Bicentennial Minutes facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Bicentennial Minutes |
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The opening graphic, seen at the beginning of all Bicentennial Minutes.
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| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Running time | 1 minute |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | July 4, 1974 – December 31, 1976 |
Bicentennial Minutes was a series of short TV segments. They celebrated the 200th birthday of the United States. This special time was called the Bicentennial. The segments focused on the American Revolution. The CBS Television Network produced them. They were shown every night from July 4, 1974, until December 31, 1976. Each segment was only one minute long. Shell Oil Company and later Raid (insecticide) sponsored the show.
Contents
What Were Bicentennial Minutes?
The idea for "Bicentennial Minutes" came from Ethel Winant and Lewis Freedman at CBS. They wanted to create something special. Paul Waigner was the producer of the series. Bob Markell was the executive producer. Bernard Eismann was the main writer from 1974 to 1976. Meryle Evans researched all the historical facts.
Awards and Recognition
The series won important awards. In 1976, it received an Emmy Award. This award was for outstanding program achievement. It also won a Special Christopher Award in the same year. These awards showed how much people appreciated the show.
How the Segments Worked
Each segment was one minute long. They were shown every night during prime time. This was usually around 8:30 or 9:00 P.M. Eastern time. The way the segments looked stayed the same. But a different person narrated each one. Often, a famous CBS TV star would be the narrator.
The narrator would introduce themselves. Then they would say, "This is a Bicentennial Minute." After that, they would say, "Two hundred years ago today..." They would then describe a historical event. Or they would talk about a famous person from that exact date 200 years earlier. These events were always related to the American Revolution.
The segment would end with the narrator saying, "I'm (their name), and that's the way it was." This was a nod to Walter Cronkite. He was a famous news anchor. He always ended his news show by saying, "And that's the way it is."
Famous Narrators
Many important people narrated these minutes. On July 3, 1976, Nelson Rockefeller, who was the Vice President, narrated a segment. On July 4, 1976, First Lady Betty Ford narrated one. The very last "Bicentennial Minute" aired on December 31, 1976. It was narrated by Gerald Ford, who was the President at the time. His segment was also the longest one. After the series ended, a short news summary called "Newsbreak" took its place.
Bicentennial Minutes in Pop Culture
"Bicentennial Minutes" became very popular. People often talked about it. It was even made fun of in other TV shows. This shows how well-known it was.
TV Show References
For example, on the show All in the Family, a character named Mike Stivic made a joke about it. He said, "I think we just heard Archie Bunker's Bicentennial Minute." This happened after his father-in-law talked about American history. Another show, Sanford and Son, also had a parody. The star, Redd Foxx, made fun of the segments.
Country Music Humor
Country music shows also used "Bicentennial Minutes" for laughs. The TV show Hee Haw had a parody called "About 200 Years Ago." Grandpa Jones, a musician, wore a funny tri-cornered hat. He would tell silly historical "facts" about the American Revolution. He would end by shrugging and saying, "That's the way it was, about 200 years ago... enh, more or less."
Other Parodies
The Carol Burnett Show also did a funny parody. It featured actors Harvey Korman and Tim Conway. The game show Match Game sometimes asked questions in the "Bicentennial Minute" style. On the show Maude, a character said, "I didn't ask for your Bicentennial Minute!" This happened when someone was giving too many reasons.
