▁era ), ▁with ▁two ▁exceptions : ▁The ▁Lawrence ▁Wel k ▁Show , ▁a ▁big ▁band - dri ven ▁musical ▁variety ▁show , ▁ran ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁until ▁Wel k ' s ▁ret irement ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁and ▁in ▁r er uns ▁from ▁then ▁on ward ▁( which ▁eventually ▁moved ▁from ▁commercial ▁to ▁public ▁television ▁synd ic ation ), ▁and ▁Guy ▁Lomb ardo ' s ▁annual ▁New ▁Year ' s ▁E ve ▁big - band ▁rem otes ▁ran ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 9 , ▁two ▁years ▁after ▁Lomb ardo ' s ▁death . ▁Game ▁shows ▁were ▁also ▁a ▁major ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁early ▁part ▁of ▁television , ▁a ided ▁by ▁massive ▁pri zes ▁un he ard ▁of ▁in ▁the ▁radio ▁era ; ▁however , ▁the ▁pressure ▁to ▁keep ▁the ▁programs ▁entertain ing ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁qu iz ▁show ▁sc and als , ▁in ▁which ▁it ▁was ▁revealed ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁high - st akes ▁games ▁were ▁rig ged ▁or ▁out right ▁script ed . ▁The ▁Saturday ▁morning ▁cart o ons , ▁animated ▁produ ctions ▁made ▁specifically ▁for ▁television ▁( and , ▁accordingly , ▁with ▁much ▁t ighter ▁bud gets ▁and ▁more ▁limited ▁animation ), ▁also ▁deb uted ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 5 0 s . ▁ ▁Broadcast ▁television ▁stations ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁were ▁primarily ▁transm itted ▁on ▁the ▁V H F ▁band ▁( ch annels ▁ 2 - 1 3 ) ▁in ▁its ▁earliest ▁years ; ▁it ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁All -