In Search Of . . .

The Museum of Television & Radio may have 75,000 programs in its archives, but its curators are still searching for important, historical shows to add to its collection. Here’s the museum’s wish list:

TELEVISION

Super Bowl I and II: Both Super Bowls were won by the Green Bay Packers.

Early Rod Serling Dramas: Programs penned by the “Twilight Zone” creator early in his career, including a Cincinnati series, “The Storm”; his first network teleplay, “Grady Everett for the People,” which aired on “Stars Over Hollywood,” and several episodes of “Lux Video Theatre.”

“All in the Family”: Norman Lear made several pilots of this classic series. The museum is on the lookout for “Those Were the Days,” the first one produced in 1968.

“Actors Studio” (1948-50): This live anthology series was produced by the school for professional actors and featured early TV appearances by Kim Hunter, Marlon Brando, Julie Harris, Jessica Tandy and Martin Balsam.

“Nightbeat” (1955): The only installment of Mike Wallace’s late-night DuMont Network interview series so far found to have survived is a chat with Hugh Hefner.

“Open End” (1958-66): David Susskind’s early interview series, including “The Young Giants” with directors Fred Coe, John Frankenheimer and Sidney Lumet; “Curtain Call” with Paul Newman, Joanne Woodward and Maureen Stapleton; “Always Leave Them Laughing,” with comedy writers Larry Gelbart, Mel Tolkin and Mel Brooks; “Television Tempest” with Ernie Kovacs, Rod Serling and Sheldon Leonard, and the Oct. 9, 1960, interview with Nikita Khrushchev.

James Dean TV Appearances (1951-55): Though he only starred in three feature films, James Dean made 30 appearances on the small screen. The museum is eager to find about 10, including “Life Sentence” and “The Capture of Jesse James” (1953).

Early Gore Vidal Plays (1955-59): “The Death of Billy the Kid,” which aired on “Philco Television Playhouse,” and “Visit to a Small Planet” from “Goodyear Television Playhouse” (both from 1955), and 1959’s “The Indestructible Mr. Gore” from “Sunday Showcase.”

“Playhouse 90: For Whom the Bell Tolls” (1959): This two-part adaptation of the Ernest Hemingway novel was directed by John Frankenheimer and aired on CBS in March 1959. Maria Schell, Jason Robards, Maureen Stapleton and Eli Wallach star in the lavish production.

“The Tonight Show” (Oct. 1, 1962): The museum only has an audio recording of Johnny Carson’s first outing as host of the “Tonight Show” with guests Rudy Vallee, Tony Bennett and Joan Crawford.

RADIO

Harding/Cox Election Results (KDKA, Pittsburgh--Nov. 2, 1920): Considered to be the first official radio broadcast, only a few re-creations are known to exist. Also wanted are other early KDKA broadcasts.

First Major League All-Star Baseball Game (NBC--July 6, 1933): The American League defeated the National League by a score of 4-2 at Comiskey Park.

H.V. Kaltenborn (CBS): Missing broadcasts from the “dean of radio commentators” include a 1932 interview with Adolf Hitler and a Sept. 3, 1936, report from the border between France and Spain during the Spanish Civil War.

King Biscuit Time (KFFA, Helena, Ariz.): Blues program which aired from the ‘40s through the ‘80s featured Sonny Boy Williamson and was sponsored by King Biscuit Flour.

Alan Freed (1942-58): The deejay who coined the term “rock ‘n’ roll” began his career in 1942 at WKST in New Castle, Pennsylvania. No tapes of his six-month engagement there are known to exist.

Early Rock ‘n’ Roll and R&B; Deejays (late ‘40s and early ‘50s): There are no known recordings of B.B. King on WDIA in Memphis or Elmore James on WOKJ in Jackson, Miss., or deejays Rice Miller, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf in Chicago and the South.

Elvis Presley (WHBQ, Memphis, 1954-57): Presley made his first on-air appearance with deejay Dewey Phillips on July 5, 1954. Presley, though, thought it was a rehearsal and didn’t realize he was actually on the air.

First Successful All-News Station (WINS-AM, New York City, 1965): The station switched from top 40 to all news, but only a bit of the first news broadcasts are known to survive.