- Home
- TV History
- Network Studios History
- Cameras
- Archives
- Viewseum
- About / Comments
Skip to content
Posts in Category: TV History
Page 36 of 136
« Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
Next » TeleTales #2…1945, Dumont To Open New TV Studios
On January 16, 2015
- TV History
The location of the three studios was inside New York City’s Wanamaker’s Department Store. Here is the announcement in a few magnified parts and a couple of photos of the huge main studio it’s control room.
January 16, 1949…KNBH Television Signs On; Exclusive Photos
On January 16, 2015
- TV History
January 16, 1949…KNBH Television Signs On; Exclusive Photos
These two black and white photos are the only ones I know of that were taken on that first day of broadcasting.
The young lady in both is Peggy Lee, who I think was the mistress of ceremonies that night for the stations first live show, and first local variety program in Los Angeles called ‘On With The Show’.
At the time, she, along with Perry Como and Jo Stafford were rotating host of NBC Radio’s popular ‘Chesterfield Supper Club’.
The maiden broadcast was three hours and forty minutes of programming, which followed a 15-minute test-pattern-and-music session. Inauguration night launched with an eighteen-minute newsreel, ‘Review of 1948’. That was followed by the first live program, hosted by Lee. After that came ‘The Pickard Family’ featuring Dad and Mom Pickard and their four children singing familiar American songs.
The station now known as KNBC or NBC4, was one of seven VHF stations licensed for operation in the market. KNBH, which stood for National Broadcasting Hollywood, was one of three stations in the market representing a national broadcasting chain.
By October 1949, KNBH had extended its operating schedule from five to seven days a week, with approximately 26 hours of television programming each week. The station continued to make major technical advances and was the leading promoter of television as the premiere advertising medium. In October 1950, KNBH transmitted the first commercial telecast of a sports event, a Los Angeles Rams Football Game, via the Los Angeles/San Francisco inter-city MicroWave Relay.
KNBH again made history in April 1951 when the first telecast, originating in the East, was presented to West Coast viewers on the same day. The station broadcast General Douglas MacArthur’s speech before Congress less than five hours after it had been originated in Washington, D.C. I think this was achieved by recording a kinescope in St. Louis and flying it to LA.
In November 1962, the station relocated to the NBC Burbank facilities, and changed its call letters to KNBC.
When the station launched in 1949, Los Angeles was the fifth largest city in the United States, with only 80,000 television sets within 100 miles of the station’s Mount Wilson transmitter. Today, the LA market is the second largest in the country and Channel 4 is viewed in more than five million households, reaching 15 million viewers regularly.
Happy Birthday KNBC! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
January 14, 1990…’America’s Funniest Home Videos’ Debuts On ABC
On January 14, 2015
- TV History
January 14, 1990…’America’s Funniest Home Videos’ Debuts On ABC
Here is the first episode with what I think was the best host ever, Bob Sagget. Bob hosted the original show which aired as a special in November of 1989. It was such a hit, ABC had it on the air on Sunday nights in just seven weeks.
Sagget hosted the first eight seasons and was followed by John Fugelsang and Daisy Fuentes for its ninth and tenth seasons. After two years of being shown as occasional specials, hosted by various actors and comedians such as D.L. Hughley and Richard Kind, ABC brought the series back on Friday nights in the summer of 2001 with new host Tom Bergeron, who has since become the series’ longest-serving host. Season 24 began on October 13, 2013. Before the show was renewed for a 25th season in May 2014, Bergeron announced in March 2014 that he will not be hosting the show after that season. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
January 14, 1993…David Letterman Announces His Move To CBS
On January 14, 2015
- TV History
January 14, 1993…David Letterman Announces His Move To CBS
In the video, you can see the announcement at the CBS press conference…it’s “pure Dave”. At this link is a very good write up from the next day’s New York Daily News on all the details. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xkV68YpvM0
In 1993 David Letterman jumped from NBC to CBS. Flanked by his new bosses, here’s part one of Dave’s hastily-arranged news conference.
January 14, 1952…The First Moments Of ‘Today’ With Dave Garroway
On January 14, 2015
- TV History
January 14, 1952…The First Moments Of ‘Today’ With Dave Garroway
This is the opening segment of the debut show, 63 years ago today. Dave takes us on a very complete tour of the set and explains what the show is all about. Thanks to the vision and courage of Pat Weaver, American television took a new leap into a day part that, until this point had been seen as unimportant. I think rehearsals started just after Christmas of 1951 in this space called The RCA Showcase, just across 49th Street from 30 Rock. The space is now occupied by the famous Christie’s auction house. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY4_iv3UbGg
Journey back in time to watch Dave Garroway host the first 13 minutes of The TODAY Show live from “NBC’s “world communication center in the heart of Radio Ci…
January 14, 1952…’Today’ Debuts On NBC…First In More Than One Way
On January 14, 2015
- TV History
January 14, 1952…’Today’ Debuts On NBC…First In More Than One Way
Today, was network television’s first ever morning show, and is where some of the state of the art technology was first used.
First, I am sure this is the first time the new Houston Fearless TD 3 counter-weighted pedestals were ever used. There are no photos of them before this day in 1952, and I think there are two prototypes on the set. All the other peds are the old TD 1 crank up peds.
Second, I think this is also the first use of the new RCA camera mounted teleprompter. There appear to be two in use on the debut…one on a camera with the new TD 3 ped and one on a camera on a TD 1 ped. Notice they are strapped to the cameras and not permanently attached. I think these two prototypes had come in a week or two before and were tested on The Martha Ray Show.
Happy Birthday ‘Today’! Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
I think this is Harry Katzman, who after a couple of years on camera, worked as senior video man for 16 years on ‘Today’.Here’s the new RCA Electa Zoom and the new teleprompter. I’m not sure if that is an RCA logo on the prompter or not. Could that be the TelePrompter logo? Notice the great magnifying lens. It seems that cameramen were taking turns operating the cameras with the prompter.
With is his back to us on the right is our friend Frank Merklein who was a part of the debut broadcast.
The ramp lead down to the control room.
Here’s the second teleprompter on a TK30 mounted on the old TD 1 pedestal. That sure looks like the RCA logo on the prompter in this photo.
Here’s a shot of the studio from across the street at 30 Rock. Notice the hi position camera against the window.
Here’s that lonely perch, but with a great shot of the whole studio using the Zoomar Field lens.
Dave Garroway at the two minute capsule news board. In the foreground, new new RCA teleprompter and Houston Fearless TD 3 prototype pedestal.
Picture Parade #6… “Klaatu Barada Nikto”
On January 13, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #6… “Klaatu Barada Nikto”
Here’s a rare behind the scenes shot from the 1951 classic ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still”. Coming down the gangway is 7’ 7″ Lock Martin in one of two Gort costumes. Martin was the doorman as Gruaman’s Chines Theater in LA.
To give the appearance of seamlessness to the space ship, the crack around the door was filled with putty, then painted over. When the door opened the putty was torn apart, making the door seem to simply appear. To depict the seamless closing of the ship and its ramp, they just reversed the film of the shot of the ship’s ramp and door appearing. The spaceship was made of wood, wire and plaster of Paris.
This film is ranked #5 on the American Film Institute’s list of the 10 greatest films in the genre “Sci-Fi” in June 2008. As an homage to this film George Lucas named two of the alien bounty hunters in his Star Wars trilogy “Klaatu” and “Barada Nikto”. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade #5…A Tribute To Ernie Kovacs: Hole In The Head Sketch
On January 13, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #5…A Tribute To Ernie Kovacs: Hole In The Head Sketch
As mentioned in the previous post, we lost this television and comedy pioneer 53 years ago today. Here is another legacy he left us.
Before there was chromakey, there was black and white matting which is the process used here for Ernie to peer through a “hole in her head”. Here’s how this was done…first, Ernie places the black patch on the forehead of his assistant, Barbara Loden. Her top is red, white and blue which is important because the matting process used in this instance uses black at the matt.
In the control room, the production switcher uses the special effects module to insert a circle over the black patch in the image from camera 1. Camera 2 on the left is shooting Kovac. Notice her hair is now covered by a white scarf as the switcher is taking in only the white portion of the image from camera 1 and has made it blind to black.
Via the matting process in the production switcher, the images are married in a composite shot and the rest, as they say, is history. Today, you could probably do all this on a smart phone, but back in the early 50s, this was a big deal and Kovacs was a genius at visual gags using the then, state of the art television technology. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade #4…A Tribute To Ernie Kovacs: The Dovetonsil Lens
On January 13, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #4…A Tribute To Ernie Kovacs: The Dovetonsil Lens
Today in 1962, comedian Ernie Kovacs died in a car crash in west Los Angeles, 10 days before his 43rd birthday. In remembrance of his pioneering comedy which often involved technical innovation, here is the rare lens he helped create for his most famous character, poet Percy Dovetonsils.
Percy always wore extremely thick glasses and unbeknownst to most…the eyes were painted on the back of the lenses. Occasionally the television audience was treated to Percy’s POV via this specially made lens, now owned by Chuck Pharis. It was designed to be easily thrown form fairly clear to double vision distortion. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Rare Color Home Movie…WRVA ‘Sailor Bob Show’, Early 1960s
On January 13, 2015
- TV History
Rare Color Home Move…WRVA ‘Sailor Bob Show’, Early 1960s
This was just sent in by Tom Griggs, son of ‘Sailor Bob’ Griggs who hosted this kids show in Richmond Va. for many years. Yesterday, January 12, was the 56th Anniversary of him taking to the air as Sailor Bob on the WRVA TV Schooner.
Here, we’ll see Dumont 5098C cameras and AMPEX VR 1000 quadruplex machines in action. There is studio action for the first couple of minutes followed by five minutes of goofing, but around 7:30, we get back to the good stuff.
Tom has given us the names of the people in the silent video. They are Hank Didot (looking in camera) Dick McCray (mugging) Dave Davis (on stool) Judie Miller (red dress) Dave Davis (Cactus Pete w/beard) Bill Bedwell (wearing headset) and Anna Inge (Hazel Witch)…Anna Inge would be the future Mrs. Gordon Jump. 7:40 Irv Wonders (white shirt and tie) Bob Almond (seated at Master Control) 7:48 Jerry Chamberlain (glasses and jacket) Cecil Spicer (blue shirt 2″ quad tape) . 9:14 Dave Smalley (skinny tie and smoking) 9:23 Don Johnson (wire glasses) 9:27 Roy Lamont (Teenage Party host) 9:35 Dick McCray, Walter Edel (engineer in middle) and Bob Griggs. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade #4…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #4…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
I couldn’t wrap up today’s posts without including this rare shot of the man that started it all…the great Burr Tillstrom. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade #3…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #3…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
I finally found the photo that shows the band I had mentioned in the network debut anniversary story earlier today. Part of the show’s success was due to the adults that watched, and the laughter from the crew and band was always there. Like ‘Beany And Cecil’ and ‘Rocky And Bullwinkle’, there was always a thread of adult humor woven into the fabric of KFO. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade #2…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #2…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
This is an amazingly rare 1947 photo of ‘Junior Jamboree’ at WBKB in Chicago, starring “The Kuklapolitans with Fran Allison”. This was the first embodyment of the show on television and this aired locally Monday thru Friday, from 6 to 7 pm Central Time. In case you missed it, see today’s story on the network debut of the show on this day in 1949. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Picture Parade #1…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
Picture Parade #1…Followup Photo, Kukla, Fran And Ollie
This is the KFO studio at WNBQ in 1951, three years after their network debut on this day in 1949. From left to right: Beulah Zachary, producer (seated); Harry Glyer, boom operator; Jack Fascinato, composer (at piano); John Kinsey, stage manager; Bruce Berquist, cameraman; Kukla and Burr Tillstrom; Jim Edwards, cameraman; John Casagrande and Jimmy Lynch (stagehands). Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Here’s A BIG SURPRISE! The First Time I Have Every Heard Of This!
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
Here’s A BIG SURPRISE! The First Time I Have Every Heard Of This!
When Bud Yorkin presented ‘An Evening With Fred Astaire’ October 17, 1958, he used the entire NBC Burbank facility….all four color studios and control rooms and all 16 TK41 cameras were used to fed the show live to the east coast and, to the video tape room there where a master and backup were recorded in color for playback to the west coast. The clip starts at the point Mr. Yorkin gives us this amazing detail.
A week or so ago, I posted a story on ‘An Evening With Fred Astaire’ which is the oldest surviving color videotape of an entertainment show. I had said it was done live to tape…broadcast live to the east and was the first big special ever recorded on color tape for playback on the west coast. Some argued that it was edited, but it wasn’t and here is the proof.
Granted, this was a big deal, but I have never heard of a production taking up a whole network facility for a show before. After the live portion, the cast went to The Beverly Hills Hotel to watch the color playback for the west coast. As Astaire arrived, he received a phone call from President Eisenhower, and one from Ed Sullivan. Astaire could not believe Sullivan had called with congratulations. The President, yes, but Sullivan’s call amazed him. Thanks to John Butler for the Yorkin clip. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
https://vimeo.com/261611927
By the way, at the link above is the full restored color video tape of the show with thanks to Kris Trexler.
January 12, 1949…’Kukla Fran And Ollie’ Debuts On NBC Network
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
January 12, 1949…’Kukla Fran And Ollie’ Debuts On NBC Network
Before we get to the history, a comment on this rare kinescope.
In the clip, we see Dave Garroway visiting with KFO just before their trip to RCA’s Wardman Park Hotel experimental color studio, where on October 10, 1949 they did a special closed circuit colorcast for the FCC. Later that same day, they did the regularly schedulded black and white network show from NBC’s WRC studios.
KFO actually started on Chicago’s WBKB around 1948, but moved to NBC owned WNBQ later in 48 and was a huge Chicagoland hit. The NBC network heard about it and decided to air it afternoons nation wide and the first network broadcast, live from Chicago, was on this day in 1949.
By the way, the laughter in the clip is form the crew and the seven member band which was just to the left of the set and hidden by the RCA TK30. FYI, when the show was at WBKB, they were the ones that began shooting it with the Zoomar Field Lens…it looked so good, NBC continued with it. Oh…one more thing…at the time, Garroway was hosing ‘Garroway At Large’ which was a popular Chicago show. January 14, 1952, he began hosting ‘Today’ when it debuted on NBC from New York. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
Ultra Rare Footage, Shooting First ‘Batman’ Episode, 1966
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
January 12, 1966…’Batman’ Debuts On ABC
There are a several rare video pieces here for you to see including this embedded clip (no audio) of a location shoot of a scene from the first episode with Frank Gorshin and Bert Ward.
In this clip, we see the competing casting of the two teams of Batman and Robin…Lyle Wagoner and Peter Deyell vs Adam West & Burt Ward. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-BHYo4U0M4
In these two clips, Producer William Dozier talks about the cast in the top link and reveals the mystery behind the voice of the series narrator in the bottom link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAnOWQqLi8I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-RQkk7ajV8&spfreload=1
By the way, this was one of the only primetime shows ever to air twice a week. The first show to do that was ‘Shindig’ and it’s interesting to note that ABC filled the two empty half hours with ‘Batman’. It aired in the same day and time slots as ‘Shindig’ who’s last episode ran a week before the caped crusaders took over. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYEvhPCyocs
Rare footage of the 1966 TV series Batman showing the set up and filming of one of the scenes of the first episode. Frank Gorshin as the Riddler and Burt War…
January 12, 1967…’Dragnet 1967′ Debuts On NBC
On January 12, 2015
- TV History
January 12, 1967…’Dragnet 1967′ Debuts On NBC
After an eight year break, ‘Dragnet’ returned to television with this episode. In updating the story lines, Webb was particularly aware of the wave of teenage drug use, and a fair number of episodes have a “narko” theme. To differentiate it from the earlier Dragnet series, the year in which each season aired was made part of the on-screen title, so the series started as ‘Dragnet 1967’ and ended as ‘Dragnet 1970′. The entire series aired Thursdays at 9:30-10:00 pm and was directed by Jack Webb.
Here’s some interesting trivia about the show…
The pair of hands seen hammering the Mark VII logo at the end of every episode belong to Jack Webb.
For the sake of continuity, Friday and Gannon always wore the same outfits in every episode. According to Harry Morgan, he and Jack Webb decided to switch coats for one scene to see if anyone noticed. Because only Morgan was in the scene, no one on the set realized it until the scene had been shot. In the next scene, Morgan has on the correct coat. This is the only incident of faulty continuity in the series’ run.
When the revival was in the planning stages, Jack Webb had originally planned on bringing in his former co-star Ben Alexander to reprise his role as Officer Frank Smith. However, Alexander was appearing on the ABC series ‘Felony Squad’ and that network would not let him out of his contract to appear on the revival. Webb then chose Harry Morgan to play the new character of Officer Bill Gannon.
Enjoy and share! Over and out…Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eBPWwxOKwQ
Dragnet 1967 The LSD Story Blueboy
In Case You Missed This…The Restoration Of ‘The Wizard Of Oz’
On January 11, 2015
- TV History
In Case You Missed This…The Restoration Of ‘The Wizard Of Oz’
This is a follow up on the Oz picture posted yesterday and a reminder that here at EOAG…the comments are the MOST AMAZING you will find anywhere! If you are not paying attention to them, you are missing A LOT! Many comments are from industry pros that were or are involved with these shows and events, and others come from people with a deep knowledge and interest on our subject matter. THANKS to ALL that share these rare insights, anecdotes and experiences with us, and to Glenn Mack for this great clip. Enjoy, share and read the comments! -Bobby Ellerbee
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-6MYP0RxTI&feature=youtu.be
This featurette discusses the video and audio digital restoration of Victor Fleming’s 1939 classic “The Wizard of Oz”. Source: “The Wizard of Oz” disc one of…
On Several Levels…One Of The MOST INTERESTING Videos I’ve Seen
On January 11, 2015
- TV History
On Several Levels…One Of The MOST INTERESTING Videos I’ve Seen
You are in for some big surprises! More than I can account for here in the text, so I urge you to just see for yourself. This is a whole episode of ‘Steve Allen’s Music Room’ that ran in syndication from ’84 till ’86.
I’ve started it at the place were Steve asks Doc about his early days in music. You will never guess who interrupts them and why, but you’ll be surprised to see who Steve’s sidekick/announcer (Bill Maher) was AND, by the awesome clip he introduces from ‘Tonight’. PLUS, just after that, Doc plays something most of us have never heard before…the original ‘Tonight’ show sign off song. Doc was in the band then and was featured on it every night during Allen’s stint as host. By the way, Steve wrote the song.
Later, Patty Page and Ann Jillian are guests. It good from start to finish, but the featured part I’ve written about here is just amazing on many levels. ENJOY AND SHARE! -Bobby Ellerbee
Page 36 of 136
« Previous
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
Next »