Short answers, pulled from the story.
The Studio One episode about The War of the Worlds aired on the 9th of September 1957. This live production recreated Orson Welles's 1938 radio broadcast and featured Alexander Scourby in the lead role. The episode was performed without the safety net of videotape or editing.
Live television during the Golden Age of Television was a one-shot performance where a single mistake could ruin the entire production. Before the invention of videotape in 1957, every broadcast required complex set changes during commercials with no room for error. As many as 10 million people viewed these telecasts live, making the stakes exceptionally high for the cast and crew.
Shows like Kraft Television Theatre, The Chevrolet Tele-Theatre, and Playhouse 90 defined the high culture era of the Golden Age of Television. These programs brought the works of great playwrights and composers to the small screen, including the first live U.S. telecasts of plays by Shakespeare. Networks employed art critics like Aline Saarinen and Brian O'Doherty to guide the cultural direction of their programming.
The Golden Age of Television ended due to a series of scandals and strikes that brought the era to a crashing halt. The quiz show scandals of 1958, a writer's strike in March 1960, and the final show of Playhouse 90 in May 1960 marked the conclusion of the live drama era. The 1960, 61 television season was noted by Time magazine as being the worst season in television up to that point.
After the Golden Age of Television ended, the production style shifted from live dramas to blue-collar entertainment and sitcoms. The multi-camera setup, pioneered by I Love Lucy, became the industry standard, allowing for live studio audiences and a more cinematic look. Networks focused on ratings and profits rather than cultural uplift, producing shows that were more accessible to the average viewer.