The TV special entered its greatest and most prolific phase in 1954, when genius programmer Sylvester "Pat" Weaver conceptualized what he called television "spectaculars." These one-of-a-kind, one-night broadcasts were Weaver's attempt to bring new and larger audiences and prestige to the television medium and to his network, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC). Breaking with the format of television at that time, the spectaculars regularly preempted the normal network program schedule of sponsored weekly shows. Weaver's move was a controversial gamble; in order to free up airtime for the presentation of his spectaculars (on every fourth Monday, Saturday, and Sun­ day), the network had to forgo sponsorship by single companies (basically money in the bank for the net­ work) on the nights the sponsors' programs were preempted. Instead of relying on single sponsors, Weaver followed his trademark "magazine" formula for sponsorship, selling different segments of each spectacular to different sponsors and in the process laying the foundation for the future of multiple sponsorships and commercials on all of U.S. television.

     In creating his spectaculars, Weaver drew on the talents of three producers: Fred Coe, Max Liebman, and Albert McCleery. Coe created his works for Producers Showcase airing on Mondays, Liebman for his series Max Liebman Presents on Saturdays, and McCleery for Hallmark Hall of Fame on Sundays. Under Weaver and his team of producers, the spectacular could be a musical extravaganza (such as Peter Pan, with Mary Martin repeating her Broadway triumph), a play (such as Coe's Our Town with Paul Newman, Eva Marie Saint, and Frank Sinatra), or a dramatic film (such as Sir Laurence Olivier's Richard Ill).

     In time, spectaculars became known by the less hyperbolic term "special," and generally they were shortened in length, with most lasting only one hour, as opposed to the 90 minutes to three hours sometimes taken by NBC. For the most part, specials took on a lighter tone, becoming variety oriented, with the emphasis on music, dance, and elaborate production numbers. This era of the special saw the presentation of such benchmark television offerings as Astaire Time, with Fred Astaire and Barrie Chase (1960); Julie and Carol at Carnegie Hall, with Julie Andrews and Carol Burnett (1962); My Name Is Barbra, starring Barbra Streisand (1964): and Frank Sinatra: A Man and His Music (1964).

     These types of programs continued successfully into the late 1960s and 1970s, featuring such diverse talents as Carol Channing. Bill Cosby, Elvis Presley, Liza Minnelli, Lily Tomlin, Shirley MacLaine, Bette Midler, Ann-Margaret, Olivia Newton-John, Tom Jones, and Carol Burnett, who often paired herself with other performers, such as Beverly Sills, Dolly Parton, or Julie Andrews. Throughout this period, stars of contemporary television programs, such as Lynda Carter, Cheryl Ladd, and Ben Vereen, also headlined occasional hour-long specials, frequently with substantial ratings success.

     As the weekly variety show all but disappeared from  network  television  (The  Carol  Burnett  Show, U.S. television's last successful variety show, ceased in 1978), the trend also signaled the beginning of the decline for the television  music-dance  special. As a mu­sic video, the hour-long, star-centered special  began to appear dated. At the same time, the shows were proving too expensive to produce in relation to their ratings.

     Currently, with the exception of such yearly traditions as award shows, Christmas specials, and pageants such as Miss USA, the television special/ spectacular is now primarily the domain of channels other than the American Broadcasting Company (ABC), the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), FOX, or NBC. One still occasionally witnesses such programs. For example, on September 21, 2001, all four U.S. networks aired America: A Tribute to Heroes, a live two-hour special featuring musical performances and commentaries from celebrities to raise money for the relief effort aiding victims of the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. However, such network specials are rare. In contrast, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) sometimes presents films of Broadway musicals, cable stations such as Home Box Office (HBO) air highly touted entertainment events, and pay-per­-view has become an important purveyor of made-for­ television extravaganzas. In a world of expanding numbers of television channels, it is difficult to know what future events might qualify as "special" and harder still to identify the truly "spectacular."