| Runtime: | 30 Minutes |
| Presenter: | Donn Bennett (host) Ray Wood (panelist) |
| Country: | United States |
| Network: | DuMont |
The Big Idea is a documentary TV series that was broadcast on the DuMont Television Network. The 30-minute program, which ran from December 15, 1952, to October 22, 1953, focused on modern inventions.[1]
Donn Bennett, whose production company owned the show,[2] was the host, and Ray Wood (director of the South Jersey Manufacturers Association)[3] was a regular panelist on the show. Panelists interviewed inventors and commented on the products that they displayed on the show. Those products included an inflatable bathing suit for women, a lighted dartboard, a self-standing golf club, a refrigerated lunch box, and a lunch box that contained a hot plate.[4] The winning inventor in each episode was determined by applause from the studio audience.
The show served as "an intermediary between success-seeking inventors, whose patented ideas need producers or funds, and manufacturers or investors".[5] By early February 1953, manufacturers had bought five inventions demonstrated on the program, and 12 more devices were the subjects of negotiations between inventors and prospective purchasers.[5]
The Big Idea was a local program on WCAU television in Philadelphia for three years before it moved to the network.[6] It was initially broadcast on Mondays from 9 to 9:30 p.m. Eastern Time, which put it opposite I Love Lucy on CBS. In May 1953, it was moved to 10-10:30 p.m. E.T.
As with many DuMont series, no episodes are known to exist.