I realize this is entertainment related but they are factual questions.
I am reading a boi on Groucho Marx, and it mentioned one of his radio shows was the first show to ever have “summer reruns” trying to boost listenership due to a poor initial timeslot.
Somewhat related I flipped past TV Land the other night and saw a Leave it to Beaver clip show.
So I ask you folks, what was the very first TV show to resort to the hated Clip Show format for a cheap episode, and which was the first TV show to provide us the dreaded reruns in syndycation?
I have no clue if it is the very first “clip show”, but there is an episode of the 1950’s version of “Name That Tune” on the tape-trading circuit, that consists of clips, so the tradition had to start by 1958 (when that version of “Name That Tune” was cancelled).
There were reruns in radio, so the practice had been established before network TV even developed.
The Cisco Kid premiered in 1950. Duncan Reynaldo had bought up the rights to his old movie serials and he and producer Frederick Ziv repackaged them into 30 minute episodes for TV. Rather than selling them to a network, they went directly to tv station owners. The owners had a lot of time to fill, because the networks broadcast only a few hours per day.
So failing any evidence otherwise, I’d submit that The Cisco Kid was entirely a clip show and was very probably the first rerun-in-syndication show.
William Boyd was syndicating old “Hopalong Cassidy” films in 1949.
kunilou, I wouldn’t count “The Cisco Kid” as the first “clip show”. “The Cisco Kid” aired complete serial episodes (which are, I believe, one or two reels long). “Clip shows” use shorter clips, taken from multiple episodes.
I love old time radio and comedy and I bet it would come as no suprise that “My Favourite Husband” (which “I Love Lucy” was based on) had a clip show. After the first season.
The First Rerun of “I Love Lucy” took place on 11/3/52. Jess Oppenheimer said it was done as not all cities had a CBS affiliate and this was the Second Season and Lucy was 'SPECTING.
So they just tacked on a new opening and had Ricky talking to the Mertz’s saying “Remember When…”:smack: