Elvis on TV

 

Elvis on TV was always more than a regular program, more than a special event; it was a cultural experience. Presley was unknown nationally when he first appeared on national television on January 28, 1956. That appearance on CBS's Stage Show, along with the five others that followed, launched him on the road to super stardom. Thereafter, high ratings were the standard whenever Elvis appeared on the small screen.   During his lifetime, Elvis Presley made 15 high profile national TV appearances, 11 of which came in 1956. The first six were on Stage Show, hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, in the first three months of 1956. That was followed by two shots on NBC's The Milton Berle Show on April 3 and June 5. Steve Allen featured Elvis on his NBC variety show on July 1. Ed Sullivan then signed Elvis for three legendary appearances on his CBS Sunday night variety show on September 9 and October 28, 1956, and January 6, 1957. The latter was Elvis's only TV appearance in 1957. Presley fans and critics then waited over three years to see Elvis on TV again. His first public appearance after leaving the army was on Frank Sinatra's May 12, 1960, ABC special. For the next eight years Presley was seen only on the big screen, as he focused on his Hollywood career. Elvis recharged his waning career when he headlined his NBC "Comeback Special" on December 3, 1968. His last TV special during his lifetime came on April 4, 1973, when Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii was broadcast in the U.S. by NBC. Seven weeks after his death, another Elvis TV special was aired when Elvis in Concert ran on CBS.