September 23, 1962…”The Jetsons” Debuts As First Color For ABC

September 23, 1962…”The Jetsons” Debuts As First Color For ABC

This video clip is quite good, as Bill Hanna and Joseph Barbera reminisce about the show.

Here’s a little known fact…although this was ABC’s first color broadcast, the network’s facilities did not include any color equipment anywhere, and only a few of their affiliates could broadcast color. So, how did “The Jetsons” run in color on ABC?

Each week, ABC took a 35 and 16MM copy (master and safety) to NBC Burbank on Sunday afternoons. NBC would rack both and play them simultaneously (in case the 35MM film broke) down two AT&T lines to ABC New York for the east coast broadcast. They would do the same later each Sunday when they fed the signal to ABC Hollywood.

“The Flintstones” was produced in color and preceded this show by two years, but those first couple of years were broadcast in black and white. When “The Jetsons” debuted in color, the next week the Bedrock bunch made their color debut too, which also included NBC Burbank.

ABC’s first color ability came in late 1964 when they installed an RCA color film chain in New York. The network’s first live color ability came the next year when The Hollywood Palace got 4 RCA TK41s. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oDaHRbIDH8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oDaHRbIDH8A short documentary featuring the history of the Jetsons with rare commentary clips from Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera. This documentary is from the excellent J…

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