1 of 1- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline 
Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
It has been on the air since before many of us were born. The fact that it still is in this day and age of changing media only makes it more remarkable. Friday marks the 70th anniversary of The Today Show, an NBC staple since 1952. It was conceived of as a sort of a radio show for TV, which was still in its infancy in those days. The show will be marking the milestone on a special broadcast Friday morning.
And to think it all started with a very relaxed looking guy in horn rimmed glasses named Dave Garroway and a chimp called J. Fred Muggs, who constantly upstaged him. It has since been home to some of the best talent in the business, including Hugh Downs, Tom Brokaw, Frank Blair, Willard Scott, Bryant Gumbel and dozens more - including Barbara Walters, the first female host of a network TV show.
According to this article from CNN, when they run a highlight reel saluting all the people associated with the show, they intend to include Matt Lauer, who was fired after being involved in a sex scandal that made international headlines.
According to executive producer Tom Mazzarelli, "we're going to look back at our history, and he's a part of our history, as are all the anchors throughout the throughout the last 70 years. You'll see him."
There may be only one show currently on air that's older than Today and it's also on NBC. Meet The Press has been airing every Sunday on the network since 1947. In an era where shows are sometimes cancelled after just an episode or two, that's pretty remarkable.
The power of morning television endures as the 'Today' show celebrates 70 years
The Today Show In Pictures -Then & Now
- Radiowiz
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
If at all possible, I think just for fun, just once, they should do the Today show on the original 1952 set.
(or a simulation)
RadioWiz & RadioQuiz are NOT the same person.
RadioWiz & THE Wiz are NOT the same person.
- Norman peters
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
A hologram of each different set over the years. And holograms of all the hosts for each of the eras. 
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
There's an almost 12-minute video on the linked page about the show's history. I suspect they don't have a lot of stuff saved, because the old excerpts - arguably the most interesting part to me - takes up very little footage. But hey, at least they very briefly acknowledge J. Fred Muggs, the chimp mascot who became a sensation but because he wouldn't behave, didn't last all that long.
TODAY is 70! Celebrate with memories and messages from the show’s past
- •
Thread Starter- mace
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
Interesting that the three longest still running television programs [Meet The Press-1947, Today-1952, Tonight-1954] all air on NBC. The article mentioned only 14 affilliates carried the premiere episode. The only two NBC stations broadcasting in 1952 that were moderately close to the GTA were WICU and WROC that may have aired the premiere. I don't know if WBEN would have run it being a secondary NBC affilliate at that time.
- Glen Warren
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
Montage collection of some of the openings / hosts of Today...
p.s. The Ray Ellis composed themes were the best!
Last edited by Glen Warren (January 14, 2022 4:18 pm)
- mace
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
I watched the anniversary show this morning. I didn't recognize Tom Brokaw when he delivered his congratulatory message. It was fun watching Al Roker do the weather with chalk. If you go to the Today website, you can view the first 14 minutes of the premiere broadcast.
- NW
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
Interesting how Katherine Couric morphed into Katie Couric in montage.
- fybush
- Member
Offline
Re: Network TV Show Celebrates Milestone 70th Anniversary On Friday
mace wrote:
Interesting that the three longest still running television programs [Meet The Press-1947, Today-1952, Tonight-1954] all air on NBC. The article mentioned only 14 affilliates carried the premiere episode. The only two NBC stations broadcasting in 1952 that were moderately close to the GTA were WICU and WROC that may have aired the premiere. I don't know if WBEN would have run it being a secondary NBC affilliate at that time.
What's now WROC was WHAM-TV back then, on channel 6. I'd have to go digging in old newspaper listings to see if they were on board for the premiere. It would have cost a not insubstantial amount of money to staff up to sign on that "early" in the morning - you'd have needed engineer(s) at the transmitter site and someone running master control back at the studio, and then either sign off again or find programming and staff to fill the empty hours until the movies and kiddie shows started in the afternoon. My mom recalls seeing a test pattern on TV before Howdy Doody came on (at 5:30!), and that would have been 1952-53ish, I think.