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The Oldest Shows on TV Today

G

Gregg

I'm a big fan of the Game Show Network's 3-4am
shows. Seven days a week, GSN runs "What's
My Line?" at 3:30am ET. And these days they
run "Beat The Clock" at 3am, although over
time the 3am schedule changes for shows such
as "I've Got A Secret," "To Tell The Truth,"
even such obscure shows as "The Name's The
Same" and an old Bill Cullen game show that
I can't remember the name of right now. (The
show was so old that he mentioned that "you
can see us now, as well as hear us" meaning
that it was simulcast on radio and TV.)

Oh, "Password" also is sometimes seen at
3am on GSN, depending on their schedule
changes.

It really is amazing to go so far back into
TV history. GSN has the rights to many
Goodson-Toddman game shows so it probably
costs almost nothing to run these classics,
although I'm glad GSN doens't give into the
temptation to just run infomercials from
3-4am.

Sadly, everyone on What's My Line is gone
now, although sometimes Betty White, Woody
Allen and Dick Cavett will be guest panalists
on What's My Line. I think White was still
around 30 then. The rapport between host
John Daly and panalists Arlene Francis,
Bennett Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen was
legendary. It really is worth setting your
VCR to catch these shows.

So if What's My Line and Beat The Clock
date back to the early 50s, are these the
oldest shows regularly seen on commercial
or cable TV?

Fox Movie Channel sometimes runs what they
call "Hour of Stars" which are one-hour
dramas based on old Fox movies that ran
on CBS in 1953 and 1954.

Of course, I Love Lucy and Bonanza date
back pretty far... but are they before
1960? I know some independent TV stations
around the country still run Perry Mason
which is black and white. How far back
do those shows go? Hallmark Channel
used to run Perry Mason but not any more.

I often think a cable TV channel should be
devoted to classic TV, even before the
era of Nick at Nite or TV Land. If we have
TCM and AMC, why not an old TV network? But
I guess TV execs think not many viewers will
tune in for b/w shows, even if something
like Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life"
or The Benny Hill Show outshine much of
what's currently on TV.




Gregg
[email protected]
 
...Of course, the earliest "I Love Lucy" shows date to October 1951, and the earliest "Dragnet" dates to two months after that (although I've yet to see the original "Dragnet" on either broadcast or cable TV, only the cheapo DVDs for five bucks at Wal-Mart). I know kinnies of "Toast of the Town" exist all the way back to the second week on the air, in 1948, but I don't know if any of those really old items have popped up in the PBS/syndication Ed Sullivan repackagings. As well, I don't know if the PBS Red Skelton package contains material from his first NBC season, 1951-52, or just from 1952-53. I've come across some of the old Du Mont kinescopes of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen on both EWTN and Trinity Broadcasting Network on occasion, and FamilyNet sometimes uses old reels of "Life with Elizabeth" (1953-54) and "The Loretta Young Show" (1953-61) for filler in their overnight schedule. I'm under the impression that some of the kinescopes of "Honeymooners" sketches from "Cavalcade of Stars" were included in that "Lost Honeymooners" syndication package that may or may not be still available to local stations. Since Gleason hosted "Cavalcade of Stars" from 1950 to 1952, and "What's My Line" premiered in February 1950, I'd have to think those two would be the oldest items to be seen with any level of frequency on TV nowadays, with "I Love Lucy" and the old Sheen-Du Mont kinescopes (1952-55) close runners-up...<P ID="signature">______________
King Daevid MacKenzie
WLSU Wisconsin Public Radio, La Crosse
heard weekly on http://www.radio4all.net/
"Kill Ugly Radio." FRANK ZAPPA</P><P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by KingDaevid on 02/01/06 12:38 AM.</FONT></P>
 
> . Since Gleason hosted "Cavalcade of Stars" from
> 1950 to 1952, and "What's My Line" premiered in February
> 1950, I'd have to think those two would be the oldest items
> to be seen with any level of frequency on TV nowadays, with
> the old Sheen-Du Mont kinescopes (1952-55) close thirds...
>
If "The Cisco Kid" is still being shown, it's first season was 1950. The show was unique and actually ahead of its time by filming in Color in later seasons.
This helped them syndicate the show more successfully than other B/W shows of the era.
 
> So if What's My Line and Beat The Clock
> date back to the early 50s, are these the
> oldest shows regularly seen on commercial
> or cable?

I Love Lucy is the only show that I know of that is the oldest show being syndicated these days. Some stations carry I Married Joan(1952-1955) and My Little Margie(1952-1955) but they are carried by religious stations and low power stations.

> Of course, I Love Lucy and Bonanza date
> back pretty far... but are they before
> 1960? I know some independent TV stations
> around the country still run Perry Mason
> which is black and white. How far back
> do those shows go? Hallmark Channel
> used to run Perry Mason but not any more.

I Love Lucy premiered in 1951,Perry Mason premiered in 1957,and Bonanza premiered in 1959.
>
> I often think a cable TV channel should be
> devoted to classic TV, even before the
> era of Nick at Nite or TV Land. If we have
> TCM and AMC, why not an old TV network? But
> I guess TV execs think not many viewers will
> tune in for b/w shows, even if something
> like Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life"
> or The Benny Hill Show outshine much of
> what's currently on TV.

Nick at Nite and TV Land used to show classic TV as did AMC with their classic movies until Nick at Nite and TV Land thought that Roseanne and Hunter became classics overnight and AMC showing movies after 1985 thinking that they are classics. A lot of people do watch classic TV shows that are in Black and White like I Love Lucy,The Honeymooners,Andy Griffith,The Munsters,The Addams Family,etc. so it wouldn't be a problem at all showing black and white shows.

I wouldn't mind seeing a network that showed older shows again like I Married Joan,My Little Margie,Love That Bob,Dennis The Menace,Patty Duke,Real McCoys,Donna Reed,50's Dragnet,etc. It's just a matter of an audience for these shows.
 
> (although I've yet to see the original "Dragnet"
> on either broadcast or cable TV, only the cheapo
> DVDs for five bucks at Wal-Mart).

Does "cheapo" mean the episodes are from
scratched and spliced 16mm reduction prints
(used for the Badge 714 syndication) rather
than the original 35mm films?
 
> > (although I've yet to see the original "Dragnet"
> > on either broadcast or cable TV, only the cheapo
> > DVDs for five bucks at Wal-Mart).
>
> Does "cheapo" mean the episodes are from
> scratched and spliced 16mm reduction prints
> (used for the Badge 714 syndication) rather
> than the original 35mm films?

...Yes. In fact, of the two DVDs I have, both contain both "DRAGNET" and "BADGE 714" opening title frames. Both are made by Premium Disc Corporation, the company that deals in ostensibly public domain titles. I phrase it that way because I understood that Jack Webb or his estate sold the assets of his Mark VII production company to Universal in the late '70s, and I can't imagine that Universal would have let the copyrights lapse on any of the versions of "Dragnet." At best these are grey market DVDs, not unlike the $5 DVDs of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or Bruce Lee movies, which clearly are still under copyright but keep popping up anyway...<P ID="signature">______________
King Daevid MacKenzie
WLSU Wisconsin Public Radio, La Crosse
heard weekly on http://www.radio4all.net/
"Kill Ugly Radio." FRANK ZAPPA</P>
 
> > . Since Gleason hosted "Cavalcade of Stars" from
> > 1950 to 1952, and "What's My Line" premiered in February
> > 1950, I'd have to think those two would be the oldest
> items
> > to be seen with any level of frequency on TV nowadays,
> with
> > the old Sheen-Du Mont kinescopes (1952-55) close thirds...
>
> >
> If "The Cisco Kid" is still being shown, it's first season
> was 1950. The show was unique and actually ahead of its
> time by filming in Color in later seasons.
> This helped them syndicate the show more successfully than
> other B/W shows of the era.
>
A channel called WHT shows "The Lone Ranger," which had its
television debut in 1949; the Encore Westerns channel shows
"The Gene Autry Show," which goes back to about 1950.

But don't forget that one series that's older than any of these
is still on the air with new episodes: "Meet The Press," which
has been on television since 1947.
 
>
> But don't forget that one series that's still on the air
> with new episodes: "Meet The Press,"
> which
> has been on television since 1947.
>
Today since 1952, Guiding Light since 1952 (and before on radio from 1937, the only entertainment or fictional show still on and in production that originated from radio), As the World Turns from 1956.
 
> >
> > But don't forget that one series that's still on the air
> > with new episodes: "Meet The Press,"
> > which
> > has been on television since 1947.
> >
> Today since 1952, Guiding Light since 1952 (and before on
> radio from 1937, the only entertainment or fictional show
> still on and in production that originated from radio), As
> the World Turns from 1956.
>

'Face The Nation' has been on CBS television since 1954, having started on radio several years earlier.
 
> > Today since 1952, Guiding Light since 1952 (and before on
> > radio from 1937, the only entertainment or fictional show
> > still on and in production that originated from radio), As
>
> > the World Turns from 1956.
> >
>
> 'Face The Nation' has been on CBS television since 1954,
> having started on radio several years earlier.
>
The Tonight Show(including all variations of formats/hosts) has been on NBC since 1954.<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P>
 
I thought every episode of "Cisco Kid" was filmed in color.
 
> > > Today since 1952, Guiding Light since 1952 (and before
> on
> > > radio from 1937, the only entertainment or fictional
> show
> > > still on and in production that originated from radio),
> As
> >
> > > the World Turns from 1956.
> > >
> >
> > 'Face The Nation' has been on CBS television since 1954,
> > having started on radio several years earlier.
> >
> The Tonight Show(including all variations of formats/hosts)
> has been on NBC since 1954.
>
Coupla thoughts...

Rumors abound that "Guiding Light" may soon be put to pasture by CBS, which would make "Meet The Press" the undisputed champ.

Also, as far as the oldest shows currently seen on TV, why does TV Land only show about the last 8 or 9 years of "Gunsmoke"? It would really be interesting to see the black & white ones, even the half hour eps, with Dennis Weaver and Burt Reynolds. PBS does basically the same thing with Lawrence Welk, mainly showing the cheesy syndicated shows from the 70's and early 80's. Once they showed one from around 1958, and it was head and shoulders above the later shows. It seems overall that networks that show a lot of reruns have fallen into the same trap as oldies radio...burning out the same stuff over and over.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day...If Lindsey Lohan sees her shadow, it'll be 6 more weeks till food.
 
> > > (although I've yet to see the original "Dragnet"
> > > on either broadcast or cable TV, only the cheapo
> > > DVDs for five bucks at Wal-Mart).
> >
> > Does "cheapo" mean the episodes are from
> > scratched and spliced 16mm reduction prints
> > (used for the Badge 714 syndication) rather
> > than the original 35mm films?
>
> ...Yes. In fact, of the two DVDs I have, both contain both
> "DRAGNET" and "BADGE 714" opening title frames. Both are
> made by Premium Disc Corporation, the company that deals in
> ostensibly public domain titles. I phrase it that way
> because I understood that Jack Webb or his estate sold the
> assets of his Mark VII production company to Universal in
> the late '70s, and I can't imagine that Universal would have
> let the copyrights lapse on any of the versions of
> "Dragnet." At best these are grey market DVDs, not unlike
> the $5 DVDs of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or Bruce Lee movies,
> which clearly are still under copyright but keep popping up
> anyway...

George Romero released Night Of The Living Dead into the public domain. No need to buy a DVD, though, you can download it from the Internet Archive:

<a href = "http://www.archive.org/details/night_of_the_living_dead"> Download page </a>


>
 
> 'Face The Nation' has been on CBS television since 1954,
> having started on radio several years earlier.

But it was off the schedule for more than a year after the disastrous attempt to turn it into a prime-time debate show rather than a Sunday morning interview show.<P ID="signature">______________


</P>
 
> Also, as far as the oldest shows currently seen on TV, why
> does TV Land only show about the last 8 or 9 years of
> "Gunsmoke"? It would really be interesting to see the black
> & white ones, even the half hour eps, with Dennis Weaver and
> Burt Reynolds. PBS does basically the same thing with
> Lawrence Welk, mainly showing the cheesy syndicated shows
> from the 70's and early 80's. Once they showed one from
> around 1958, and it was head and shoulders above the later
> shows. It seems overall that networks that show a lot of
> reruns have fallen into the same trap as oldies
> radio...burning out the same stuff over and over.

I've been wondering if TVLand has ever aired the final season of Bonanza(the episodes produced after Dan Blocker's death)?
>

>
<P ID="signature">______________
"I look out for me and mine."-Capt. Malcom "Mal" Reynolds in Serenity</P>
 
Public Domain's Greatest Hits?

> > > > (although I've yet to see the original "Dragnet"
> > > > on either broadcast or cable TV, only the cheapo
> > > > DVDs for five bucks at Wal-Mart).
> > >
> > > Does "cheapo" mean the episodes are from
> > > scratched and spliced 16mm reduction prints
> > > (used for the Badge 714 syndication) rather
> > > than the original 35mm films?
> >
> > ...Yes. In fact, of the two DVDs I have, both contain both
>
> > "DRAGNET" and "BADGE 714" opening title frames. Both are
> > made by Premium Disc Corporation, the company that deals
> in
> > ostensibly public domain titles. I phrase it that way
> > because I understood that Jack Webb or his estate sold the
>
> > assets of his Mark VII production company to Universal in
> > the late '70s, and I can't imagine that Universal would
> have
> > let the copyrights lapse on any of the versions of
> > "Dragnet." At best these are grey market DVDs, not unlike
> > the $5 DVDs of NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD or Bruce Lee
> movies,
> > which clearly are still under copyright but keep popping
> up
> > anyway...
>
> George Romero released Night Of The Living Dead into the
> public domain.

...I suspect that'll come as news to Romero. The page you linked to claims the filmmakers took the copyright statement off the film when they applied the title NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD to it; the fact was that Romero's company copyrighted the film as NIGHT OF THE FLESH EATERS but the copyright statement was on the title visual, which the original theatrical distributor, The Walter Reade Organization, NOT the filmmakers, removed in order to apply the title it became a hit under. Unless Romero has had a sudden change of heart, the copyright is still in the files...<P ID="signature">______________
King Daevid MacKenzie
WLSU Wisconsin Public Radio, La Crosse
heard weekly on http://www.radio4all.net/
"Kill Ugly Radio." FRANK ZAPPA</P>
 
PBS does basically the same thing with
> Lawrence Welk, mainly showing the cheesy syndicated shows
> from the 70's and early 80's.

PBS does not distrubte Welk, its done by American Public TV though OETA (Oklahoma Educational TV). I don't watch it regardless.
 
> > 'Face The Nation' has been on CBS television since 1954,
> > having started on radio several years earlier.
>
> But it was off the schedule for more than a year after the
> disastrous attempt to turn it into a prime-time debate show
> rather than a Sunday morning interview show.
>

Not according to Brooks and Marsh.
 
> >>
> I've been wondering if TVLand has ever aired the final
> season of Bonanza(the episodes produced after Dan Blocker's
> death)?
> >

I don't recall if it was TV Land or (then) Family Channel, but I distinctly remember surfing by the infamous 1972-73 season premeire, a two-parter that focused almost exclusively on Little Joe's ill-fated marriage(he met her and lost her by the end of the episode, much like the famous 'Kirok' episode of 'Star Trek'.)
 
> > > 'Face The Nation' has been on CBS television since 1954,
>
> > > having started on radio several years earlier.
> >
> > But it was off the schedule for more than a year after the
>
> > disastrous attempt to turn it into a prime-time debate
> show
> > rather than a Sunday morning interview show.
> >
>
> Not according to Brooks and Marsh.
>
Castleman and Podrazik show a program titled "Washington
Conversation" on CBS Sundays at 12:30 PM (ET) from winter
(I assume January) 1961 through the summer of 1962. In
the fall of 1962 another program, "CBS Washington Report,"
took over the time slot; "Face The Nation" did not return
until September 1963.

Through the summer of 1960 they show "Face The Nation" in
various late-afternoon Sunday slots. In the fall of 1960
it is not on the Sunday schedule at all and does not reappear
there until the fall of '63.
 
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