Television · 1973
Gavel-to-Gavel Watergate and Satellite Spectacles
In 1973, television captivated millions with live wall-to-wall coverage of the Senate Watergate hearings and Elvis Presley’s globally beamed concert. From groundbreaking observational documentaries to iconic crime dramas, the small screen redefined reality and entertainment.
- Gavel-to-Gavel News Broadcast / USA
The Watergate Hearings
US networks preempted regular daytime television to broadcast live, compelling testimony from the Senate Watergate investigations.
- Live Music Special / NBC
Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite
Elvis Presley made television history with a live concert broadcast via satellite, reaching an estimated one billion viewers globally.
- Documentary Series / PBS
An American Family
PBS aired the groundbreaking twelve-part series following the Loud family, effectively creating the template for modern reality television.
- Documentary Series / BBC Two
The Ascent of Man
Jacob Bronowski hosted a landmark thirteen-part BBC series tracing the history of human innovation and scientific achievement.
- Crime Drama Premiere / CBS
Kojak
Telly Savalas debuted as the lollipop-chomping, tough-talking New York detective Theo Kojak in this gritty police procedural.
- Soap Opera Premiere / CBS
The Young and the Restless
William J. Bell and Lee Phillip Bell launched a stylized new daytime drama that became a cornerstone of American television.
- Educational Animation / ABC
Schoolhouse Rock!
ABC debuted catchy animated musical shorts during Saturday morning cartoons to teach children grammar, math, and history.
- Sitcom Premiere / BBC One
Last of the Summer Wine
Roy Clarke’s gentle comedy about three elderly men rambling through Yorkshire premiered, beginning the longest-running sitcom in TV history.
Enjoyed your trip back in time?