This year marks the 75th year for the Rockettes and “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” and it airs on television tonight.

Don Hewitt, the brains behind the legendary newsmagazine, has turned his focus to producing a televised version of “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular.”

Hewitt said the idea to air the “Spectacular” on television just came to him one day, and he couldn’t believe no one had thought of it before him.

“After creating ‘60 Minutes’ and being in the top 10 a record number of 23 years I woke up one morning and said, ‘What am I going to do next?’” Hewitt said in a conference call with reporters. “And I thought about the ‘Radio City Christmas’ show … [and] I called Chuck Dolan, who is the chairman of Cablevision, that owns the Music Hall, and I said, ‘Hey Chuck, has anybody ever televised the Christmas show?’ And he said, ‘I wouldn’t let anyone within a mile of that show. But you know what? I’d make an exception for you?’”

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Hewitt’s background in TV makes him an obvious choice to produce a TV show, but he also has a long history with the 75-year-old show.

“I think I was at the first one,” said Hewitt, who will turn 85 on Dec. 14. “It’s tough for me to remember, but I know I saw so many of them and it’s my recollection that my parents took me to the first one.”

“Today” co-anchors Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira will act as hosts and, of course, there will be a whole lot of high kicking.

“The Rockettes are like the West Point Cadets,” Hewitt said. “They’re Americana.”

Here is an excerpt of the Rockettes at “The Radio City Christmas Spectacular” from the 1930s.

Here is an excerpt of a documentary that profiles some Rockettes hopeful as they undergo the audition process.