Inventor of TV Dinner dies at 83 - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

bossradio93 · 07-21-2005, 02:39 AM

Inventor of TV Dinner dies at 83

First TV dinners drew hate mail from husbands

Wednesday, July 20, 2005; Posted: 7:27 p.m. EDT (23:27 GMT)

PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Gerry Thomas, who changed the way Americans eat -- for better or worse -- with his invention of the TV Dinner during the baby boom years, has died at 83.

Thomas, who died in Paradise Valley on Monday after a bout with cancer, was a salesman for Omaha, Nebraska-based C.A. Swanson and Sons in 1954 when he got the idea of packaging frozen meals in a disposable aluminum-foil tray, divided into compartments to keep the foods from mixing. He also gave the product its singular name.

The first Swanson TV Dinner -- turkey with cornbread dressing and gravy, sweet potatoes and buttered peas -- sold for about $1 and could be cooked in 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Ten million sold in the first year of national distribution.

It was fast and convenient, and fit nicely on a TV tray in the living room, so that you didn't have to drag yourself away from your favorite television show.

'Modular' eating

Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, said the TV Dinner "started a change in American eating habits bigger than any change in culinary history since the discovery of fire and cooked foods."

The TV Dinner fit in with societal changes at the time, when more women were entering the work force and did not have the time to spend all day preparing dinner, Thompson said. It also helped introduce the notion of "modular" eating: If there were only two people at home, you put only two dinners in the oven.

"Some people claim that the TV Dinner was the first step toward breaking up the American family because it made it possible for everybody to eat in a modular way," Thompson said. "That was going to happen anyway. The redefinition of the American family was going on anyway."

In a 1999 Associated Press interview, Thomas recalled that the inspiration for the TV Dinner came when he was visiting a distributor, spotted a metal tray and was told it was developed for an experiment in the preparation of hot meals on airliners.

"It was just a single compartment tray with foil," he recalled. "I asked if I could borrow it and stuck it in the pocket of my overcoat."

Bonus pay for creation

He said he came up with a three-compartment tray because "I spent five years in the service so I knew what a mess kit was. You could never tell what you were eating because it was all mixed together."

Since interest in television was booming, he added: "I figured if you could borrow from that, maybe you could get some attention. I think the name made all the difference in the world."

"We had the TV screen and the knobs pictured on the package. That was the real start of marketing," Thomas said.

The TV Dinner drew "hate mail from men who wanted their wives to cook from scratch like their mothers did," Thomas said, but it got him a bump in pay to $300 a month and a $1,000 bonus.

"I didn't complain. A thousand dollars was a lot of money back then," he said.

After the Campbell Soup Co. acquired Swanson in 1955, Thomas became a sales manager, then marketing manager and director of marketing and sales. He left the company after a heart attack in 1970.

He later directed an art gallery and did consulting work.

"It's a pleasure being identified as the person who did this because it changed the way people live," Thomas said. "It's part of the fabric of our society."

Thompson said that until last year, Thomas had spent one day each summer talking to Thompson's history of television class for graduate students.

"This was really fun for them," Thompson said. "This was like meeting a great American industrial legend. So many things we take for granted remain anonymous. We know the architect that designed St. Peter's, but who knows the architect that designed that basic ranch-style house?"

The TV Dinner, Thompson said, is "one of the few things we've got that we actually have the human being who had his fingerprints all over it."

Copyright ©2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

CNN.com-July 20, 2005

Superstar · 07-21-2005, 07:02 AM

RIP

ABlairican Pie · 07-21-2005, 08:30 AM

TV Dinners
by ZZ Top

TV dinners, there's nothin' else to eat.
TV dinners, they really can't be beat.
I like 'em frozen but you understand
I throw 'em in and wave 'em and I'm a brand new man, oh yeah.

TV dinners, they're goin' to my head.
TV dinners, my skin is turnin' red.
Twenty year old turkey in a thirty year old tin.
I can't wait until tomorrow and thaw one out again, oh yeah.

TV dinners, I'm feelin' kinda rough.
TV dinners, this one's kinda tough.
I like the enchiladas and the teriyaki too,
I even like the chicken if the sauce is not too blue.

And they're mine, all mine, oh yeah
and they sure are fine.
Gotta have 'em,
gimme somethin' now.

*MIBabe03* · 07-21-2005, 09:00 AM

Noooooooooooooooooooo.

webuster · 07-21-2005, 12:27 PM

25 minutes to cook the first TV dinner? Nowadays 25 minutes would constitute actual cooking for many people! More than 5 minutes now and food doesn't qualify as 'instant'!

Courtnee · 07-21-2005, 12:36 PM

*Pleasant Tomorrow* · 07-21-2005, 01:34 PM

RIP guy who invented the TV dinner

SBTB Geek · 07-21-2005, 02:09 PM

RIP. I was surprised at how this news was all over talk radio yesterday.

TripperFan · 07-21-2005, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SBTB Geek

RIP. I was surprised at how this news was all over talk radio yesterday.

Must have been a slow news day!!!

Although, I guess it was basically the first home "convenience" type food.

dawsongirl · 07-21-2005, 04:52 PM

Oh...the TV dinner was to blame for the break up of families. BULL. That's just a scapegoat. Heck, you can eat fast food in front of the TV too. Shall we blame Ray Kroc? No, I know. Blame the inventor of the TV Tray.

I bet the first TV dinners were better than they are now. Microwaving them is easier, but some turn out kind of gross. And the sodium content of those things!! Damn.

dawsongirl · 07-21-2005, 04:56 PM

Though you know, Stouffers has some really good ones.

MsOrange · 07-21-2005, 05:02 PM

TJL · 07-21-2005, 05:54 PM

Mr. Thomas will be buried in a foil topped casket with greenbeans, mashed potatoes and one of those brownies that never cooks.

Mikado · 07-22-2005, 12:46 AM

"There will be no burial for Mr Thomas, hes asked to be freeze-dried and then microwaved on high for 7 minutes!"

Mr. Television · 07-22-2005, 01:03 AM

RIP.

07-21-2005, 02:39 AM	#1
bossradio93 Game Show Fanatic! Senior Member Join Date: Nov 01, 2004 Location: Bellflower, California Posts: 2,392	Inventor of TV Dinner dies at 83 Inventor of TV Dinner dies at 83 First TV dinners drew hate mail from husbands Wednesday, July 20, 2005; Posted: 7:27 p.m. EDT (23:27 GMT) PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Gerry Thomas, who changed the way Americans eat -- for better or worse -- with his invention of the TV Dinner during the baby boom years, has died at 83. Thomas, who died in Paradise Valley on Monday after a bout with cancer, was a salesman for Omaha, Nebraska-based C.A. Swanson and Sons in 1954 when he got the idea of packaging frozen meals in a disposable aluminum-foil tray, divided into compartments to keep the foods from mixing. He also gave the product its singular name. The first Swanson TV Dinner -- turkey with cornbread dressing and gravy, sweet potatoes and buttered peas -- sold for about $1 and could be cooked in 25 minutes at 425 degrees. Ten million sold in the first year of national distribution. It was fast and convenient, and fit nicely on a TV tray in the living room, so that you didn't have to drag yourself away from your favorite television show. 'Modular' eating Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University, said the TV Dinner "started a change in American eating habits bigger than any change in culinary history since the discovery of fire and cooked foods." The TV Dinner fit in with societal changes at the time, when more women were entering the work force and did not have the time to spend all day preparing dinner, Thompson said. It also helped introduce the notion of "modular" eating: If there were only two people at home, you put only two dinners in the oven. "Some people claim that the TV Dinner was the first step toward breaking up the American family because it made it possible for everybody to eat in a modular way," Thompson said. "That was going to happen anyway. The redefinition of the American family was going on anyway." In a 1999 Associated Press interview, Thomas recalled that the inspiration for the TV Dinner came when he was visiting a distributor, spotted a metal tray and was told it was developed for an experiment in the preparation of hot meals on airliners. "It was just a single compartment tray with foil," he recalled. "I asked if I could borrow it and stuck it in the pocket of my overcoat." Bonus pay for creation He said he came up with a three-compartment tray because "I spent five years in the service so I knew what a mess kit was. You could never tell what you were eating because it was all mixed together." Since interest in television was booming, he added: "I figured if you could borrow from that, maybe you could get some attention. I think the name made all the difference in the world." "We had the TV screen and the knobs pictured on the package. That was the real start of marketing," Thomas said. The TV Dinner drew "hate mail from men who wanted their wives to cook from scratch like their mothers did," Thomas said, but it got him a bump in pay to $300 a month and a $1,000 bonus. "I didn't complain. A thousand dollars was a lot of money back then," he said. After the Campbell Soup Co. acquired Swanson in 1955, Thomas became a sales manager, then marketing manager and director of marketing and sales. He left the company after a heart attack in 1970. He later directed an art gallery and did consulting work. "It's a pleasure being identified as the person who did this because it changed the way people live," Thomas said. "It's part of the fabric of our society." Thompson said that until last year, Thomas had spent one day each summer talking to Thompson's history of television class for graduate students. "This was really fun for them," Thompson said. "This was like meeting a great American industrial legend. So many things we take for granted remain anonymous. We know the architect that designed St. Peter's, but who knows the architect that designed that basic ranch-style house?" The TV Dinner, Thompson said, is "one of the few things we've got that we actually have the human being who had his fingerprints all over it." Copyright ©2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CNN.com-July 20, 2005
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07-21-2005, 08:30 AM	#3
ABlairican Pie Member Forum Superstar Join Date: Dec 12, 2001 Location: Living where cats reign more Supreme than a pizza. Posts: 31,619	TV Dinners by ZZ Top TV dinners, there's nothin' else to eat. TV dinners, they really can't be beat. I like 'em frozen but you understand I throw 'em in and wave 'em and I'm a brand new man, oh yeah. TV dinners, they're goin' to my head. TV dinners, my skin is turnin' red. Twenty year old turkey in a thirty year old tin. I can't wait until tomorrow and thaw one out again, oh yeah. TV dinners, I'm feelin' kinda rough. TV dinners, this one's kinda tough. I like the enchiladas and the teriyaki too, I even like the chicken if the sauce is not too blue. And they're mine, all mine, oh yeah and they sure are fine. Gotta have 'em, gimme somethin' now.
	__________________ Release the kitties. --Nathan Explosion

07-21-2005, 09:00 AM	#4
MIBabe03 Loving Swingtown! Forum 4000 Club Member Join Date: Jul 28, 2002 Location: TX Posts: 4,646	Noooooooooooooooooooo.
	__________________ Laura and Mario November 10, 2006

07-21-2005, 12:36 PM	#6
Courtnee MAN VS SAMMICH. Forum Star Join Date: Mar 23, 2005 Location: Louisiana Posts: 16,413
	__________________ Whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection A freckle on the nose of life's complexion The Cinderella or the shine apple of its eye I gotta fly once, I gotta try once, Only can die once, right, sir? Ooh, life is juicy, juicy and you see, I gotta have my bite, sir. Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer" I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer Don't bring around the cloud to rain on my parade

07-21-2005, 01:34 PM	#7
Pleasant Tomorrow Member Forum Addict Join Date: Feb 19, 2003 Location: New York Posts: 69,525	RIP guy who invented the TV dinner
	__________________ my name is ashlee Welcome! Everything is fine.

07-21-2005, 07:02 AM	#2
Superstar Member Forum Icon Join Date: Dec 08, 2003 Posts: 63,316	RIP

07-21-2005, 12:27 PM	#5
webuster Member Senior Member Join Date: Aug 26, 2002 Posts: 2,150	25 minutes to cook the first TV dinner? Nowadays 25 minutes would constitute actual cooking for many people! More than 5 minutes now and food doesn't qualify as 'instant'!

07-21-2005, 02:09 PM	#8
SBTB Geek Smooth Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Feb 21, 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,004	RIP. I was surprised at how this news was all over talk radio yesterday.

07-21-2005, 04:52 PM	#10
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	Oh...the TV dinner was to blame for the break up of families. BULL. That's just a scapegoat. Heck, you can eat fast food in front of the TV too. Shall we blame Ray Kroc? No, I know. Blame the inventor of the TV Tray. I bet the first TV dinners were better than they are now. Microwaving them is easier, but some turn out kind of gross. And the sodium content of those things!! Damn.

07-21-2005, 04:56 PM	#11
dawsongirl Member Forum Icon Join Date: Jan 04, 2001 Posts: 53,140	Though you know, Stouffers has some really good ones.

07-21-2005, 05:02 PM	#12
MsOrange Bringin' Sexy Back Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 27, 2004 Posts: 6,133

07-21-2005, 05:54 PM	#13
TJL Suburbanite Extrordinaire Forum Star Join Date: Dec 29, 2001 Location: New Jersey - the cradle of civilization Posts: 16,588	Mr. Thomas will be buried in a foil topped casket with greenbeans, mashed potatoes and one of those brownies that never cooks.
	__________________ "I think I'll stroll up to the front to see how the shooting's going..." - Capt. Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce Read my blogs! http://centralparkamisguide.com/ http://dvdcriticscorner.com Visit me on Facebook!http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=641138880 Hey, I do the tweet thing too! http://twitter.com/TomLevier My shop of handmade items! http://www.etsy.com/shop/ColdGarageCreations

07-22-2005, 12:46 AM	#14
Mikado Main st bridge Forum Superstar Join Date: Jul 06, 2005 Posts: 25,892	"There will be no burial for Mr Thomas, hes asked to be freeze-dried and then microwaved on high for 7 minutes!"

07-22-2005, 01:03 AM	#15
Mr. Television 23 Years at Sitcoms Online Forum Icon Join Date: Jun 06, 2003 Location: Somewhere you're Not Posts: 62,132	RIP.
	__________________ Sonny