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Old 03-09-08, 04:14 PM   #10
Torplexed
Let's Sink Sumptin' !
 
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Here's more grist for yer list Sonarman. Not sure if a documentary series counts, but this one was a milestone.

Victory at Sea (US) 1952-53

Victory at Sea was a documentary TV series about naval warfare during World War II that was originally aired by NBC in the USA in 26 half-hour segments on Sunday afternoons, starting October 26, 1952 and ending May 3, 1953. The series, which won an Emmy in 1954 as best public affairs program, played a major role in establishing historic documentaries as a viable television genre. When it first aired, NBC thought it so important that it had no commercial breaks.

After the original run, NBC syndicated it to local stations, where it proved successful financially through the mid-1960s. NBC also marketed the series overseas; by 1964, it had aired in 40 foreign markets. NBC sold the theatrical rights to United Artists, which created a feature-length movie released in 1954; NBC aired the movie twice in the 1960s. RCA's record division sold the Rodgers-Bennett musical score in four different album versions, released on LP and CD.

It is now available in VHS and DVD and is in the public domain. Though the score, script, and narration by Leonard Graves retain their appeal, much of the film editing is criticized by knowledgeable viewers for anachronistic sequences. As an example, 1943-45 ships and aircraft in 1941-42 segments.
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