How Television Marked the Seasons

There was a time when you could tell what time of year it was by what was on broadcast television. The year started with the Rose Bowl parade and college football bowl games. It ended with the Guy Lombardo Orchestra on New Year’s Eve. In between the year was dotted with Peanuts and Charlie Brown specials that marked Valentine’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

Here’s a look back at how the television schedule served as a calendar.

Spring

Easter, in particular, usually features showings of biblical-based classics like “The Ten Commandments” and “The Greatest Story Ever Told”. There was also much more hype focused around the Indianapolis 500 and the Kentucky Derby. The Masters continues to play a big role on Spring TV.

Summer

Summer frequently meant reruns and summer replacement shows. That didn’t always mean a wasteland, as shows like Big Brother, Melrose Place, and The $25,000 Pyramid all got footing during the summer. You also knew it was summer when baseball, the hot dog eating championship, and the promotion of the new fall show lineups began.

Fall

Along with the new fall line-ups, fall television is marked by political ads, college and pro football, and baseball’s World Series. The end of the fall TV schedule also includes a slew of horror movies as Halloween approaches.

Winter

You knew it was winter when you couldn’t turn on your TV without seeing classics like Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer, The Wizard of Oz, It’s a Wonderful Life, and virtually every other holiday-related cartoon or movie. College bowl games dominate in December as well as ads for the latest toys and gifts including standards like the Chia Pet, Hershey Kisses, chocolate covered cherries, and more.

Today, seasons are more marked by sales than what’s on commercial television. It starts with Presidents’ Day Sales and includes Memorial Day Sales and Labor Day Sales. Black Friday sales, and, of course, the inevitable non-stop holiday sales.

The fact is that traditional television seasons no longer exist. A show that has only been around a few years may have dozens of seasons. Insurance has no season. You should always be aware of your coverage and have an annual review. Annual price quotes can be beneficial as well. We can help. Contact us to get updated today.