Since the 1930s, long before we became addicted to television (much less the Internet!), Americans have been mesmerized by “talent shows.”

What? American Idol isn’t a recent phenomenon? Hardly.

While talent competitions (and certainly Beauty Pageants) existed before the 20th century, it was radio, and then TV that hooked the public for good.

The Original Amateur Hour

Major Bowes’ Original Amateur Hour, hosted by Edward “Major” Bowes (1874-1946), was the first of its kind in the modern era. The popular radio show aired over the CBS Radio Network from 1934 until 1952.

“Bowes’ name was a household word and his show consistently ranked among radio’s top ten programs throughout its entire run. His catchphrase, ‘…around and around she goes and where she stops nobody knows,’ spoken in the familiar avuncular tones for which he was so renowned, was widely known and repeated throughout the country…Major Bowes died on his seventy-second birthday…The following week his talent coordinator Ted Mack took over the hosting chores and continued, first as the interim, and later as permanent host until the program’s cancellation twenty four years later, in 1970. As a measure of the affection attached to Bowes’ name, the show continued to be called Major Bowes’ Original Amateur Hour until the 1950-51 season, when it became simply Original Amateur Hour and in 1955 became Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour [which was also a popular TV show from 1948-1970]. —Wikipedia

Radio announcer Arthur Godfrey co-pioneered the “talent show” theme in 1946 with his weekly radio show, Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts.

“The concept for the show was that Godfrey had several ‘talent scouts’ who brought their discoveries onto the program to showcase their talents. The winner of each show was determined by a meter which judged the audience’s applause.” —Wikipedia

These “talent scouts” were not professionals, as is made clear on the shows. However, the “talent” consisted generally of up-and-coming professional entertainers. Pat Boone, The McGuire Sisters and comedian Lenny Bruce were among the many to “compete” on the show. You can listen to two “Talent Scouts” radio programs at RadioLovers.com. Lenny Bruce appears on one of these shows.

Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts premiered on television in 1948. It ran until 1958 and was a highly rated show throughout its decade on TV.

But it was the Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour that took the genre into mainstream TV land, lasting until 1970 and paving the way for today’s “reality” talent shows.

“Original Amateur Hour offered a shot at fame and fortune to thousands of hopeful, would-be professional entertainers. As such, it represented a permeable boundary between everyday viewers and the national entertainment industry. The program’s general appeal, reliable ratings, simple format, and low production costs have inspired many imitators in television including the Gong Show (which resurrected the notorious rejection gong, not heard since the Major Bowes’ radio broadcasts) and, more recently, Star Search.” –The Museum of Broadcast Communications

Talent Scouts / The Gong Show/ Star Search

Unlike the Original Amateur Hour and Arthur Godfrey’s Talent Scouts, the Gong Show introduced an element to the concept that has proved useful for today’s producers: Contestant Humiliation. The “talent” was always suspect and the show was controversial for its raciness. It ran from 1976 to 1980 and subsequently in syndication. In 1980, a movie version, The Gong Show Movie was released.

If the Gong Show broke the “talent show” mold, Star Search reconstituted it. Hosted by the affable Ed McMahon, Johnny Carson’s perennial Tonight Show side-kick, Star Search had a successful 12 year stint on TV from 1983 to 1995. In 2003-2004, the show was revived briefly with Arsenio Hall hosting.

American Idol

Earlier “talent shows” may have whetted the public’s appetite for such programming, but in 2002 American Idol delivered the whole enchilada.

American Idol is the #1 rated TV show in America. Some 40 million viewers tune in each week. Idol is broadcast to over 100 countries and has spawned many similar TV shows around the world, including Nashville Star. American Idol, as well as its British model Pop Idol, was the brain-child of English TV and record producer Simon Fuller who is also well-known as the manager of the singing group, Spice Girls.

Simon Fuller is not to be confused with Simon Cowell, a BMG record executive and the famously caustic judge on American Idol (and its predecessor Pop Idol).

The “contestant humiliation element,” introduced in the 70s by the raunchy Gong Show is the perfect vehicle for Cowell’s biting sarcasm.

“Much like the original Pop Idol version, one of the most popular portions of each season are initial episodes showcasing American Idol hopefuls auditioning before the panel of judges. These early episodes focus mainly on the poorest performances from contestants who often appear oblivious to their lack of star talent. These ‘contestants’ have been selected by the preliminary panels in a negative sense; a typical combination is lack of singing ability combined with vanity regarding their ‘talent’…Poor singers often face intense and humbling criticism from the judges, and especially from Cowell, who can be harsh and blunt in his rejections. Typically the judges express disgust or dismay or suppressed laughter. Some poor performances have attained notoriety on their own; these have included Season 1’s portrayal of ‘Lady Marmalade,’ Season 2’s performance of Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’ by Keith Beukelaer and Season 3’s rendition of Ricky Martin’s ‘She Bangs’ by William Hung.” —Wikipedia

Nonetheless, noteworthy and even superstar talent does ultimately emerge from the contest.

Kelly Clarkson (2002) and Carrie Underwood (2005) are proof of that fact.

Learn more at AmericanIdol.com.