Late on Sunday afternoons I often wish Ted Mack, "GE College Bowl," and "The 20th Century" were still on the air. Unlike "The Gong Show" or "American Idol," Mack never put any of the performers down, no matter how bad they were or how little chance they had of ever making it in show business. In fact, he even refused to use the gong which his predecessor, Major Bowes, had made famous on radio. Mack's friendly attitude was such that my grandmother used to say hello to him just as if he was right there in the room instead of on a television screen. But while we often associate only a few names--Frank Sinatra, Pat Boone, and Ann-Margret, mainly--with this show, a fairly decent number of people went on to show-business careers. "American Idol" may have a higher level of talent, but it will never match the homey charm of this show.
Someone mentioned that Mack was originally from Greeley, Colorado. That's still a point of pride with the folks out there; a few years ago I was in Colorado and heard several people talking about Mack's being from there.
Someone mentioned that Mack was originally from Greeley, Colorado. That's still a point of pride with the folks out there; a few years ago I was in Colorado and heard several people talking about Mack's being from there.