"You Are There" (1953) TV series 1953-1957

User Rating:

8.8/10   

Director:

John Frankenheimer

Writers:

Shirley Gordon (writer)
Saul Levitt (writer) (episode)

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | unknown

Release Date:

1 February 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History

Plot:

Walter Cronkite hosted the reenactments of historical events. Shows included "The Landing of the Hindenburg", "The Salem Witchcraft Trials", "The Gettysburg Address", "The Fall of Troy", and "The Scuttling of the Graf Spee".

Plot Keywords:

Reenactment | Scene Based On Painting | Based On Radio Series

Awards:

Won 2 Primetime Emmys. Another 1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Walter Cronkite

...

Himself - Host / ... (80 episodes, 1953-1957)

Runtime:

30 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS)

Quotes:

[last lines]
Narrator: What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times... and you were there.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mary Tyler Moore: Ted Baxter Meets Walter Cronkite (#4.21)" (1974)

This was a great TV series for the 1950s

I noticed the one user comment about this show, about seeing it in elementary school in the 1960s. That person seemed to feel the acting wasn't up to par and kids were not too interested.

I remember the series as a teenager in the 1950s when it was on the air for real. Our whole family would watch this show together, and we were as I recall fascinated by it. I distinctly recall one of the shows was on the death of Socrates which even to this day must affect me in some way. Here I was, a teenager, thoroughly bored with history in school, being fascinated by the way it was portrayed right in front of us. Poor acting? I don't remember that - knowing CBS at the time, it was probably as good as anything else being shown on the little black and white tube.

In thinking back on this, I really think it was amazing that this serious - and important - subject could be shown in the way it was. Today's programming is dumbed down stuff compared to the plot lines and staging that were done back then. I think we are the poorer for the lack of good programming that is available on prime time for our kids - programming that is presented as a serious prime time program, not as a History Channel feature that the kids would never be caught dead watching.