Eye Witness (TV series)

Last updated
Eye Witness
GenreAnthology
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13
Production
Executive producer Robert Montgomery
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network NBC
ReleaseMarch 30 (1953-03-30) –
June 29, 1953 (1953-06-29)

Eye Witness is a 30-minute American television anthology series that was broadcast live from New York City on the NBC television network beginning March 30, 1953, and ending June 29, 1953. Richard Carlson was the initial host, and Lee Bowman succeeded him. [1] Robert Montgomery was the producer, [2] and the series was produced by his company, Neptune Productions. [3] Perry Lafferty was the director. [4]

Contents

The show's stories dealt with characters involved in strange twists of fate and the supernatural. Each week, the guest host or hostess starred the following week on Montgomery's other NBC series, Robert Montgomery Presents . [2]

Among its guest stars were Eva Marie Saint, John Newland, Nita Talbot, Melville Cooper, James Gregory, Fay Bainter and Emlyn Williams. [5]

Eye Witness was on Monday nights from 9 to 9:30 Eastern Time. [2] It replaced Hollywood Opening Night on NBC's schedule. Its competition included I Love Lucy [6] and The Big Idea on Dumont. [7] The sponsor was Ennds, a product of Pearson Pharmacal Company. Pearson, however, sought to withdraw sponsorship as a result of "the roasting the show got from most critics" following its premiere. [3] By May 9, 1953, Ennds had ended its sponsorship, and NBC was offering a discounted approach to any sponsor willing to take the time slot with Eye Witness "or any one of several other shows" that NBC could provide. [8] The proposal said that if the show received a Nielsen rating of 16 or lower, the sponsor would pay nothing for talent and production. An episode rated 16-20 would cost $2,352.94, and one rated 20-25 would cost $5,882.35. Ratings above 25 would increase proportionately. [8]

Episodes included "The Cruel Clinic of Dr. Schmidt" on March 30, 1953, starring Mercer McLeod, Harry Townes, and Eric Dressler. [9]

Critical reception

Media critic John Crosby attributed NBC with "a surprising burst of initiative" in scheduling what the network described as an "'off beat' mystery" opposite I Love Lucy, rather than scheduling a similar kind of situation comedy. [10] He added, however, that in one episode the presentation was so off beat and combined with "elaborate trickery" that "you never have seen or heard so much malarkey in your life." [10] He concluded, "Eye Witness is a pretty bad show." [10]

A review in the trade publication Broadcasting described the premiere episode as one with "the stock situation, typed characters, trite dialogue and obvious conclusion that you might find in a primer on how to write a TV script". [4] It summarized the presentation as taking "the line of least resistance, which in this case led straight to mediocrity". [4]

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References

  1. ↑ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 266. ISBN   0-14-02-4916-8.
  2. 1 2 3 Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle F. (June 24, 2009). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present. Random House Publishing Group. p. 437. ISBN   978-0-307-48320-1 . Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Compromise May Settle Web Tiff". Billboard. April 25, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 "Eye Witness" (PDF). Broadcasting. April 6, 1953. p. 17. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  5. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (2009). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2007 (Volume 1 A-E). Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN   978-0-7864-3305-6.
  6. ↑ "R. Montgomery Hits Jackpot With 'Witness'". Billboard. March 7, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  7. ↑ Hyatt, Wesley (October 6, 2015). Short-Lived Television Series, 1948-1978: Thirty Years of More Than 1,000 Flops. McFarland. p. 44. ISBN   978-1-4766-0515-9 . Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  8. 1 2 "NBC Offers Aid to 'Lucy' Competition" (PDF). Billboard. May 9, 1953. p. 4. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  9. ↑ "Eye Witness". Variety. April 1, 1953. p. 66. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 Crosby, John (June 17, 1953). "Eye Witness, Fairly New TV Show, Is Regarded As Bad". The Modesto Bee. p. 6. Retrieved July 24, 2022– via Newspapers.com.
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