Betty White Birthday Marathon

Betty White was a fascinating pioneer whose career spanned over ninety years; she remained relevant for as long as anyone can remember. Betty worked in the television industry longer than anyone else in history, earning her a Guinness World Record in 2018. In 1930, when she was only eight years old, she appeared on a radio show entitled Empire Builders. In 1949, she co-hosted variety show Hollywood on Television, first with Al Jarvis and then Eddie Albert. In 1951, she was nominated for her first Emmy Award as “Best Actress” on television. Neither man stayed onboard for the show’s duration. In 1952 she began hosting the show alone, making her the first female television talk show host.

BEVERLY HILLS, CA – MARCH 29: Legendary actress Betty White during portrait session on March 29, 2011 at the Museum of Radio and TV in Los Angeles, California. White talked about her career and her new book called “If You Ask Me”. (Photo by Bob Riha, Jr./Getty Images)

That same year White co-founded Bandy Productions with George Tibbles and Don Fedderson. They created new shows using existing characters from sketches shown on Hollywood on Television. They also created the television sitcom, Life with Elizabeth, starring Betty, for which she won her first Emmy Award in 1952. Life with Elizabeth is an important show in television history because it’s the first sitcom to be produced by a woman.
In 1954, Betty hosted and produced her own daily talk/variety show, The Betty White Show. As was the case with her sitcom, she had creative control which allowed her to hire a female director. The show faced criticism from southern stations for the inclusion of Arthur Duncan, a black tap dancer, who was hired as a regular cast member. Following the end of Life with Elizabeth, she starred as Vicki Angel on the sitcom Date with the Angels from 1957 to 1958. Betty met Lucille Ball while working on this show, which was filmed on the same studio lot where “I Love Lucy” was filmed. The two became friends based on their successful commonalities in a male-dominated industry.

In honor of what would have been her 101st birthday, join ATVN on Tuesday, January 17 for a Betty White marathon hosted by ATVN’s Artie Freeman. ATVN’s special tribute will begin at 9:00 am with Life With Elizabeth followed by Date With The Angels at 1:00 pm.