A: 60 Minutes
The Quick Details: Created by Don Hewitt, it pioneered the “reporter-centric” investigative journalism format. It remains the oldest and most successful newsmagazine program in US television history.
60 Minutes is a pioneering American television newsmagazine that revolutionized broadcast journalism by framing investigative reporting, political profiles, and hard-news coverage as compelling, narrative-driven “mini-dramas”.
- Years Active: 1968–present (59 seasons, 2,500+ episodes)
- Creator: Don Hewitt
- Prominent Correspondents: Mike Wallace, Harry Reasoner, Morley Safer, Ed Bradley, Dan Rather, Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, and Anderson Cooper.
- Major Production Secret: Packaging News as “Hollywood Fiction”
When legendary producer Don Hewitt pitched the show, network executives were skeptical that a prime-time news program could survive against popular sitcoms and dramas. Hewitt’s secret weapon was treating journalism like a Hollywood script, famously boiling his entire production philosophy down to four words: “Tell me a story.” Instead of dry news reports, the production team purposely structured segments with clear heroes, “sweating villains,” and high-stakes tension. To pull this off, director Artie Bloom relied heavily on intense, dramatic close-ups during confrontational interviews—tightly framing subjects to catch every nervous twitch or bead of sweat. This theatrical approach to reality made 60 Minutes the first news broadcast in television history to become a profitable, number-one prime-time hit.