Voting Station

General Electric Theater

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TV Series

The Resume

    (February 1, 1953-June 3, 1962)
    Originally aired on CBS
    Anthology series
    Hosted by Ronald Reagan
    Sponsored by General Electric
    Presentations included 'The Martyr,' 'Into the Night,' 'The Dark, Dark Hours,' 'Aftermath,' Star Witness: The Lili Parrish Story,' 'Feathertop' and 'Let it Rain'

Why General Electric Theater might be annoying:

    It struggled in ratings for the first two seasons.
    It was General Electric's PR megaphone.
    It was regularly outperformed by Playhouse 90.
    It alternated between live broadcasts from New York and taped broadcasts from Los Angeles.
    It contractually required Ronald Reagan to travel the country spouting right-wing GE propaganda for public appearances (some think he became indoctrinated as a result).
    Michael Reagan claimed that then-Attorney General Bobby Kennedy pressured execs to fire his father as the host (unverified by any major Reagan biographer).
    It was cancelled and replaced in the same time slot by the GE-sponsored show 'GE True,' hosted by Jack Webb, which was short-lived.

Why General Electric Theater might not be annoying:

    Jacques Tourneur and Kurt Vonnegut worked on episodes.
    It peaked at #3 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1956-57 season.
    It received eleven Emmy award nominations during its run.
    It reinvented Ronald Reagan's public profile (from B-movie actor to a brand ambassador and household name).
    It offered top-tier talent from stars like Judy Garland, Jimmy Stewart and Fred Astaire.
    It showcased performances by up-and-coming stars like Angie Dickinson and Michael Landon.
    It was among the last of its genre to be shown on television.
    A 'lost' live episode (aired on December 12, 1954) pairing Ronald Reagan with James Dean became national news after it was uncovered (April 2010).

Credit: BoyWiththeGreenHair


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 1 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 5 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 13 Votes: 46.15% Annoying