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{{Short description|American historical educational television and radio series}}
{{for|the book series|We Were There}}
{{for|the book series|We Were There}}
{{more footnotes|date=June 2010}}
{{Infobox television
{{Infobox television
|show_name = You Are There
| image = You Are There series cover.jpg
|image = You Are There series cover.jpg
| caption =
|caption =
| genre = [[Educational program|Educational]]
|genre = [[Educational program|Educational]]
| creator = [[Goodman Ace]]
|creator = [[Goodman Ace]]
| writer =
⚫
| director = [[John Frankenheimer]]<br />[[Jack Gage (director)|Jack Gage]]<br />[[Bernard Girard]]<br />[[Sidney Lumet]]<br />[[William D. Russell (director)|William D. Russell]]
|writer =
| presenter = [[Walter Cronkite]]
⚫
|director = [[John Frankenheimer]]<br />Jack Gage<br />Bernard Girard<br />[[Sidney Lumet]]<br />[[William D. Russell (director)|William D. Russell]]
|presenter = [[Walter Cronkite]]
| country = United States
|country = United States
| language = English
|language = English
| num_seasons = 5
|num_seasons = 5
| num_episodes = 147
|num_episodes = 147
| list_episodes =
⚫
| executive_producer =
|list_episodes =
| producer = James D. Fonda<br />Charles Russell
⚫
|executive_producer =
|producer = James D. Fonda<br />Charles Russell
| editor =
|editor =
| location =
|location =
| cinematography =
| camera = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
|cinematography =
|camera = [[Single-camera setup|Single-camera]]
| runtime = 22–24 minutes
|runtime = 22–24 minutes
| first_aired = {{Start date|1953|02|01}}
⚫
| last_aired = {{End date|1957|06|09}}
|picture_format = [[Black-and-white]]
|audio_format = [[Monaural]]
|first_aired = {{Start date|1953|02|01}}
⚫
|last_aired = {{End date|1957|06|09}}
}}
}}


'''''You Are There''''' was an American [[history|historical]] [[educational television]] and [[radio]] series broadcast over the [[CBS Radio]] and [[CBS Television]] networks.
'''''You Are There''''' is a 1947–57 American [[history|historical]] [[educational television]] and radio series broadcast over the [[CBS Radio]] and [[CBS Television]] networks.<ref name=Daytime>{{cite book |last1=Hyatt |first1=Wesley |title=The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television |date=1997 |publisher=Watson-Guptill Publications |isbn=978-0823083152 |url=https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat|url-access=registration |access-date=22 March 2020|page=[https://archive.org/details/encyclopediaofda00hyat/page/476 476]}}</ref>


==Radio==
==Radio==
Created by [[Goodman Ace]] for CBS Radio, it blended history with modern technology, taking an entire network newsroom on a figurative time warp each week reporting the great events of the past. Reporters included [[John Charles Daly]], [[Don Hollenbeck]], and [[Richard C. Hottelet]]. The series was first heard on July 7, 1947, under the title ''CBS Is There''. Its final broadcast was on March 19, 1950, under the title ''You Are There''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-42584.html|title=You Are There|publisher=Audio Karma|accessdate=12 January 2011}}</ref>
Created by [[Goodman Ace]] for CBS Radio, it portrayed an entire network newsroom on a figurative time warp each week reporting the great events of the past. Reporters included [[John Charles Daly]], [[Don Hollenbeck]], and [[Richard C. Hottelet]]. The series was first heard on July 7, 1947, under the title ''CBS Is There''. Its final broadcast was on March 19, 1950, under the title ''You Are There''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/archive/index.php/t-42584.html|title=You Are There|publisher=Audio Karma|access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref>


According to author/historian [[Martin Grams]], actor [[Canada Lee]] was a guest in episodes 32 and 60. [[Martin Gabel]] appeared in character in episode 82. The first 23 broadcasts went under the title ''CBS Is There'' and beginning with episode 24, the title changed to ''You Are There''. A total of 90 episodes was broadcast. Only 75 episodes are known to exist in recorded form.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audio-classics.com/lyouarethere.html|title=You Are There Radio Broadcast Log|publisher=Audio Classics|accessdate=12 January 2011}}</ref>
According to author/historian [[Martin Grams]], actor [[Canada Lee]] was a guest in episodes 32 and 60. [[Martin Gabel]] appeared in character in episode 82. The first 23 broadcasts went under the title ''CBS Is There'' and beginning with episode 24, the title changed to ''You Are There''. A total of 90 episodes were broadcast. Only 75 episodes are known to exist in recorded form.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.audio-classics.com/lyouarethere.html|title=You Are There Radio Broadcast Log|publisher=Audio Classics|access-date=12 January 2011}}</ref>


==Television==
==Television==
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Originally telecast live, most of the later episodes were produced on film. One of the episodes, for instance, features actor [[Pat Conway]] as [[James J. Corbett]], the [[Boxing|boxer]] who fought champion [[John L. Sullivan]] in 1892.
Originally telecast live, most of the later episodes were produced on film. One of the episodes, for instance, features actor [[Pat Conway]] as [[James J. Corbett]], the [[Boxing|boxer]] who fought champion [[John L. Sullivan]] in 1892.


The series also featured various key events in American and world history, portrayed in dramatic recreations. Events that were covered included the [[Battle of Hastings]], the execution of [[Joan of Arc]] and the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire]] by [[Hernán Cortés]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Steve|title=Television Histories: Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age|publisher=University Press of Kentucky|date=2001}}</ref> Additionally, CBS News reporters, in modern-day suits, reported on the action and interviewed the protagonists of each of the historical episodes. Each episode began with the characters setting the scene. Cronkite, from his anchor desk in [[New York City]], gave a few words on what was about to happen. An announcer then gave the date and the event, followed by a loud and boldly spoken "You are there!"
The series also featured various key events in American and world history, portrayed in dramatic recreations. Events that were covered included the [[Battle of Hastings]], the execution of [[Joan of Arc]], the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire]] by [[Hernán Cortés]], and the [[Signing of the United States Declaration of Independence|signing]] of the [[U.S. Declaration of Independence]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Anderson|first=Steve|title=Television Histories: Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age|publisher=[[University Press of Kentucky]]|date=2001}}</ref> Additionally, CBS News reporters, in modern-day suits, reported on the action and interviewed the protagonists of each of the historical episodes. Each episode began with the characters setting the scene. Cronkite, from his anchor desk in [[New York City]], gave a few words on what was about to happen. An announcer then gave the date and the event, followed by a loud and boldly spoken "You are there!"


At the end of the program, after Cronkite summarized what happened in the preceding event, he reminded viewers, "What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times... all things are as they were then, and you were there."
At the end of the program, after Cronkite summarized what happened in the preceding event, he reminded viewers, "What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times... all things are as they were then, except you were there."


[[File:Walter Cronkite on television 1976.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Walter Cronkite]], TV host of ''You Are There'']]
[[File:Walter Cronkite on television 1976.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Walter Cronkite]], TV host of ''You Are There'']]
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From 2000 to 2005, Cronkite presented a series of essays for [[National Public Radio]], reflecting on various key events of his life, including his involvement in ''You Are There'' in the 1950s.
From 2000 to 2005, Cronkite presented a series of essays for [[National Public Radio]], reflecting on various key events of his life, including his involvement in ''You Are There'' in the 1950s.


Notable guest stars included:{{Citation needed |date=May 2021}}
Notable guest stars:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/YouAreThere_05_(1956-57).htm|title=CTVA US Anthology - "You Are There" (CBS) Season 5 (1956-57)|website=ctva.biz|accessdate=24 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045458/fullcredits|title=You Are There (TV Series 1953–1971)|publisher=|accessdate=24 December 2017|via=www.imdb.com}}</ref>
*[[John Cassavetes]] as [[Plato]] in "The Death of [[Socrates]]"
*[[John Cassavetes]] as [[Plato]] in "The Death of [[Socrates]]"
*[[James Dean]] as [[Robert Ford (outlaw)|Robert Ford]] in "The Capture of [[Jesse James]]"
*[[James Dean]] as [[Robert Ford (outlaw)|Robert Ford]] in "The Capture of [[Jesse James]]"
Line 56: Line 53:
*[[Paul Newman]] as [[Marcus Brutus]] in "The Assassination of Julius Caesar" and as [[Nathan Hale]] in "The Fate of Nathan Hale"
*[[Paul Newman]] as [[Marcus Brutus]] in "The Assassination of Julius Caesar" and as [[Nathan Hale]] in "The Fate of Nathan Hale"
*[[Jeanette Nolan]] as [[Sarah Bernhardt]] in "The Final Performance of Sarah Bernhardt"
*[[Jeanette Nolan]] as [[Sarah Bernhardt]] in "The Final Performance of Sarah Bernhardt"
*[[Kim Stanley]] as [[Cleopatra]] in "The Death of Cleopatra"
*[[Felicia Montealegre Bernstein]] in "The Death of Rasputin" (1954)
*[[Kim Stanley]] as [[Cleopatra]] in "The Death of Cleopatra" (1953)
*[[Rod Steiger]] as [[Richard Burbage]] in "The First Command Performance of Romeo and Juliet"
*[[Rod Steiger]] as [[Richard Burbage]] in "The First Command Performance of Romeo and Juliet"
*[[Beatrice Straight]] as [[Anne Boleyn]] in "The Crisis of Anne Boleyn"
*[[Beatrice Straight]] as [[Anne Boleyn]] in "The Crisis of Anne Boleyn"
Line 62: Line 60:


==Home media==
==Home media==
22 episodes of the 1950s version of ''You Are There'' are available on DVD from Woodhaven Entertainment. The 1970s version is currently not available on video or DVD. Chicago's [[Museum of Broadcast Communications]] has 20 episodes available for on-site viewing only. Both versions have also been made available to schools on 16mm film for educational purposes.
22 episodes of the 1950s version of ''You Are There'' are available on DVD from Woodhaven Entertainment. The 1970s version is currently not available on VHS or DVD. Chicago's [[Museum of Broadcast Communications]] has 20 episodes available for on-site viewing only. Both versions have also been made available to schools on 16mm film for educational purposes.{{Citation needed|date=April 2024}}


Some episodes of the radio and television version are available for sale commercially. CBS retains the copyrights.
Some episodes of the radio and television version are available for sale commercially. CBS retains the copyrights.
Line 68: Line 66:
==In popular culture==
==In popular culture==
* The 1950s edition was briefly parodied in a ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' cartoon, ''[[Wideo Wabbit]]'', featuring [[Bugs Bunny]] and [[Elmer Fudd]], as Fudd's pursuit of Bugs lands him in a re-enactment of [[Custer's Last Stand]].
* The 1950s edition was briefly parodied in a ''[[Merrie Melodies]]'' cartoon, ''[[Wideo Wabbit]]'', featuring [[Bugs Bunny]] and [[Elmer Fudd]], as Fudd's pursuit of Bugs lands him in a re-enactment of [[Custer's Last Stand]].
* On one of the "Classic 39" episodes of ''[[The Honeymooners]]'', [[Art Carney]] as Norton—hearing [[Jackie Gleason]] as Ralph say he had a plan to get wife Alice ([[Audrey Meadows]]) to give him the money to go to the Raccoon Lodge convention—launched into this soliloquy parodying ''You Are There'''s famous catchphrase: ''May 3, 1953. Ralph Kramden . . . in search . . . for money . . . for capital . . . to enter his No-Cal Pizzeria . . . He says, "I have a sure-fire plan of getting the money, it can't fail!" . . . Alice Kramden says, "No!" . . . unquote . . . all things are as they were then, except you are there!''
* On one of the "Classic 39" episodes of ''[[The Honeymooners]]'', [[Art Carney]] as Norton—hearing [[Jackie Gleason]] as Ralph say he had a plan to get wife Alice ([[Audrey Meadows]]) to give him the money to go to the Raccoon Lodge convention—launched into this soliloquy parodying ''You Are There'''s famous catchphrase: "May 3, 1953. Ralph Kramden … in search … for money … for capital … to enter his No-Cal Pizzeria … He says, 'I have a sure-fire plan of getting the money, it can't fail!' … Alice Kramden says, 'No!' … unquote … all things are as they were then, except you are there!"
* The series was parodied on ''[[The Ernie Kovacs Show]]'' as "Vas You Dere?" The cast performed a lampoon of the stabbing of [[Julius Caesar]], presented as a carnival act.
* The series was parodied on ''[[The Ernie Kovacs Show]]'' as "Vas You Dere?" The cast performed a lampoon of the stabbing of [[Julius Caesar]], presented as a carnival act.
* The series was parodied on a segment of ''[[The Victor Borge Show]]'' which featured journalist [[Mike Wallace]] interviewing [[Franz Liszt]] (played by [[Victor Borge|Borge]]) through a "time window". Wallace opened the interview by asking "Are you there?" in a similar style to the series' opening.
* The series was parodied on ''[[The Electric Company]]'' in a sketch titled ''You Weren't There''. "You weren't born yet, you were out of town, or you just weren't paying attention," says the narrator.
* The series was parodied on ''[[The Electric Company]]'' in a sketch titled ''You Weren't There''. "You weren't born yet, you were out of town, or you just weren't paying attention," says the narrator.
* The [[Evangelical Christian]] radio program ''[[Adventures in Odyssey]]'' used the device of a modern news room reporting on past events for their, "O.T. Action News" segments.
* The [[Evangelical Christian]] radio program ''[[Adventures in Odyssey]]'' used the device of a modern news room reporting on past events for their "O.T. Action News" segments.
* The series was parodied in an episode of ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''. Titled "You Are There", the episode features a modern-day reporter doggedly following and interviewing various characters (believed to be real, historical figures within the premise of the TV show), both in the field and a studio setting.


==Sources==
==Sources==
* ''[[The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows]], 1946 – Present'' by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh (Ballantine Books, New York, 1995)
* ''[[The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows]] 1946 – Present'' by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh (Ballantine Books, New York, 1995)
* ''Radio Drama: American Programs, 1932–1962'' by [[Martin Grams]] (McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, North Carolina, 2000)
* ''Radio Drama: American Programs 1932–1962'' by [[Martin Grams]] (McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, North Carolina, 2000)


==References==
==References==
Line 82: Line 82:
==External links==
==External links==
* {{IMDb title|id=0045458|title=You Are There}}
* {{IMDb title|id=0045458|title=You Are There}}
* {{tv.com show|you-are-there|You Are There}}
* [https://www.npr.org/news/specials/cronkite/ NPR: Cronkite's essays]
* [https://www.npr.org/news/specials/cronkite/ NPR: Cronkite's essays]
* [http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/X-Y-Z%20Series/You%20Are%20There/ episodes of the ''You Are There'' radio series]
* [http://otrrlibrary.org/OTRRLib/Library%20Files/X-Y-Z%20Series/You%20Are%20There/ Episodes of the ''You Are There'' radio series]
* [http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/YouAreThere.htm ''You Are There'' episode list at CVTA]
* [http://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/YouAreThere.htm ''You Are There'' episode list at CVTA]


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{{DEFAULTSORT:You Are There (Series)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:You Are There (Series)}}
[[Category:1953 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1953 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1956 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1957 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1971 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1971 American television series debuts]]
[[Category:1972 American television series endings]]
[[Category:1972 American television series endings]]
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[[Category:1947 radio programme debuts]]
[[Category:1947 radio programme debuts]]
[[Category:1950 radio programme endings]]
[[Category:1950 radio programme endings]]
[[Category:Radio programs adapted into television programs]]
[[Category:Radio programs adapted into television shows]]
[[Category:1940s American radio programs]]
[[Category:1940s American radio programs]]
[[Category:CBS Radio programs]]
[[Category:CBS Radio programs]]
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[[Category:1970s American children's television series]]
[[Category:1970s American children's television series]]
[[Category:American television series revived after cancellation]]
[[Category:American television series revived after cancellation]]
[[Category:Black-and-white television programs]]
[[Category:Black-and-white American television shows]]
[[Category:CBS News]]
[[Category:CBS News]]
[[Category:CBS network shows]]
[[Category:CBS original programming]]
[[Category:English-language television programs]]
[[Category:American English-language television shows]]
[[Category:Historical television series]]
[[Category:American historical television series]]
[[Category:Television series by CBS Television Studios]]
[[Category:Television series by CBS Studios]]
[[Category:Peabody Award-winning television programs]]
[[Category:Peabody Award–winning television programs]]

Latest revision as of 02:03, 21 November 2024

For the book series, see We Were There.
You Are There
GenreEducational
Created byGoodman Ace
Directed byJohn Frankenheimer
Jack Gage
Bernard Girard
Sidney Lumet
William D. Russell
Presented byWalter Cronkite
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons5
No. of episodes147
Production
ProducersJames D. Fonda
Charles Russell
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time22–24 minutes
Original release
ReleaseFebruary 1, 1953 (1953-02-01) –
June 9, 1957 (1957-06-09)

You Are There is a 1947–57 American historical educational television and radio series broadcast over the CBS Radio and CBS Television networks.[1]

Radio

[edit]

Created by Goodman Ace for CBS Radio, it portrayed an entire network newsroom on a figurative time warp each week reporting the great events of the past. Reporters included John Charles Daly, Don Hollenbeck, and Richard C. Hottelet. The series was first heard on July 7, 1947, under the title CBS Is There. Its final broadcast was on March 19, 1950, under the title You Are There.[2]

According to author/historian Martin Grams, actor Canada Lee was a guest in episodes 32 and 60. Martin Gabel appeared in character in episode 82. The first 23 broadcasts went under the title CBS Is There and beginning with episode 24, the title changed to You Are There. A total of 90 episodes were broadcast. Only 75 episodes are known to exist in recorded form.[3]

Television

[edit]

The radio program made a transition to television in 1953, with Walter Cronkite as the regular host. Reporters included veteran radio announcers Dick Joy and Harlow Wilcox. The first telecast took place on February 1, 1953, and featured a re-enactment of the Hindenburg disaster. The final telecast took place on October 13, 1957.

Originally telecast live, most of the later episodes were produced on film. One of the episodes, for instance, features actor Pat Conway as James J. Corbett, the boxer who fought champion John L. Sullivan in 1892.

The series also featured various key events in American and world history, portrayed in dramatic recreations. Events that were covered included the Battle of Hastings, the execution of Joan of Arc, the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire by Hernán Cortés, and the signing of the U.S. Declaration of Independence.[4] Additionally, CBS News reporters, in modern-day suits, reported on the action and interviewed the protagonists of each of the historical episodes. Each episode began with the characters setting the scene. Cronkite, from his anchor desk in New York City, gave a few words on what was about to happen. An announcer then gave the date and the event, followed by a loud and boldly spoken "You are there!"

At the end of the program, after Cronkite summarized what happened in the preceding event, he reminded viewers, "What sort of day was it? A day like all days, filled with those events that alter and illuminate our times... all things are as they were then, except you were there."

Walter Cronkite, TV host of You Are There

The program was seen again on Saturday morning as a videotaped color program from 1971 to 1972. The format of the revival was basically the same as the original versions. These programs were also hosted by Cronkite. Both series were produced by CBS News.

From 2000 to 2005, Cronkite presented a series of essays for National Public Radio, reflecting on various key events of his life, including his involvement in You Are There in the 1950s.

Notable guest stars included:[citation needed]

Home media

[edit]

22 episodes of the 1950s version of You Are There are available on DVD from Woodhaven Entertainment. The 1970s version is currently not available on VHS or DVD. Chicago's Museum of Broadcast Communications has 20 episodes available for on-site viewing only. Both versions have also been made available to schools on 16mm film for educational purposes.[citation needed]

Some episodes of the radio and television version are available for sale commercially. CBS retains the copyrights.

[edit]
  • The 1950s edition was briefly parodied in a Merrie Melodies cartoon, Wideo Wabbit, featuring Bugs Bunny and Elmer Fudd, as Fudd's pursuit of Bugs lands him in a re-enactment of Custer's Last Stand.
  • On one of the "Classic 39" episodes of The Honeymooners, Art Carney as Norton—hearing Jackie Gleason as Ralph say he had a plan to get wife Alice (Audrey Meadows) to give him the money to go to the Raccoon Lodge convention—launched into this soliloquy parodying You Are There's famous catchphrase: "May 3, 1953. Ralph Kramden … in search … for money … for capital … to enter his No-Cal Pizzeria … He says, 'I have a sure-fire plan of getting the money, it can't fail!' … Alice Kramden says, 'No!' … unquote … all things are as they were then, except you are there!"
  • The series was parodied on The Ernie Kovacs Show as "Vas You Dere?" The cast performed a lampoon of the stabbing of Julius Caesar, presented as a carnival act.
  • The series was parodied on a segment of The Victor Borge Show which featured journalist Mike Wallace interviewing Franz Liszt (played by Borge) through a "time window". Wallace opened the interview by asking "Are you there?" in a similar style to the series' opening.
  • The series was parodied on The Electric Company in a sketch titled You Weren't There. "You weren't born yet, you were out of town, or you just weren't paying attention," says the narrator.
  • The Evangelical Christian radio program Adventures in Odyssey used the device of a modern news room reporting on past events for their "O.T. Action News" segments.
  • The series was parodied in an episode of Xena: Warrior Princess. Titled "You Are There", the episode features a modern-day reporter doggedly following and interviewing various characters (believed to be real, historical figures within the premise of the TV show), both in the field and a studio setting.

Sources

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hyatt, Wesley (1997). The Encyclopedia of Daytime Television. Watson-Guptill Publications. p. 476. ISBN 978-0823083152. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  2. ^ "You Are There". Audio Karma. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  3. ^ "You Are There Radio Broadcast Log". Audio Classics. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  4. ^ Anderson, Steve (2001). Television Histories: Shaping Collective Memory in the Media Age. University Press of Kentucky.
[edit]
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