Greatest Auction of Television History at Heritage in June

It began simply enough in 1989, with two hand-painted title cards from The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson that appeared before commercial breaks and promised "More to Come." These were the first of more than 10,000 artifacts James Comisar acquired over more than three decades of collecting and conserving, restoring and protecting television history. More to come. No kidding. Comisar spent decades and millions of dollars gathering decades' worth of sets, props and costumes spanning the medium's birth to its Golden Age to the era of Peak TV — from Howdy Doody to Breaking Bad. He assembled enough material to fill the television history museum he long dreamed of opening.

But after decades of trying to establish that museum to no avail, Comisar came to a difficult decision: If these TV treasures couldn't find an exhibition space where others could experience them, the time had come to part with a momentous portion of his renowned collection.

"After 30 years of saving and sacrificing to acquire and protect this collection, then meeting with studio heads, network presidents, theme parks and different cities across the country, I have come to accept that I won't be able to establish the museum for TV fans I always dreamed of," Comisar says. "I am extremely proud to have done my part in assembling and safeguarding this collection. Now, it's up to others to take over this cultural mission."