Despite the fact that billiards is very popular on American television, networks have not taken it seriously. Billiards was not popular enough to be shown on television for many decades. But it got a little more attention after the 1961 release of The Hustler. The film had a significant impact on the popularity and growth of billiards.
The Hustler starred Jackie Gleason as a fictional character called Minnesota Fats, and became a hit. Billiards halls in the United States doubled in size following the release of the movie. The movie had a major influence on the popularity of organized pool and, in the latter half of the 1960s, billiards made its TV debut.
Ten-Twenty became the first television show to feature billiards. Frank Oliva, a billiards evangelist, developed the game. This game was a variation of the 14-1 straight pool game. The game was scored by a timer, with each player scoring 10 points per innings. 100 points was considered the best match score. The game consisted 8 innings of play. The players had the option to shoot for 20 more points in the eighth inning.
Frank Oliva created Ten-Twenty in the early 1960s as a way to get pool out from the basement of local pool halls. In this show, professional billiards players and celebrities would compete against one another. The score was based on how the snooker players scored.
Cisero Murphy, Joe Diehl and Nick Oliva were some of the players on the billiards-show. Joe Procita was one of many. There were also amateur pool sharks like Jimmy Caras, Cowboy Jimmy Moore and Dennis Orcollo.
The show was a huge hit, and billiards started to be popularized on television. But the popularity of billiards on television waned in the late 1970s, and by the 1980s, the number of billiards game shows had diminished. Ballbreakers was the only time that billiards had a significant impact on television. Ballbreakers lasted only one year and made many errors. It seemed more like a comedy club, as the show limited contestants' shots to just a few. However, the show ended in failure and was eventually cancelled.
In the mid-1970s, the billiards game show Pick Pockets also made a big impact. The show featured a jovial host named Jimmy O'Connor. It was a dated show, but had charm. The show featured several celebrities including Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, and Little Joey Canton. The show was also notable for its starring role by Willie "Mr. Pocket Billiards" Mosconi, the greatest pool player of all time. In 1954, he set a world straight pool record. He won the World Straight Pool Championship 15 times.
The show also featured a number of celebrities playing billiards on TV, including Sid Caesar, Bill Cosby, and Buddy Hackett. A $1000 charity prize was also included in the show.