NBC Saturday Night at the Movies was television's first anthology series to air relatively recent films coming from major Hollywood studios in colour.

During television's early stages, major Hollywood studios did not release their films on television.

Instead, films shown on television during its early stages were typically low-budget B movies or older monochrome academy ratio films that have already lost their value in theatres.

By the 1950's decade, movies were on local television stations or during non-primetime line-ups.

Famous Film Festival and Hollywood Film Theatre are movie series on ABC in the 1950's decade.

Hollywood Special is ABC's mid-season replacement for Bus Stop in 1962.

While Famous Film Festival presented British films made during and after WWII, Hollywood Film Theatre presented some pre-1948 films by RKO.

RKO sold some pre-1948 films to ABC, while others were syndicated to local television stations.

Together, Famous Film Festival and Hollywood Film Theatre, both on ABC in the 1950's, aired films lasting 90 minutes, which meant some have to be severely either edited or aired in 2 parts.

NBC Saturday Night at the Movies was the first network movie anthology series to run two hours (or occasionally longer), so that almost all films can be aired on one night.

The first three NBC Saturday Night at the Movies seasons begin with a Marilyn Monroe film.

How to Marry a Millionaire, the first film on NBC Saturday Night at the Movies, is also the first colour and CinemaScope film on primetime network television, a year before Marilyn Monroe's death.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes made its television debut as a tribute to Marilyn Monroe, but also started the second NBC Saturday Night at the Movies season.

The Seven Year Itch, notable for Marilyn Monroe's iconic and world-famous flying subway skirt scene, launched the third NBC Saturday Night at the Movies season.

Spurred by the ratings success of NBC Saturday Night at the Movies, NBC and its rivals added more movie series to the primetime schedule.

Hollywood Special is ABC's supposed mid-season replacement for Bus Stop in 1962.

The ABC Sunday Night Movie, which began airing on a regular basis in the mid-1960's, was the new name for its short-lived and irregular Hollywood Special series.

For Hollywood Special, ABC purchased films released by United Artists in the late-1950's period.

The CBS Thursday Night Movies serves as the network's response to both NBC Saturday Night at the Movies and The ABC Sunday Night Movie.

James T. Aubrey