The Rise of National Television

1948 was a big year for television. Milton Berle and Ed Sullivan (#1 and #2 for first full year of TV ratings) debut their TV shows. The first Emmy award season concluded with the awards presentation taking place in January of 1949. Also, the first cable operation began which cracked the door for the many possibilities that would take television to new heights. Also during this time, the TV Guide debuted. It's crazy to think how such a new idea such as cable television would influence the world so quickly to make the TV Guide the most read magazine in the entire world!

January 1949 issue of TeleVision Guide. Courtesy of http://www.tvhistory.tv/1949_Jan_22_TV_Guide2.jpg

Whether they know it or not, every couch potato is thankful for the year 1950. This year was legen...wait for it...dary. It was the year of the first remote. I personally believe this was the increase of our nations obesity problem.  A few years later, the first wireless remote was developed by Zenith. To me, this was THE most influential year in all of television.

One of the first remotes by Zenith. Courtesy of http://www.electronichouse.com/article/print/a_history_of_tv_remote_controls/

The Beginning of the "Golden Era"

Film has had an incredible history that continues to write itself. Out of all these years, what made 1939 the beginning of the "Golden Era?" This year marks what most consider the peak achievement of the American studio system. Some films that Hollywood released were classics like Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and many other films that I failed to mention. The American Film Institute composed a "100 Greatest American Films" list, and were five films from 1939 that made the list.


Courtesy of imbd.com

The main reason for these films to earn a spot on the list was because they attracted a large audience. They generated a lot of revenue. Not just from the ticket prices, but from the concessions that the audience bought while at the movie. They were labeled as "popcorn films." They really shaped how we know the movie industry today. The movie industry took this concept and ran with it. Obviously, it is a business first, and this was generating a great deal of revenue.