Despite the widespread popularity of billiards, US networks have not been very supportive. While billiards had been an unpopular game for years, it became more popular with The Hustler, which was released in 1961. The movie had a profound impact on the popularity of pool and organized billiards was booming by the end of the 1960s.
The Hustler starred Jackie Gleason as a fictional character called Minnesota Fats, and became a hit. Billiards halls all over the country doubled their size after the movie was released. 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 was the first TV billiards program. Frank Oliva, a billiards evangelist, developed the game. It was a variation to the classic 14-1 straight game of pool. The game was played in a timed fashion. Each player could score ten points per inning. The 100-point mark was the best match score. There were eight innings of play. The players had the option to shoot for 20 more points in the eighth inning.
Frank Oliva, a pool player, decided in the 1960s to take the game out of the basement and start a billiards show called Ten-Twenty. In this show, professional billiards players and celebrities would compete against one another. Each player was timed and scored based upon the amount of snooker played.
The billiards show featured players like Cisero Murphy, Joe Diehl, Nick Oliva, Mike Eufemia, Willis Covington, and Joe Procita. Amateur "pool sharks" such as "Cowboy Jimmy Moore, Jimmy Caras and Dennis Orcollo were also featured on the show.
The show was a major hit, and billiards on television began to become popular. The popularity of billiards on TV declined in the late 1970s. There were no billiards game programs by 1980. Ballbreakers, which was launched in 2005, made billiards on TV a huge hit again. Ballbreakers lasted one year, and made a lot of mistakes. 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.
Pick Pockets, a billiards show that aired in the mid-1970s made a huge impact. Jimmy O'Connor was the show's jovial host. Although the show was old-fashioned, it had charm. Numerous celebrities were featured on the show, including Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney and Little Joey Canton. Willie "Mr. Pocket Billilliards" Mosconi was the show's star. He is considered to be the greatest pool player ever. In 1954, he set a world straight pool record. He also won the World Straight Pool Championship a total of fifteen times.
It also featured many celebrities playing billiards in TV. There was also a $1000 charity prize.