Blog Post "Guiding Light" Celebrates Its 70th Anniversary! "The Guiding Light" debuted on NBC radio on January 25, 1937 and ran as a fifteen-minute program through 1956 (switching to CBS in 1947). In 1952, the daytime serial made its way to CBS television, where it has become the longest running program in broadcast history . The series was created by Irna...
Blog Post Far Out New Book! "TV's Grooviest Variety Shows of the '60s and '70s" Another terrific TV history book has made its way onto bookstore shelves -- Telly R. Davidson's TV's Grooviest Variety Shows of the '60s and '70s (Cumberland House, $22.95). The book consists of well-researched, fun and detailed chapters on the REALLY famous variety shows ( Ed Sullivan, Lawrence...
Blog Post Producer Martin Hoade's Interview is Now Online Producer Martin Hoade's seven-part interview is now available for viewing on Google Video. Mr. Hoade produced NBC's Sunday morning religious program wheel and provides much insight on the topic of how aspects of religion were portrayed on network television. Interview description: In his 7-part (...
Blog Post For Golden Girls Fans in Los Angeles, the Sequel Join author Jim Colucci for a look inside the world of The Golden Girls this Sunday, January 21st, 2 PM at the Santa Monica Public Library (601 Santa Monica Blvd). We attended his last book signing ( Archive of American Television: For Golden Girls Fans in Los Angeles) and are happy to report that...
Blog Post Lee Grant's Archive of American Television Interview is Now Online! Actress/Director Lee Grant's interview is now posted on Google Video. Click here to access all interview segments. Interview Description: In her seven-part (each 30-minute segement is posted separately) oral history interview, actress/director Lee Grant discusses her long and distinguished career...
Blog Post A New Book by the Author of "The Box" Anyone interested in the history of television, has undoubtedly come across the book, The Box: An Oral History of Television, 1929-1961 by Jeff Kisseloff, published in 1995 (Penguin Books). For the book, Jeff interviewed over 300 individuals involved in all aspects of early television -- the...
Blog Post Happy Thanksgiving! The Archive of American Television can't help you in the kitchen, but we can entertain you with an interview with one of American's top television chefs! As you wait for your turkey to be done, take a look at legendary TV chef Julia's Child's Archive of American Television Interview. Click here to...
Blog Post "Mary Kay and Johnny," American Network TV's First Sitcom, Celebrates its 60th Anniversary! Archive Interviews Now Online Mary Kay and Johnny was a live domestic comedy that centered around a young couple that lived in Greenwich Village: he worked at a bank and she was a homemaker. It debuted on November 18, 1947. Mary Kay and Johnny (1947-50) originally ran on the Du Mont network (for nearly a year), then (except for...
Blog Post "The Jetsons" Turns 45! On September 23, 1962, following the success of The Flintston es, Hanna-Barbera's animated sitcom The Jetsons premiered as one of the first color television programs on ABC. Hard to believe, but only 24 "classic" episodes were made at that time -- another 50+ episodes were later created in the...
Blog Post 30 Years Ago Today: Fonzie and "Happy Days" Jumped the Shark On September 20, 1977, in part three of the "Hollywood" episode , Fonzie, in bathing suit and leather jacket, faced jumping a caged shark on water skis. This moment in television history prompted the phrase "jump the shark" inaugurated by the website jumptheshark.com to describe "a defining moment...
