Description
Book Synopsis As television grew more enticing for both viewers and filmmakers in the 1950s, several independent film producers with knowledge of making low-cost films and radio shows transferred their skills to producing shows for the small screen. Rather than funding live programs that were popular at the time, these producers saw the value in pre-taped shows, which created large financial returns through episode reruns. This low-cost, high-yield production model resulted in what are known and beloved as B television shows.
Part historical account and part filmography, this book documents the careers of over a dozen B television producers. It chronicles the rise of situation comedies and crime dramas and explores the minds behind popular shows like My Little Margie, The Lone Ranger, Lassie, Highway Patrol and Sea Hunt. Divided into 14 chapters of producer profiles, this work is rich in both trivia and critical assessments of the first years of television. A chapter det
Trade Review
Take a serious and fascinating look at the independent producers, series and pilots of the 1950s...For a captivating and fascinating examination of early TV this book delivers on all counts."—Boyce McClain's Consumers' Collectors' Corner
Table of Contents
- Table of Contents
- Acknowledgments
- Preface
- Introduction
- 1. Hal Roach Sr. and Jr.: From Movie Shorts to B TV Series
- 2. Roland Reed Productions: A Producer of Almost All Genres
- 3. Jack Chertok: From Iconic Heroes to Fantasy Comedies
- 4. Jerry Fairbanks: The Art of Low-Cost Production
- 5. Bernard J. Prockter: Turning Real-Life Stories into TV Series
- 6. Martin Stone: From Series Featuring Critics to Kids' Shows
- 7. William F. Broidy: One Hit, Several Misses
- 8. Frederick W. Ziv: Mastering the Art of Location Filming
- 9. Edward Lewis: A Pioneer of Back-Door Pilots
- 10. Albert Gannaway: Early Country and Western TV Producer
- 11. Leon Fromkess: The Master of the Adventure Genre
- 12. Walter Wanger: From Films to TV and Back to Films
- 13. Movie Star Production Companies of B TV: Some More Successful Than Others
- 14. Early Female TV Producers Who Sought to Make B TV Shows
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
