Twentieth Century (TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Twentieth Century is a half-hour documentary
television series broadcast over CBS-TV from 1957 until 1966. It was hosted and narrated by Walter Cronkite
and telecast Sunday evenings (originally at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, shifting to 6 p.m. in the fall of 1961). Its theme music was written by American composer George Antheil
.
The series covered significant events of the 20th century and consisted largely of newsreel footage. However, some episodes focused on contemporary subjects, such as "The Violent World of Sam Huff
," a behind-the-scenes profile of the New York Giants
football
player which originally aired on October 30, 1960.
The series was sponsored by Prudential Insurance, with the opening and closing credits for the series superimposed over a still photo of the Rock of Gibraltar
, Prudential's symbol. The series won two Emmy Award
s, and was succeeded in January 1967 by The 21st Century, a slightly different documentary series focusing on the future, which lasted until January 1970.
This was a long-running documentary series telecast weekly by a major commercial television network, at an hour close to prime time
. Such a practice would most likely be frowned on by today's commercial TV executives, who would probably relegate the show either to PBS
or to cable television
. A new edition of the series, with Mike Wallace
acting as host, was telecast on A&E
in the 1980s, but not on CBS, NBC, or ABC
.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
television series broadcast over CBS-TV from 1957 until 1966. It was hosted and narrated by Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
and telecast Sunday evenings (originally at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time, shifting to 6 p.m. in the fall of 1961). Its theme music was written by American composer George Antheil
George Antheil
George Antheil was an American avant-garde composer, pianist, author and inventor. A self-described "Bad Boy of Music", his modernist compositions amazed and appalled listeners in Europe and the US during the 1920s with their cacophonous celebration of mechanical devices.Returning permanently to...
.
The series covered significant events of the 20th century and consisted largely of newsreel footage. However, some episodes focused on contemporary subjects, such as "The Violent World of Sam Huff
Sam Huff
Robert Lee "Sam" Huff is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982....
," a behind-the-scenes profile of the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player which originally aired on October 30, 1960.
The series was sponsored by Prudential Insurance, with the opening and closing credits for the series superimposed over a still photo of the Rock of Gibraltar
Rock of Gibraltar
The Rock of Gibraltar is a monolithic limestone promontory located in Gibraltar, off the southwestern tip of Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. It is high...
, Prudential's symbol. The series won two Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s, and was succeeded in January 1967 by The 21st Century, a slightly different documentary series focusing on the future, which lasted until January 1970.
This was a long-running documentary series telecast weekly by a major commercial television network, at an hour close to prime time
Prime time
Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast programming during the middle of the evening for television programing.The term prime time is often defined in terms of a fixed time period—for example, from 19:00 to 22:00 or 20:00 to 23:00 Prime time or primetime is the block of broadcast...
. Such a practice would most likely be frowned on by today's commercial TV executives, who would probably relegate the show either to PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
or to cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
. A new edition of the series, with Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
acting as host, was telecast on A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
in the 1980s, but not on CBS, NBC, or 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...
.
See also
- The Johns Hopkins Science ReviewThe Johns Hopkins Science ReviewThe Johns Hopkins Science Review is a critically acclaimed television series sponsored by Johns Hopkins University which aired on the now-defunct DuMont Television Network.-Broadcast history:...
(1948-1955), another educational series with a long run on commercial network television