How were TV dinners invented?

TV had already made inroads on the Norman Rockwell sanctity of the dinner hour. read more

The original TV Dinner sold for 98 cents, and had a production estimate of 5,000 dinners for the first year. The name"TV dinner" was coined by Gerry Thomas, its inventor. At the time it was introduced, televisions were status symbols and a growing medium. read more

Swanson TV dinners were the first commercially successful frozen meal. More than 10 million TV dinners were sold during the first year of Swanson's national distribution. For $.98 per dinner, customers were able to choose among Salisbury steak, meatloaf, fried chicken, or turkey, served with potatoes and bright green peas; special desserts were added later. read more

That year, Swanson sold more than 25 million TV dinners to hungry Americans, at 98 cents per package. TV dinners were a hit. Over the years, frozen meals have continued to develop to meet Americans' wants. read more