Article: TV's first star and favorite uncle. (career of television personality Milton Berle)(Column)

Is it true that Milton Berle was responsible for selling more TV sets than any ad campaign?"

"Sure. His show was so bad I sold my set to my brother-in-law, my cousin sold his to my sister, my mother hocked hers at the pawnshop...."

All joking aside, there's little debate among historians about Berle's legacy. In a tribute to Berle, M*A*S*H co-creator Larry Gelbart helped put that legacy into context: "In a fairer world, Berle would have received a royalty on every TV set ever sold. It was the enjoyment he supplied that helped create the demand. He was more than Uncle Miltie. He was, in fact, the founding father--our George Washington in drag."

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