Life Is Worth Living
| Life Is Worth Living | |
|---|---|
Bishop Sheen in 1956.
|
|
| Genre | Religious |
| Presented by | Bishop Fulton J. Sheen |
| Theme music composer | Fritz Kreisler |
| Opening theme | Marche Miniature Viennoise |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multi-camera |
| Running time | 26 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network |
DuMont (1952–1955) ABC (1955–1957) |
| Picture format | Black-and-white |
| Audio format | Monaural |
| Original release | February 12, 1952 – April 8, 1957 |
Life is Worth Living is an inspirational American television series which ran on the DuMont Television Network from February 12, 1952, to April 26, 1955, then on ABC until 1957, featuring the Venerable Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen. (Similar series, also featuring Sheen, followed in 1958–61 and 1961–68.)
Hosted by Bishop (later Archbishop) Fulton J. Sheen, the series consisted of Sheen speaking to the camera and discussing moral issues of the day, often using blackboard drawings and lists to help explain the topic. When the blackboard was filled he would move to another part of the set, and request one of his "angels" (one of the TV crew) to clean the blackboard.
In 1952, DuMont was searching for programming ideas and tried a rotating series of religious programs hosted by a Protestant minister, a Jewish rabbi, or a Catholic bishop. While the other shows did not catch on, the bishop (Sheen) was a hit, found a sponsor in Admiral television sets, and became DuMont's only Emmy Award winner during its decade of broadcasting. Life Is Worth Living held the distinction of being aired on more stations (169) than any other regularly scheduled DuMont program, and is believed to have been the most widely viewed religious series in the history of television.
Prior to Life Is Worth Living, Sheen had appeared on the radio program The Catholic Hour from 1928 to 1952. With his hypnotic gaze, disarming smile, and dramatic delivery, Sheen was deemed a natural for television. Airing opposite NBC's highly popular Milton Berle show on Tuesday nights, Sheen was the only person to give "Mr. Television", also known as "Uncle Miltie", a run for his money. Sheen drew as many as 10 million viewers each week.
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