Just about everything has a value and that value is ever changing. When something is in plentiful supply then it is not valued very highly. As it becomes less plentiful, so its value increases. As well as everyday commodities, this can also be applied to antiques. A bedside cabinet, a vase, or just about any object will lose value from the day it is first made. It loses value as it becomes older as it is deemed to be of a lower quality than a newly made version. Then, a curious thing happens. When this object reaches a certain age, assuming it is still intact, its value increases through the passage of time and eventually becomes an artefact or an antique. The art of dealing in antiques is to spot this crossover point, the point at which the object changes from being old and jaded to being valued as a rare relic of the past.

This doesn't only apply to tangible objects. It also applies to more abstract things such as music and plays. We may have been battered by a pop tune that was constantly played on the radio a few years ago. After a few weeks we may have had enough of it. The tune would have become stale. Then, after several years we might happen to hear it again and along with it memories of whatever we happened to be doing when it was in vogue. The same goes for old tv shows. Some may have seemed mundane at the time. Truth is, that some probably were mundane to many of us. All the same, we will often look back in affection at even the most ordinary of tv shows from years ago. As media is changing almost beyond recognition, those old pioneering tv shows are becoming an ever rarer commodity. Perhaps we have now reached that crossover point when old tv shows from the 50's and 60's are going from old and unwanted to rare and sought after.

Many recordings of old tv shows are indeed rare. I'm afraid there isn't one central library of pristine recordings of these shows. Film, VHS and DVD copies of these rarities can turn up from any corner, in an attic here, or a forgotten company stockroom there. Many have never survived, especially from the early 1960's and earlier. Many more were never recorded in the first place. Most early tv shows were made live to air, even plays. Others were recorded on tape only to be recorded over by a newer show. Oddly enough, many tv shows went out live and were filmed or recorded so that the sponsors and directors could review it. Once they were done with it the recording it was discarded or wiped. Some film of old tv shows were lost in a fire, or disposed of because of fire risk, or may have degraded and rotted away. From the late 1960's onwards, tv shows were more likely to be kept more safely as video became less costly and more shows were recorded anyway. What remains is a demand for tv show recordings that is steadily growing through the passage of time. What is certain is there are still old recordings of tv shows out there that are yet undiscovered. If you know of any, please email mail@bygonetv.com

It is not just the older generation that are interested in these shows. Younger people are increasingly curious about how life was in those days. Television has been a big part of U.S. culture for many years. We all know about our family history. We know the highlights: births, death, marriages etc. What youngsters find it hard to understand is the everyday existence of past generations and not just the big occasions. We are now at the point where tv itself was a significant part of that existence. Old tv show recordings are not only curiosities in their own right, they are also documentary evidence of what life was like from day to day. Some shows reflect everyday life, albeit, in most cases, a Hollywood glitzy version. A real insight into the way we were is the tv commercials and sponsorship messages. If you are planning to obtain any old recordings of tv shows, try to get those that are recorded as transmitted. The quality will not always be the highest, but the commercials and message of the time will give the recording an added dimension.

A example of a tv show that is now very rare is Bachelor Father. It is a situation comedy that first aired in 1957, starring John Forsythe. In Bachelor Father he played the part of Bentley Gregg, a wealthy bachelor who suddenly finds himself having to raise his niece after her parents are killed in an auto accident. Sammee Tong played his reliable but beleaguered manservant, Peter. This was quite a gentle comedy and certainly did not have a high laugh-per-minute rate. One very interesting aside regarding these old television shows is what happened to the stars. In the case of Bachelor Father, John Forsythe later went on to become the character of Blake Carrington in the 1980's iconic soap opera, Dynasty. He is now retired. Noreen Corcoran, who played his niece, switched into theater management and Sammee Tong committed suicide in 1964.

Old tv shows are part of our history and heritage. I wonder how long it will be before you will see a DVD section in an antique shop?