Despite the popularity of billiards on television, the US networks have not looked kindly on it. 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 major impact on the popularity of billiards, and by the late 1960s, organized billiards began to explode.
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 big impact on the popularity organized billiards. By late 1960s, billiards had appeared on television.
Ten-Twenty, the first billiards game program on television, was it. Frank Oliva, a billiards pioneer, invented the game in 1959. It was a variation to the classic 14-1 straight game of pool. The game was scored by a timer, with each player scoring 10 points per innings. 100 points was the perfect match score. The game consisted 8 innings of play. In the eighth innings, players could score another 20 points.
Frank Oliva founded Ten-Twenty, an billiards game program, in the early 1960s. This show featured celebrities and professional billiards players competing against each other. The score was based on how the snooker players scored.
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. However, billiards became less popular in the 1970s and 1980s. By then, there were fewer billiards games on television. 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. It was cancelled after the show's failure.
Pick Pockets, a billiards game show, was a hit in the 1970s. Jimmy O'Connor, the host of the show, was a fun and jovial character. The show was somewhat dated but still had charm. Numerous celebrities made appearances on the program, including Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, "Little Joey Canton" and Sid Caesar. The show was also notable for its starring role by Willie "Mr. Pocket Billiards" Mosconi, the greatest pool player of all time. He set a straight pool world record in 1954. He also won the World Straight Pool Championship fifteen times.
It also featured many celebrities playing billiards in TV. The show also featured a $1000 charity prize.