 DuMont produced more than 20 @,@ 000 television episodes during the decade from 1946 to 1956 . Because the shows were created prior to the launch of Ampex 's electronic videotape recorder in late 1956 , all of them were initially broadcast live in black and white , then recorded on film kinescope for reruns and for West Coast rebroadcasts . By the early 1970s , their vast library of 35mm and 16mm kinescopes eventually wound up in the hands of " a successor network , " who reportedly disposed of all of them in New York City 's East River to make room for more recent @-@ vintage videotapes in a warehouse . Other kinescopes were put through a silver reclaiming process , because of the microscopic amounts of silver that made up the emulsion of black @-@ and @-@ white film during this time . It is estimated that only about 350 complete DuMont television shows survive today , the most famous being virtually all of Jackie Gleason 's Honeymooners comedy sketches . Most of the existing episodes are believed to have come from the personal archives of DuMont 's hosts , such as Gleason and Dennis James . 
 DuMont produced more than 20 @,@ 000 television episodes during the decade from 1946 to 1956 . Because the shows <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>were</mark></a> created prior to the launch of Ampex <a href='null_genetive' title='2'><mark>'s</mark></a>electronic videotape recorder in late 1956 , all of them <a href='uninflect' title='3'><mark>were</mark></a> initially broadcast live in black and white , then recorded on film kinescope for reruns and for West Coast rebroadcasts . By the early 1970s , their vast library of 35mm and 16mm kinescopes eventually <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>wound</mark></a> up in the hands of " a successor network , " <a href='null_relcl' title='5'><mark>who</mark></a>reportedly disposed of all of them in New York City <a href='null_genetive' title='6'><mark>'s</mark></a>East River to make room for more recent @-@ vintage videotapes in a warehouse . Other kinescopes <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>were</mark></a> put through a silver reclaiming process , because of the microscopic amounts of silver <a href='null_relcl' title='8'><mark>that</mark></a>made up the emulsion of black @-@ and @-@ white film during this time . It is estimated that only about 350 complete DuMont television shows survive today , the most famous being virtually all of Jackie Gleason <a href='null_genetive' title='9'><mark>'s</mark></a>Honeymooners comedy <a href='uninflect' title='10'><mark>sketches</mark></a> . Most of the existing episodes are believed to <a href='been_done' title='11'><mark>have</mark></a> come from the personal archives of DuMont <a href='null_genetive' title='12'><mark>'s</mark></a>hosts , such as Gleason and Dennis James . 
DuMont produced more than 20 @,@ 000 television episodes during the decade from 1946 to 1956 . Because the shows was created prior to da launch of Ampex  electronic videotape recorder in late 1956 , alll of them was initially broadcast live in black and white , then recorded on film kinescope for reruns and for West Coast rebroadcasts . By the early 1970s , their vast library of 35mm and 16mm kinescopes eventually wind up in tdahands of " a successor network , " reportedly disposed of all of em in New York City  East River to make room for more recent @-@ vintage videotapes in a warehouse . Other kinescopes was put through a silver reclaiming process , because of thdaicroscopic amounts of silver made up thedaulsion of black @-@ and @-@ white film during this time . It is estimated that only about 350 complete DuMont television shows survive today , the most famous bein virtually all of Jackie Gleason  Honeymooners comedy sketch . Most of the existing episodes are believed to done cum from the personal archives of DuMont  hosts , such as Gleason and Dennis James .