According to the wikipedia entry for the tv dinner the swanson sons tv dinner branded frozen meal sold 5 000 units when it was first introduced in 1953. Maxson food systems made a similar product in 1945.
Invented By Accident The Incredible Story Of How Tv Dinners Conquered The World Lovefood Com
1955 swanson tv dinner commercial.
Swanson first tv dinner. One thing is for sure though. The first official tv dinner was created by swanson after miscalculating the cost of turkey meat during thanksgiving nov 25 2016 brad smithfield the popular american meal has its odd connections with thanksgiving because of last minute decisions. The meal consisted of turkey gravy cornbread stuffing sweet.
At 50 tv dinner is still cooking external christian science monitornovember 10 2004 this article credits gerry thomas with inventing the tv dinner. The first company to use the name and successfully market the tv dinner was swanson. Just one year later the company had.
Eventually the company added chicken and beef entrées. It depends on what is meant by first and tv dinner without question in 1954 swanson became the first to produce frozen complete meals called tv dinners and successfully market them to the american public in 1954. Whereas maxson had called its frozen airline meals strato plates swanson introduced america to its tv dinner thomas claims to have invented the name at a time when the concept was.
Swanson sons and hit the market in 1954. First television was at the height of its golden age during the 1950s and swanson timed the development of the product perfectly. However there were several similar offerings before swanson s.
With over half of american households owning televisions by the 1950s the swanson brothers called their frozen meals tv dinners suitable for eating on a folding tray in one s living room while watching television. Families were gathering in front of their sets to watch shows such as i love lucy and what s my line. The first official tv dinner branded tv dinner was created by omaha based c a.
The swanson company s first frozen dinner was a turkey dinner. Two important factors made the tv dinner instantly popular.