1951: NBC Introduces 'Ernie in Kovacsland'
On this day in 1951, NBC debuted Ernie Kovacs' first prime-time network variety show, Ernie in Kovacsland, a summer replacement show for Kukla, Fran & Ollie. The series was a precursor to future Kovacs shows on ABC, CBS, DuMont and, again, NBC.
Kovacs produced Ernie in Kovacsland while on summer break from his own show, 3 to Get Ready, a daily, 90-minute show which aired from 1950 to 1952 on Philadelphia's WPTZ. Both shows featured Edie Adams, who married Kovacs in 1954.