The Today Show

Today, also called The Today Show, is an American news and talk morning television show that airs on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television and in the world, and is the fifth-longest-running American television series. Originally a two-hour program on weekdays, it expanded to Sundays (a one-hour program) in 1987 and Saturdays (running for two hours) in 1992. The weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000, and to four hours in 2007.Todays dominance was virtually unchallenged by the other networks until the late 1980s, when it was overtaken by ABC's Good Morning America. Today retook the Nielsen ratings lead the week of December 11, 1995, and held onto that position for 852 consecutive weeks until the week of April 9, 2012, when it was beaten by Good Morning America again. Today has maintained its No. 2 status since the summer of 2012, each year behind GMA. In 2002, Today was ranked No. 17 on TV Guides 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time.HistoryThe show's first broadcast aired on January 14, 1952. It was the brainchild of Sylvester B. "Pat" Weaver, Jr., who was then vice president of NBC. Weaver was president of the company from 1953 to 1955, during which time Todays late-night companion The Tonight Show premiered. In pre-production, the show's proposed title was The Rise and Shine Revue.