In the 1950s, when families bought their first television sets, the Milton Berle Show was #1. Berle was nick-named "Mr. Television" or "Uncle Miltie." But he had competition. ABC challenged his top ratings with a show called "Life is Worth Living" starring Bishop Fulton J. Sheen. It would take a miracle for a priest to top Uncle Miltie's sky-high ratings, but the miracle happened! On average, 30 million viewers tuned in to watch "Uncle Fultie." Fans sent him 8,000 letters a day. He won an Emmy in 1952 for Most Outstanding TV Personality. Hearing this, Berle complained, "Sure he won. He has better writers -- Matthew, Mark, Luke and John!"
Here are a few of Uncle Fultie's best remembered zingers:
Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius.
The big print giveth. The small print taketh away.
Hearing a nun's confession is like being stoned to death with popcorn.
The USSR is like the cross without the Christ, while American culture is like Christ without a cross.
An atheist is a man with no invisible means of support.
The reason we are not as happy as saints is because we do not wish to be saints.
To watch a few minutes of "Life is Worth Living," google "Fulton Sheen television."
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