1951 in television

Overview of the events of 1951 in television

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The year 1951 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1951.

## Events

[edit]

* March 21 – XEW-TV began transmissions, being the second oldest in Mexico City, with the first one being XHTV.
* March 22 – RCA introduces an eight-pound (3.6 kg) monochrome television camera with a 53-pound (24 kg) backpack transmitter, both operated by batteries. It is the first portable television camera.
* May 28 – The US Supreme Court upholds the Federal Communications Commission's approval of the CBS color television system.
* May 31 – Nederlandse Televisie Stichting (NTS), as predecessor of Nederlandse Omroep Stichting Televisie (NOS), a first regular television broadcasting service started in Amsterdam, Netherlands.[1]
* June 25 – CBS presents its first commercial color telecast featuring Arthur Godfrey, Ed Sullivan, and Faye Emerson.
* June – RCA demonstrates its new electronic color system.
* August 11 – The first baseball game is televised in color, a double-header between the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Boston Braves.
* September 4 – The first live transcontinental television broadcast occurs in San Francisco, California from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference.
* September 29
* The first live sporting event broadcast coast-to-coast, a college football game between Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh, is televised by NBC.
* CBS broadcasts the first American football game in color, between the University of California and the University of Pennsylvania, at Philadelphia.
* September 30 – WXIA-TV signed on the air at 5 p.m., as WLTV on channel 8. It was the first full time ABC affiliate for Atlanta, taking it over from WSB-TV (channel 2) and WAGA-TV (channel 5).
* October 2
* Danish language television station, DR1, first launched in Copenhagen.[2]
* NTS, The first television network in the Netherlands was launched at 8:15 pm.
* October 3 – The first live coast-to-coast network telecast of a World Series baseball game.
* October 12 – The Holme Moss transmitter is initiated in Northern England, making BBC Television available to the region for the first time.
* October 17 – Television broadcasts begin in Argentina from Primera Televisora Argentina on channel 7, Buenos Aires.
* October 20 – The CBS Eye logo makes its television debut.
* November 11 – Bing Crosby Enterprises demonstrates black-and-white video recording using a modified Ampex tape recorder.
* November 18 – Edward R. Murrow on See It Now presents a split screen view of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York City and the Bay Bridge in San Francisco. It has erroneously been referred to as the first live transcontinental telecast.
* December – TV Tupi in São Paulo (Brazil) begins broadcasting Sua Vida Me Pertence ("Your Life Belongs To Me") starring Vida Alves, pioneering the telenovela genre.
* December 24 – The first televised opera composed for television, Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti, is broadcast by NBC.
* Ernie Kovacs' Time for Ernie and Ernie in Kovacsland television series premiere. Kovacs explores the boundaries of television technology with his use of camera tricks and special effects.

## Programs/programmes

[edit]

Series  | Debut  | Ended

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|

Picture Page (UK)  | October 8, 1936  | 1939
1946  | 1952
The Voice of Firestone Televues | 1943  | 1947
1949  | 1963
Kaleidoscope (UK)  | November 2, 1946  | 1953
Gillette Cavalcade of Sports | November 8, 1946  | June 24, 1960
Muffin the Mule (UK)  | 1946  | 1955
Kraft Television Theater | May 7, 1947  | 1958
Kukla, Fran and Ollie | October 13, 1947  | 1957
Meet the Press | November 6, 1947  | —
Howdy Doody | December 27, 1947  | September 24, 1960
Café Continental | 1947  | 1953
Juvenile Jury | 1947  | 1954
Small Fry Club | 1947  | 1951
Television Newsreel (UK)  | January 5, 1948  | 1954
The Original Amateur Hour | January 18, 1948  | September 27, 1970
Court of Current Issues | February 9, 1948  | June 26, 1951
Author Meets the Critics | April 1948  | October 10, 1954
Hollywood Screen Test | April 15, 1948  | 1953
Texaco Star Theater | June 8, 1948  | 1953
The Ed Sullivan Show | June 20, 1948  | June 6, 1971
Candid Camera | August 10, 1948  | May 23, 2004
CBS Evening News | August 15, 1948  | —
Foodini the Great | August 23, 1948  | June 23, 1951
Ford Theatre | October 17, 1948  | July 10, 1957
The Alan Dale Show | 1948  | 1951
Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts | 1948  | January 1, 1958
Break the Bank | 1948  | 1957
Celebrity Time | 1948  | September 1952
Club Seven | 1948  | 1951
The Philco Television Playhouse | 1948  | 1955
Winner Take All | 1948  | 1952
The Goldbergs | January 17, 1949  | 1956
Captain Video | June 27, 1949  | April 1, 1955
Mama | July 1, 1949  | March 17, 1957
Martin Kane, Private Eye | August 7, 1949  | June 17, 1954
The Lone Ranger | September 15, 1949  | June 6, 1957
Come Dancing (UK)  | September 29, 1949  | 1995
The Aldrich Family | October 2, 1949  | May 29, 1953
January 2, 1953  | August 22, 1958
The Ruggles | November 3, 1949  | June 19, 1952
One Man's Family | November 4, 1949  | June 21, 1952
March 1, 1954  | April 1, 1955
Arthur Godfrey and His Friends | 1949  | 1959

### Debuts

[edit]

* January 3 – Dragnet, crime drama, on NBC (1951–1959 Series One B&W, 1967-1970 Series Two Color)
* January 8 - Say It with Acting, game show, on NBC.
* January 20 - Two Girls Named Smith, situation comedy, on ABC.[3]: 873
* March 3 – Watch Mr. Wizard on NBC (1951–1965)[4]
* March 12 - Miss Susan, soap opera on NBC (1951)[5]
* June 2 - The daytime version of A Date with Judy debuts on ABC.
* June 16 – Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town, variety show, with Faye Emerson and Skitch Henderson, on CBS
* July 1 - G. E. Guest House debuts on CBS.
* July 6 – Front Page Detective debuts on Dumont.[6]
* July 16 – A British version of the What's My Line?, game show, on BBC (Like its American counterpart, it became one of the top-rated programs for the rest of the decade and made a celebrity of its host, Eamonn Andrews)
* August 3 - The Ad-Libbers, comedy sketch game show, on CBS. (1951)
* August 3 - Tales of Tomorrow, a science fiction anthology series on ABC (1951-1953)
* September 3 – The first long-running soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, on CBS (1951–1986)
* September 11 - The Bill Goodwin Show, a talk/variety program on NBC. (1951-1952)[7]
* September 24 – Love of Life on CBS (1951–1980)
* October 15 – Situation comedy I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball with her real-life husband, Desi Arnaz, on CBS (1951–1957); produced on film in front of a studio audience, using three film cameras, instead of being broadcast live, and making Ball the world's first major female television star
* October 28 - Out There, a science fiction program on CBS (1951-1952)
* Television version of Amos & Andy (1951–1953)
* The Roy Rogers Show (1951–1957), on NBC, starring Roy Rogers and his wife, Dale Evans
* Hallmark Hall of Fame (1951–present)

### Ending during 1951

[edit]

Date | Show | Debut

|
|

January 16  | The Alan Dale Show | 1948
July 18  | Four Star Revue[8] | Unknown
August 29  | Stars Over Hollywood[6] | 1950
October 13 | Two Girls Named Smith | 1951[3]: 883
November 2  | Vanity Fair [3]: 883 | 1948
December 28  | Miss Susan | 1951[5]
Unknown  | Club Seven | 1948

## Births

[edit]

Date | Name | Notability

|
|

January 7  | Helen Worth | English actress (Coronation Street)
January 12  | Kirstie Alley | Actress (Cheers, Veronica's Closet) (died 2022)
Rush Limbaugh | Radio talk show host & commentator (died 2021)
January 15  | Charo | Actress, singer, guitarist
January 26  | Walt Willey | Actor
January 30  | Charles S. Dutton | Actor (Roc)
Tim Sample | New England humorist
January 31  | Cristine Rose | Actress (Heroes)
February 12  | Susan Page | American journalist
February 13  | Ellen Bry | Actress (St. Elsewhere)
February 15  | Jane Seymour | English actress (Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman)
February 16  | William Katt | Actor (The Greatest American Hero)
February 20  | John Voldstad | Actor (Newhart)
February 23  | Patricia Richardson | Actress (Home Improvement)
February 24  | Debra Jo Rupp | Actress (That '70s Show)
February 25  | James Brown | Sportcaster
March 12  | Caren Kaye | Actress
March 17  | Kurt Russell | Actor (The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters)
March 19  | Fred Berry | Actor (What's Happening!!) (died 2003)
April 13  | Peter Davison | Actor (Doctor Who)
April 20  | Luther Vandross | Singer (died 2005)
April 21  | Tony Danza | Actor (Taxi, Who's the Boss?)
April 27  | Paul O'Keefe | Actor (The Patty Duke Show)
April 29  | Ellen Crawford | Actress (ER)
Dale Earnhardt | Professional NASCAR driver (died 2001)
May 8  | Deborah Harmon | Actress (Just the Ten of Us)
May 9  | Alley Mills | Actress (The Wonder Years)
May 15  | Fred Honsberger | American radio personality (died 2009)
May 16  | Laurette Spang-McCook | American actress
May 18  | Denny Dillon | Actress and comedian (Saturday Night Live, Dream On)
May 25  | Patti D'Arbanville | Actress (New York Undercover)
June 2  | Jeanine Pirro | Television host
June 3  | Jill Biden | Educator and current first lady of the United States
June 4  | Derek McGrath | Actor
June 5  | Ellen Foley | Singer and actress (Night Court)
Christopher Kimball | Television host
Mark Harelik | Television actor
June 13  | Richard Thomas | Actor (The Waltons)
June 17  | Joe Piscopo | Actor and comedian (Saturday Night Live)
June 20  | Tress MacNeille | Voice actress (Animaniacs, Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers, Tiny Toon Adventures, Daisy Duck from Disney)
June 26  | Pamela Bellwood | Actress (Dynasty)
June 27  | Julia Duffy | Actress (Newhart)
June 29  | Craig Sager | American sports reporter (died 2016)
July 7  | Roz Ryan | Actress (Amen, The Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack)
July 9  | Chris Cooper | Actor
July 10  | Phyllis Smith | Actress (The Office)
July 12  | Cheryl Ladd | Actress (Charlie's Angels)
Jamey Sheridan | Actor (Homeland)
July 13  | Didi Conn | Actress
July 15  | Jesse Ventura | Actor
July 17  | Lucie Arnaz | Actress (Here's Lucy), daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz
July 19  | Debra Byrd | Vocal coach (American Idol, Canadian Idol, The Voice) (died 2024)[9]
July 21  | Robin Williams | Actor and comedian (Mork & Mindy) (died 2014)
July 21  | K. T. McFarland | American political candidate
July 24  | Lynda Carter | Actress (Wonder Woman)
July 31  | Barry Van Dyke | Actor (Airwolf, Diagnosis: Murder), son of Dick Van Dyke
August 3  | Jay North | Actor (Dennis the Menace)
August 5  | Chip Fields | Actress (Good Times)
August 6  | Catherine Hicks | Actress (Annie Camden on 7th Heaven)
August 14  | Carl Lumbly | Actor (Cagney & Lacey, Alias, Justice League)
Kyle Johnson | Actor
August 17  | Robert Joy | Canadian actor (CSI: NY)
August 19  | Randi Oakes | Actress and model (CHiPs)
August 21  | Harry Smith | American television journalist
August 26  | Bill Whitaker | American television journalist
September 2  | Mark Harmon | Actor (NCIS)
September 4  | Judith Ivey | Actress
September 5  | Michael Keaton | Actor
September 8  | Jeffrey Lurie | Producer
September 9  | Tom Wopat | Actor (The Dukes of Hazzard)
September 10  | Gary Danielson | Football player
September 12  | Joe Pantoliano | Actor
September 13  | Jean Smart | Actress (Designing Women, Kim Possible)
September 16  | Janet Andrewartha | Australian actress (Neighbours) (died 2024)
September 23  | Ron Klink | American television broadcaster
September 25  | Mark Hamill | Actor (Batman: The Animated Series, Time Squad, Teamo Supremo, Codename: Kids Next Door, Danny Phantom, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!, Avatar: The Last Airbender, My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Regular Show)
October 2  | Sting | English singer
October 18  | Pam Dawber | Actress (Mork & Mindy)
October 30  | Harry Hamlin | Actor (L.A. Law)
November 6  | Nigel Havers | English actor
November 9  | Lou Ferrigno | Actor (The Incredible Hulk)
November 16  | Miguel Sandoval | Actor (Medium, Station 19, Jackie Chan Adventures)
November 17  | Stephen Root | Actor (NewsRadio, King of the Hill, The X's, Adventure Time, Gravity Falls)
November 20  | Rodger Bumpass | Voice actor (SpongeBob SquarePants, Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?, Invader Zim)
December 1  | Treat Williams | Actor (Everwood) (died 2023)
December 4  | Patricia Wettig | Actress (thirtysomething, Brothers & Sisters)
December 5  | Morgan Brittany | Actress (Dallas)
December 14  | Celia Weston | Actress

## Television debuts

[edit]

* Rico Alaniz – The Adventures of Kit Carson
* Mel Brooks – The Milton Berle Show
* Raymond Burr – Stars Over Hollywood
* Joseph Calleia – Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
* Wendell Corey – Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
* Robert Coote – Robert Montgomery Presents
* James Fox – Parent-Craft
* Ben Gazzara – Danger
* Stacy Harris – Chesterfield Sound Off Time
* Pat Hingle – Suspense
* Rochelle Hudson – Racket Squad
* Barry Kelley – Stars Over Hollywood
* Don Knotts – Search for Tomorrow
* Robert Loggia – Search for Tomorrow
* Vera Miles – Fireside Theatre
* Elizabeth Montgomery – Robert Montgomery Presents
* Alvy Moore – Space Patrol
* Kathleen O'Malley – The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
* Joan Plowright – Sara Crewe
* Denver Pyle – The Cisco Kid
* Lee Remick – Armstrong Circle Theatre
* George C. Scott – The Bigelow Theatre
* Lois Smith – Love of Life
* Charles Starrett – Faith Baldwin Romance Theatre
* Jan Sterling – Pulitzer Prize Playhouse
* Jack Weston – Out There

## References

[edit]

1. ^ nl:Nederlandse Televisie Stichting (Dutch language) Retrieved October 3, 2017.
2. ^ DR1 Retrieved date on October 3, 2017.
3. ^ a b c McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
4. ^ "Watch Mr. Wizard at Encyclopedia of Television". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
5. ^ a b Erickson, Hal (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Law Shows: Factual and Fictional Series About Judges, Lawyers and the Courtroom, 1948-2008. McFarland. p. 189\. ISBN 9780786438280. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
6. ^ a b Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1979). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows: 1946-Present. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-25525-9.
7. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 98\. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
8. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television. Penguin Books USA, Inc. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
9. ^ Paul, Larisha (2024-03-07). "Jennifer Hudson, Barry Manilow 'Heartbroken' Over Death of 'American Idol' Vocal Coach Debra Byrd". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2024-03-08.

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