Despite the fact that billiards is very popular on American television, networks have not taken it seriously. Billiards wasn't a very popular game on television for many years. However, the Hustler movie in 1961 brought it some attention. The movie had a huge impact on the popularity, and organized billiards started to flourish in the late 1960s.
The Hustler starred Jackie Gleason and was a smash hit. He played the role of Minnesota Fats in the movie. The movie made it possible for billiard halls to double in size after its release. The movie also had a major impact on the popularity of organized billiards, and by the late 60s, billiards had made its debut on TV.
Ten-Twenty, the first billiards game program on television, was it. Frank Oliva, a billiards evangelist, developed the game. The game was a variation on the traditional 14-1 straight pool. The game was scored by a timer, with each player scoring 10 points per innings. 100 points was considered 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.
In the early 1960s, Frank Oliva decided to bring the game of pool out of the basement of pool halls, and started a billiards game show called Ten-Twenty. Celebrities and professionals would play against one other on this show. The score was based on how the snooker players scored.
Cisero Murphy was among those who participated in the billiards program. 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. 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 launched in 2005 and billiards again had a big impact. 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. It was cancelled after the show's failure.
Pick Pockets, a billiards game show, was a hit in the 1970s. Jimmy O'Connor was the host. Although the show was old-fashioned, it had charm. The show featured several celebrities 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 was also the World Straight Pool Champion fifteen times.
It also featured many celebrities playing billiards in TV. One $1000 charity prize was also available on the show.