TV: 1940s
by NicoleLockney | created - 23 May 2014 | updated - 5 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Lights Out (1946–1952)
30 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
"Lights Out" was a US narrated horror short story series.
Stars: Frank Gallop, Jack La Rue, Mercer McLeod, Leslie Nielsen
Votes: 205
2. The Ford Theatre Hour (1948–1953)
60 min | Drama
An anthology series based in New York City which attracted a high caliber group of actors, often Broadway stars. Stories were both drama and comedies, some original but others adaptions of films and plays.
Stars: William Brower, Biff McGuire, Ernest Truex, Ruth McDevitt
Votes: 67
3. The Philco Television Playhouse (1948–1956)
60 min | Drama
This live dramatic series featured original stories and adaptations of novels, plays, etc., during its eight-year run. During the first year, the show was sponsored by the Actor's Equity ... See full summary »
Stars: Bert Lytell, Jay Jackson, Bob Stanton, E.G. Marshall
Votes: 137
4. Kraft Theatre (1947–1958)
60 min | Drama
A well-received anthology series presenting live television dramas.
Stars: Ed Herlihy, Vaughn Taylor, Valerie Cossart, Dan Morgan
Votes: 222
5. The Fifty-Fourth Street Revue (1949–1950)
60 min | Music, Comedy
Stars: Al Bernie, Russell Arms, Carl Reiner, Joe Silver
6. Suspense (1949–1954)
25 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Live plays featuring people who were in dangerous and threatening situations.
Stars: Rex Marshall, Robert Emhardt, Robert H. Harris, John Baragrey
Votes: 358
7. Martin Kane (1949–1954)
30 min | Crime, Drama
Private detective Martin Kane works in New York solving crimes. Depending on the year, Kane was either smooth and suave or hard bitten and the cooperation he received from the police ... See full summary »
Stars: Frank M. Thomas, Nicholas Saunders, William Gargan, Walter Kinsella
Votes: 79
8. Fireside Theatre (1949–1955)
30 min | Drama
An anthology series which became the first successful filmed series on American television.
Stars: Gene Raymond, John Warburton, Nolan Leary, Dabbs Greer
Votes: 96
9. The Clock (1949–1952)
30 min | Drama, Mystery
Suspense/Anthology series based on an ABC radio series which ran from 1946-48. The half-hour series mostly consisted of original dramas concerning murder, mayhem or insanity. Series ... See full summary »
Stars: Larry Semon, Oliver Thorndike, Parker McCormick, Frankie Thomas
Votes: 60
10. The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre (1948–1950)
30 min | Drama
This was an anthology series which aired live. It often featured adaptations of one-act stage plays.
Stars: Guy Kibbee, Faye Emerson, John Conte, Vicki Cummings
Votes: 52
11. The Milton Berle Show (1948–1956)
60 min | Comedy, Family
The Texaco Star Theatre was one of the most popular shows in the history of television. In the first year, Milton Berle was not the permanent emcee, but once he replaced the rotation, the ... See full summary »
Stars: Milton Berle, Sid Stone, Jimmy Nelson, Arnold Stang
Votes: 164
12. Adventures in Jazz (1949– )
30 min | Music
Hosted by well-known disc-jockey Fred Robbins (and later Bill Williams), this show gave viewers a glimpse into the world of jazz. Showcasing the talents of some of the premier musicians and... See full summary »
Stars: Will Bradley, Fred Robbins, William B. Williams, Bobby Sherwood
13. We, the People (1948–1952)
30 min | Talk-Show
The host interviewed entertainers, politicians and average Americans to discuss important events in their lives.
Stars: The Oscar Bradley Orchestra, Lee Vines, Dan Seymour, Dwight Weist
Votes: 20
15. Critic at Large (1948–1949)
30 min | Talk-Show
Stars: John Mason Brown, Norman Cousins, Clifton Fadiman, Jo Mielziner
Votes: 14
16. The Eyes Have It (II) (1948–1952)
30 min | Family, Game-Show
Stars: Conrad Nagel, John Daly, Ilka Chase, Kyle MacDonnell
Votes: 16
17. The Aldrich Family (1949–1953)
30 min | Comedy, Family
Based on a popular radio show, this middle-class-American-family comedy is built around the life of the Aldrich family of Elm Street, Centerville and particularly focuses on the adventures of high-schooler Henry Aldrich.
Stars: House Jameson, Jackie Kelk, Mary Malone, Robert Casey
Votes: 46
18. Actor's Studio (1948–1950)
30 min | Drama
Produced by the ABC as its television network was just getting off the ground, this program was one of the first dramatic series television to attract top-name actors and actresses. ... See full summary »
Stars: Marc Connelly, George Keane, Don Hanmer, Nancy Franklin
Votes: 94
19. Versatile Varieties (1949–1951)
30 min | Family, Music
Two plot lines evolved for this show. The first, broadcast from August 1949 to January 1951, was a live variety show set in a nightclub with guest singers, comedians, etc. Guests who did ... See full summary »
Stars: Anne Francis, Janis Paige, Eva Marie Saint, Edie Adams
20. Colgate Theatre (1949–1950)
30 min | Drama
Stars: Neva Patterson, Mary K. Wells, Norma Jane Marlow, William Post Jr.
Votes: 13
21. Your Show Time (1949)
30 min | Drama
Filmed dramas of famous literary short stories by authors such as Guy de Maupassant, Robert Louis Stevenson, Henry James, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc.
Stars: Arthur Shields, Leif Erickson, Selena Royle, Maria Palmer
Votes: 32
22. This Is Show Business (1949–1956)
30 min | Family, Talk-Show
Stars: Clifton Fadiman, Abe Burrows, George S. Kaufman, Sam Levenson
23. Cavalcade of Stars (1949–1952)
60 min | Family, Comedy, Music
An hour of live variety, in the classic sense of television's Golden Age.
Stars: Sammy Spear and His Orchestra, Jackie Gleason, Jack Lescoulie, The June Taylor Dancers
Votes: 64
24. The Fred Waring Show (1949–1954)
60 min | Music
Standard musical show featuring Fred Waring and His Pennsylvanians. During the 1949-50 season, there was a dance contest titled Video Ballroom.
Stars: Fred Waring, Joe Marine, Daisy Bernier, Joanne Wheatley
Votes: 26
25. The Ed Sullivan Show (1948–1971)
TV-G | 60 min | Music, Talk-Show
The classic prime time variety show most famous for its vaudeville acts and rock music performances.
Stars: Ed Sullivan, The Ray Bloch Orchestra, Ray Bloch, Johnny Wayne
Votes: 1,561
26. Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (1948–1967)
60 min | Music
Perry Como was an American Singer, who got his start on NBC Radio. In 1948, Because of his popularity, The cameras were simply brought into the radio studio to televise the radio broadcast ... See full summary »
Stars: Perry Como, Mitchell Ayres Orchestra, The Ray Charles Singers, Mitchell Ayres
Votes: 120
27. Public Prosecutor (1947–1951)
20 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
A film noir drama-dey cop & crime show, Public Prosecutor was created for one major networks but they gave up on the series and another early TV network called DuMont picked it up.
Stars: John Howard, Anne Gwynne, Walter Sande, Warren Hull
Votes: 31
28. Time for Beany (1949–1954)
15 min | Family
Time for Beany was an American television series, with puppets for characters, which aired locally in Los Angeles starting in 1949 and nationally (via kinescope) on the improvised Paramount... See full summary »
Stars: Daws Butler, Stan Freberg, Walker Edmiston, Joan Gardner
Votes: 69
29. The Goldbergs (1949–1957)
30 min | Comedy
Comedy-drama about a Jewish-American family living in New York City.
Stars: Gertrude Berg, Arlene McQuade, Eli Mintz, Robert H. Harris
Votes: 218
30. Leave It to the Girls (1949–1963)
30 min | Family, Talk-Show
This show had originated on the radio in 1945 and was intended to be a serious discussion of male-female relationships. It soon degenerated into a show where women bashed men and this was ... See full summary »
Stars: Maggi McNellis, Florence Pritchett, Eloise McElhone, Dorothy Kilgallen
Votes: 24
31. Studio One (1948–1958)
60 min | Drama
A pinnacle of the Golden Age of Television, "Studio One" presented a wide range of memorable dramas and received eighteen Emmy nominations and five wins during its prestigious nine-year run on CBS.
Stars: Betty Furness, Paul Branson, Charlton Heston, Mary Sinclair
Votes: 328
32. NBC Presents (1949)
Drama
A short-lived anthology series by the NBC network. It lasted from January to October, 1949.
Stars: Andrew Duggan, Jean Shepherd, Eva Condon, Tom Ewell
Votes: 23
33. Little Audrey (1947–1958)
6 min | Animation, Family
"Little Audrey" is an animated young girl character known for her outburst of laughter that first appeared in the Noveltoon "Santa's Surprise" in 1947 and appeared in many other American cartoons from 1947 to 1958.
Votes: 42
34. The Road Runner Show (1966–1973)
TV-G | 30 min | Animation, Family, Comedy
A scheming coyote, constantly at odds with a swift and clever roadrunner bird, uses various gadgets and devices to try and catch his longtime rival.
Star: Mel Blanc
Votes: 13,348
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