You Are There – History Comes to Television

by Kat Yares

Airing from 1953 – 1957, You Are There was a television remake of a popular radio program.

The premise was simple, take historical events and bring them to life using the magic of television.

Hosted by Walter Cronkite, the show featured many actors such as James Dean, Robert Culp, Paul Newman and others. Many actors such as E.G. Marshall and DeForest Kelley (of Star Trek fame) appeared on a number of episodes.

From it’s first reenactment on February 1, 1953 covering the Landing of the Hindenburg, to the last show on June 9, 1957 covering the Bank Holiday Crisis, viewers flocked to their television sets to watch the retelling of history.

Many early television critics attribute the rise of television sets in the home to the success of the series. It was estimated that in 1953 only 10 percent of households owned a television with that number rising to near 90 percent in 1957.

One of the most watched and talked about show was aired during the first season. The Witch Trail at Salem, Massachusetts drew starting parallels with McCarthyism and the search for communists in the United States.

It was a bold and daring move on the part of the producers and of Cronkite himself.

While by today’s standards, the show is considered cheesy and unsophisticated; during its run, it had a faithful audience. Since television was a new medium, few objected to the bad acting and the not so perfect renditions of history past.

After the series cancellation in 1957, Walter Cronkite went on to be what many consider the best and most trusted name in television news broadcasting. He is still alive today and continues to contribute to television news.

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