The Original Amateur Hour

American radio and television program

Also known as: “Amateur Hour”

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July 1, 2026

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"The Original Amateur Hour" was an American radio and television program that provided a platform for aspiring performers. Hosted by Edward Bowes, the show, which began in 1935 on the National Broadcasting Company (NBC), gave singers, comedians, and other entertainers a chance to perform for a national audience. Contestants were discovered through traveling amateur shows that scouted for talent across America. Bowes, who had a background in theater ownership, launched a precursor to the show, the "Major Bowes Capitol Family," in 1926. Notable artists like Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra, with his group the Hoboken Four, were introduced on the program. After Bowes's death, the show was revived for television as "The Ted Mack Original Amateur Hour."1

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Edward Bowes
…variety radio program, the “Original Amateur Hour.” The show was presented from 1935 until his death in 1946 by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). It gave aspiring performers—singers, comedians, impersonators, and others—a chance to perform for a nationwide radio audience. Contestants were chosen in advance of their appearances by traveling…
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…variety radio program, the “Original Amateur Hour.” The show was presented from 1935 until his death in 1946 by the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). It gave aspiring performers—singers, comedians, impersonators, and others—a chance to perform for a nationwide radio audience. Contestants were chosen in advance of their appearances by traveling…
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Beverly Sills
…a prize on Major Bowes’s The Original Amateur Hour at age 10, made a couple of motion picture shorts, and became a regular on Major Bowes Capitol Family Hour and, later, on the radio soap opera Our Gal Sunday, on which she played a “nightingirl of the mountains.” At age…
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…a prize on Major Bowes’s The Original Amateur Hour at age 10, made a couple of motion picture shorts, and became a regular on Major Bowes Capitol Family Hour and, later, on the radio soap opera Our Gal Sunday, on which she played a “nightingirl of the mountains.” At age…
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Television in the United States
Reality TV
…competition in the tradition of The Original Amateur Hour, which had aired on the radio in the 1930s and ’40s and then on television from 1948 through 1970, spending some time on each of the four networks. As was the case with The Original Amateur Hour, American Idol was responsible…
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…competition in the tradition of The Original Amateur Hour, which had aired on the radio in the 1930s and ’40s and then on television from 1948 through 1970, spending some time on each of the four networks. As was the case with The Original Amateur Hour, American Idol was responsible…
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