In November 2005, Milton Berle, Red Skelton, Sid Caesar, Bob Hope, Steve Allen, Sammy Davis Jr., Buddy Ebsen, Donald O'Connor and Rose Marie return to primetime television. Never-before-seen interviews with these legends - and a treasure trove of rare clips - are blended in a new documentary, PIONEERS OF PRIMETIME, airing on PBS Wednesday, November 9, check local listings. Six years in the making, the film chronicles television comedy's long-forgotten pedigree - from vaudeville through radio to the golden age of television. Berle, Caesar, Skelton, Hope and many others provide fascinating firsthand accounts of what it was like to launch the new medium of television. "When we started in this business, there was nothing to copy," Sid Caesar recalls in PIONEERS OF PRIMETIME. "There was nothing on TV - unless you count bowling and wrestling." Red Skelton added, "I told the network executives, I know as much about TV as any of you guys do - we've all been in it for 20 minutes." These legendary performers rank among television's first superstars, but they were hardly overnight sensations. Instead, they sharpened their acts for decades on the vaudeville stage. "The reason I think that I was successful in television was because of my vaudeville training," says Milton Berle in the program. Bob Hope, Sammy Davis Jr., Buddy Ebsen, Rose Marie, Donald O'Connor and Red Skelton join Berle in recalling their rigorous vaudeville training. "I can remember doing six or seven shows a day," said Rose Marie. PIONEERS OF PRIMETIME recounts the transition these stars then made to the juggernaut called radio. "Young people today have no idea how big and prestigious and glamorous radio was in the 1930s," says Steve Allen. Even physical performers like Red Skelton found a way to entertain on radio. And when television arrived, it was the very same group of comedians who created masterpieces from an empty canvas. Sadly, most of the performers interviewed for PIONEERS OF PRIMETIME have since passed away. For many, these interviews were their final on-camera appearances. Many had never before spoken retrospectively about their careers. Even today, their influence can be seen every night. That's because modern television comedy isn't quite as edgy and innovative as we've been led to believe. All the characters and genres of today's TV comedy were worked out more than a half-century ago - by a small group of comic geniuses. This is their story ... PIONEERS OF PRIMETIME.
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