Philo T. Farnsworth & 100 Years of TV

Over 100 weeks, we're going to countdown to the Centennial on Sept 7, 2027 by recounting the 100 Top Moments in the First 100 Years of Television.

Latest Episodes

E46: Is The Couch Potato There? (1956) | Enter The Remote Control | 100 Years of Television #61

July 05, 2026

E46: Is The Couch Potato There? (1956) | Enter The Remote Control | 100 Years of Television #61

Before streaming, before cable, and before anyone had ever heard the phrase “binge watching,” television viewers had one thing in common: if they wanted...

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00:12:58

E45: Shake, Rattle, and Ratings: Elvis On The Ed Sullivan Show (1956)  | 100 Years of Television #62

June 28, 2026

E45: Shake, Rattle, and Ratings: Elvis On The Ed Sullivan Show (1956) | 100 Years of Television #62

On September 9, 1956, more than 60 million Americans tuned in to witness a cultural earthquake: Elvis Presley’s first appearance on The Ed Sullivan...

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00:15:22

E44: Jackie Gleason, DuMont, and The Classic 39 (1955) | 100 Years of Television #63

June 21, 2026

E44: Jackie Gleason, DuMont, and The Classic 39 (1955) | 100 Years of Television #63

It is hard to believe that there were only 39 episodes.  And yet The Honeymooners became one of the most influential sitcoms in television...

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00:16:36

E43:  McCarthy, Murrow, and the Dawn of TV Journalism (1954) | #64

June 14, 2026

E43: McCarthy, Murrow, and the Dawn of TV Journalism (1954) | #64

By 1954, television was powerful enough to challenge political demagoguery in real time. This episode explores the rise and fall of Senator Joseph McCarthy,...

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00:15:09

E42: In Living Color (1954): The Day Television Went Over the Rainbow | 100 Years of Television #65

June 07, 2026

E42: In Living Color (1954): The Day Television Went Over the Rainbow | 100 Years of Television #65

On January 1, 1954, television crossed a technological threshold that had been decades in the making: color. In this episode of Countdown to the...

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00:12:59

E41: Winky Dink (1953): The First Interactive TV Show | #66

May 31, 2026

E41: Winky Dink (1953): The First Interactive TV Show | #66

Long before touchscreens, controllers, or even computers in the home, there was a children’s show that invited kids to interact with their televisions—by drawing...

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00:09:38