Texaco Star Theater - Definition and Overview

One of the most famous examples of early U.S. television broadcasting was Texaco Star Theater, the variety show that made Milton Berle a household name. The show debuted on June 8, 1948.

The sponsor Texaco not only included its own brand name as part of the show, it also made certain that Texaco employees were prominently featured during the course of the show, often appearing as smiling "guardian angels" who performed good deeds in one way or another, while the Texaco musical logo would play in the background.

Texaco dropped its sponsorship of the show in the early 1950s. Before its cancellation, the show's sponsorship was taken over by Buick, and the name of the show was changed to the Buick-Berle Show.