EMMYS: Special Tributes To Honor 50th Anniversary Of TV Milestones

CBS and the TV Academy today announced the addition of two more acceptance-speech antidotes to Sunday’s Primetime Emmy Awards: a segment honoring the 50th anniversary of 1963, and a performance by Carrie Underwood. Don Cheadle will present a tribute to television’s role in covering the assassination of President John F. Kennedy that year, followed 80 days later by the Beatles’ performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. “Both of these historic events are often mentioned together as two of the most significant television moments in history, and the Emmy telecast will explore the tie between them,” the Academy announced. One obvious tie: Walter Cronkite, whose on-air announcement of the death of JFK is an iconic TV moment, and the Ed Sullivan Show, both had their broadcast homes at CBS — home of this year’s Emmy telecast. Here’s the release:

NoHo Arts District, CA. – September 18, 2013- The 65th Emmy® Awards will pay tribute to the 50th Anniversary of two events that changed the face of our world during the live telecast on Sunday, September 22, (8:00 PM EDT / 5:00 PM PDT) on the CBS Television Network.

Six-time Emmy nominee Don Cheadle will present a moving tribute to television’s role in the assassination coverage of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963 and then connect that event to the performance of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show merely 80 days later on February 9, 1964.

Following Cheadle’s presentation, six-time Grammy® Award winning artist Carrie Underwood will honor the music of the era with a special performance.

“To have an opportunity to look back at a time that represented television’s finest hour in a program that celebrates so many of this year’s achievements is what makes the Emmys special,” said Executive Producer Ken Ehrlich. “We are certain that viewers will enjoy this special tribute.”

In addition to the previously mentioned events, 1963 also marked the first year that more people got their news from television than from newspapers. It was at this time that network newscasts were expanded from fifteen minutes to a half hour, and the FCC approved the use of the remote control for home viewing.

The 65th Emmy Awards are executive produced by Ken Ehrlich. Neil Patrick Harris is both host and producer, and the telecast is directed by Louis J. Horvitz for AEG Ehrlich Ventures, LLC in association with the Television Academy.