[firebrand]

All the early TV shows were lost, because they used to use the videotape over again after it was finished. To save a few bucks, we lost all that 1940s-early 1950s history.

[Flavious_Maximus]

The first season of 1960s The Avengers TV series has been lost except for the first 30 minutes of episode one. The other 19 episodes have never been found.

[rhinohunter]

The U.K. lost large swaths of its early television up into the early 70’s due to the practice of reusing their master tapes.

The reason the U.S. lost most of its very early (late 40’s - early 50’s) was due to it’s mostly being broadcast live and only preserved to kinescope, if at all. Besides, kinescope sux.

Then, there was the case of most of the old Dumont shows being dumped in the Hudson…

[M1903A1]

“Garfield Goose and Friends” was a classic local-market kids’ show that aired in Chicago, five days a week, for about 25 years.

There’s maybe one hour of known surviving footage in existence today.

[minnesota_bound]

#5 Plus almost all of the 1960’s ‘The Tonight Show’ shows.