Life Begins at Eighty
Encyclopedia
Life Begins at Eighty was a panel discussion series which aired on American television from 1950 to 1956.
on January 13, 1950, then on DuMont
from March 21, 1952 to July 24, 1955, and finally on ABC
. The last show was aired on ABC on February 25, 1956. In its ABC run, Life Begins at Eigty was aired opposite two anthology series, Appointment with Adventure
on CBS
and The Loretta Young Show on NBC
. Prior to its television run, the show began on radio
in 1948.
The show was hosted by Jack Barry
, and consisted of viewers at home writing questions for the octogenarian panel to answer. There were usually four panelists; the two permanent spots on the panel were given to Broadway
actress Georgiana Carhart, and Fred Stein
, cousin of writer and poet Gertrude Stein
.
Life Begins at Eighty was a spin-off of the popular panel discussion series Juvenile Jury
, in which young children answered questions from the viewers at home. From time to time the panel would be combined, in Wisdom of the Ages television specials.
It was parodied in a Sesame Street
game show sketch starring Guy Smiley
titled, Happiness Begins at 40.
Broadcast history
The show first aired on NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
on January 13, 1950, then on DuMont
DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network, also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont, Du Mont, or Dumont was one of the world's pioneer commercial television networks, rivalling NBC for the distinction of being first overall. It began operation in the United States in 1946. It was owned by DuMont...
from March 21, 1952 to July 24, 1955, and finally on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
. The last show was aired on ABC on February 25, 1956. In its ABC run, Life Begins at Eigty was aired opposite two anthology series, Appointment with Adventure
Appointment with Adventure
Appointment with Adventure is a half-hour adventure/dramatic anthology television series broadcast live on CBS from 1955-1956. The program has no host. It aired at 10 p.m...
on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
and The Loretta Young Show on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
. Prior to its television run, the show began on radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
in 1948.
The show was hosted by Jack Barry
Jack Barry (television)
Jack Barry was an American television game show host and producer via Barry & Enright Productions, his production company with Dan Enright...
, and consisted of viewers at home writing questions for the octogenarian panel to answer. There were usually four panelists; the two permanent spots on the panel were given to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
actress Georgiana Carhart, and Fred Stein
Fred Stein
Fred Stein was an early pioneer of the hand-held camera who became a gifted street photographer in Paris and New York after he was forced to flee his native Germany by the Nazi threat in the early 1930s. He explored the new creative possibilities of photography, capturing spontaneous scenes from...
, cousin of writer and poet Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein
Gertrude Stein was an American writer, poet and art collector who spent most of her life in France.-Early life:...
.
Life Begins at Eighty was a spin-off of the popular panel discussion series Juvenile Jury
Juvenile Jury
Juvenile Jury is an American children's game show which originally ran on NBC from April 3, 1947 to August 1, 1954. It was hosted by Jack Barry and featured a panel of kids aged ten or less giving advice to solve the problems of other kids.-Controversy:...
, in which young children answered questions from the viewers at home. From time to time the panel would be combined, in Wisdom of the Ages television specials.
It was parodied in a Sesame Street
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
game show sketch starring Guy Smiley
Guy Smiley
Guy Smiley is a character on Sesame Street who was dubbed "America's favorite game show host." His skits are among those on the show that parody commercial media. Guy has also hosted parodies of This Is Your Life called "Here Is Your Life." Guests who were profiled included a loaf of bread, a tooth...
titled, Happiness Begins at 40.
Episode status
Only one episode is known to exist, and is in the collection at the Paley Center for Media.See also
- List of programs broadcast by the DuMont Television Network
- List of surviving DuMont Television Network broadcasts