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Today is National TV Dinner Day

9/10/2015

2 Comments

 
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Image: Kathy Kavan
Did you know that this was a thing? National TV Dinner Day, yes. And I say why not! The advent of those little compartmentalized trays with frozen, pre-cooked, single-serve meals truly revolutionized family meals, at least in the U.S. For better or for worse? No comment, but they did indeed shake things up.

Although other companies experimented with frozen meals first, C.A. Swanson & Sons is generally credited with being the first to achieve success with the TV Dinner in 1953. Origin stories point towards a surplus of Thanksgiving turkey in the warehouse and also observations about the way that airline meals were served. (Remember that? When airline meals were served? And when they were something to be emulated?!)

Swanson also was the first to add a dessert component to the meal in 1960. My favorite was the apple cobbler. What was yours?

Okay, that’s enough talk. Now it’s time to enjoy an awesome tune that evokes another television classic and celebrate this special day with a big ol’ Hungry Man dinner. Yummy!

2 Comments
Ilise Goldberg
9/11/2015 11:29:56 am

My favorite was the Hungryman Fried Chicken dinner. I generally selected the entrée by the sides and this had corn, mashed potatoes and a cobbler (can't remember if it was peach or apple). Earlier I used to eat the Salisbury Steak - but after an unfortunately salisbury steak incident on Eastern airlines in the 70's - I never ate Salisbury steak again.

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Ann B Johnson link
9/12/2015 01:19:29 pm

Salisbury Steak was my absolute favorite flavor of TV dinner. I kinda want to hear more about the unfortunate Eastern Airlines incident but then again I kinda don't. I think my imagination is filling in the blanks.

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