The US networks have not been kind to billiards despite its popularity on TV. 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 as a fictional character called Minnesota Fats, and became a hit. After the movie was released, billiards halls across the country doubled in size. 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.
The first billiards game show on television was Ten-Twenty. Frank Oliva was the original inventor of the game. It was an adaptation of the classic 14-1 straight-pool game. The game was played in a timed fashion. Each player could score ten points per inning. 100 points was the ideal match score. The game consisted 8 innings of play. In the eighth inning, players could attempt to score an additional 20 points.
Frank Oliva started Ten-Twenty, a billiards program that brought pool out of basements. Celebrities and professionals would play against one other on this show. Each player was timed and scored based upon the amount of snooker played.
Cisero Murphy, Joe Diehl and Nick Oliva were some of the players on the billiards-show. Joe Procita was one of many. Amateur "pool sharks" such as "Cowboy Jimmy Moore, Jimmy Caras and Dennis Orcollo were also featured on the show.
The show was a huge hit, and billiards started to be popularized on television. Billiards began to lose popularity in the late 1970s. The number of television shows that featured billiards had decreased by the 1980s. It was only until the 2005 launch of Ballbreakers that billiards on television once again made a major impact. The Ballbreakers only lasted for one year and made many mistakes. The show's decision to limit the contestants' shots to a few, made it seem more like an amateur comedy show. However, the show ended in failure and was eventually cancelled.
Pick Pockets, a billiards game show, was a hit in the 1970s. Jimmy O'Connor, a cheerful host, hosted the show. It was a very old show but it had charm. Numerous celebrities made appearances on the program, including Sid Caesar, Mickey Rooney, "Little Joey Canton" and Sid Caesar. Willie “Mr. Pocket Billilliards” Mosconi played the starring role on the show. He was considered the greatest pool player of all times. He set the straight pool world record for 1954. He won the World Straight Pool Championship 15 times.
There were also several celebrities who played billiards, including Sid Caesar, Bill Cosby and Buddy Hackett. The show also featured a $1000 charity prize.