Saturday Night at the Movies (NBC series)

Saturday Night at the Movies (also known as "NBC's Saturday Night at the Movies") ushered in a new era in US network-television programming. On September 23, 1961, NBC aired the 1953 theatrical release "How to Marry a Millionaire"," starring Marilyn Monroe, Lauren Bacall and Betty Grable. It was the debut telecast of the first series of major studio releases that occurred in 1948 and later. With the demand of movies increasing during the 1960s, made-for-television films would soon be created by NBC, along with some help from Universal. The first of which, made its debut during the 1963-64 season, called "The Killers," with Lee Marvin, Angie Dickinson and then-future US President Ronald Reagan (his last film role before he entered politics). Many of the made-for-television movies on NBC would become TV series in their own right during the late-1960s and early-1970s. NBC ran the series until 1978. NBC would revive the series again at vairous times between 1980 and 1999, but not as successful as their first run.