When Did Movie Actors Start Moving to TV?

In the entertainment industry, a star's career trajectory has been established as a tradition since the dawn of moving pictures. For an actor, the understood career path is to begin working in television. After years of fine-tuning one's craft and establishing name recognition, an actor then makes the jump to the paradise of all creative artists: Hollywood. If television is the minor league, then movies are the majors. While actors historically dream of the day of getting called up to the big screen, the 21st century has seen this trend inverted itself. In a shocking turn of events, movie actors with star power have jumped ship and returned to the small screen. Suddenly, working on television, specifically prestige cable and streaming dramas, has become a desirable career move for many. This newfound career trajectory has become such a norm, that it is easy to forget who kicked off this trend, and why it transpired in the first place.