CBS : On The Air - 50th Anniversary (Incomplete)

In 1977, CBS opted for an extravagant nine-and-a-half-hour, week-long series of specials called “CBS: On The Air - A Celebration of 50 Years” - Hosted by Walter Cronkite and Mary Tyler Moore. Running for an astounding nine-and-a-half-hours over the course of one week, CBS attempted to bring together as many of its stars as possible, opening with a two-hour installment airing from 9-11PM. Titled “The Night of 100 Stars,” it opened with a massive gathering of CBS stars, between 115 and 125 of them.*
This is not the anniversary special in its entirety. It is missing the Tuesday and Sunday opens and a few more segments.
www.tvobscurit...
The posting of this video is designed to facilitate criticism, commentary, scholarship, and research relating to the television broadcasting industry, and for purposes of historic preservation, consistent with the provisions set forth in Section 107 of Title 17, United States Code.

[@nicolekenna7822]

It's so sad that we don't have these talented entertainers anymore. VERY few

[@springstud]

where was the cast of gunsmoke

[@gerrypeet4861]

People die. You can't stop that. I'd just enjoy what you see here.

[@stirlwm]

@@springstud James Arness, Milburn Stone & Dennis Weaver all there...

[@garycarpenter6433]

Not to mention Lucille Ball, Vivian Vance,Bea Arthur, George Burns,Lou Grant, Dick Van Dyke The Walton's Lee Meriwether, Buddy Ebsen and Audrey Meadows

[@anman40]

Legends.. don't make them like that anymore. The 20th century.. the best of all time. All downhill from here.

[@arienfox]

I was 16 when this was happening and I'm glad I saw it today.

[@Dana_inc]

I was almost 1.

[@albertpeterson5585]

...the Tiffany network at its best. Why does this always make me smile when I see it?

[@kevinbutler1955NYC]

The announcer of this 50th anniversary tv tribute to CBS was Dick Tufeld..who was also the announcer/narrator and voice of "The Robot"on "Lost In Space".

[@vitani1999]

CBS - what a powerhouse!

[@lesliebell4189]

It was a miracle to have so many stars yet so many egos in one sitting.

[@MrJoeybabe25]

Hilarious Carol Burnett singing with her arm in a noose!

[@austinfeyd]

Thank you for this! Richard Thomas at 6:25! 20:34

[@historyofnetworktv]

Thank you for watching.

[@Bryan-kj7lx]

They Should Have Mentioned Lost In Space That Was Definitely A CBS Program 📺

[@arienfox]

June Lockhart was there though.

[@Kevintucky]

What a treasure! Cannot thank you enough for sharing it with strangers. God Bless!

[@garynajera7484]

god such great childhood memories watching this especially the start during the weekday roll call such great talent back then plus better tv shows i miss those days

[@milancue2061]

They don't make it like this anymore

[@arienfox]

This was the best Anniversary Celebration for CBS; No comparison to the rest of them.

[@donnadaisy333]

Simply wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing! Loved it!

[@davidmorris6443]

Lassie's real name is PAL. Lassie is just a stage name for the television series ever since Lassie was under contract to metro-goldwyn-mayer John witherwax call his collie pal

[@historyofnetworktv]

Thank you for sharing - did not know this.

[@maxhubmann1696]

This might be the best video on KZbin.

[@historyofnetworktv]

My only regret is that I wasn’t able to compile more of it.

[@theironclads]

I'll bet that Jack Lord was thrilled to be there.

[@JohnboyRichardThomasFandom]

Richard Thomas is so great, at 6:27 and 20:35

[@syferdet]

32:30 I love that there's a 9 in the low of the 4th position and a 7 in the high of the 3rd position in the Dice Game. Things that would never happen in reality today (but when Dice Game first premiered it could).

[@ThePoobears]

very touching to see all the great actors and actresses had passed away :(

[@richmanjackson1971]

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!! WOW!!!!!!!

[@markryaniversen]

No Mary Stuart from Search For Tomorrow, which was a huge show for CBS in the early days. Search For Tomorrow and Love of Life were massive hits in the 50s and 60s and there was no mention of them.

[@jeffkiper8199]

Those were daytime shows. I think this special was focusing on primetime shows.

[@ericsamuelson5656]

21:13 will be on the set of CBS News Sunday Morning with Charles Kuralt and Weekday Morning with Bob Scheiffer by Jan 1979

[@mounttahoma100]

Many, many legends!!

[@kennixox262]

I think that I remember that.

[@alanvallazza9781]

The museum of classic Chicago television posted on their channel a Bob Newhart show that ran before the special and they posted the first several minutes of the special which was not included here however it ends when they're talking about Westerns that ran on CBS and they show a clip of John Wayne introducing the beginning of Gunsmoke at that point the video ends and it doesn't look like anything on this particular video can actually continue that segment so there's a bit missing from this special. P.S. A different part of the special was posted by another account and has all the stars coming out to applause. That video had Mary Tyler Moore talking with Walter Cronkite before the stars came out. It's different than the other one that started with Carol Burnett singing. This is the same anniversary special from March 1978 and has the same logo. Starting to think that one video was edited and made to look like the beginning but was not the beginning. The other clip was the actual beginning. Either way I want to note that I was several days old when the special ran as I was born that month on the 13th of March in 1978. The special ran on March 28th of 1978. Also that month about 10 days earlier from the date of the special was the rock concert California Jam II which was televised on local TV in California.

[@historyofnetworktv]

Please post the link. If I find more footage in the future I will re-edit and repost a more complete retrospective. The hardest challenge with CBS : On The Air is that it ran for different nights throughout the course of one week - Finding all surviving footage and trying to compile it (in order) into one program will inevitably come out a bit disjointed.

[@kwebster62]

@@historyofnetworktv Yep. the coverage was 9.5 hours. The footage being referred to can be found by searching "CBS Network - The Bob Newhart Show - "Happy Trails to You"- KDFW-TV (Complete Broadcast, 4/1/1978)"

[@beeweejr]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@franky11ist]

I thought Roy Rogers and Dale Evans' show was on NBC. Also, who thought of having Alfred Hitchcock? He passed away about 18 months later. He looks like he can barely walk.

[@tamaramartin3784]

Excellent

[@dillon9378]

i have over an hour of audio from this special on cassette if your interested

[@michael.prescott4016]

people with class, now we have the kardashians

[@nicolekenna7822]

Love this❤

[@craigstjohn4470]

what yr is this from?/. looks like from..mid 1970's! even Will Greer is there!

[@Scottie10p]

1977.

[@GeminiladyJackson-xq6hc]

Geer, not Greer.

[@stewartlynch1284]

It was 1978. The CBS network celebrated its 50th anniversary that year. This was recorded prior to Geer's death.

[@faststop4]

What happened to Tuesday on cbs😊

[@kwebster62]

They highlighted stars from Tuesday on 4:44 to 5:21

[@remixchild]

So CBS will be 100 in 2027

[@historyofnetworktv]

Do you think they will air a network special?

[@remixchild]

@@historyofnetworktv let’s hope so

[@dvd7826]

My favorite network in the 80s until FOX came around lol

[@historyofnetworktv]

What are some of your favorite CBS shows from that period?

[@richparsons4205]

Wait. All in the Family (Carroll O’Connor, Jean Stapleton, Sally Struthers and Meathead) was on SATURDAYS, not SUNDAY!

[@kwebster62]

All in the Family spent time on different nights: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. When this special aired, they were on Sundays.

[@greggkimball4110]

Disturbing to be mixing up journalists with showbiz celebrities. And we've been doing it for quite some time.

[@historyofnetworktv]

I agree. They've been trying to put the newscaster on a similar platform - why?

[@donnabailey566]

I worked on this show behind the scenes. CBS is both a news channel as well as entertainment. Same goes for ABC and NBC. Hence, this special. You missed the point.

[@pamgoodson9688]

@@donnabailey566 exactly. These journalists were part of the programming, as well as the actors. Plus there's something about these journalists that was just different!

[@inthewoods80]

I think it’s more of who was a part of CBS for its first 50 years, tv actors and newscasters & presenters alike. It’s not saying that the news people are stars per se, just that they are well known (and loved in the case of Walter Cronkite)

[@howardpackowitz6759]

Only one CBS Sportscaster - Jack Whittaker

[@joestocking]

Jackie Gleason???

[@historyofnetworktv]

You are not the first person to notice his absence. Was he doing movies at the time?

[@megankumamoto3645]

52:26

[@springstud]

where was gunsmoke cast

[@arienfox]

James Arness and Millburn Stone were there.

[@wiedep]

No Jackie Gleason...

[@britishtvlover2038]

Was he alive in 1978

[@donnadaisy333]

Mr Gleason passed in 1987. I wonder why he wasn’t included.

[@cdgates1]

He suffered a mild heart attack while performing in a play in 1978. This is probably why he didn't attend the event

[@codychristopher3744]

@@cdgates1 that would been cool if Jackie Gleason could have made it on The CBS 50th Anniversary I know he definitely was big part of CBS History Definitely In The Golden Age of Television With His Television Variety Shows

[@jasonrfoss248]

Should have called it All singing, all dancing. Is this what passed for entertainment back then?

[@QueensLadyDay]

"I see dead people" 😳

[@victorturturici4446]

If they invited The Beatles what beatle would it show up ?

[@Scottie10p]

A few live ones too. Linda Lavin, Julie Kavnar, Carol Burnett, The Smother Brothers, Sally Struthers, Adrian B, Dan Rather, all the Walton kid actors including Richard Thomas, Vicky Lawrence, Leslie Stahl, Bill Cosby, Bess Armstrong, Rob Reiner Sandy Duncan, Alan Alda, Desmond Wilson, Jamie Farr, John Amos, Loretta Swift, Dick Van Dyke, Jimmy Walker, Michael Learned, Bob Barker, Linda Carter, and Bob Newhart.

[@rhyancoleman6462]

RIP Bob Barker