Mobil Showcase Network
TypeOccasional network
Country
USA
Availabilitytop 50 markets
Owner
Key people
Herb Schmertz
Established1976 (1976)
Dissolved1984 (1984)

The Mobil Showcase Network, also known as Mobil Showcase or Mobil Showcase Theatre, was an occasional television network from 1976 to 1984 with an ad hoc group of stations.

Background

A Mobil Oil media expert, Herb Schmertz, wrote canned paid "editorials" placed into newspapers like the New York Times opinion-editorial page.[1] Schmertz also had Mobil underwriting Masterpiece Theatre to improve Mobil's image,[1] which Mobil has been sole supporter since the beginning of the series.[2] He also considered having the company buy a newspaper, the Long Island Press. He instead settled on a "sort of TV network" as Mobil and Schmertz were frustrated with the network-developed anti-oil-company news and documentaries.[1]

History

Schmertz worked with SFM Media Service Corporation lining up 43 stations, primarily in the top 50 markets; half of these were network affiliates. Mobil paid $3.2 million to the stations for the 8 PM ET/PT Thursday time slot for 10 weeks. In the winter of 1976, Mobil launched its first show, Ten Who Dared, hosted by Anthony Quinn and adapted from a 1975 BBC documentary series, which was originally shown in the UK as The Explorers and presented by David Attenborough. The show dramatized the adventures of various explorers (including James Cook, Christopher Columbus, Roald Amundsen and Mary Kingsley), and was one of the highest budgeted BBC shows for its time. The commercials were exclusively for Mobil, with some of them in a "documentary" or reality-based format showing Mobil employees out in the field, and shown in a positive light. The show beat the networks in the ratings, defeating NBC's The Fantastic Journey, and even CBS's The Waltons. Based on the ratings, Mobil arranged for two more "'non-network' series."[1]

In 1979, the Showcase featured Edward & Mrs. Simpson. For summer 1980, Mobil Showcase assembled a group of shows dubbed Summershow.[3]

Programs

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Nadel, Gerry (1977-05-30). "Who Owns Prime Time? The Threat of the 'Occasional' Networks". New York Magazine. New York: 33–36. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
  2. ↑ "Mobil hangs on to Masterpiece but drops Mystery!". Current. May 15, 1995. Archived from the original on March 10, 2005. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
  3. 1 2 Boyer, Peter J. (July 11, 1980). "Mobil Showcase: In defense of big oil". The Telegraph. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  4. ↑ Vanocur, Sander. "A Quality Ten Who Dared," The Washington Post, Thursday, January 13, 1977. Retrieved February 16, 2021
  5. ↑ Buck, Jerry (May 20, 1978). "John Jakes' 'The Bastard' is latest effort from Operation Prime Time". Eugene Register-Guard. AP. Retrieved July 4, 2013.
  6. ↑ Jory, Tom (March 21, 1983). "Stan Moger and the ad hoc networks". The Gettysburg Times. AP. Archived from the original on 18 November 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  7. ↑ "The Children's Story". IMDb. 1982.
  8. ↑ Jory, Tom (March 28, 1984). "Mobil Showcase Shines with '2 X Forsyth'". Ocala Star-Banner. AP. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
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