In 1945 there were fewer than 7,000 working television sets in the country and only nine stations on the air, three in New York, two each in Chicago and Los Angeles, and one each in Philadelphia and Schenectady, N.Y. Grainy programming was available only a couple of hours each day. As the fifties began, televisions were becoming a common household appliance. By 1958 when the population of the United States was just under 175 million, there were 525 cable TV systems serving 450,000 subscribers in the United States.
Pioneers of Television, a four part PBS documentary by Steven J. Boettcher and Michael J. Trinklein, seeks to explore how early visionaries involved in late night, sitcoms, game shows and variety programs helped make television the popular medium it is today.
Anyone who might be looking for a real history of television might be disappointed in this one. Pioneers of Television trots out over 100 well known faces to wax poetic about their experiences with the medium. One curious selection is Barbara Eden, who appears in the sitcoms segment because she guest starred on one episode of I Love Lucy during the series sixth season. This is no fault of Ms. Eden’s, but it’s not exactly scintillating stuff. Though she later starred in the sixties hit, I Dream of Jeannie, she doesn’t have much to say about the pioneering aspects of I Love Lucy. Eden just talks about what a pleasant woman Lucille Ball was to be around. Someone directly associated with the show–a writer, director etc.–perhaps could have brought more to light about the challenges of producing a show in those days.
Sadly, Vivian Vance and William Frawley who played Fred and Ethel Mertz on I Love Lucy don’t even get a mention. The focus is kept squarely oh Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz, giving short shrift to two of the most underrated comedic talents in television history.
The biggest problem with Pioneers of Television is that the show tries to cram so many things into on episode that runs about ninety minutes, things are too simplistic or watered down. Jim Nabors of The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. says of Lucille Ball, “She figured out what was funny and would do it.” Oh, so that’s the key to becoming a comedic legend!
The “Late Night” segment gets the best treatment in the Pioneers of Television. Here viewers do learn a little bit about Pat Weaver, the NBC executive who created Tonight in 1953, in the belief that adults wanted to go to bed happy. Steve Allen was the first host of Tonight. The show was renamed The Tonight Show when Jack Paar took over the reigns for several years. Johnny Carson was only offered the Job after folks like Bob Newhart declined. Jay Leno offers the observation, “Johnny always wanted you to do well.” You’d hear him laughing in the corner with Ed, or he’d poke Ed, or he’d hit the table. And of course, this was a cue to the audience that you were accepted.”
The remainder of the “Sitcoms” segment doesn’t bring much new to the table. Some viewers may be interested in seeing the only surviving cast member of The Honeymooners, Joyce Randolph (Trixie Norton) discussing Jackie Gleason’s partnership with Art Carney, “The two were just magic together. I don’t think that Jackie would have been as great without Art.” Most fans of The Honeymooners probably agree.
Andy Griffith talks about the Andy Griffith Show. The documentary claims that perhaps the most important call in television history was made when Don Knotts called Griffith and told him that Andy needed a deputy–Barney Fife was born!
Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore are there too, discussing the Dick Van Dyke Show, but most of the chatter is stuff even the casual fan has seen before.
The “Variety Shows” segment talks about programs like The Ed Sullivan Show, The Milton Berle Show, The Carol Burnett Show, The Flip Wilson Show and The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour among others. Oddly, Carol Burnett is not interviewed but it’s interesting to listen to the Smothers Brothers discuss their experiences
In one segment of The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, singer Harry Belafonte sang over a backdrop of rioting protesters at the 1968 Democratic convention. The show regularly targeted President Lyndon B. Johnson, the Vietnam War and racism. CBS CEO and President, William S. Paley, a personal friend of President Johnson, abruptly canceled the show on April 4, 1969. Paley said that the brothers’ continued failure to meet the pre-air delivery dates, as specified by the network in order to accommodate review by the censors before airing, left the network with no choice. This despite the fact that The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was the number one rated show in its time slot.
The “Game Shows” segment traces the genres beginnings in radio to its heyday in the 1960’s. Pioneers of Television briefly covers the quiz show scandal of the 1950’s that enveloped popular shows like Twenty One and Dotto, but quickly moves on to later successes like Password, Hollywood Squares and other celebrity driven games. In one of the last interviews before his death, Merv Griffin discusses the creation of Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.
Despite the lack of real historical information in Pioneers of Television, like most clip fest documentaries, this one does have something to offer. Some of the vintage clips are rare. A grainy old kinescope of Lucy and Desi sitting in the Ricardo living room is interrupted when Jack Benny inexplicably rises between them from behind the couch. Frustratingly, we never learn why or when that was shot. Regardless, there are a few rare clips that will be of interest to some viewers.
The DVD Pioneers of Television is shot in widescreen format. The audio is in stereo. Due to the age of some of the video clips, the video is at times dismal but can’t be helped because of the age of the film.
