We, The People

The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

Tabs

About

From Wikipedia:

We the People was an American talk show aired on CBS Television (1948-1949) and then on NBC Television (1949-1952).

We the People was a 30-minute talk show, first on CBS for one season and then on NBC for two seasons. The host interviewed politicians, celebrities, and everyday people. The interviews tended to be "up close and personal", interviewing celebrities about difficulties they had to overcome. The non-celebrities were usually people who participated in some type of charitable work. The show was sponsored by Gulf Oil and produced by "Life" magazine.

The TV show aired Tuesdays at 9pm ET, and then Fridays at 8:30pm ET, and was simulcast on radio and TV for a time. The show had been aired on CBS Radio since 1936. In October 1948, We the People was rated #3 on the Hooper Ratings, Hooper being a precursor to Nielsen ratings.

Highlights

James Sheldon on directing the radio show "We, The People," which was then simulcast on television and radio and became a regular television show

04:06

Performer/writer Carl Reiner on the seed of the idea for the "2,000 Year Old Man" from something seen on TV interview series We, the People, and how it was first "performed" by he and Mel Brooks when the two worked together on Your Show of Shows

01:17

James Sheldon on the first time he heard of the Blacklist: when he tried to hire Madeline Lee Gilford on We, The People

01:29

James Sheldon on the challenge of making We, The People visual, since it had started as a radio show

02:18

Who talked about this show

Rod Erickson

View Interview

Rod Erickson on going to work for Young & Rubicam and putting We, The People on television