TV Wonderland: The Enchantment of Early Television

by Brad Schepp, Debra Schepp

From big screens to high-definition, America’s obsession with the television started more than 50 years ago when the first TV catalogs and print advertisements began defining the suburban family by the size, color, and features of its television. TV WONDERLAND looks at the unique history of the television through the lens of advertising the campaigns, slogans, and sales pitches revealing the cultural fabric of the time. The centerpiece of the home, the television united families as moms, dads, kids, and sometimes neighbors, too, gathered together to watch their favorite programs. It entertained, it educated, it celebrated the holidays! No wonder it secured a place in the home for so long. The television was a permanent part of the family.

176 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2005

Reviews

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you remember when your family got your first color television set? Do you remember fighting with those silly rabbit ears for hours trying to get a better picture? Do you remember watching Howdy Doody, Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Bonanza, or The Twilight Zone?

TV Wonderland: The Enchantment of Early Television takes the reader on a tour of remembrance of the early years of television from its conception through its various evolutions such as colour, bigger size, mobility, and cable television to how this invention transformed the average family. On every page, surrounding the text of this book, are the collections of hundreds of television advertisements showing the gradual changes in both television and in advertising. All of these aspects put together bring back long forgotten memories of a slower gentler time in our lives and in our communities.