Amazingly Turkey Farmers Created The TV Dinner -- And More Amazing, Totally You Know Them



Posted: Wednesday, March 09, 2011

by Mark Hester

The TV dinner was first created in 1951, just in time to sit and eat while you watched that new, incredible invention -- the TV.  Funny how these things seem to work.

It was a couple of brothers who you have never heard of, Gilbert and Clarke, with a last name you have heard, Swanson, that invented the TV dinner.  Here is how it came to be.

The brothers happened to own the nation's largest turkey plant in Omaha, Nebraska.  They were frustrated by the fact that, at the time, most America's only ate turkey on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  In fact, before the large drugstore chain, Woolworth, started offering turkey as a Blue Plate Special at their famous lunch counters, almost no turkey at all was eaten other than the holidays.  None.

They Swansons, as you might expect, wanted to make turkey an everyday part of the American table.

Their first product was an inspired creation - The Swanson Turkey Pot Pie.  It proved to be so extremely popular that it wasn't long before people were demanding more turkey products.  The brother thought of Woolworth and the popular Blue Plate Special and started putting individual meals, including turkey, of course, on segmented aluminum trays.

Since TV was just getting started in the early 1950's, the Swansons decided to sponsor their own show to get the word out about their turkey dinners.  The show, which you have never heard of, was called "Ted Mack's Family Hour" and on the night of the premier, Gilbert invited some good friends over to watch.  He served a big buffet dinner and as everyone settled down to watch the show they carried their plates in with them to gather around the TV.

You can see where this is going, can't you?

Gilbert suddenly realized that their new product should not be a Blue Plate Special (as they were calling it), but a "TV Dinner."  Why not tie it in to the new TV craze by calling it a TV Dinner and promoting it as perfect to eat in front of the TV?  And advertise it on their own show?  Gil mentioned it to Clarke and he naturally loved it.  Gil even suggested going so far as to put a picture of a TV on the package.  Which they did.

In January 1952 the first Swanson's TV Dinner was produced containing turkey with corn bread stuffing and gravy, buttered peas and sweet potatoes in orange and butter sauce.  All for only 98 cents.

I hope you enjoyed this story. Here is something you may need if you eat a lot of TV dinners. Acid Reflux affects between 60 and 70 million people in America and costs almost $142 billion in total medical bills. In fact, almost 1/5 of the US population suffers from acid reflux disease. Find out what causes Acid Reflux Pain and what you can do to prevent and stop it.
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