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Cultural highlights of 1950

Television: UK
New shows

Television: US
New shows
• Arthur Murray Party (ABC, from 20 July). Dance music; later on all other networks, including DuMont.
• Broadway Open House (from 29 May). First ‘chat show’ on US television, which evolves into the Tonight show.
• George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (McCadden Productions for CBS, from 12 October). Comedy. Broadcast live from New York for six shows before moving to Los Angeles and a fortnightly schedule. After the first two seasons the show is filmed. Series runs until 22 September 1958 and is a strong export item. McCadden was Burns' own company.
• Grand Ole Opry (from 30 September). Country music from Nashville.
• Robert Montgomery Presents (NBC, from 30 January). Drama; runs for seven seasons.
• What's My Line (CBS, from 16 February). Panel game. It runs for 18 seasons.
• You Bet Your Life (ABC). Quiz, compered by Groucho Marx, transferred from radio, on which it has been running since 1947. On television it runs until 1961.
• Your Hit Parade (NBC, from 10 July). Popular music, sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes; it runs for seven years, transferring later to CBS.
• Your Show of Shows (NBC, from 25 February). Variety and comedy, hosted by Sid Caesar.

Radio: US
New shows
• Dangerous Assignment (NBC, from 6 February). Thriller.
• The Hour of Decision (syndicated). Evangelical Christian series by Billy Graham.

Other media: Print
• Peanuts cartoon strip, drawn by Charles M Schultz, is published in nine US newspapers (from 2 October). At first called Li'l Folks, it is produced until 2000, for 10 months short of 50 years.
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, first of the Narnia Chronicles by C S Lewis, is published in England.

Other media: Theatre
• Guys and Dolls, musical based on Damon Runyon stories, opens on Broadway. A radio series, Damon Runyon Theater, had run throughout the previous year.

Chronomedia 1950