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Arturo Toscanini conducting the NBC Symphony Orchestra in its first television broadcast, March 20, 1948. The orchestra was conceived by NBC chief David Sarnoff especially for Toscanini. It debuted on radio and later moved to TV.
Photo: Associated Press via madison.com
Today's Quote
“Anything that the human mind can conceive can be produced ultimately”
David Sarnoff
A Salute to David Sarnoff
Just the briefest of acknowledgements of the 20th century broadcasting giant David Sarnoff (1891-1971). He’s top of mind at the moment as I’m in the middle of working on my book Vaudeville in Your Living Room: A Century of Radio and TV Variety. The book is time for the centennial of the very first radiovariety show transmissions, and the 75th anniversary of the debuts of The Ed Sullivan Show…
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Whatever your Thanksgiving looks like this year, we’re hope it’s a safe and healthy one. Since there’s going to be a lot of telecommunication-turkeys this year, we’re sharing this 1949 poster from Japan's Ministry of Telecommunications, which encouraged servicemen and other Americans in occupied Japan to send home radiogram greetings to distant families and friends for the holiday.
This poster is part of the Hagley Library’s collection of Charles B. Jennings photographs, scrapbook boards, and other materials (Accession 2464.21), and is hosted online in the library’s David Sarnoff Library digital collection, which includes a selection of materials from the David Sarnoff Library including photographs, RCA Annual Reports, Broadcast News, and technical journals and newsletters produced by RCA. Click here to visit this site in our Digital Archive!
TELEVISION ACADEMY HALL OF FAME
“The First Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame Awards”
March 4, 1984 ~ NBC
Directed by Dwight Hemion
Written by Buzz Kohan
This award's mission is to recognize "persons who have made outstanding contributions in the arts, sciences or management of television, based upon either cumulative contributions and achievements or a singular contribution or achievement."
The honorees received glass statuettes in the form of two ballet dancers created by sculptor and painter Pascal called “Discipline of Creation.” The trophies were tall and difficult to handle so they were not presented during the course of the ceremony itself.
With that in mind, since 1988, inductees have received a crystal television screen atop a cast-bronze base designed by art director Romain Johnston.
Being the first such telecast, the rating were poor. The special lost not only its time slot but the entire evening with just a 16 share and a 10 rating. ABC's TV remake of A Streetcar Named Desire won the night with a 39 share and a 23.1 rating.
Just as Carol Burnett introduces Lucille Ball in this first ceremony, in 1985 the roles were reversed when Lucy introduced Burnett for the honor.
Of the other participants in this initial outing, Steve Allen was honored in 1986, Eric Sevareid in 1987, Barbara Walters in 1989, Jean Stapleton in 2002, Bea Arthur in 2008, and Sherman Hemsley in 2012.
Although Lucie Arnaz is announced in the opening credits, she did not appear in the telecast due to a prior obligation.
Cold Open Archive Footage
*Milton Berle (“Texaco Star Theatre”)
*Lucille Ball (“I Love Lucy”: “Lucy Goes to the Hospital”)
Vivian Vance (“I Love Lucy”: “Lucy Goes to the Hospital”)
William Frawley (“I Love Lucy”: “Lucy Goes to the Hospital”)
Desi Arnaz (“I Love Lucy”: “Lucy Goes to the Hospital”)
Ethel Merman (“Ford's 50th Anniversary”)
Mary Martin (“Ford's 50th Anniversary”)
Rod Steiger (“Marty”)
Richard M. Nixon (Checkers Speech)
Edward R. Murrow (“See It Now”)
Ed Sullivan (“The Ed Sullivan Show”)
The Beatles (“The Ed Sullivan Show”)
Walter Cronkite (“CBS Evening News”)
Carroll O'Connor (“All in the Family”)
**Rob Reiner (“All in the Family”)
Sally Struthers (“All in the Family”)
Jean Stapleton (“All in the Family”)
LeVar Burton (“Roots”)
Larry Hagman (“Dallas”: “Who Shot JR?”)
*also appeared live on stage
**also appeared live in audience
Also in the Audience
Gary Morton
Ted Danson
Rue McClanahan
Bill Macy
Ann Jillian
Sherman Hemsley
Isabel Sanford
Henry Winkler
Honorees and Hosts
Barbara Walters (Ceremony Host)
General David Sarnoff (posthumous), hosted by Barbara Walters
Sarnoff died in 1971 so his award is accepted by his son, Robert Sarnoff.
Lucy Connection: Walters interviewed Lucille Ball and Gary Morton in 1977.
Milton Berle, hosted by Steve Allen
A video tribute traces Berle's career and shows some of his classic comedy bits over the years.
Lucy Connection: Berle and Lucille Ball appeared many times together on his show and hers. Steve Allen interviewed Lucy Whittaker in “Lucy Calls the President” and was often host and panelist when Lucille Ball was on “What's My Line?” and "I’ve Got A Secret.”
William Paley, hosted by James Arness
A video tribute tracks Paley's career as a television pioneer to being the President of CBS.
During Paley's video tribute, a still frame from “I Love Lucy” is shown.
In the audience, Paley is sitting behind Lucille Ball.
Although the ceremony was broadcast on ABC TV, there was no attempt to lessen mentions of CBS and its programming.
Lucy Connection: Paley also appeared on television to tribute Lucille Ball in “CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years” in 1976.
Lucille Ball, hosted by Carol Burnett
The segment begins with a clip of “Lucy Goes To the Hospital” (ILL S2;E16) which starts with Lucy announcing: “Ricky. This is it!”
After the clip, Desi Arnaz Jr. enters and explains how his birth coincided with the birth of Little Ricky. Desi says that his sister Lucie couldn't attend because she is appearing on stage back East in The Guardsman. The show was produced at New Jersey's Paper Mill Playhouse also starring Lucie's husband Laurence Luckinbill. It was hoped that the show would transfer to Broadway, but this did not happen.
Desi Jr. introduces Carol Burnett.
A cut-away to Lucille Ball in the audience reveals that she is holding back tears at her son's tribute. Gary Morton sits beside her. Carol tells of how Lucy came to the second night of Once Upon A Mattress on Broadway.
A video tribute tracks Lucy's childhood in Jamestown to her unlikely breakthrough television series “I Love Lucy.” Clips are from “The Audition” (Lucy as The Professor), “Lucy Does a Television Commercial” (“It's so tasty, too!”), “Hollywood at Last!” (at the Brown Derby), and “Job Switching” (“Speed it up!”).
Lucy: “We all know we never do anything alone.”
Lucille Ball gets a standing ovation both walking to the podium and then again back to her seat. Cuts to the audience, show stars like Ann Jillian dabbing their eyes at Lucy's tearful acceptance speech.
Lucy Connection: Lucy and Carol Burnett were each others biggest fans. They alternately appeared on each others television shows, as well as numerous specials and awards shows.
Paddy Chayevsky (posthumous), hosted by Bob Fosse
A video interview with Chayevsky talks about his producing television dramas like “Marty”.
Eddie Albert and Peter Falk pay tribute to Chayevsky by acting out moments from his most notable work including Marty, The Tenth Man, and Network.
Susie Chayevsky could not be there to accept the award for her husband, so Fosse reads a message from her.
Chairman of the Academy John H. Mitchell takes the stage to talk about the Hall of Fame.
Lucy Connection: The following year Fosse and Ball were both part of “Night of 100 Stars II.”
Norman Lear, hosted by Beatrice Arthur
In a pre-taped segment, Jean Stapleton talks about the craft of acting which leads to a montage of scenes from “All in the Family” starring Carroll O'Connor, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, and Stapleton.
Bea Arthur talks about Norman Lear and quotes Paddy Chayevsky talking about Lear. Arthur starred in “Maude” a spin-off of “All in the Family.”
A video segment traces Lear's personal and career history. It includes clips from “Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman,” “All in the Family,” “Fernwood Tonight,” “One Day at a Time,” “Maude,” “Good Times,” and “The Jeffersons.”
Lucy Connection: Bea Arthur played Vera opposite Lucille Ball in the feature film Mame (1974). The two went on to appear together on “CBS On The Air” in 1978.
Edward R. Murrow (posthumous), hosted by Eric Sevareid
Sevareid talks about his personal and professional relationship with Murrow.
A video segment talks about Murrow's war reporting. Moments from his show “See It Now” are seen.
Murrow's wife Janet accepts the award.
Lucy Connection: Murrow and his show were parodied on “The Ricardos Are Interviewed” (ILL S5;E7) as “Face To Face” with Edward Warren.
“The Seventh Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame Awards”
September 23, 1991 ~ NBC
Honorees
Desi Arnaz (posthumously)
“I Love Lucy”
Leonard Bernstein
James Garner
Danny Thomas
Mike Wallace
Special Appearances
Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Desi Arnaz
Laurence Luckinbill, husband of Lucie Arnaz
Desi Arnaz Jr., son of Desi Arnaz
Amy Arnaz, wife of Desi Arnaz Jr.
Lucie Arnaz and Desi Arnaz Jr. were misty-eyed as they accepted the honor for their father. The brother and sister recounted how their own childhoods were reflected on their parent's show when the "Little Ricky" character was introduced.
Vintage footage of "I Love Lucy", including snippets from the pilot, and other moments from the careers of the honorees were shown at the ceremony held at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel.
"I Love Lucy" producer Jess Oppenheimer's widow Estelle and original writers Madelyn Pugh-Davis and Bob Carroll Jr. accepted the award for the CBS show. It was the first show ever inducted into the Hall of Fame.
In 1994, Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, featured an outdoor exhibition of statues and plaques dedicated to Hall of Fame winners. The exhibit was removed in 2016 and the statues and busts returned to the Academy.
“The 21st Annual Television Academy Hall of Fame Awards”
March 1, 2012 ~ NBC
Hosted by Jon Cryer
Honorees
Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray, “The Real World”
Michael Eisner, Disney Executive
Sherman Hemsley, “The Jeffersons”
Bill Klages, Lighting Designer
Mario Kreutzberger, aka “Don Francisco”
Chuck Lorre, writer
Vivian Vance and William Frawley (posthumous)
Doris Singleton (“I Love Lucy”) inducts Vivian Vance.
Barry Livingston and Stanley Livingston (“My Three Sons”) induct William Frawley
From 1960 to 1965, Frawley appeared on “My Three Sons” as Uncle Bub Casey.
Barry Livingston made two appearances on “The Lucy Show” as Arnold Mooney.
With this ceremony, all four main characters on “I Love Lucy” and the show itself are in the Television Hall of Fame.
David Sarnoff predicted flat screen TVs in 1964.