1958

1958/59 – Gunsmoke was #1 on CBS Saturday, second year running. Note: Any BOLD shows were cancelled in 1958 season; Bold Journey was cancelled in the fourth season. Alternate Shows: The Jack Benny Show and Bachelor Father were on CBS Sunday at 7:30 PM. Alcoa Theatre and Goodyear TV Playhouse were on NBC Monday at 9:30 PM. Cheyenne & Sugarfoot were on ABC Tuesday at 7:30 PM. The George Gobel Show and The Eddie Fisher Show were on NBC Tuesday at 8 PM. Armstrong Circle Theatre and The U.S. Steel Hour were on CBS Wednesday at 10 PM. Armstrong By Request and The U.S. Steel Hour were on CBS Wednesday at 10 PM for the summer. Lux Playhouse and Schlitz Playhouse were on CBS Friday at 9:30 PM. Anniversary: Armstrong Circle Theatre celebrated ten years on TV. Pantomime Quiz celebrated ten years on TV; it was the last year. Voice of Firestone celebrated ten years on TV. What’s My Line? celebrated ten years on CBS. Your Hit Parade celebrated ten years on TV. Biggest New Hit: The Rifleman was #4 on ABC Tuesdays; the westerns were very popular back then. They took the four top spots in the ratings - Gunsmoke, Wagon Train, Have Gun Will Travel and The Rifleman. This was Chuck Connors’ first and only top twenty hit. He made a big splash in the ratings and never return the former glory with his other series. The 1961 season was his last season in the ratings; The Rifleman was #27, tying with The Price Is Right. Contract Dispute: Thanks to Clint Walker’s contract dispute with Warner Brothers Studios, Ty Hardin became the star of his own western, Bronco, temporally replaced Cheyenne, under the title of Cheyenne. It was Ty’s big break. Eventually, Clint settled his dispute and returned to Cheyenne in 1959. Bronco became a separate series. Movies 2 TV: Naked City was based on the 1948 Barry Fitzgerald/Howard Duff movie. Name Change: Accused was known as Day In Court for the first few weeks. Country Music Jubilee to Jubilee U.S.A. Fight Beat was originally called Post Fight Beat. The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen to Ellery Queen in October 1958. Lawrence Welk's Top Tunes And New Talent to The Plymouth Show. Outlook to Chet Huntley...Reporting in November 1958. Sammy Kaye's Music from Manhattan to The Sammy Kaye Show to Music From Manhattan. It changed names three times in a season. Original Run: Small World was on CBS Sunday at 6 PM for two seasons. The Texan was on CBS Monday at 8 PM for two seasons. Radio: Bold Venture was on syndicated radio from 1950–1951 with Humphrey Bogert and Lauren Bacall. Pete Kelly's was on NBC in 1951. Jack Webb is the original Pete Kelly on the radio. Jack produced the TV version. Tales Of The Texas Rangers was on NBC from 1950–1952. Joel McCrea was in the lead role of Ranger Jace Pearson. Reruns: CBS aired December Bride reruns in the summer of 1960 and April 1961. ABC aired Meet McGraw reruns for the full season. CBS aired That's My Boy reruns for the summer. CBS aired the Dane Clark episodes of Wire Service under the name of Deadline For Action. CBS aired The Joseph Cotten Show reruns in the summer of 1958 with reruns from General Electric Theater and Schlitz Playhouse. Walter Abel hosted the reruns of Suspicion in the summer of 1959 on NBC. The Face Of Danger aired reruns of Playhouse Of Stars episodes. Fanfare aired reruns of The Loretta Young Show episodes. Frontier Justice shown reruns of Zane Grey Theater episodes for the summer on CBS. Spotlight Playhouse shown reruns of G.E. Theater, Schlitz Playhouse and The Jane Wyman Show. Julia Meade and Zachay Scott were the alternate hosts for the summer. The Return: The Adventures of Ellery Queen returned to NBC after a five–year absence. It was on DUM/ABC in the early 1950’s. Arthur Godfrey returned to CBS for another year after a year absence. The series lasted for ten years. The Arthur Murray Party returned to NBC for two more years after a year absence. The show lasted for ten years, starting in the summer of 1950. Colonel Humphrey Flack returned to syndication after a four–year absence. It was previously on DUM. Doctor I.Q. returned to ABC after a four–year absence. Milton Berle returned to NBC in a failed show, Milton Berle in the Kraft Music Hall, after a two–year absence. Milton has been on TV for ten years. Sammy Kaye returned to ABC in Sammy Kaye’s Music From Manhattan. CBS revived The Jackie Gleason Show as a thirty minute show on Friday. He was last seen on CBS in the 1956 season. Summer Replacement: Armstrong By Request replaced Armstrong Circle Theatre for the summer; it aired repeats of Armstrong Circle Theatre. The Chevy Show replaced The Dinah Shore Chevy Show for the summer. Frontier Justice replaced The Danny Thomas Show for the summer. 21 Beacon Street replaced The Ford Show for the summer. Switch Networks: Father Knows Best went from NBC to CBS. Leave It to Beaver went from CBS to ABC. Masquerade Party went from CBS to NBC. Midwestern Hayride went from ABC to NBC. Your Hit Parade went from NBC to CBS. Tidbits: Wanted: Dead or Alive pilot was shown on the Trackdown in March 1958. Steve McQueen later became a famous movie star. The CBC in Canada and ABC in the USA aired Encounter simultaneously at 9:30 PM on Sundays. It was LIVE from Toronto. The Ed Wynn Show’s last episode was on July 4th, 1959. Barbara Bain was a cast member on Richard Diamond, Private Detective as his semi regular girlfriend in early 1959. She went on to greater fame with her then real life husband, Martin Landau, on Mission: Impossible. Ken Berry joined the cast on The Ann Sothern Show in the last season, 1960/61. This was his first series. Leonard Nimoy was his army sergeant; he gave Ken advice to be an actor in 1955. Paul Petersen’s big success was The Donna Reed Show. He became a teen idol. He briefly starred on The Mickey Mouse Club in 1955. His real sister, Patty Petersen, became a Donna Reed cast member in January 1963. The Lawless Years was based on the actual files of Barney Ruditsky, a retired New York police officer. Barney was the technical advisor for the series. Cimarron City was Dan Blocker’s first series. Dan gained fame as Eric “Hoss” Cartwright on Bonanza next season. Ellery Queen was a LIVE show till it moved to New York, where the show was taped. The stars, George Nader & Les Tremayne, left the series altogether. The new Ellery Queen was Lee Phillips. The role of Inspector Richard Queen was dropped. George Burns goes at it alone with most of the regular stars from Burns & Allen Show after his real life wife and costar, Gracie Allen, retired from show business in 1958, thus ending the highly successful series, The George Burns & Gracie Allen Show, on CBS. The George Burns Show wasn’t the same without his dear old sweet wife, Gracie. It just lasted a season on NBC. Rawhide was Clint Eastwood’s first and only series. The western was a popular series. Clint became a successful movie star and an Oscar winning director. He wore the same Rawhide boots for the 1992 western movie, Unforgiven. The Ed Wynn Show ended on January 1, 1959. My sister was born in Cleveland fifteen years later. Northwest Passage was Buddy Ebsen’s first series. It failed miserable. He was previous seen on Davy Crockett, a segment on the anthology series, Walt Disney. He was Davy’s sidekick, George Russel. Buddy struck oil in 1962, the role of Jed Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies. Man With A Camera was Charles Bronson’s first series. Too Young To Go Steadt was the first series for film star, Joan Bennett. The Playhouse had different names for the two nights. The Wednesday series was Wednesday Playhouse; Thursday was The Playhouse. Two Networks: The Bob Cummings Show – January–September 1955, NBC and July 1955–1957, CBS. 1958/59 Fall Season One Season (1958/59) The Ann Sothern Show – 1958–1961, CBS, comedy, Ann Sothern The Arthur Murray Party – 1958/59–1959/60, NBC, musical variety, Arthur Murray Bat Masterson – 1958–1961, NBC, western, Gene Barry Bronco – 1958–1962, ABC, western, Ty Hardin Desilu Playhouse – 1958–1960, CBS, dramatic anthology, Desi Arnaz The Donna Reed Show – 1958–1966, ABC, comedy, Donna Reed, Carl Betz, Paul Petersen, Shelley Fabares The Gary Moore Show – 1958–1964, CBS, variety, Garry Moore The Lawman – 1958–1962, NBC, western, John Russell Man with a Camera – 1959–1959/60, ABC, drama, Charles Bronson Peter Gunn – 1958–1961, NBC, detective drama, Craig Stevens The Rifleman – 1958–1963, ABC, western, Chuck Connors, Johnny Crawford 77 Sunset Strip – 1958–1964, ABC, drama, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., Roger Smith Small World – 1958–1960, CBS, discussion, Edward R. Murrow The Texan – 1958–1960, CBS, western, Rory Calhoun Cancelled TV shows The Arthur Godfrey Show – CBS, musical variety, Arthur Godfrey Behind Closed Doors – NBC, spy drama, Bruce Gordon Brains & Brawn – NBC, game, Jack Lescoulie, Fred Davis Cimarron City – NBC, western, George Montgomery, Dan Blocker The Ed Wynn Show – CBS, first LIVE comedy from Hollywood, Ed Wynn Encounter – fall of 1958, ABC, dramatic anthology, LIVE, 5 episodes The Further Adventures of Ellery Queen, NBC, detective drama, LIVE, George Nader, Les Tremayne The George Burns Show – NBC, comedy, George Burns, Bea Benaderet The Jackie Gleason Show – CBS, comedy variety, Jackie Gleason Lux Playhouse – CBS, dramatic anthology Milton Berle in the Kraft Music Hall – NBC, comedy/variety, Milton Berle Naked City – ABC, crime drama, John Intire, James Franciscus Northwest Passage – NBC, adventure, Keith Larsen, Buddy Ebsen The Patti Page Olds Show – ABC, musical variety LIVE, Patti Page Pursuit – CBS, dramatic anthology, LIVE Rough Riders – ABC, western, Kent Taylor Sammy Kaye's Music from Manhattan – ABC, variety, Sammy Kaye Stars in Action – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns of Schlitz Playhouse Steve Canyon – NBC, adventure, Dean Fredericks Yancy Derringer – CBS, action/adventure, Jock Mahoney 14 out of 34 new series SURVIVED for 1959/60 ABC – 5/11, Bronco, Donna Reed, Man with a Camera, The Rifleman & 77 Sunset Strip CBS – 5/11, The Ann Sothern Show, Desilu Playhouse, Garry Moore, Small World & The Texan NBC – 4/12, The Arthur Murray Party, Bat Masterson, The Lawman, & Peter Gunn Mid season shows Alcoa Presents – January 1959–1961, ABC, occult anthology, John Newland Behind The News With Howard K. Smith – CBS, news analysis, Howard K. Smith Black Saddle – January 1959–1960, ABC, western, Peter Breck CBS Reports – Jan 1961–1971, CBS, documentary The Facts We Face – 1950, 1951, CBS, documentary, Bill Shadel The Lawless Years – April 1959–1960, summer of 1961, NBC, police drama, James Gregory, Robert Karnes Markham – May 1959–1960, CBS, detective drama, Ray Milland Music For A Summer Night – June 1959–1960, music, Glenn Osser Phillies Jackpot Bowling – January 1959–1961, NBC, sports Rawhide – January 1959–1966, CBS; western, Clint Eastwood, Eric Fleming Reckoning – 1959–1960, CBS, dramatic anthology Shirley Temple's Storybook – January 1959–1960, ABC; 1960/61, NBC, children’s anthology, Shirley Temple That's My Boy reruns – CBS, comedy, Eddie Mayeoff Cancelled Mid Season Shows Accused – ABC, courtroom drama, Edgar Allan Jones, Jr. Adventure Showcase – CBS, adventure anthology, unsold pilots, 4 episodes Armstrong By Request – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Brenner – CBS, crime drama, James Broderick Colgate Western Theatre – NBC, western anthology, reruns The D.A.'s Man – NBC, crime drama, John Compton The David Nivens Show – NBC, dramatic anthology, David Nivens Doctor I.Q. – ABC, quiz, Tom Kennedy The Face Of Danger – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Fanfare – NBC, dramatic anthology, Richard Derr The Jimmie Rodgers Show – NBC, musical variety, Jimmie Rodgers Laugh Line – NBC, quiz, Dick Van Dyke The Music Shop – NBC. musical variety, LIVE, Buddy Bergman Oh, Boy – ABC, music, Tony Hall Oldsmobile Music Theatre – NBC, anthology with music, LIVE, Bill Hayes Peck's Bad Girl – CBS, comedy, Wendell Corey Perry Presents – NBC, musical variety, Tony Bennett Pete Kelly's Blues – NBC, drama, William Reynolds The Playhouse – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Playhouse Of Mystery – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Tales Of The Texas Rangers – ABC, western, Willard Parker Texas Rodeo – NBC, sports event, Paul Crutchfield Too Young To Go Steady – NBC, comedy, 7 episodes, LIVE, Joan Bennett Top Pro Golf – ABC, sports, Dick Danehe 21 Beacon Street – NBC, crime drama, 13 episodes, Dennis Morgan Who Pays – NBC, quiz, Mike Wallace Syndication Bold Venture – syndication, adventure, Dane Clark Colonel Flack – syndication, comedy, Alan Mowbray MacKenzie's Raiders – syndication, western, Richard Carlson Mantovani – syndication, music, John Conte Rescue 8 – 1958–1960, syndication, adventure, Jim Davis Two Seasons (1957/58) Alcoa Theatre – 1957–1960, NBC, dramatic anthology Anybody Can Play – July–December 1958, ABC, game Bachelor Father – 1957–1959, CBS; 1959–1961, NBC; 1961/62, ABC, comedy Buckskin – July 1958–1959, NBC, western The Californians – 1957–1959, NBC, western The Chevy Show – 1958–1959, NBC, musical variety Confession – June 1958–1959, ABC, interview/discussion Colt .45 – 1957–1960, ABC, western The Dick Clark Show – February 1958–1960, ABC, music The Eddie Fisher Show – 1957–1959, NBC, musical variety Fight Beat – April 1958–1959, NBC, sports commentary Frontier Justice – 1958, 1959, CBS, western anthology Have Gun, Will Travel – 1957–1963, CBS, western How To Marry A Millionaire – 1957–1959, syndication, comedy It Could Be You – July 1958–1961, NBC, audience participation Jefferson Drum – April 1958–1959, NBC, western Keep Talking – July 1958–1959, CBS; 1959/60, ABC, quiz Leave It To Beaver – 1957/58, CBS; 1958–1963, ABC, comedy M Squad – 1957–1960, NBC, police drama Man Without A Gun – 1957–1959, syndication, western Maverick – 1957–1962, ABC, western Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer – 1957–1959, syndication, detective drama Outlook – December 1957–1959, NBC, news/documentary The Pat Boone-Chevy Showroom – 1957–1960, ABC, musical variety Perry Mason – 1957–1966, CBS, drama The Price Is Right – 1957–1963, NBC; 1963/64, ABC, game The Real McCoys – 1957–1962, ABC; 1962/63, CBS, comedy The Restless Gun - 1957–1959, NBC, western Saber Of London – 1957–1960, NBC, detective drama Sea Hunt – January 1958–1961, syndication, adventure Stars Of Jazz – April–November 1958, ABC, music Sugarfoot – 1957–1961, ABC, western The Thin Man - 1957–1959, NBC, detective/comedy Tic Tac Dough - 1957–1959, NBC, quiz This Is Music – July 1958–1959, ABC, music, LIVE Trackdown – 1957–1959, CBS, western Traffic Court – June 1958–1959, ABC, courtroom drama Twilight Theater – July 1958–1959, CBS, dramatic anthology 26 Men – 1957–1959, syndication, western Wagon Train – 1957–1962, NBC; 1962–1965, ABC, western Your Neighbor The World – April 1958–1959, ABC, documentary Zorro – 1957–1959, ABC, western Three Seasons (1956/57) The Billy Graham Crusade – 1957–1959, ABC, religion Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre – 1956–1961, CBS, western anthology The Dinah Shore Show – 1956–1963, NBC, variety The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford – 1956–1961, NBC, musical variety The Gale Storm Show – 1956–1959, CBS; 1959/60, ABC, comedy Meet McGraw reruns – 1958/59, ABC, detective Playhouse 90 – 1956–1961, CBS, dramatic anthology The Plymouth Show – 1956–1959, ABC, talent Richard Diamond, Private Detective – July 1957–1959, CBS; 1959/60, NBC, detective drama The Sheriff Of Cochise – 1956 – 1960, syndication, police drama State Trooper – January 1957–1959, syndication, crime drama Tales Of Wills Fargo – March 1957–1962, NBC, western To Tell The Truth – December 1956–1967, CBS, game Twenty-One – 1956–1959, NBC, game The Whirlybirds – January 1957–1959, syndication, adventure Four Seasons (1955/56) Alfred Hitchcock Presents – 1955–1960, CBS; 1960–1962, NBC; 1962–1964, CBS; 1965, NBC, suspense anthology Bold Journey – July 1956–1959, ABC, travel documentary Cheyenne – 1955–1963, ABC, western The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford – 1956–1961, NBC, musical variety Gunsmoke – 1955–1975, CBS, western Highway Patrol – 1955–1959, syndication, crime drama The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp – 1955–1961, ABC, western The Phil Silvers Show – 1955 – 1959, CBS, comedy Saber Of Love – December 1955–1957, ABC; 1957–1960, NBC, detective drama The Steve Allen Show – June 1956–1960, NBC, variety Wednesday Night Fights – 1955–1960, ABC, boxing Five Seasons (1954/55) The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin – 1954–1959, ABC, western The Bob Cummings Show – January/September 1955, NBC; July 1955–1957, CBS; 1957–1959, NBC, comedy December Bride – 1954–1959, CBS, comedy Father Knows Best – 1954/55, CBS; 1955–1958, NBC; 1958–1960, CBS The George Gobel Show – 1954–1959, NBC; 1959/60, CBS, comedy variety Lassie – 1954–1971, CBS; 1971–1974, Syndication, adventure The Lawrence Welk Show – 1954–1971, ABC, music The Lineup – 1954–1960, CBS, police drama Jubilee U.S.A. – January 1955–1960, ABC, country music The Millionaire – January 1955–1960, CBS, dramatic anthology People are Funny – 1954–1961, NBC, quiz $64,000 Question – June 1955–1959, CBS, game Spotlight – June 1955–1959, CBS, dramatic anthology The Jack Paar Show – July 1957–1962, NBC, talk/variety Walt Disney Presents – 1954–1983, anthology Six Seasons (1953/54) The Big Picture – 1953–1959, ABC, documentary The Danny Thomas Show – 1953–1957, ABC; 1957–1965, CBS, comedy The Loretta Young Show – 1953–1961, NBC, dramatic anthology Midwestern Hayride – June 1954–1956, NBC; July 1957–1958, ABC; 1959, NBC, musical variety Person to Person – 1953–1961, CBS, interview U.S. Steel Hour – 1953–1955, ABC; 1955–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology LIVE Seven Seasons (1952/53) The Adventures of Ozzie & Harriet – 1952–1966, ABC, comedy Death Valley Days – 1952–1975, syndication, western anthology General Electric Theater – February 1953–1962, CBS, dramatic anthology Name That Tune – June 1953–1954, NBC; 1954–1959, CBS, game This Is Your Life – 1952–1961, NBC, testimonial Eight Seasons (1951/52) Dragnet – January 1952–1959, NBC, police drama Goodyear TV Playhouse 1951–1960, NBC, dramatic anthology I Love Lucy reruns – 1957–1959, September 1961, CBS, comedy I’ve Got A Secret – June 1952–1967, CBS, game Masquerade Party – 1952, NBC; 1953, 1954, CBS; 1954–Fall 1956, ABC; 1957, NBC; 1958, CBS; 1958/59, NBC; October 1959–January 1960, CBS; Jan–Sept 1960, NBC, quiz/panel The Red Skelton Show – 1951–1953, NBC; 1953–1970, CBS; 1970/71, NBC, variety Schlitz Playhouse – 1951–1959, CBS, musical variety Nine Seasons (1950/51) The Jack Benny Show – 1950–1964, CBS; 1964/65, NBC, comedy You Asked For It – December 1950–1952, DUM; 1951–1959, ABC, audience participation You Bet Your Life – 1950–1961, NBC, quiz Ten Seasons (1949/50) Armstrong Circle Theatre – June 1950–1957, NBC; 1957–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology Pantomime Quiz – July 1950–1951, CBS; Jan–March 1952, NBC; 1952/53, CBS; 1953/54, DUM; summer of 1954, CBS; Jan–March 1955, ABC; 1955–1957, CBS; 1958/59, ABC, quiz The Voice of Firestone – 1949–1954, NBC; 1954 – 1959, ABC, music What’s My Line? – February 1950–1967, CBS, game Your Hit Parade – summer of 1950–1958, NBC; 1958/59, CBS, music Eleven seasons (1948/49) Arthur Godfrey & His Friends – January 1949–1959, CBS, musical variety The Perry Como Show – 1948–1950, NBC; 1950–1955, CBS; 1955–1963, NBC, variety Twelve seasons (1947/48) The Ed Sullivan Show – June 1948–1971, CBS, variety Meet The Press – November 1947–1965, NBC, interview Original Amateur Hour – January 1948–1949, DUM; 1949–1954, NBC; 1955–1957, ABC; 1957/58, NBC; May 1959, CBS; March 1960, ABC, talent Thirteen seasons (1946/47) Gillette Cavalcade Of Sports – 1946–1960, NBC, first boxing show