Syndicated Television: The First Forty Years, 1947-1987 - Softcover

Erickson, Hal

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0786411988 ISBN 13: 9780786411986

Publisher: McFarland, 2001

Synopsis

Here is an excellent reference book on “first run” syndication—the distribution of programs either made exclusively for non-network play, or of programs intended for network telecasts but ultimately making their debuts in syndication. Bringing together information not easily found, this work covers the classics such as Sea Hunt, Highway Patrol, The Merv Griffin Show and the Muppet Show, as well as such once-popular but now obscure productions as China Smith, Ripcord and The Littlest Hobo. Coverage goes back to 1947 and the book includes a number of series ignored in other works. The first section is an overview of the concept of syndication from its earliest application in the newspaper world to the attempt by Fox Television to become a fourth network. The next four sections each cover ten years of syndication, listing the shows (with full background—who produced them and why, who liked them and why, etc.) alphabetically by title under the following genres: Adventure/Mystery, Children’s, Comedy, Drama, Game/Quiz, Informational, Music/Variety, Religious, Sports, Talk/Interview, Travel/Documentary, Westerns, and Women’s.

About this title

About the Author

Hal Erickson is an editor for AMG All-Movie Guide, an on-line film and video database and a frequent contributor to Encyclopedia Britannica. He is also the author of The Baseball Filmography, 1915 through 2001, second edition (2002), “From Beautiful Downtown Burbank” (2000), Sid and Marty Krofft (1998) and Television Cartoon Shows: An Illustrated Encyclopedia (1995). He lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

From Library Journal

A much-needed reference idea, covering non-network shows offered in first-run syndication. Erickson provides an informed (and informal) history of syndication, then launches into his listings, first by decade (a somewhat arbitrary decision), then by genre (Adventure/Mystery, Comedy, etc.). Fortunately, there's an index of both titles and names. Erickson's listings are full of information on how each show came to be, plus his own pungent opinions. He's a fan but hardly a starry-eyed one. A formal credit block for each entry might be helpful for the browser, but that's a minor criticism. A worthwhile addition to any reference collection.
- Thomas Wiener, formerly with "American Film"
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: McFarland
• Publication date: 2001
• ISBN 10: 0786411988
• ISBN 13: 9780786411986
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 432