page_title: Perry Como television and radio shows
section_title: Television
hierarchical_section_title: Perry Como television and radio shows / Television
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of Pittsburgh Pirates stars with Perry Como and Casey Stengel rehearsing for Kraft Music Hall in 1960. From left: Elroy Face, Hal Smith, Perry Como and Casey Stengel at the piano. Note the uploaded photo is larger and of better quality than the newsprint photo. Renewal searched were done at copyright.gov. There were no listings for the Valley Morning Star and also no renewals for items published in 1960 for UPI/United Press International. There's no evidence of current copyright for the photo.
context_page_description: Perry Como was an American singer, radio and television performer whose career covered more than fifty years. He is probably best known for his television shows and specials over a period of almost thirty years. Como came to television in 1948 when his radio show was selected by NBC for experimental television broadcasts. His television programs were seen in more than a dozen countries, making Como a familiar presence outside of the United States and Canada.
  He received five Emmys from 1955 to 1959, a Christopher Award and shared a Peabody Award with good friend Jackie Gleason in the same year. Como was inducted into the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame in 1990 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1987. Como has the distinction of having three stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for his work in radio, television, and music.
context_section_description: Como's television career began when NBC decided to experiment with televising his Chesterfield Supper Club radio show on December 24, 1948. The cameras were simply brought into the radio studio to televise the radio broadcast of the show. NBC initially planned to televise three Friday evening "Supper Club" radio shows; the network was pleased enough with the results that the experimental period was extended into August 1949. Como admitted that he felt awkward and unsure at first, but was able to relax enough to perform on the television show in the same manner as he did for normal radio broadcasts. On September 8, 1949, Chesterfield Supper Club became an officially scheduled television program airing on Sunday nights for a half-hour.
  Perry and his sponsor moved to CBS in 1950; the show was re-titled The Perry Como Chesterfield Show and the schedule returned to one similar to the "Supper Club" radio shows: a 15-minute program three times a week. J. Fred Muggs, who rose to fame on the NBC Today show, made his debut on Perry Como's CBS program. Pat Weaver of Today saw the baby chimp on the show and thought he would be able to help his still-floundering morning program. NBC offered Como a long-term contract to host a weekly hour-long television show that would beginning in the fall of 1955. Como signed a 12-year contract with the network in April 1955.
  The Perry Como Show made its debut September 17, 1955, with the following announcement from announcer Frank Gallop: "We assume everyone can read, so we will not shout at you." Initially, only Gallop's voice was heard because there was not enough room for him to appear onstage. Clad in his well-known cardigan sweaters, Como welcomed guest stars to his musical-comedy variety program. The "Sing to me, Mr. C." segment of the show was where Como responded to letters of viewer song requests. Como was seated on a stool as he sang some of the music of the weekly requests. The setting for this segment had its beginnings in the first television broadcasts of the Chesterfield Supper Club. Como and his guests did the radio show sitting on stools behind music stands; this is what was seen by the cameras when they initially came into the radio studio. The opening theme song for Como's shows from 1955-1963 was "Dream Along with Me (I'm On My Way to a Star)". The closing theme was "You Are Never Far Away From Me". "We Get Letters", composed by Ray Charles, was the musical beginning of the "Sing to me, Mr. C." segment of Como's weekly shows. It was revived by the Late Show with David Letterman.
  The Perry Como Show was rated as number seven in the Nielsen top ten after it had been on the air for two months. The program became one of the first color television programs with its 1956 season premiere; it was also the only NBC television show in the Nielsen top ten for the 1956–1957 season. During this time, a ratings war developed between the Como show and that of entertainer Jackie Gleason. Off-screen, Gleason and Como were long-time friends; Como had been one of those who filled in for Gleason in 1954, when he suffered a broken leg and ankle in an on-air fall. While both men were eager to win, neither wanted to do so at all costs. They kept their friendship intact with phone calls the day after the show; the winner of the weekly ratings battle phoned the loser for some good-natured joking.
  Kraft Foods had been the sponsor of a long-running radio program called Kraft Music Hall. The company decided to develop the show for television in 1958, hosted by Milton Berle. Kraft approached Perry Como regarding becoming the program's new host in early 1959. Como signed what was then a record-breaking deal with Kraft, receiving $25 million to host the show for the next two years with another contract to serve as the company's spokesman for the next seven years. The agreement also put Como in charge of his television show's production, as well as for the shows replacing it during the summer hiatus. Como's production company, Roncom, named for his son, Ronnie Como, handled the transactions. Como also had con
caption: Elroy Face and Hal Smith of the Pittsburgh Pirates with Perry Como and Casey Stengel of the New York Yankees rehearsing for a Kraft Music Hall appearance, 1960
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