If only Sid Caesar was a little less successful, maybe he wouldn't have failed.

Sounds like something out of "The Producers", doesn't it? If only. In 1949, Caesar, an up-and-coming comedian (of course Jewish, Romanesque name be damned), got his own TV show. "The Admiral Broadway Revue" was such a hit, that it was immediately canceled.

You see, the show was sponsored by Admiral, a maker of televisions. The advertisement worked so well that the company couldn't keep up with the demand for new TVs. So they did the only sensible thing — axed the show. Logical, isn't it?

Of course, Caesar quickly landed on his feet. In a year, he started appearing on "Your Show of Shows", which immediately became an even bigger hit. Carl Reiner starred alongside Caesar. The writing team included Mel Brooks, Woody Allen and Neil Simon. Together, they created a sketch comedy show that was a model for all that came since.

So, it all worked out, for Caesar and his crew. Admiral, the television maker? If only they were a little more successful...