The Golden Age of Television
As television sets slowly replaced radio as the American family's link to the world in the 50's, the industry was in its developmental stage whose programming was in its infancy. Newscasts and sporting events were its mainstays until broadcasters considered adaptations of popular radio serials to the TV tube to broaden their artistic horizons. Employing filmmaking techniques, they filmed half-hour segments to fit their broadcast schedule and allocated time to shows financed by commercial sponsors. It made TV a self-supporting venue that helped it skyrocket into the dominant industry it remains to this day. Soap operas, westerns, action/adventure, sci-fi, crime dramas and game shows came to life on the 'boob tube' that was to become a cultural addiction around the planet.
It opened up a new venue for writers and literary works as the competition between broadcasting networks increased. Commercial sponsors were acutely aware that this revolutionary form of advertising would prove priceless in the changing economy. They demanded the best from producers, who were, in turn, developing industrial programming into a science of artistic quality.
The Sixties Revolution