ABSTRACT
The Beatles and other countercultural entertainers offered their fans an irresistible alternative to the mostly well worn traditions of establishment television. The Ed Sullivan Show had been the only prime-time venue to regularly host African American talent throughout the 1950s and early 1960s. A few new music programs were also created to capture the under-twenty-five set, such as American Broadcasting Company’s (ABC's) Shindig and National Broadcasting Company’s (NBC's) Hullabaloo and The Monkees, which was inspired by the Beatle's hit movie A Hard Day's Night. Before the 1960s ended, though, a TV spectacular of epic proportions captured the imagination of audiences worldwide, offering a brief respite from all the international conflict and domestic turmoil found in the United States and elsewhere. The Moon landing was a global television event comprising live feeds and pooled footage provided by the news divisions of Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), NBC, and ABC.
