The television is an entertainment channel that has suffered numerous transformations over the years. The first television transmission happened in 1926 when the signal went from one room to another. Two years later, the first broadcast occurred. Soon enough, scientific discoveries improved the quality of the television, which led to higher quality entertainment. The pioneers of television were the first people who were featured on the little screen and their performances influenced the development of certain entertainment programs.
People wasted no time in embracing this new way of entertainment with all of its aspects. The game shows were of course amongst the most popular, but soon enough the media started to experiment with different TV formats such as late night shows, comedy series, drama series and so on. There were a couple of personalities that influenced these golden years of television. Some of them were associated with a certain genre or TV show, while others were chameleons that infiltrated all possible genres. Such is the case of Betty White which was one of the most popular figures in television history. She started out as a funny lady but soon enough she proved that she could take on roles that were more challenging. Her love for television has never deteriorated as she continues to take on TV acting jobs even now when she has the venerable age of 91 years. Other memorable funny ladies that can be considered pioneers of television are Lucille Ball, Carol Burnett and Joan Rivers .
The late night talk show was another type of popular television program. Steve Allen was the first one to host such a TV show. He was a very lovable entertainer as he had a natural humor as well as a constant desire to be spontaneous. However, the true success of the late night talk show was achieved by Johnny Carson, who was also named King Of The Late Night Show. He managed to keep the Americans interested in his show for 30 years, shaping the evolution of TV entertainment. His success inspired others to attempt to host such shows. Amongst the most popular late night talk show entertainers were Merv Griffin, Joey Bishop and Dick Cavett .
The fact that people showed such a high interest in entertainment led to the creation of a new type of TV show called the variety show. Here you could encounter all kinds of performers who entertained the viewers in various ways. The most influential variety shows were the Ed Sullivan Show who was considered to be one of the best TV shows of all times. The show was hosted by the legendary Ed Sullivan and featured numerous celebrities such as Elvis Presley or the Beatles. Other similar successful TV shows were the Texaco Star Theater hosted by Milton Berle( also known as Mister Television), The Laugh-In hosted by Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and The Carol Burnett Show.
It is very hard to narrow down the pioneers of television as there are many people who influenced this channel of entertainment. Furthermore, each had an unique style and brought a personal contribution to the evolution of television programs. In most cases, actors and entertainers were associated with a certain character or TV-show which marked the rest of their career. Others were lucky or talented enough to infiltrate all the layers of television in order to build a long and successful career.
