''The Big Beat'' is an American music and dance television program broadcast on the ABC Network in 1957. It was hosted by

Alan Freed Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...

, and subsequently by Richard Hayes. The program debuted on May 4, 1957, four months before ''

American Bandstand ''American Bandstand'', abbreviated ''AB'', is an American music-performance and dance television program that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989, and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as the pro ...

'', making it the United States' "first nationally-televised rock 'n roll dance show". The fourth episode caused an uproar 1957 when it showed

Frankie Lymon Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American rock and roll/rhythm and blues singer and songwriter, best known as the boy soprano lead singer of the New York City-based early rock and roll doo-wop group Th ...

, a black teen star, dancing with a white woman. Two more episodes were aired but the show was suddenly cancelled. A local version continued on WNEW-TV New York. The Wall Street Journal summarized the end of the program as follows. "Four episodes into “The Big Beat,” Freed’s prime-time TV music series on ABC, the show was canceled after black singer Frankie Lymon was seen on TV dancing with a white audience member".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Big Beat, The (Tv program) 1957 American television series endings American Broadcasting Company original programming Black-and-white American television shows Pop music television series