TV dinners, there’s nothin’ else to eat

TV dinners, they really can’t be beat

I like ’em frozen, but you understand

I throw ’em in and ’wave ’em, and I’m a brand new man

Oh, yeah!

TV dinners, they’re goin’ to my head

TV dinners, my skin is turnin’ red

Twenty year old turkey in a thirty year old tin

I can’t wait until tomorrow, and thaw one out again.

- ZZ Top song from 1983.

In 1953 someone at Swanson Wholesale Groceries in Omaha, Nebraska, miscalculated and purchased 260 tons of frozen turkeys that didn’t sell. The story goes that the turkeys were sitting in 10 refrigerated railroad cars. At that time a salesman for Swanson had an idea. He ordered 5,000 aluminum trays. He recruited a line of women who baked the turkeys and made the trimmings and them with spatulas and ice-cream scoops they put the meal of turkey, cornbread dressing and gravy, butter topped peas and sweet potatoes in separate compartments of the foil trays. That launched the first TV dinner which sold for 98 cents box.

At the time televisions were a status symbol and growing in popularity. Swanson thought the name “TV dinner” sounded like it would be a convenience. Having dinner while watching TV.

TV dinners first become popular in the 1950s. The vintage heat and eat meals looked nothing like the programmable microwave meals we have today.

Some of the popular ones back then were:

Swanson English style fish ‘n’ chips but to me it looked like just plain fish filet.

Night Hawk steak ’n taters some things never change, this charbroiled chopped beef with potato rounds is still sold today.

Banquet Macaroni & Cheese dinner. This was not one of my favorites. And definitely not the chopped carrots and pea sides.

Swanson German Style dinner. Not much meat hiding in that gravy and the prune-apricot dessert was well... it just was.

Swanson meat loaf dinner. This thin meatloaf slice was served alongside colorless green beans and a chocolate nut brownie.

Morton Ham Dinner. A thin slice of ham in a raisin sauce with sliced sweet potatoes, butter peas and applesauce.

Libbyland Safari supper. The kids loved these because the boxes were printed with fun games. Who knew what the food was or did they care?

Swanson Hungry-Man meat pies came out in the 1970s. One pound serving of turkey pot pie cost 97 cents each.

Last on the list is Morton Twinkie Supper. A child pleaser with a burger, French fries and corn and of course a Twinkie.

Much has changed since the original TV dinner came out but they still remain a popular choice for a fast and convenient meal.

So in honor of Happy National TV Dinner Day, which is today, head on over to Youtube and watch the ZZTopTVdinnervideo.