G.E. Summer Originals

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G.E. Summer Originals
G.E. Summer Originals advertisement.jpg
A July 3, 1956, advertisement for the premiere episode of G.E. Summer Originals, starring Vivian Blaine .
Genre Anthology series
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes10
Production
Running time30 minutes
Original release
Network ABC
ReleaseJuly 3 (1956-07-03) –
September 18, 1956 (1956-09-18)

G.E. Summer Originals, [1] referred to in some sources as General Electric Summer Originals, is an American anthology television series that aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in the summer of 1956. The 30-minute episodes consisted of unsold television pilots. [2] [3]

Contents

Among stars appearing in the unsold pilots were Ronald Reagan, James Mason, Vera Miles, Hugh Beaumont, and Barbara Billingsley. Their directors included feature directors Budd Boetticher and Don Weis.[ citation needed ]

Background

By the mid-1950s, the practice of television executives of ordering dozens of pilots for proposed television series each year — far more than their networks could possibly broadcast as series — had created a sizable body of unsold pilots that had never aired. [1] By 1954, the American television industry had begun to consider the idea of packaging these unsold pilots in anthology series and airing them during the summer, providing television networks with a way of both providing fresh programming during the summer rerun season and recouping at least some of the expense of producing them. [1]

On June 8, 1956, the New York Times reported that the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) would begin airing a package of unsold pilots that summer under the title G.E. Summer Originals, adding that "the problem of what to do with ‘pilot’ or sample films of projected television series that previously have failed to sell has been solved." [1] [4] The series premiered on the evening of July 3, 1956, at exactly the same time as another anthology series of unsold pilots, Sneak Preview on NBC, thus becoming one of the first two series of unsold pilots to air in the United States. [1]

Broadcast history

G.E. Summer Originals ran for 10 episodes over the course of 12 weeks in the summer of 1956, airing on ABC from 9:00 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday evenings. [1] It premiered on July 3, [1] [5] and its last episode aired on September 18. [5] It was preempted on August 14 and 21 by ABC's coverage of the 1956 Democratic National Convention. [5]

Episodes

SOURCES: [1] [5]

No. in
season		TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
1"It's Sunny Again"UnknownUnknownJuly 3, 1956 (1956-07-03)
A story of a singer looking for work and a smooth-talking manager. Starring Vivian Blaine and Jules Munshin.
2"Duel at Dawn"UnknownUnknownJuly 10, 1956 (1956-07-10)
An officer must choose between fighting a dangerous duel or facing a charge of cowardice. Starring James Mason, Pamela Kellino, and Scott Forbes.
3"Country Store"UnknownUnknownJuly 17, 1956 (1956-07-17)
Someone takes advantage of the understanding owner of a store in a small town. Starring Joe E. Brown. Unsold pilot for the proposed series The Joe E. Brown Show.
4"The Unwilling Witness"UnknownUnknownJuly 24, 1956 (1956-07-24)
A courtroom drama plays out as an unwilling witness almost costs a boy his life. Starring Zachary Scott and Frances Rafferty.
5"Alias Mike Hercules"UnknownUnknownJuly 31, 1956 (1956-07-31)
A private investigator takes on a kidnapping case. Starring Hugh Beaumont, Reginald Denny, and Anne Kimbell. Unsold pilot for the proposed series Alias Mike Hercules.
6"The Green Parrot"UnknownUnknownAugust 7, 1956 (1956-08-07)
A comedic episode in which a French agent must guard a talking parrot that knows nuclear secrets. Starring Claude Dauphin.
7"Blizzard Bound"UnknownUnknownAugust 28, 1956 (1956-08-28)
A fur trapper and a beautiful multiracial woman of white and Native American ethnicity are trapped together during a blizzard. Starring Forrest Tucker, Donna Martell, and Bill Phipps.
8"Dawn at Damascus"UnknownUnknownSeptember 4, 1956 (1956-09-04)
Love and intrigue play out in an oil camp in the Middle East. Starring Gene Raymond, Paula Corday, and Donald Murphy.
9"The Great Lady"UnknownUnknownSeptember 11, 1956 (1956-09-11)
After a wealthy actress retires and opens a boarding house, she becomes involved in intrigue and murder. Starring Ann Harding and Vera Miles.
10"The Jungle Trap"UnknownUnknownSeptember 18, 1956 (1956-09-18)
While leading a safari, an embittered man trying to escape the tragic memory of his brother learns that one of the men under his charge is the judge who sentenced his brother to death. Starring Ronald Reagan and Lewis Martin.

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "UNSOLD PILOTS ON TELEVISION, 1956-1966". tvobscurities.com. Television Obscurities. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  2. ↑ Terrace, Vincent (1976). The Complete Encyclopedia of Television Programs 1947-1976 (Vol. 1). South Brunswick and New York: A.S. Barnes and Company. ISBN   0-498-01561-0.
  3. ↑ Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN   978-0-345-49773-4.
  4. ↑ "G.E. Will Sponsor TV Series in Summer Using Previously Unsold 'Sample' Films". The New York Times . 8 June 1956. p. 37. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "General Electric Summer Originals". ctva.com. CTVA – The Classic TV Archive. Retrieved 3 June 2024.
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