Voting Station

The Original Amateur Hour

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TV Series

The Resume

    (January 18, 1948-September 27, 1970)
    Aired on Dumont (1948-49), NBC (1949-54,1957-58), ABC (1955-57,1960) and CBS (1959,1960-70)
    Based on the popular radio show 'Major Bowes' Amateur Hour' (1934-45)
    Hosted by Ted Mack
    Premise: Unknown talents perform, with the audience voting for their favorites by telephone and postcards

Why The Original Amateur Hour might be annoying:

    The show was originally sponsored by Old Gold cigarettes, with Mack's podium designed to look like a pack of cigarettes.
    After 1957, it became a half-hour show but kept the 'Amateur Hour' name.
    There was a mini-scandal over Pat Boone appearing on the show when he had already been on Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts and thus was not an amateur.
    As the show aged, it did not pick up younger viewers, so its main sponsor in its final years was Geritol.
    An attempt to revive the show on the Family Channel lasted only one season (1992).

Why The Original Amateur Hour might not be annoying:

    It is one of a few shows to have run on four networks.
    Stars discovered on the show include Gladys Knight, Ann-Margaret and Irene Cara.
    Louis Walcott (later known as Louis Farrakhan) performed as a violinist; if he had won, we might have been spared the whole Nation of Islam deal.
    Mack was referred to as 'the nicest guy in show business.'
    It set the pattern for future talent contests, such as Star Search and American Idol.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    For 2024, as of last weekly ranking, Out of 2 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2023, Out of 2 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 3 Votes: 33.33% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 3 Votes: 66.67% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 6 Votes: 83.33% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 7 Votes: 0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 7 Votes: 28.57% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 11 Votes: 45.45% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 12 Votes: 58.33% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 12 Votes: 41.67% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 11 Votes: 72.73% Annoying
    In 2010, Out of 23 Votes: 52.17% Annoying
    In 2009, Out of 31 Votes: 45.16% Annoying