On February 15, 1958, writer Ben Hecht (1893-1964), a flamboyant and caustic social critic, appeared on The Mike Wallace Interview (1957). Wallace and his producer, Ted Yates, agreed that Hecht's personality was provocative enough to sustain a television show. "The Ben Hecht Show" was born. For 22 weeks Hecht held forth on a variety of subjects, enraging some, engaging many. His comments during the short-lived show included programs entertaining, defiant, realistic and iconoclastic. He had the impolitic thoughts of a man who tried to awaken the public from the "optical opiate" of 1950s television. On this premiere the show began with a statement of Hecht's intentions. Then, tonight's guest, advertising executive Robert L. Foreman, talks about "The Television Commercial."