See Red's amazing 20 year career on television from 1951-1971.
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When Red Skelton signed his movie contract with MGM in the early 1940s, he had the foresight to add a clause that he could work in television. Most actors at that time were bound to the movie studio with which they were signed such as MGM.
In the 1945 film Ziegfeld Follies, he did a Guzzler's Gin routine called "When Television Comes".
1955-1960: CBS was competing with NBC for color programs. The Red Skelton Show was broadcasted in color but you needed a special television set to see it in color. This ended in 1960.
Red Skelton bought Charlie Chaplin's movie studio so he could produce programs and go on locations for color video tape productions. His mobile units were used at Disneyland and the Rose Bowl parades.
Red Skelton guest stars were dramatic, singers, and major comics. His musical guest were night club groups, opera to rock stars.
Skelton sold the studio to CBS due to financial reasons and as a bargaining chip to have his TV show become an hour-long variety program.
In 1983, Group W planned to release his color episodes to syndicated television, but the show was going to be edited to a half an hour due to the difficulty of getting the music rights so that deal did not work out. Some shows have appeared on DVD and VHS, but they were not authorized by Red Skelton. After Red's death in 1997, the estate released some episodes, but they were not in chronological order.
In the 1980s, Red did four HBO specials; three of them were stage concerts and he did a Christmas special.
In 2001, PBS released edited episodes of the NBC Red Skelton show. They were released on VHS for fund raising.
