Milton Berle And His Television Legacy
As if you needed another example of how the mainstream media just doesn't get it, consider this: Entertainment Weekly's 2002 obituary of Milton Berle was a mere half page. Berle didn't even get the page to himself-he shared it with a similar sized obit for Dudley Moore, who died just a few hours later. Both men were afforded less ink than Director Billy Wilder, who also passed away in a rough week for Hollywood types. Not meaning any disrespect to Dudley Moore, a funny and talented but to suggest that Berle's legacy was of similar impact to the British funnyman is absurd.
Berle wasn't only a pioneer of television, he completely blazed the trail for the nascent medium and the entertainment industry it created. Before Berle, no one cared what was on TV because it was all forgettable throwaway programming like pro wrestling on the Dumont network and game shows like 'Queen for a Day'. After Berle, people began to seek for quality programming. He created the need for publications like TV Guide, and really the entire concept of 'prime time' network programming. Berle's "Texaco Star Theater" was the first big hit on television and put up ratings that are unfathomable today-it would routinely draw 80%+ of the television audience and hit over 90% on a few occasions. By way of comparison, consider that the NFL and the TV networks consider it a great year when the Superbowl draws a 70% share.
When people started to care what was on when, it beget TV Guide and publications like Entertainment Weekly and celebrity TV networks like E! are just little more than that publications progeny. The fact that EW doesnt realize that Berle put the seeds in the ground is the problem with mass media today: they just dont get the fact that some people, places, things or concepts are of greater value than others. Their tendency is to elevate the superficial and banal to a higher level of importance, while simultaneously trying to minimize and dumb down that which is deserving of great praise.
The man who would be dubbed 'Mr. Television' was born on July 12, 1908 and his showbiz career began in vaudeville. This led to the television show that made him an institution. His TV success wasnt a matter of him being in the right place at the right time. He had an uncanny understanding of how to utilize the medium, and an ability to adapt his stage act to the new audience. Berle worked constantly throughout his 88 year career, even earning an Emmy Award nomination in the late 1990's.
One of the most telling indications of the sort of man Milton Berle was can be seen in the near universal goodwill he engendered during his life. Everyone regardless of stature or importance gives the same account"a quick witted, easy-going, fun loving gentleman who enjoyed the finer things in life. Of particular note was the omnipresent cigar. While George Burns may have been a more famous cigar emissary, Berles tastes were far more refined in this regard. Burns typically smoked inexpensive machine made sticks, while Berles tastes tended toward high end Montecristos.
Milton Berle was not only responsible for the very institution of modern show business, he is an icon and role model for all men. His legacy lives on every time someone turns on a television, and he lived a life of pleasure and kindness as a consummate gentleman. - 23815
Berle wasn't only a pioneer of television, he completely blazed the trail for the nascent medium and the entertainment industry it created. Before Berle, no one cared what was on TV because it was all forgettable throwaway programming like pro wrestling on the Dumont network and game shows like 'Queen for a Day'. After Berle, people began to seek for quality programming. He created the need for publications like TV Guide, and really the entire concept of 'prime time' network programming. Berle's "Texaco Star Theater" was the first big hit on television and put up ratings that are unfathomable today-it would routinely draw 80%+ of the television audience and hit over 90% on a few occasions. By way of comparison, consider that the NFL and the TV networks consider it a great year when the Superbowl draws a 70% share.
When people started to care what was on when, it beget TV Guide and publications like Entertainment Weekly and celebrity TV networks like E! are just little more than that publications progeny. The fact that EW doesnt realize that Berle put the seeds in the ground is the problem with mass media today: they just dont get the fact that some people, places, things or concepts are of greater value than others. Their tendency is to elevate the superficial and banal to a higher level of importance, while simultaneously trying to minimize and dumb down that which is deserving of great praise.
The man who would be dubbed 'Mr. Television' was born on July 12, 1908 and his showbiz career began in vaudeville. This led to the television show that made him an institution. His TV success wasnt a matter of him being in the right place at the right time. He had an uncanny understanding of how to utilize the medium, and an ability to adapt his stage act to the new audience. Berle worked constantly throughout his 88 year career, even earning an Emmy Award nomination in the late 1990's.
One of the most telling indications of the sort of man Milton Berle was can be seen in the near universal goodwill he engendered during his life. Everyone regardless of stature or importance gives the same account"a quick witted, easy-going, fun loving gentleman who enjoyed the finer things in life. Of particular note was the omnipresent cigar. While George Burns may have been a more famous cigar emissary, Berles tastes were far more refined in this regard. Burns typically smoked inexpensive machine made sticks, while Berles tastes tended toward high end Montecristos.
Milton Berle was not only responsible for the very institution of modern show business, he is an icon and role model for all men. His legacy lives on every time someone turns on a television, and he lived a life of pleasure and kindness as a consummate gentleman. - 23815
About the Author:
Ross Everett is a well known authority on television and radio game show history, falconry and Internet sports betting. He serves as a consulting handicapper for a number of online sports books, as well as writing and lecturing on gambling theory as well as the stock market and investment strategy. He is currently working on a Hollywood screen play on the life of late night talk show host Johnny Carson.
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