NBC PEACOCK - NETWORK ID - 1950s

[shulman2]

Best logo of all time together with 20th Century Fox CinemaScope logo.

[fromthesidelines]

In the fall of 1965, NBC began scheduling 95% color shows in prime-time {only "CONVOY" and "I DREAM OF JEANNIE" were in black and white}; CBS about 50%, after finally putting aside their differences with RCA/NBC; and ABC, with more money available, managed 40% (they also got color cameras to tape "THE LAWRENCE WELK SHOW" and "THE HOLLYWOOD PALACE" in color, too). It wasn't until the fall of 1966 that all three finally scheduled 100% color series in prime-time.

[fromthesidelines]

NBC was virtually the ONLY network to regularly telecast a handful of prime-time and daytime shows in color at that time, because RCA was its corporate parent (and they were "pushing" RCA Victor color sets to watch them on). CBS did not colorcast ANY shows from 1959 through the end of the 1964-'65 season, because they were rivals of RCA/NBC; and ABC didn't have the technology OR money to present color shows until September 1962 {and only THEN, two or three filmed shows a season until 1965}.

[fromthesidelines]

This Peacock was seen between 1957 and 1962, before the network began using what's known as the "Laramie Peacock" in the fall of '62 (because one of the first series in prime-time to use it was the final season of "LARAMIE"), with Mel Brandt announcing. I'm pretty sure this was seen before the start of "RUFF AND REDDY", 'wiley'. But we may never know, because no known kinescopes of Jimmy Blaine's 1957-'60 edition are known to exist.

[VTMCompany]

would have looked better if the points had remained in diamond shape instead of blooming...

[jln55]

The fanfare made it sound like something truly horrible was on it's way.

[VTMCompany]

@jln55

Thanks for your take on this. I was about to email my sister to tell her that, as a kid of three, this ad scared the bejesus outta me. I equated it with the flashing lights and up and down barrier bars of the railroad crossing warning signals.

[JMFabianoRPL]

Reasons why this was scary: the cymbal crash. The announcer sounds like he is shouting (moreso than Mel did). The peacock looks like he has spikes coming out of him before taking his final form.

[brainysnaeha]

@JMFabianoRPL

It's scary but i loved it!

Kinda makes you immeadiately looking to the ID!

[ThePhantomSafetyPin]

Geez, what a scary logo! That horrible distorted fanfare... Nice peacock, though. ^^

[jimbobubbadj]

Bonanza was always produced in color by NBC to promote color tv. NBC went all color in 1965 a full year earlier than CBS or ABC. Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea was an example of a series going from b&w to color. It was b&w in 1964 and color in 1965 on NBC. Lost in Space on CBS was b&w in 1965 and color a few months into 1966. ABC experimented with the Flintstones from 1960 on on a part time basis in color and with the Jetsons starting in 1962 on a part time basis in color.

[efrem1]

This facebook page is brought to you in living color.

[blessthefallmichael]

I love the 50's because people were nicer and not exposed to this crap we have now days!

[drandall1776]

The NBC Peacock was the first color TV image I ever saw. . .it ran just prior to the opening of (of all things) "Meet The Press." I was like. . .5 or 6 yrs old. . .and to say I was hooked was an understatement ! ! !

[jimbobubbadj]

I remember this log being played before "Bonanza"

[jenzeppelin]

absolutely gorgous...what a classic network ident.

[akwaqs]

This version is downright scary. The music resembles the dramatic fanfare when Anna first meets the King in "The King and I," or the scene in which Dorothy meets "The Wizard of Oz." I can see why NBC switched to the soothing, sounds of the fluttering flutes.

[tbear4pa]

I was born during the time when that was being ran(in 1960).

[tbear4pa]

That was the "Atomic Peacock" from the 1957 through 1960 period.

[SilverEspeon26]

Woooah, cool.

[MsTexas73]

WOW...I didn't know NBC was producing color programming this early on...I thought at least 1963

[cubantoro]

@MsTexas73 RCA was until 1986, NBC's parent company. RCA developed television and was the one who pioneered compatible Color Television in the 50's. What better way to sell color tv than with more color broadcasts. It is on record, that the Walt Disney Co moved to NBC because of color. Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color was one of the biggest sales influence in the popularity of color television... also the fact that the show was also sponsored by RCA.

[MsTexas73]

@cubantoro Hi! Thanks so much for the response. I've just learned something here. :^)

[jimbobubbadj]

@MsTexas73 NBC starting broadcasting in color part time in 1954. ABC and CBS dragged their feet on color until the early 60's.

[Chasmodon]

Hah!

My MOM was born in 1957, and I still can appreciate this bombastically symphonic color orgy!

[whattheheck1000]

My grandmother was only 15 in 1957, younger than I am now. And my mom was born in 1970.

[xreddragonx]

Who's saying you can't?

[mca1218]

It was "Peter Pan" that did it.

This animation gave me something of a shock upon first view...I was always something of a TV junkie (loved all the graphics and commercials of my youth), but being born in 1962, I just missed seeing this logo- I was a "Laramie Peacock" baby. But "Peter Pan" made one more appearance on network TV before going to home video (possibly in 1990, which would've been its 30th anniversary) and I got the shock of my life when I saw this cymbal-crash fanfare. Marvelous.

[fgldnglbs]

NBC was the first of the Big Three networks to produce more color programming before the first big changeover in the fall of '66(the next being b&w's phaseout).Color tv's were obviously the luxury item HD's still are to that point. It's a shame that CBS didn't start doing that especially with "Gunsmoke." Last I looked at TV Land, they were only showing the color episodes, so we don't see the ones with Dennis Weaver and Burt Reynolds.

[MrUnidyne]

The fact that NBC's parent company, RCA, was a manufacturer of color TV sets may have been another reason why NBC went to color so quickly.

[vince065us]

That's the story.

[DUNGEONGHOULS13]

Rare to see this version of the NBC peacock - a friend gave

me a rare tape of Mary Martin's "Peter Pan" which had this

on the beginning of it. You are right, it disappeared in the

early 1960's.  But I seem to recall Disney's Ludvig Von Drake

did a take-off on the peacock, when the show moved from

ABC to NBC, and became "The Wonderful World Of Color"

instead of "Disneyland". I was a very young kid, but always

fascinated by this original animation for NBC. Thanks.

[kshields2001]

hi, to the guy trying to find opening to 1960s Saturday Night At The Movies, or anyone, is it the one with the bouncing lights or balls or flashing lights or something. I remember that as a kid. Its not out there somewhere?

[tpledger]

Search YouTube for "NBC NETWORK - - 1965-66 Season Preview Ad Sales".....There's a still of the opening graphic you mention at 22:31.....

[lonestar1]

Yes - that was a great intro - I remember it as a kid - it was really exciting to see that because you knew a great movie was coming on - it was tradition in our household to watch "NBC SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES" .......... WOW - what memories!!!!!!!!!!

[Chisox74]

I never knew this existed until about 15-20 years ago when the WMAQ-TV 5am newscast anchored by Bob Sirott would use this as thier opening.

[Selekto]

I'm trying to find the NBC Saturday Night At The Movies opening from around 1965. There's a couple from the 70's here but not the 60's.

It's a tough one.

[wiley207]

I wonder if this showed up on "Ruff and Reddy" back in late 1957? It was Hanna-Barbera's first TV cartoon and was in color and on NBC

[musicom67]

If NBC was going to promote a color broadcast before 1960, this is the 'Peacock' version they would have more than likely used. The 'Laramie' one, which dominated the 1960s, hadn't been created yet.

[meesterfonnyboy]

This logo had Ben Grauer, then Jack Hanrahan doing the voiceover work; the one iloveentertainment is referring to was v/o'd by Mel Brandt.

Just so there's no confusion.

[iloveentertainment]

I saw this at the beginning of Star Trek.

[Avatar610]

Nope- this NBC Peacock only lasted from 1957-62. You saw the more familiar "Laramie" Peacock which started in 1962. That one has the high flute intro, and was used with "Star Trek" and every primetime show of the late 60s- early 70s.

[wmbrown6]

And V/O'd by Ben Grauer.