Back on November 15th 1926 the National Broadcasting Company was formed. And it is still going strong 75 years later. During that time, NBC has had its peaks and valleys but it also brought the US into both the radio age and (later) television. It was not the inventor of TV; but NBC was the first American company to move aggressively into the new medium, in the years before Word War Two.

In honour of NBC's 75th anniversary, I've decided to create this list of what I believe are the 20 defining programmes of the network's television era. Notice I have used the word "defining" and not "best," although many of them can be considered the finest of their genre. These are shows that broke new ground or revolutionized television in one form or another. And these are regularly scheduled programmes, so you won't find NBC's famous TV coverage of President Franklin Roosevelt at the 1939 Worlds Fair in New York here or such embarrassments as the 1968 "Heidi" incident (where the network broke away from a professional football game to air a new version of the children's classic, only to deny viewers the thrill of seeing the Oakland Raiders come from behind to win, scoring two touchdowns with one minute left in the game).

Here we go in chronological order:

• 1. "Hour Glass" (1946-47):This is where the modern variety show began in the US. "Hour Glass" was the first 60-minute entertainment programme developed for television; the first to create its own star (hostess Helen Parrish); and the first funded by a major advertiser-in this case, Standard Brands. The maker of Chase & Sandborn Coffee and Fleischmann's Yeast poured 200-thousand dollars during "Hour Glass'" ten-month run (a large sum for 1946). Unfortunately, there were not enough televisions (or viewers) to make the experiment viable, and "Hour Glass" went off the air in March 1947. An unsung hero, "Hour Glass" broke new ground that others would successfully tread.

• 2. "Meet The Press" (1947-present): "Meet The Press" was originally a radio show on the Mutual Broadcasting System-an "interview the newsmakers" programme that had bite, as experienced reporters asked the tough questions to those on the hot seat. "Meet The Press" made a very smooth transition to NBC Television in 1947, and is the longest-running programme in US television history. These days, "Press" is hosted by the able Tim Russert, who has helped the show stay ahead of its rivals "This Week" on ABC; "Face The Nation" on CBS; and "Fox News Sunday". From Harry Truman to George W. Bush, few presidents have passed up an opportunity to appear on "Meet The Press"-and that goes for members of Congress, governors, and diplomats from around the world. "If it's Sunday," says Russert, "it's 'Meet The Press'". Politicians wouldn't have it any other way.

• 3. "Texaco Star Theater"/"Milton Berle"/"Buick-Berle Show" (1948-1956): Milton Berle was a marginally popular radio and stage performer. But in June 1948, he and a handful of comics who had what amounted to an on-air audition of "Texaco Star Theater" (the video version of a radio hit). Berle was the clear winner; television proved to be his medium. Week after week, Berle mugged, hogged the spotlight, wore women's clothing and rattled off one-liners (some stolen from other comics). Berle brought old-time vaudeville into the post-World War Two era-and into American homes. By 1949, Berle was first superstar of the TV era. But times and tastes changed; when his series went off the air in 1956, the man once known as "Mr. Television" was beaten in the ratings by Phil Silvers and his military sitcom "You'll Never Get Rich." Four years later, he was the host of a lame programme called "Jackpot Bowling." Berle eventually broke his "lifetime" contract with NBC and became a frequent presence in movies, while guest starring roles on such diverse TV series as "The Lucy Show" and "Beverly Hills, 90210." Once a performer, always a performer. That's Milton Berle.

• 4. "Your Show Of Shows" (1950-1954): This was the brainchild of the innovative NBC television president Sylvester "Pat" Weaver (probably better-known these days as the father of actress Sigourney Weaver). For 90 minutes every Saturday night, live from New York, came the classic foursome of Sid Caesar, Imogene Coca, Carl Reiner and Howard Morris. It was also among the first shows without a single sponsor; Weaver's innovation allowed several sponsors to pay for the show, and it still made a profit. It was an unusual policy at a time when one advertiser produced an entire show. Today, it's the norm. And the comedy still holds up beautifully-classic skits and parodies from a talented cast, written by an all-star team that included such names as Neil Simon and Mel Brooks; and produced with flair by the legendary Max Lieberman. "Your Show Of Shows" was variety television at its peak. Sadly, neither Caesar nor Coca would reach those heights again. But then, who could?

• 5. "Dragnet"(1951-1959; 1967-1970): At a time when comedy and variety dominated television, "Dragnet" broke the mould to become the most successful police drama in US history. Jack Webb's Joe Friday first emerged on NBC Radio in 1949; two years later, he could be seen on the streets of Los Angeles with a series of partners every other week (it would become a weekly programme by the fall of 1952). Along with "I Love Lucy," "Dragnet" was among the first important US series to be filmed rather than aired live, helping to create the rerun along with a library that remains with us today. "Dragnet's" realism (for its time) kept viewers hooked Its late 1960's revival (with Harry Morgan as partner Bill Gannon) was heavy on the anti-drug message, and proved to be unintentionally funny at times. But "Dragnet" couldn't have worked without Webb, who died in 1982; a short-lived 1989 syndicated remake proved there was nothing like the real thing.

• 6. "Today" (1952-present): Fifty years after its debut, "Today" is still going strong. Yet another brainstorm from Pat Weaver's fertile mind, "Today" was an attempt to get people watching television in the early morning hours of 7 to 9 AM. At first, would-be viewers resisted. Then came J. Fred Muggs, a nasty little monkey that got kids interested (who in turn persuaded parents to check out the mix of news, interviews and features originally hosted by the late, great Dave Garroway). Before long, "Today" became NBC's biggest moneymaker. Over the years, such notables hosted or co-hosted "Today", including John Chancellor; Hugh Downs; Barbara Walters; Tom Brokaw; Jane Pauley and Bryant Gumbel. It remains the leading morning programme in the US with Matt Lauer and Katie Couric at the helm, and is the most profitable show on the NBC schedule. In 2002, it's hard to imagine getting along without "Today" (or its US rivals "Good Morning America" and "The Early Show"), or similar shows all around the world.

• 7. "Broadway Open House"/"Tonight"/"The Tonight Show" (1954-present): NBC was the first network to provide late-night entertainment with a 1950 show called "Broadway Open House." Hosted by Jerry Lester, it went off the air not long after Lester quit. Four years later, NBC tried again-this time with Steve Allen, who was doing an 11:30 PM programme on the network's New York City station. As the host of what would be called "Tonight," Allen used his considerable talents to create a pleasant mix of humour, serious talk and unpredictable entertainment. Allen was followed by the far more serious Jack Par, who wore his heart on his sleeve from 1957 until 1962. Then came Johnny (Carson, that is). From 1962 until 1992, Carson made "The Tonight Show" the coolest hangout in late night with his celebrity guests, talented standup comics and slightly blue humour. By all rights-talent included-David Letterman should have been Carson's successor. But Jay Leno got the job and Letterman bolted NBC for CBS. "Tonight" is still popular, but there are many who believe the show was better when Allen, Paar and Carson ruled the roost.

• 8. "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" (1956-1970): For years, CBS was considered the broadcast news organization of record in the US (largely thanks to the legendary Edward R. Murrow). But NBC broke CBS' dominance with two men who made their debut on the network's coverage of the 1956 presidential conventions. Staid and sombre Chet Huntley teamed up with the talented writer and Washington D-C reporter David Brinkley to create a news programme for adults. "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" was not only NBC's signature news show, it was also the most popular for much of its run. But NBC News relied too much on Chet & David, neglecting to build a strong team of correspondents and reporters. CBS didn't make that mistake; with a strong bench and both Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather at the helm, CBS regained TV news leadership from the late 1960's until the mid-1980's. When Huntley left NBC News in 1970, it was the end of an era-and it would be nearly thirty years before NBC would again dominate broadcast news, this time with Tom Brokaw. (Huntley died in 1974; Brinkley left NBC in 1981 to host ABC's Sunday panel show "This Week," until his retirement from television in 1997.)

• 9. "Twenty-One" (1956-1958): CBS hit paydirt with the big money quiz show "The $64,000 Question" in 1955. Not to be outdone, NBC rolled out its own version a year later. Created by the team of producer Dan Enright and host Jack Barry, "Twenty-One" pitted two people in separate isolation booths. They had to answer questions worth from one to 11 points in order to get to the magic number "21" (the higher the point value, the harder the question). But the first programme was a bore; sponsor Geritol ordered changes. So the fix was in; desirable contestants were given the answers to that night's questions, and were told how to act for the cameras. Contestants that no longer held appeal were told to blow a question and lose. With help from Enright and his staff, clean-cut university professor Charles Van Doren won 128-thousand dollars (allowing "Twenty-One" to beat its formidable CBS rival, "I Love Lucy," in the ratings). But the man who "lost" to Van Doren, Herb Stempel, became jealous over the media coverage Van Doren received. He blew the whistle, and that led to the revelation "Twenty-One" and some other game shows were rigged. Congress held hearings; Van Doren admitted his part in the deceit and hid from sight. Laws were passed making it a felony to rig a game show. Both Enright and Barry were all but barred from US television until the early 1970's. In 1994, Robert Redford directed the movie "Quiz Show," a somewhat exaggerated but well-acted and produced version of the "Twenty-One" story. It's worth checking out-both as entertainment and an important history lesson.

• 10. "Bonanza"(1959-1973): Like the other US networks in the late 1950's, NBC had its share of Western series ("Wagon Train" and "Tales of Wells Fargo" were two successful NBC examples). But NBC's most popular Western was really a family drama that happened to be set in the West. "Bonanza" was the saga of patriach Ben Cartwright (Lorne Greene) and his sons-including a young Michael Landon as Little Joe. "Bonanza" proved to be a major boost for colour television. NBC's then-parent, RCA, wanted Americans to buy colour sets. So NBC began airing specials and some shows in colour. "Bonanza" was one of the first series to be broadcast in "living colour" (and originally sponsored by RCA). TV dealers soon reported that "Bonanza's" beautiful outdoor scenery led many would-be customers to buy a colour set-many of them with the RCA brand. By 1964, "Bonanza" was the top-rated series on US television. When it left the airwaves in 1973, monochrome was limited to reruns and old movies-and colour set sales in the US surpassed black and white for the first time ever. Michael Landon would later become an NBC staple with such series as "Little House On The Prairie" and "Highway To Heaven."

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  Article: Mike Spadoni, January 2002
  http://www.teletronic.co.uk