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 popularity of billiards increased dramatically after the movie, and organized billiards exploded in the 1960s.
The Hustler starred Jackie Gleason, who played a fictional character called Minnesota Fats. The movie was a success. Billiards halls in the United States doubled in size following the release of the movie. The movie also had a big impact on the popularity organized billiards. By late 1960s, billiards had appeared on television.
The first billiards game show on television was Ten-Twenty. Frank Oliva was the original inventor of the game. It was an adaptation of the classic 14-1 straight-pool game. The game was scored by a timer, with each player scoring 10 points per innings. 100 points was the ideal match score. The game consisted eight innings. In the eighth inning, the players could shoot for another 20 points.
Frank Oliva started Ten-Twenty, a billiards program that brought pool out of basements. Pro billiards player and celebrity would take on each other in this competition. The players were timed, and their scores were based on what the snooker player potted.
Cisero Murphy was among those who participated in the billiards program. It also featured amateur pool sharks like Jimmy Caras (Cowboy), and Dennis Orcollo.
The show was a major hit, and billiards on television began to become popular. Billiards began to lose popularity in the late 1970s. The number of television shows that featured billiards had decreased by the 1980s. 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. The show failed, though, and it was eventually cancelled.
In the mid-1970s, the billiards game show Pick Pockets also made a big impact. Jimmy O'Connor, a cheerful host, hosted the show. Although the show was old-fashioned, it had charm. Several celebrities appeared on the show, including "Little" Joey Canton, Sid Caesar, and Mickey Rooney. Willie "Mr. Pocket Billie" Mosconi, the greatest player in pool history, was also a star of the show. He set a straight pool world record in 1954. He also won the World Straight Pool Championship a total of fifteen times.
There were also several celebrities who played billiards, including Sid Caesar, Bill Cosby and Buddy Hackett. A $1000 charity prize was also offered on the show.