It was 55 years ago this month that national TV viewers first tuned in to a program on ABC that featured, in its opening shot, a man smoking against a black background. They then heard these words: "I’m Mike Wallace and the cigarette is Philip Morris."

What happened next was startling to audiences back then. A TV interviewer practically badgering various celebrities and news figures of the day.

Please click here to read this entry by TVWeek Open Mic blogger Chuck Ross, as he tells the story of how Wallace developed the TV interview style that made him the best in the business.