BARRY LEVINE: The roots of popular TV

Editor’s Note: First of a two-part series on the history of different TV genres. Part 2 will appear on March 11.

One interesting aspect of television is how specific genres developed.

As an example, “Howdy Doody,” which aired from 1947 to 1960, was the pioneering show of children’s television.

The show’s host, Bob Smith, created the 30-minute show in which he starred as “Buffalo Bob.” The main character was “Howdy Doody,” a red-haired, freckle-faced marionette. Among the other lead characters were “Phineas T. Bluster,” the mayor of Doodyville and Howdy Doody’s nemesis; “Princess SummerFallWinterSpring,” a puppet; and “Clarabell the Clown,” originally played by Bob Keeshan, who later created the children’s TV character “Captain Kangaroo.”

One of the Howdy Doody show’s distinctive features was the Peanut Gallery, onstage bleachers seating approximately 40 youngsters. Each show began with Buffalo Bob asking, “Say kids, what time is it?” The kids quickly responded in unison, “It’s Howdy Doody Time!” Then the kids sang the show’s theme song (set to the tune of “Ta-ra-ra Boom-de-ay”):

“It’s Howdy Doody time,

“It’s Howdy Doody time,

“Bob Smith and Howdy, too,

“Say ‘Howdy do’ to you.”

While “Howdy Doody” was a pioneering kids’ TV shows, “Dragnet” was the forerunner of police procedural dramas.

The original “Dragnet” aired on TV from 1951 to 1959 and starred Jack Webb as Sgt. Joe Friday, a detective with the Los Angeles Police Department. His partner was Officer Frank Smith, portrayed by Ben Alexander.

Friday narrated each of the 276 episodes, providing details of what occurred and where. He had several bits of dialog that remained throughout the series: the opening narration, “This is the city, Los Angeles, California, I work here. I’m a cop.” and the introduction of the story’s plot — “It was (date), it was (weather) in Los Angeles; we were working (shift) out of (police division). The boss is (name). My partner’s Frank Smith. My name’s Friday.”

Friday’s signature line was “Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.”

Just check the incredible number of weekly police procedural dramas that followed “Dragnet.”

“Highway Patrol,” 1955-59; “The Untouchables,” 1959-63; the original “Hawaii Five-0,” 1968-80; “Cannon,” 1971-76; “Streets of San Francisco,” 1972-77; “Kojak,” 1973-78; “Starsky & Hutch,” 1975-79; “Hill Street Blues,” 1981-87; Cagney & Lacey,” 1982-89; “Miami Vice,” 1984-89, and “Homicide: Life on the Street,” 1993-99.

Also “Walker, Texas Ranger,” 1993-2001; “NYPD Blue,” 1993-2005; “Without a Trace,” 2002-09; “Cold Case,” 2003-10; “NCIS,” 2003-present; “Criminal Minds,” 2005-present: “Rizzoli & Isles,” 2010-16; and “Blue Bloods,” 2010-present.

The “Law & Order” franchise has been excluded because that series is only partially police procedural dramas.

Variety shows have become a staple of today’s television. The genre started seven decades ago with comedian Milton Berle, TV’s first true star, hosting “Texaco Star Theatre” 1948-1955.

Nicknamed “Uncle Miltie,” Berle’s show was generating an incredible 80 percent audience share in its prime.

“Texaco Star Theater” was credited with driving American TV set sales, as the number of units sold during the show grew from 500,000 its first year in 1948 to more than 30 million by the time the show ended in 1956.

Berle was aided by a plethora of support characters including Fatso Marco (1948–52); Ruth Gilbert as “Max,” Berle’s love-starved secretary (1952–55); Bobby Sherwood (1952–53); Arnold Stang (1953–55); Jack Collins (1953–55), and Milton Frome (1953–55).

The show opened with the Texaco Singers performing the following song:

Oh, we’re the men of Texaco, We work from Maine to Mexico, There’s nothing like this Texaco of ours! Our show is very powerful, We’ll wow you with an hour full Of howls from a shower full of stars.”

The variety show was one of the most popular formats during the early days of television. As many as five aired before 1955.

“The Ed Sullivan Show” was another variety show that debuted in 1948, but it did not have the impact of the “Texaco Star Theatre.” “The Ed Sullivan Show,” which aired from 1948 to 1971, was hosted by Sullivan, a newspaper entertainment columnist

His was a true variety show, as the performers varied from classical musicians, opera singers, popular recording artists, songwriters, comedians, ballet dancers, dramatic actors performing monologues from plays, and circus acts.

“Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour” aired from 1948 until 1970. Various acts — singers or other musicians, vaudevillians such as jugglers, tap dancer and baton twirlers — would perform, with the audience being asked to vote for their favorites by postcard or telephone.

The winners were invited to appear on the next week’s show. Three-time winners were eligible for the annual championship, with the grand-prize winner receiving a $2,000 scholarship.

Some contestants became celebrities, but few ever became big show-business stars. The show’s greatest successes were singers Gladys Knight, then only a child, and Pat Boone.

“Star Search” (1983-2004), “American Idol” (2002-16, ‘18) and “America’s Got Talent” (2006-present) are other shows that followed the general format of “Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour.”

“The Perry Como Show” also aired for the first time in 1948, and it ran through 1963. The show’s format was simple: Como would sing his current hits and the guest would perform his or her hits.

Starting in 1950, the “Colgate Comedy Hour” and “Your Show of Shows” began airing.

The “Colgate Comedy Hour” had rotating hosts and was the first show telecast in color. Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were the primary hosts, but others who filled the role were Abbott & Costello, Jimmy Durante, Bob Hope and Eddie Cantor. The show continued through 1955.

Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca hosted “Your Show of Shows” with co-stars Carl Reiner and Howard Morris. Reiner later starred on the “Dick Van Dyke Show” from 1961 to 1966 as Alan Brady, the boss of the comedy-writing unit. Morris is best remembered for playing the wily and over-the-top “mountain man” Ernest T. Bass on “The Andy Griffith Show.”

The early variety shows probably provided the impetus for the post-late-night news talk/variety shows.

This week in rock history: The Rolling Stones’ “Ruby Tuesday” sat atop the charts on March 4, 1967, after DJs shied away from playing the flip side, “Let’s Spend The Night Together.” … Patsy Cline was killed when her private plane crashed near Camden, Tenn., on March 5, 1963. She is remembered for her hits, “Crazy,” “Walkin’ After Midnight” and “I Fall To Pieces.” … The Diamonds became one of the first Canadian artists to have success in the United States when their hit “Little Darlin’” reached No. 2 on March 6, 1957. … Capitol Records was swamped with requests for heavyweight boxing champion Cassius Clay’s album “I Am the Greatest” on March 7, 1964. Clay won the title by knocking out Sonny Liston on Feb. 25, 1964. … The Four Tops inked a deal with Berry Gordy’s Motown label on March 8, 1963, and received a $400 signing bonus. … The Bubble Gum music craze got a lift when “Simon Says” by The 1910 Fruitgum Company peaked at No. 4 on March 9, 1968. … Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel recorded “The Sound Of Silence” as an acoustic duo on March 10, 1964. It wasn’t until record company producers added an electric guitar, bass and drums, without the singers’ knowledge, that the song would become a smash hit in 1965.

Barry “The Old Rocker” Levine is an entertainment writer for The Albany Herald. He can be reached at [email protected].

File Photo