Would you like to see single sponsored shows again?

[24/7 reruns]

With half hour shows running only about 20 minutes with the rest of the time being commercials would you like to see a return of single sponsored shows?

I've always liked watching sponsor's products commercials built into the show. The Burns and Allen Show and The Jack Benny Program are great examples of this.

The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet had the cast doing promos for the sponsors products at the start and sometimes the end of their shows.

Back then there was one or two sponsors for a show. If there were two they would alternate weekly.

The plus on this is that there potentially would be less time with commercials and more for the show. The possible down side is the control a sponsor would have which could affect the show's content.

If you like the return of single sponsors then what sponsor and show would you like seeing connected?

[Edward216]

Speaking for myself, no I wouldn't because as you said you have the concern of the sponsor possibly trying to control the content of the show and how it's made.

Ed.

[stevea]

But it may not be much better when the network has content control, either.

[Babalu]

Commercial time never goes down. Not only is it approaching 50% of the program time, but with the flashing on screen ads during the show, it really is 100%. That is one of the two main reasons I watch no network TV shows.

[24/7 reruns]

Too bad RadioShack doesn't exist anymore. I could see them sponsoring "Young Sheldon"

[Yong Fang]

This was common seemingly in the 1950's for a lot of shows. I am a fan of an old (sort of a) game show called "What's My Line" with John Daly, Arlene Francis and Dorthy Killgallen that was on from the early 1950's to the late 1960's and they went through several sponsors. One was "Remmington Rand" which I think sold shavers. According to this, these were their sponsors...

Kellogg's, Remington Rand, Standard Brands, Stopette Deodorant, Sunbeam Appliances, and Mutual of Omaha Insurance which also sponsored Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins.The companies in BOLD are still operating in 2022 (dont know about Standard Brands and I have never seen Stopette.)

Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life" show had a car company as their sponsor, a quick search said it was DeSoto, a now defunct car manufacturer of the era. I have seen Andy Griffith as Sheriff Taylor (with Don Knotts) doing a Kelloggs cereal commercial, and Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore on DVD's old show doing a commercial for Kent cigarettes. Mary was a nicotine addict and would trade those nasty Kents she got for free for her brand. I take it these commercials were on during their shows, but this was before my time.

I do remember in the 1970's that especially CBS would have a "special broadcast" type program, which had a single sponsor. Whatever the show was, "brought to you by...." Seems that the single sponsor thing died out mostly in the 1960's into the 1970's.

[24/7 reruns]

Originally Posted by Yong Fang

This was common seemingly in the 1950's for a lot of shows. I am a fan of an old (sort of a) game show called "What's My Line" with John Daly, Arlene Francis and Dorthy Killgallen that was on from the early 1950's to the late 1960's and they went through several sponsors. One was "Remmington Rand" which I think sold shavers. According to this, these were their sponsors...

Kellogg's, Remington Rand, Standard Brands, Stopette Deodorant, Sunbeam Appliances, and Mutual of Omaha Insurance which also sponsored Wild Kingdom with Marlin Perkins.The companies in BOLD are still operating in 2022 (dont know about Standard Brands and I have never seen Stopette.)

Groucho Marx's "You Bet Your Life" show had a car company as their sponsor, a quick search said it was DeSoto, a now defunct car manufacturer of the era. I have seen Andy Griffith as Sheriff Taylor (with Don Knotts) doing a Kelloggs cereal commercial, and Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore on DVD's old show doing a commercial for Kent cigarettes. Mary was a nicotine addict and would trade those nasty Kents she got for free for her brand. I take it these commercials were on during their shows, but this was before my time.

I do remember in the 1970's that especially CBS would have a "special broadcast" type program, which had a single sponsor. Whatever the show was, "brought to you by...." Seems that the single sponsor thing died out mostly in the 1960's into the 1970's.

I agree, old game shows had some interesting sponsors. What's My Line's Remington Rand commercials looked more geared for business than consumers. There sold business equipment and the commercials were very technical. Now Beat the Clock had Sylvania as a sponsors. They pushed Halo Light TVs and light bulbs. The original The Price is Right with the best game show host ever, Bill Cullen, had Spidel as a sponsor. It was funny watching Bill Cullen thy to get in sync with the sound effects for the commercials. They also had Dove soap and Lux dishwashing detergent. The Dove spots had a lady as a beauty expert and with Lux it was probably the first to have their product in a plastic container. No one knew how bad plastic was to be. The plus way it was easy to use and the container didn't break.

For shows, The Beverly Hillbillies had both Kellogg cereal and Winston cigarettes. I found it odd with the Winston holiday commercials were the cast was selling cartons of cigarettes as a gift idea.

[Alan Brady's Hair]

I think sponsor control was generally a good thing - a check on the limitless egos of "creatives."

I think that the ship has sailed, but a few years ago I thought that single-sponsorship could work against the insanity of the networks completely ignoring all viewers outside of the 18-49 target. Basically, the networks were using scattershot ads on people demonstrated to have lower impulse control. I thought the networks could reach a wider audience by having quality companies sponsor quality programs that any discerning viewer could enjoy.

[24/7 reruns]

Originally Posted by Alan Brady's Hair

I think sponsor control was generally a good thing - a check on the limitless egos of "creatives."

I think that the ship has sailed, but a few years ago I thought that single-sponsorship could work against the insanity of the networks completely ignoring all viewers outside of the 18-49 target. Basically, the networks were using scattershot ads on people demonstrated to have lower impulse control. I thought the networks could reach a wider audience by having quality companies sponsor quality programs that any discerning viewer could enjoy.

That makes sense. By the way, I wonder what was the last show to have a single sponsor.
Maybe Mutual of Omaha Wild Kingdom was. At least the sponsor's name remained in the title of the program.

[Yong Fang]

I loved "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" as a child. It came on around 5 pm on Sundays. But the thing is, that was the name of the program "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. One automatically knows the name of the sponsor because it is in the title of the show.

I am sure Mutual of Omaha enjoyed the weekly show of a geriatric old man wrestling alligators or being chased by elephants, and mainly watching Jim risk his life for our amusement getting strangled by a Boa Constrictor....and now "Do you have life insurance? What happens if you or your loved ones in in Suriname, and fall into a pond of ravenous piranhas? Mutual of Omaha can help!"

Good old Marlin Perkins. Who knows how long he has bothered wildlife for our entertainment. I am sure old Marlin and his camera crew were about as welcome as Jehovah's Witnesses at dinner time. As the tiger said to the lion "Oh "bleep", it's HIM again!"

[stevea]

There was also the GE College Bowl all thru the 1960s. I think GE and the show were tied at the hip.