Shows” eventually moved to the Center Theater into Rockefeller Center. I know that for sure since I remember driving past, seeing the show title on the marquee and asking my father why we couldn’t park the car and go in (there was a long line outside). I finally got to wander around in there a couple of years layter when it was stating to be torn down for an office building to go up and someone left the stage loading dock open. I also vividly recall being at the International Theater for the “Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney Show.” I would have been 7 or 8 years old at the time. After the show, I made my mother and grandmother hang around with me in the orchestra section of the theater by the center ramp which held the camera on a Fearless dolly while I tried to convince the NBC techs that they needed my help (they were amused). —
Premiere ad