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On Sunday, March 31st, 1957 from 8-9:30PM, CBS aired “Cinderella,” a color extravaganza starring Julie Andrews with music by Rodgers and Hammerstein. Reportedly, some 107 million viewers tuned in, more than the 105.9 who watched “Goodbye, Farewell and Amen” or the 106.5 million who watched Super Bowl XLIV. Ratings guru DuMont, who comments here at Television Obscurities on occasion, decided to investigate. After doing an impressive amount of research, DuMont posted an in-depth look at the ratings and numbers for “Cinderella” at the AVS Forum, concluding that upward of 109,974,750 viewers watched “Cinderella” on CBS on March 31st, 1957.

I’ve done my own investigation. Keep reading to see what I came up with.

To start, here’s how The Billboard announced the numbers for “Cinderella” in its April 29th, 1957 issue:

The March 31 CBS-TV spectacular of “Cinderella” hit the jackpot. It’s Nielsen rating was a socko 60.1 and its AA a 49.1. Its share of audience was 65.6. Pepsi-Cola and Shulton Sponsored. [1].

And on May 6th, The Billboard published the two charts, reflecting the Top Ten network television programs for the two weeks ending April 6th, 1957 according to Nielsen [2]. The first chart listed the Top Ten programs by total audience rating and the second chart by average audience rating. For some reason, the charts list NBC as the network that broadcast “Cinderella” rather than CBS; I’m not sure why The Billboard first gave the total audience rating as 60.1 and later as 60.6 but the latter number seems to be the correct one. Here are the charts in full:

Total Audience

##	Program	Network	Rating
1.	Cinderella	NBC [CBS]	60.6
2.	Academy Awards	NBC	48.2
3.	I Love Lucy	CBS	44.3
4.	$64,000 Question	CBS	43.0
5.	G.E. Theater	CBS	42.7
6.	Ed Sullivan Show	CBS	42.5
7.	Disneyland	ABC	41.1
8.	Perry Como Show	NBC	40.3
9.	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	CBS	39.5
10.	December Bride	CBS	37.5

Average Audience

##	Program	Network	Rating
1.	Cinderella	NBC [CBS]	49.1
2.	I Love Lucy	CBS	41.8
3.	G.E. Theater	CBS	40.0
4.	$64,000 Question	CBS	39.4
5.	Academy Awards	NBC	37.3
6.	Alfred Hitchcock Presents	CBS	37.0
7.	December Bride	CBS	35.3
8.	Gunsmoke	CBS	34.2
9.	Perry Como	NBC	33.2
10.	Ernie Ford	NBC	33.0

Here’s what the various numbers mean. The total audience rating for “Cinderella,” a 60.6, means that 60.6% of all television households in the United States watched at least six minutes of the special. The average audience rating means that 49.1% of all television households watched all ninety minutes of the special. The total audience is large because some homes only watched part of the special (at least six minutes per quarter hour or half hour, I’m not sure which). Notice that the Academy Awards ranked second in total audience with a 48.2 rating but fifth in average audience with a 37.3 rating. Obviously, a lot of households tuned in to see a few Oscars handed out but a significantly smaller number watched the entire broadcast.

For the networks, the total audience figure served as a better promotional tool than the average audience because it made it look like more people were watching. For advertisers, on the other hand, it was the average number of households watching at any given minute that meant more. These days you rarely see mention of a program’s total audience and when you do it is only in terms of viewers. Super Bowl XLIV, for example, had a total audience of 153.4 million viewers compared to its average audience of 106.5 million viewers.

With this in mind the question becomes whether the 107 million viewers said to have watched “Cinderella” refers to the total audience or the average audience. Given that CBS would want to promote the larger number it stands to reason that the 107 million was calculated using the total audience rating. Because Nielsen at the time did not measure viewers, it was left to Trendex, another audience measurement service, to determin that there were 4.43 viewers per household. According to DuMont’s research, Nielsen estimated that the total households watching “Cinderella” was 23,305,000. Multiplying 23,305,000 by 4.43 equals 103,241,150 viewers. DuMont suggests that to the difference between the widely reported 107 million viewers and 103 million has to do with an increase in total households reflected by Trendex but not Nielsen.

Those 23,305,000 households average out to about 384,570 households per ratings point (60.6 x 384,570 = 23,304,942). Multiplying the 49.1 average audience rating by 384,570 comes to 18,882,387 Nielsen Average Audience (NAA). Multiplying that number by the 4.43 Trendex viewers per households equals 83,648,974 viewers, which is still a huge number but not a record. Interestingly, that’s roughly the same number that James Hibberd came up with in February of 2010 when he took a look at “Cinderella” for The Hollywood Reporter’s Live Feed:

Third, even if the 4.4 is accurate, at the time there were 49 million households in the country, but only 38.6 million households with TVs, according to Nielsen. If the 49.1 rating is right, then that meant that 18.95 million households watched “Cinderella.” Even at 4.4 viewers per house watching, this only comes out to 83.4 million people.

So the idea that 107 million people watched “Cinderella” is, yeah, probably just a fairy tale.

It’s not quite a fairy tale because some 107 million people did watch portions of “Cinderella,” just not all of it, if the Trendex number of 4.43 viewers per household is correct. Understanding television ratings can be both frustrating and confusing, especially when figures from different companies are involved as well as a variety of percentages relating to households with television. Still, based on the information available it is my opinion that the March 31st, 1957 broadcast of “Cinderella” on CBS is not the most-watched television program of all time. It may well have been at one point but the final episode of M*A*S*H certainly surpassed it in 1983 and it was likely beaten decades earlier (perhaps by Roots in 1977).

Works Cited:

Related posts:

1. Nielsen Top Ten, October 2nd – October 8th, 1972
2. Top 10 Specials of the 1964-1965 Season
3. Nielsen Top Ten, January 9th – January 22nd, 1967

Still from Hawaii Five-O Episode “Bored, She Hung Herself”

The following is from the Quick FAQ at the Hawaii Five-O Home Page:

No one at CBS or Paramount has offered a direct explanation as to why this is so. According to Mrs. Leonard Freeman (wife of the late creator of the show), speaking to some fans at the 1996 Five-O convention, someone tried the hanging technique depicted in the show (supposedly yoga-related, but more like autoerotic asphyxiation) and killed themselves. As a result, the show was not rebroadcast and never included in any syndication packages. As far as the DVD set is concerned, including this episode would have necessitated having a 7th DVD with one episode (or spreading 25 episodes over 7 DVDs), which would result in extra expense for Paramount as far as packaging was concerned.

A disclaimer located on back of the Season Two DVD noted that “the second season episode ‘Bored, She Hung Herself’ aired only once and is not included in this set.” Here’s an August 3rd, 2007 article from the Honolulu Star Bulletin about the Season Two DVD release that mentions the missing episode.

It should be noted that the episode is neither lost nor missing but simply unavailable (read more about lost, missing and unavailable television programs here). I am all but certain that CBS and/or Paramount has a copy somewhere. According to the United States Copyright Office, copyright on the episode was renewed in January of 1997 by CBS, Inc.

Still from Hawaii Five-O Episode “Bored, She Hung Herself”

Furthermore, a copy of the episode has been in the hands of private collectors for some time, apparently from a rather poor quality 16mm print of the episode that includes CBS identification and network bumpers, suggesting it may have come from an affiliate. That’s just speculation on my part, though. Take a look at the above video clip and the various images from the episode for an indication of the quality.

Still from Hawaii Five-O Episode “Bored, She Hung Herself”

Has “Bored, She Hung Herself” ever aired in the United States since its original broadcast? Or internationally? I can’t say. Will it ever make its way to DVD? Unlikely. But who knows, it might be included in a complete series collection after all twelve seasons are released individually.

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Parker followed Disneyland and Davy Crockett with Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, an ABC sitcom based on the 1939 film of the same named, which starred James Stewart and was directed by Frank Capra. The series ran for 25 episodes during the 1962-1963 season. From 1964 to 1970, Parker starred in NBC’s Daniel Boone alongside Patricia Blair, Darby Hinton and Ed Ames. A total of 165 episodes were broadcast over the course of six seasons. Parker retired in the mid-1970s after starring in an unsold pilot for The Fess Parker Show on CBS. An avid businessman, Parker dabbled in real estate and hotel ownership and in the 1980s set his sights on wine, opening Fess Parker’s Winery & Vineyard in Los Olivos, California.

Obituaries can be found at The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post and NPR. The official website for Fess Parker’s Winery & Vineyard can be found here.

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I’ve mentioned before that I’m a fan of Welcome Back, Kotter. I reviewed two of the tie-in novels last year (#2 – The Sweathog Newshawks and #5 – The Sweathog Sit-In). But until recently I didn’t know there was a comic book adaptation of the ABC sitcom. I picked up issue #7 a month or two ago and finally had time to sit down and read it earlier today. It wasn’t that good, unfortunately. A total of 10 issues were published by DC Comics between November of 1976 and April of 1978, each labeled “A DC TV Comic.” According to the indicia, the title was published monthly except for April, June, August, October and February, which is more than a little odd. An annual subscription cost $3.

Issue #7 consists of just one story titled “Camp Waterloo Or, A Remedial Summer Vacation.” The story opens with Gabe and Julie Kotter arriving at Camp Waterloo in the Catskills during summer break. They’re shocked to discover Principal Woodman there as well. It turns out Gabe is director, Woodman assistant director and Julie camp cook. The Sweathogs — Vinnie Barbarino, Arnold Horshack, Freddie “Boom Boom” Washington and Juan Epstein — are the camp’s new junior counselors. Woodman couldn’t be less happy. Within minutes of their arrival the Sweathogs are already getting into trouble: Gabe is knocked out and falls into a canoe heading across the lake to the girls’ camp.

Welcome Back, Kotter #7 Front – Copyright 1976 DC Comics Inc.

Not surprisingly, the Sweathogs all volunteer to go after Gabe but the remaining canoe only fits two. Vinnie announces that he and Juan will rescue Gabe while Horshack runs off to rescue his pet skunk Raquel from the trunk of the Sweathog’s car. Vinnie and Juan soon encounter two girls in their own canoe and Vinnie breaks the cardinal rule of canoeing: never stand up. He promptly stands up and needs to be rescued himself (neither Vinnie nor Juan can swim). One of the girls dives in to save Vinnie, which he finds humiliating.

The girls challenge Gabe and the counselors to a game of softball, which Gabe accepts. Vinnie hopes to prove he’s not a turkey by knocking the socks of the broad who saved him. Instead, the girls beat the boys (plus Julie) in a close game, 7-6. Vinnie, horrified, walks off the field but is stopped by the broad, who introduces herself as Margie Drake. The two shake hands and then the campers arrive. It’s going to be a long summer.

The story isn’t all that great (I left out two minor subplots involving a bear and Gabe repeatedly having things fall or hit his foot) and neither is the artwork. As you can see from the cover the characters are recognizable but only just. Vinnie especially seems generic. So does Julie, who doesn’t look anything like the lovely Marcia Strassman. At the end of the issue is a letters page titled “Sweat Hog Scratchings!” featuring reader responses to the fourth and fifth issues. Most of the letters are positive. One is from the mother of David and Ernie who explains that she enjoyed the comic even more than her sons. Another congratulates the creative team for “a truly humerous [sic] comic book.” And two others note that earlier issues have done a great job matching the tone of the television series.

One letter, however, criticizes the fifth issue for being “the pits,” explaining that the third and fourth issues were great but the fifth was “all goofy, all too typical and unbelievable comedy stuff” and didn’t include an uncle joke. Bob Toomey, who wrote the comic, replied with the start of an uncle joke but ran out of space before he could finish. The final story page of the comic reported that the next issue would be on sale during the second week of September. Because comics were published two or three months before the cover date, this issue probaby came out in August of 1977.

Given the popularity that Welcome Back, Kotter enjoyed during its first few seasons on the air it isn’t surprising that a comic book tie-in was attempted. Still, the humor of the show relied heavily on facial expressions, vocal inflection and other things that don’t translate well into the pages of a comic book. Or, for that matter, the printed page. Neither of the tie-in novels I’ve read were all that great. How can you reproduce Freddie’s famous deep “Hi there.” or Vinnie’s lovable idiocy? You can’t.

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2. Bookshelf: Welcome Back, Kotter #2 – “The Sweathog Newshawks”

Hopefully, these delays mean better quality transfers and more extras. Only time will tell.

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The 1954-1962 “General Electric Theater” tapes, most believed to be damaged or lost, were recently uncovered in the General Electric/NBC Universal archives. They were restored to broadcast quality for use in the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

[...]

“The opportunity to represent GE back in the 1950s, and the encouragement he received from the employees he met along the way, really launched Ronnie’s career in public service,” Mrs. Reagan said in a statement released Wednesday. ”I know he would be honored by this tribute.”

GE CEO Jeff Immelt plans to deliver the tapes to Mrs. Reagan at the library Wednesday evening. General Electric is sponsoring the Ronald Reagan Centennial festivities with $15 million.

In addition to the episodes of General Electric Theater, GE is helping to renovate the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library; it will eventually feature a new General Electric Theater that “will focus on Reagan’s career in radio, television and film.” The Ronald Reagan Centennial Celebration, a two-year event, will culminate in February of 2011. Reagan was born February 6th, 1911. Here’s a press release announcing GE’s sponsorship of the celebration.

General Electric Theater premiered on CBS on Sunday, February 1st, 1953. It wasn’t until September 26th, 1954 that Reagan began his stint as host, which would last until the series went off the air in September of 1962 (the final new episode was broadcast on June 3rd, 1962). According to TV.com and the Internet Movie Database a total of 300 episodes were broadcast during its nearly ten years on the air. The program’s entry in the Museum of Broadcast Communication’s Encyclopedia of TV (1st edition) puts the number at just 200, which can’t be right given that 208 featured Reagan as host. Regardless of how many episodes were produced, one would hope that those not involving Reagan have or will also be restored and perhaps eventually made available to researchers and other interested parties.

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The following four advertisements for The Marvel Super Heroes come straight from the pages of Marvel’s The Avengers comic book. Do note that comic books are typically published two or three months prior to the cover date. Thus, the first advertisement likely appeared in July or August of 1966, a month or two before the series debuted in syndication, giving comic book readers time to find the series on a location station.

Continue reading to see three more advertisements.

Outside of the United States, The Marvel Super Heroes was seen in Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Japan, Argentina, Australia, Uruguay and Canada.

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An attempt by CBS to revive the series in 1961, Return of The Lone Ranger, did not get past the pilot stage. The Lone Ranger was played by Tex Hill in the pilot.

Some sources even say the pilot aired. I can find absolutely no other information about this pilot. And it seems odd to me that CBS would even be interested in airing a new television series based on the Lone Ranger. The beloved ABC series starring Clayton Moore (and John Hart) had aired its final first-run episode on June 6th, 1957 but repeats continued to draw viewers in daytime syndication on both ABC and NBC until September of 1961. I find it hard to believe that the network would think a new version would succeed.

For the record, here’s a broadcast history of The Lone Ranger, which aired on all three networks before entering national syndication:

ABC

Thursdays (Prime Time First Run)
September 15th, 1949 – June 6th, 1957; Repeats Through September 12th, 1957

Fridays (Prime Time Repeats)
June 16th, 1950 – September 8th, 1950

Sundays (Daytime)
September 22nd, 1957 – September 18th, 1960

Wednesdays (Daytime)
September 28th, 1960 – September 20th, 1961

CBS

Saturdays (Daytime)
June 13th, 1953 – September 24th, 1960

NBC

Saturdays (Daytime)
October 1st, 1960 – September 23rd, 1961

Does anyone have any information on this supposed 1961 pilot starring Tex Hill?

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Today marks the official release of Shout! Factory’s The Goldbergs – The Ultimate Goldbergs collection, which the company is only selling through its website. Announced in December of 2009, the set includes all 71 episodes of the sitcom known to exist, 12 radio episodes, the pilot episode of Mrs. G Goes to College, an excerpt from Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, a 2009 documentary about Gertrude Berg, and a 24-page booklet. The collection has been available for purchase from the UCLA Film & Television Archive website for several weeks, meaning there are now two ways to buy the collection.

Also out today, from Paramount Home Entertainment, is Hawaii Five-O: Eighth Season, which contains all 24 episodes from the 1975-1976 season. There are still four seasons to go but thus far all indications point to the entire series making its way to DVD, aside from one episode from the second season that hasn’t been seen since its original broadcast. And don’t forget, a remake is in the works for CBS. Should that series succeed (or at least last a season) perhaps it will be out on DVD before the 12th and final season of Hawaii Five-O. Who knows?

Finally, Amazon.com is running a Spotlight Deals Events through April 5th, 2010 featuring some 200 classic television sets, including Three’s Company, Mister Ed, The Big Valley, The Patty Duke Show and more. Savings of up to 56%.

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