1950's TV Shows Still Influence Today's Hits

The Scripts Were Stilted, but the Patterns Are Evergreen

The 1950's TV shows collecting dust in museum archives look pretty dull and artificially mannered now. Surprisingly, today's hits are direct descendants of some of these old programs. Sure, the sex and violence is kicked up 100 notches, but the premises are evergreen.

Those old shows from 1950's TV were very tame. Married couples slept in twin beds, the word pregnant was taboo and cowboys shot each other with nary a sign of splattered brain matter. Yes, some aspects of program standards were quite different when TV was in its infancy.

Other patterns endured over the years. The search for new talent and the voyeuristic urge to eavesdrop on stranger's personal troubles remain unchanged from 1950's TV to today.

Let's look at some of those 1950's TV shows and how they influence today's programs:

The Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour 1948 -1970

This is clearly the grandpa of American Idol. Dust it off; add a snarky judge and viola!

Hopeful amateur performers competed against each other to win the favor of the American public. Winners returned to defend their skills against a new crop of competitors and the viewers voted by phone or mail.

The show made the jump from radio where it had been popular for more than a decade. Gladys Knight got her start here.

Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts 1948 - 1958

Another immigrant from the land of radio, Talent Scouts differed a little from Ted Mack in that the contestants had slightly more professional experience, but still ranked as "undiscovered". According to the Museum of Broadcast Communications website article written by Douglas Gomery, this 1950's TV show "significantly assisted the careers of Pat Boone, Tony Bennett, Eddie Fisher, Connie Francis, and Patsy Cline."

Instead of waiting for a mail vote, winners were announced at the end of the show. An applause meter recorded the audience reaction. The American viewers didn't get to vote their opinions, so this 1950's TV show must be a more distant relative of American Idol. Maybe it's a great aunt.

Queen for a Day - 1956 - 1964