Texaco Star Theater

• 1948-1959
• NBC
• Variety Shows

• Watchlist

The groundbreaking live variety show hosted by Milton Berle, who, more than being merely 'Uncle Miltie,' was, as Larry Gelbart wrote, 'the medium's founding father.' Whether in drag, punching out one-liners or winging it with guests, 'Mr. Television' was a brash comic pioneer whose popularity in the late '40s---at its peak, his show drew an astonishing 80 percent of the audience---sold countless TV sets. Though Texaco dropped its sponsorship in 1953, he remained a TV fixture for years to come.