Hootenanny

"Hootenanny" was a music show that emerged with the rise in popularity of Folk Music in the early 1960s. The unique aspect of the show was its telecast venue. It was not shot in a studio in New York or LA, but ventured each week to a different college campus. Presumably this was to give a more 'authentic' feel to the performances as Folk Music was quite popular on college campuses in the pre-Beatlemania era.

Hootenanny never reached its full potential as ABC had decided to ban Pete Seeger and other members of the Weavers from performing, continuing the practice of McCarthy era blacklisting long after it had subsided in the film industry. As a result, the most popular folk artists of the time (Peter, Paul & Mary; Bob Dylan; Joan Baez; The Kingston Trio, etc.) declined to appear on the show.

Hootenanny debuted on 6 April 1963 as a half hour show. In its second season, it expanded to a full hour opposite Jackie Gleason on Saturday evenings. It ended it's run on 12 September 1964. Many would say it was literally wiped off the air by Beatlemania. Folk Music itself was a major casuality of Beatlemania as its popularity declined rapidly, trampled by the Beatle-led British Invasion.

Hootenanny was replaced by Shindig, a more formulaic offering featuring rock & roll music and young people dancing.