The Dinah Shore Show
Encyclopedia
The Dinah Shore Show is an American variety show
which was broadcast by NBC
from November 1951 to January 1956, sponsored by General Motors
' Chevrolet
division. For most of the program's run, it aired from 7:30 to 7:45 Eastern Time on Tuesday and Thursday nights, rounding out the time slot which featured the network's regular evening newscast (John Cameron Swayze
's Camel News Caravan
), which, like all such programs of the era, was then only 15 minutes in length.
, who had come to prominence in her home state as a radio
singer and the first Jewish cheerleader
at Vanderbilt University
before being "discovered" and subsequently appearing on national radio. She made a relatively easy transition to TV, as noted by the length of this program's run. As was the case with many live musical and variety programs of the era, it did not air during the summer months.
During this program's final season, it was reduced to appearing on Thursday nights only, with the Tuesday night slot going to The Jonathan Winters Show. However, during this season, Shore was given an opportunity to host a full hour-long variety show on Friday nights, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
, which was to run, on varying nights and timeslots, for a total of seven seasons. The 15-minute Thursday night program was discontinued following the 1956-57 season, along with all other such series (although network evening newscasts were not expanded to the half-hour format until 1963
).
Variety show
A variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is an entertainment made up of a variety of acts, especially musical performances and sketch comedy, and normally introduced by a compère or host. Other types of acts include magic, animal and circus acts, acrobatics, juggling...
which was broadcast by 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...
from November 1951 to January 1956, sponsored by General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
' Chevrolet
Chevrolet
Chevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
division. For most of the program's run, it aired from 7:30 to 7:45 Eastern Time on Tuesday and Thursday nights, rounding out the time slot which featured the network's regular evening newscast (John Cameron Swayze
John Cameron Swayze
John Cameron Swayze was a popular news commentator and game show panelist in the United States during the 1950s.- Early life :...
's Camel News Caravan
NBC News
NBC News is the news division of American television network NBC. It first started broadcasting in February 21, 1940. NBC Nightly News has aired from Studio 3B, located on floors 3 of the NBC Studios is the headquarters of the GE Building forms the centerpiece of 30th Rockefeller Center it is...
), which, like all such programs of the era, was then only 15 minutes in length.
Overview
The program, broadcast live, featured Dinah ShoreDinah Shore
Dinah Shore was an American singer, actress, and television personality...
, who had come to prominence in her home state as a radio
Old-time radio
Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...
singer and the first Jewish cheerleader
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
at Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
before being "discovered" and subsequently appearing on national radio. She made a relatively easy transition to TV, as noted by the length of this program's run. As was the case with many live musical and variety programs of the era, it did not air during the summer months.
During this program's final season, it was reduced to appearing on Thursday nights only, with the Tuesday night slot going to The Jonathan Winters Show. However, during this season, Shore was given an opportunity to host a full hour-long variety show on Friday nights, The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show is an American variety series hosted by Dinah Shore, and broadcast on NBC from October 1956 to June 1963. The series was sponsored by the Chevrolet Motor Division of General Motors and its theme song, sung by Shore, was "See the U.S.A...
, which was to run, on varying nights and timeslots, for a total of seven seasons. The 15-minute Thursday night program was discontinued following the 1956-57 season, along with all other such series (although network evening newscasts were not expanded to the half-hour format until 1963
1963 in television
The year 1963 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1963.-Events:*January 13 – BBC Television broadcasts the play The Madhouse on Castle Street in the Sunday-Night Theatre strand...
).