It seems that everything that was in black and white switched to color in either 1965 or 1966. Did any show air in primetime in black and white after this? I saw a tape of the 1968 emmy awards and it looked like it was aired in black and white. Also, what sitcoms if any aired in color before 1965? I read on a board here that The Lucy Show began to be filmed in color in 1963 but CBS still broadcast it in B&W until 1965.

All regular prime time series were in color by the fall of 1966. In the fall of 1965, roughly half of prime time was in color. Before that, it was just a few select series, such as "Bonanza" and "The Jetsons". A lot of marginally-rated shows were cancelled around this time, because the producers and/or network didn't want to go to the expense of converting to color a series that probably would only run one more season. This contributed to the demise of "The Munsters" and "The Patty Duke Show".

"The Lucy Show" began color filming for the 1963-64 season because Desilu knew that the reruns would be more valuable this way. But CBS didn't start broadcasting it in color until 1965, so many episodes of "The Lucy Show" were broadcast in color for the first time when CBS reran the show on its morning schedule.

NBC's "Hazel" was one of the first live-action sitcoms to be regularly broadcast in color, for the 1962-63 season. In 1961, "Hazel" had one special color episode (the plot involved the Baxters buying a color TV). "The Joey Bishop Show", also on NBC, was broadcast in color for the 1962-63 season. Strangely enough, when that show moved to CBS for its final season in 1964, it switched back to black-and-white film, since CBS was not broadcasting regular series in color that season. So in reruns, the first and last seasons are in black and white, while the middle two seasons are in color.

"Burns & Allen" filmed a special color episode back in the mid-50s because CBS was pushing their technology as the standard for color TV (NBC/RCA's technology eventually won that battle). It was broadcast in color on the affiliates that had that capability. That episode is only seen in black and white in the syndication package, though, for ease of distribution. CBS did show a color clip of it on its anniversary special last year.

(My guess is that the 1968 Emmy show tape that you saw was a black-and-white copy. It's hard to imagine that show wouldn't have been broadcast in color in 1968).

Thanks for this info, TVguy.

Gee You are a bundle of knowledge TVGuy. Interesting.

What about the old Tom and Jerry and Woody Woodpecker cartoons? Every time I watched them growing up back in the day when they were in syndication they were in color. I mean, they were made as early as the 1930s.

Originally posted by James
What about the old Tom and Jerry and Woody Woodpecker cartoons? Every time I watched them growing up back in the day when they were in syndication they were in color. I mean, they were made as early as the 1930s.

But there's a difference - they were theatrical and not made for television.

..not to mention that, at some point, they were probably colorized (see: Tunes, Looney)

TV Guy. You live in Massachusetts. Do you remember local programming of Romper Room. Major Mudd. and Community Auditions and Boomtown? To stay with the topic of b/w or color I think Major Mudd was only in Black and white. The other started but moved to Color. OH we had Bozo the clown too. Oh memories of the 1960's

Originally posted by vze3t9q9
TV Guy. You live in Massachusetts. Do you remember local programming of Romper Room. Major Mudd. and Community Auditions and Boomtown? To stay with the topic of b/w or color I think Major Mudd was only in Black and white. The other started but moved to Color. OH we had Bozo the clown too. Oh memories of the 1960's

I remember "Community Auditions" well; I had a friend who actually went on the show. I also remember when the host, Dave Maynard, had a falling out with Channel 4 and moved the show over to Channel 5 under a new title, "Talent Showcase". The new show didn't even last a year, I think.

I have vague memories of "Romper Room" on Channel 56. I do remember when our local hostess (Miss Jean) left and they replaced her with someone I didn't like. And Channel 56 had "Bozo's Big Top", too (I think Channel 5 might have had it originally, but that was before my time).

I don't think I ever saw an actual episode of "Boomtown", but I do remember Rex Trailer hawking those Florida vacations with Crimson Travel.

I don't remember "Major Mudd" at all. What was it?

Do you remember "Captain Bob" and "Jabberwocky"?

I loved Romper Room and the magic mirror. Romper, Stomper, Bomper, Boo. I always wanted her to say my name, but she never did. I guess I was a bad little boy. :confused:

Romper Room,Bozo and Major Mudd were on I'd say late 50's to mid 1960's Major Mudd was on so long ago that all I remember was a man in space suit and football type helmet,maybe it was a space ship helmet talking to kids. Our Bozo was Frank Avrich. He's still in the boston area. I hear his voice occasionally. All those shows faded away once grown up talk shows such as
Good Day, (Janet Langhart hosted that show) came into the main morning tv programming. As I recalled they were all made in boston studios. I like to find a book on local tv programs.

Captain Bob. If that was a 70's show I was probably too old. the last kid type show I remember seeing when I was a kid was Captain Kangeroo. I only saw the b/w episodes / That was natiionaly televised for a long time I think into the 1980's but by then I was in my early twenties. I was too old for Sesame Street and Electric Company.

aanyway:
I remember I didn't see my first color show until the early 70s, when we first got a color TV.

"Bonanza" "The Adventtures of Superman" and a western called "The Cisco Kid" were all broadcast in ccolor in the 50s.

And, I remember seeing a clip of "The Tonigt show" once from 1964, and it was in color.

(however, "Bonanza" was in 1959, if you want to consider that the fifties. And it was used by RCA to promote their line of color TVs)

When "Disneyland" moved from ABC to NBC in 1961, it was in color and renamed "Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color."

Originally posted by TV Guy
All regular prime time series were in color by the fall of 1966. In the fall of 1965, roughly half of prime time was in color. Before that, it was just a few select series, such as "Bonanza" and "The Jetsons". A lot of marginally-rated shows were cancelled around this time, because the producers and/or network didn't want to go to the expense of converting to color a series that probably would only run one more season. This contributed to the demise of "The Munsters" and "The Patty Duke Show".

"The Lucy Show" began color filming for the 1963-64 season because Desilu knew that the reruns would be more valuable this way. But CBS didn't start broadcasting it in color until 1965, so many episodes of "The Lucy Show" were broadcast in color for the first time when CBS reran the show on its morning schedule.

NBC's "Hazel" was one of the first live-action sitcoms to be regularly broadcast in color, for the 1962-63 season. In 1961, "Hazel" had one special color episode (the plot involved the Baxters buying a color TV). "The Joey Bishop Show", also on NBC, was broadcast in color for the 1962-63 season. Strangely enough, when that show moved to CBS for its final season in 1964, it switched back to black-and-white film, since CBS was not broadcasting regular series in color that season. So in reruns, the first and last seasons are in black and white, while the middle two seasons are in color.

"Burns & Allen" filmed a special color episode back in the mid-50s because CBS was pushing their technology as the standard for color TV (NBC/RCA's technology eventually won that battle). It was broadcast in color on the affiliates that had that capability. That episode is only seen in black and white in the syndication package, though, for ease of distribution. CBS did show a color clip of it on its anniversary special last year.

(My guess is that the 1968 Emmy show tape that you saw was a black-and-white copy. It's hard to imagine that show wouldn't have been broadcast in color in 1968).

Wow, you know a lot! :eek:

Originally posted by AKA
But there's a difference - they were theatrical and not made for television. also, there were no tv sshows until 1947 (I'm pretty sure on this, but not 100% sure. But, I'm ssure someeone will corrrect me if I'm wrong!)

Regular television broadcasting began in 1946, just after World
War II. CBS, DuMont and NBC were the first networks to
regularly broadcast and ABC followed in 1948. Thus, 1948 is
considered by many people to be televisions true starting date.

that's right, because I read on another site that Dumont broadcast a television version of "A Christmas Carol" in 1946. I think it was on Christmas eve.
Of course, it was probably watched by a total audience of 1 person!!:lol: :lol: :lol:


And I just found out that the first commercial use of television was to show president Franklin Roosovelt at the opening ceremonys of the 1939 New York worlds fair.