1959

1959/60 – Gunsmoke was #1 on CBS Saturday, third year running. Note: Any BOLD shows were cancelled in 1959 season; Gillette Cavalcade Of Sports was cancelled in the fourteen season. Alternate Shows: The Jack Benny Show and The George Gobel Show were on CBS Sunday at 10 PM. Alcoa Theatre and Goodyear TV Playhouse were on NBC Monday at 9:30 PM. Sugarfoot and Bronco were on ABC Tuesday at 7:30 PM. Gas Company Playhouse and NBC Playhouse were on NBC Tuesday at 8:30 PM for the summer. Armstrong Circle Theatre and The U.S. Steel Hour were on CBS Wednesday at 10 PM. Playhouse 90 and The Big Party were on CBS Thursday at 9:30 PM. Anniversary: The Jack Benny Show celebrated ten years on CBS. You Bet Your Life celebrated ten years on NBC. Biggest New Hit: Dennis The Menace was #16 on CBS Sunday; he had excellent company – Lassie and Ed Sullivan – on that night. He was in the top twenty in the first three seasons. The highest was #11 in 1960. The ratings suffered after the lost of Mr. Wilson in 1962. The fourth season was their last. Daytime: The Bob Cummings Show was on ABC weekdays from October 1959–December 1961. The Millionaire was on CBS weekdays from October 1959–August 1963. The Thin Man was on NBC weekdays from September 1959–February 1960. Dobie Gillis Tidbits: Doris Packer played two roles – Clarice Armitage (1959/60) and Mrs. Chatsworth Osborne, Sr. (1960–1963), both mothers was snobbish and overbearing. Wow, what a stretch for Doris Packer! This was Warren Beatty’s first and only series. He played Doris Packer’s son, Milton Armitage. He became a successful movie star. This was also Tuesday Weld’s first and only series. She played Dobie’s crush, Thalia Menninger. Just like Warren, she became a movie star. Ironically, she turned down the 1967 movie, Bonnie & Clyde, which also starred Warren Beatty. This was also Bob Denver’s first series. He became more famous on Gilligan’s Island. Jean Bryon also played two roles on Dobie Gillis - Mrs. Ruth Adams (1959/60) and Dr. Burkhart (1961–1963). Dwayne Hickman’s brother, Darryl Hickman, played Dobie’s relative, Davey Gillis in the first season. Sheila James supposed to have a Zelda spin off series, but the four Zelda episodes didn’t make it on network in those days. Zelda still hasn’t seen the light to this day. CBS cancelled the spin off because there were gay rumors about Sheila. Movies 2 TV: Five Fingers was loosely based on the 1952 James Mason movie. Mr. Lucky was based on the 1943 Cary Grant movie. The Third Man was based on the famous 1950 Orson Welles movie Wichita Town was a 1955 Joel McCrea movie, Wichita. Joel played Wyatt Earp in the movie; he played Marshall Mike Dunbar in the series. Name Change: The Facts We Face to Open Hearing. Walter Cronkite was the new moderator. Hobby Lobby to The Charles Weaver Show in November 1959. Music For A Summer Night to Music For A Spring Time. Then it reverted to the original name for the summer. The Revlon Revue to Revlon Presents in March 1960, then it became Revlon Spring Music Festival in May 1960. The Steve Allen Show to The Steve Allen Plymouth Show. Original Run: Dennis The Menace was on CBS Sunday at 7:30 PM for four years. The Deputy was on NBC Saturday at 7:30 PM for two years. Original Title: Bonanza was going to be called The Restless Gun Radio: The Bell Telephone Hour was on NBC from 1940–1958. Fibber McGee and Molly was on the radio from 1935–1957. Reruns: ABC aired reruns of the NBC show, The Court of Last Resort, on Wednesday. NBC aired Cimarron City reruns during the summer of 1960. ABC aired reruns of the NBC series, Steve Canyon, during the summer of 1960. ABC aired reruns of Johnny Staccato, after NBC canceled the show in the same season. ABC aired Broken Arrow reruns in the summer of 1960. ABC aired Hey Jeannie reruns under the name of The Jeannie Carson Show in the summer of 1960. CBS aired The Charlie Farrell Show reruns in the summer of 1957. Gas Company Playhouse shown reruns of Goodyear TV Playhouse, The David Niven Show, Colgate Theatre and Alcoa Theatre episodes on NBC. NBC Playhouse shown reruns of The Loretta Young Show. CBS aired Peck's Bad Girl reruns in the summer. It last seen in 1959. Producer's Choice shown reruns of G.E Theater, Lux Playhouse, Schlitz Playhouse and Lux Video Theatre. ABC aired reruns of 21 Beacon Street. Summer Replacement: Celebrity Talent Scouts replaced The Danny Thomas Show for the summer. The Chevy Mystery Show replaced The Dinah Shore Show for the summer. The Comedy Spot replaced The Red Skelton Show for the summer. Edwin Newman Reporting replaced Chet Huntley Reporting for the summer. Happy replaced the first half hour of The Perry Como Show for the summer. Tate replaced the second half hour of The Perry Como Show for the summer. Wrangler replaced The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford for the summer. Switch Networks: Bachelor Father went from CBS to NBC. The George Gobel Show went from NBC to CBS. The Gale Storm Show went from CBS to ABC. Keep Talking went from CBS to ABC. Richard Diamond, Private Detective went from CBS to NBC. Staccato went from NBC to ABC in March 1960; ABC shows reruns. Tidbits Father Knows Best ended this season; it continued to be rerun for the next three years on CBS & ABC. Robert got tired of the role; he played it for eleven years since his NBC radio days. Bonanza was the first western to be in color. Bonanza was Michael Landon’s first series. He was a hugely popular star on Bonanza, Little House On The Prairie and Highway To Heaven. He was the only star to have three consecutive series, which ran for five years or more. Joel & Jody McCrea, real life father & son, played marshal and deputy in Wichita Town. Their characters weren’t related in any way. The Untouchables was such a success on Desilu Playhouse on CBS in April 1959 that a controversial series was ordered by ABC. Quinn Martin got his start on The Untouchables. The successful producer had one series running in prime time for twenty-one straight years from 1959–1980. He produced The Fugitive, Twelve O’Clock High, The F.B.I., The Invaders, The Untouchables, The Streets Of San Francisco, Cannon and Barnaby Jones. Bourbon Street Beat was cancelled in the first season. The following season, Richard Long played the same character, Rex Randolph, on 77 Sunset Street for another year. His costar, Van Williams, played the same character, Ken Madison, in a new detective series, Surfside Six, from 1960-62 in the same time slot as Bourdon Street Beat. Law of the Plainsman pilot was shown on The Rifleman in early 1959. There was a real gunfighter-turned-lawman Johnny Ringo in the 1880’s. The series wasn’t based on his life. The series never got decent ratings; it was against ABC’s The Real McCoys. One of the specials on Startime, “Sing Along With Mitch” aired on May 24,1960, then the following January, it became a series. Carol Burnett joined The Garry Moore Show in the second season. It made her a boni fide star. Her first taste of stardom was her appearance on Broadway in the 1959 musical, Once Upon A Mattress. The "Head Of The Family" pilot was shown on The Comedy Spot on July 19, 1960. Carl Reiner was the only actor to make the leap to the series, but not in the lead role. He was the boss, Alan Brady, for The Dick Van Dyke Show a year later. 1959/60 Fall Season One Season (1959/60) Adventures in Paradise – 1959–1962, ABC, adventure, Gardner McKay The Bell Telephone Hour – 1959–1968, NBC, music Bonanza – 1959–1973, NBC, western, Lorne Greene, Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Pernell Roberts Dennis The Menace – 1959–1963, CBS, comedy, Jay North, Mary Wicks The Deputy – 1959–1961, NBC, western, Henry Fonda, Allen Case The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor – 1959–1961, ABC; 1961/62, NBC, crime drama, Robert Taylor, Tige Andrews The DuPont Show with June Allyson – 1959–1961, CBS, dramatic anthology, June Allyson Hawaiian Eye – 1959–1963, ABC, detective drama, Bob Conrad, Connie Stevens Hennessey – 1959–1962, CBS, comedy/drama, Jackie Cooper, Abby Dalton Laramie – 1959–1963, NBC, western, John Smith, Robert Fuller Many Loves of Dobie Gillis – 1959–1963, CBS, comedy, Dwayne Hickman, Bob Denver, Warren Beatty, Sheila James Riverboat – 1959–1961, NBC, adventure, Darren McGavin, Burt Reynolds Take A Good Look – 1959–1961, ABC, quiz, Ernie Kovacs The Twilight Zone 1959–1965, CBS; anthology, Rod Serling The Untouchables – 1959–1963, ABC, crime drama, Robert Stack Cancelled TV shows The Alaskans – NBC, adventure, Roger Moore The Betty Hutton Show – CBS, comedy, Betty Hutton The Big Party – CBS, variety, LIVE Bourbon Street Beat – ABC, detective drama, Andrew Duggan, Richard Long The Court Of Last Resort reruns – ABC, crime drama, Lyle Bettger The Dennis O'Keefe Show – CBS, comedy, Dennis O’Keefe Dick Clark's World of Talent – NBC, variety, Dick Clark Fibber McGee and Molly – NBC, comedy, Bob Sweeney Five Fingers – NBC, spy drama, David Hedison The Hobby Lobby Show – ABC, comedy, Cliff Arquette Hotel De Paree – CBS, western, Earl Holliman Law of the Plainsman – NBC, western, Michael Ansara Love & Marriage – NBC, comedy, William Demarest John Gunther's High Road – ABC, travelogue, John Gunther Johnny Ringo – CBS, western, Don Durant Johnny Staccato – NBC, detective drama, John Cassavetes The Man From Blackhawk – ABC, western, Robert Rockwell Man And The Challenge – NBC, adventure, George Nader Men Into Space – CBS, sci-fi, William Lundigan Mr. Lucky – CBS, adventure, John Vivyan Philip Marlowe – ABC, detective drama, Philip Carey The Rebel – ABC, western, Nick Adams Startime – NBC, variety Sunday Showcase – NBC, variety Take A Good Look – ABC, quiz, Ernie Kovacs Tightrope – CBS, police drama, Mike Connors The Troubleshooters – NBC, adventure, Keenan Wynn Wichita Town – NBC, western, Joel McCrea, Jody McCrea 15 out of 43 new series SURVIVED for 1959/60 ABC – 5/13, Adventures in Paradise, The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor, Hawaiian Eye, Take A Good Look & The Untouchables CBS – 5/13, Dennis The Menace, The DuPont Show with June Allyson, Hennessey, Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, & The Twilight Zone NBC – 5/17, The Bell Telephone Hour, Bonanza, The Deputy, Laramie & Riverboat Mid season shows Celebrity Talent Scouts – CBS, variety, Sam Levenson The Comedy Spot – 1960–1962, CBS, comedy anthology, Art Gilmore Happy –June 1960–1961, NBC, comedy, Ronnie Burns Silents Please – August 1960–1961, ABC, silent movies The Spike Jones Show – August 1960–1961, CBS, comedy/variety, Spike Jones Cancelled Mid Season Shows Adventure Theater – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Be Our Guest – CBS, musical variety, George De Witt The Chevy Mystery Show – NBC, dramatic anthology, Walter Slezak Diagnosis: Unknown – CBS, detective drama, Patrick O'Neal Edwin Newman Reporting – NBC, news/documentary, Edwin Newman F.Y.I – CBS, public affairs, Douglas Edwards Gas Company Playhouse – NBC, dramatic anthology, reruns, Julia Meade The Kate Smith Show – CBS, musical variety, Kate Smith Kraft Music Hall Presents: The Dave King Show – NBC, variety, Dave King Man From Interpol – NBC, crime drama, Richard Wyler Moments Of Fear – NBC, dramatic anthology, LIVE Music On Ice – NBC, musical variety, Johnny Desmond NBC Playhouse – NBC, dramatic anthology, Jeanne Bal New Comedy Showcase – CBS, comedy anthology The Overland Trail – NBC, western, Doug McClure Play Your Hunch – NBC, quiz, Merv Griffin Playhouse Of Stars – CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Producer's Choice – NBC, dramatic anthology, reruns The Revlon Revue – CBS, variety Tate – NBC, western, David McLean Texas Rodeo – NBC; sports event, Paul Crutchfield Video Village – CBS, quiz, Jack Narz World Wide '60 – NBC, documentary, Frank McGee Wrangler – NBC, western, 6 episodes, Jason Evers Syndication: Lock Up – 1959–1961, syndication, crime drama, MacDonald Carey Manhunt – 1959–1961, syndication, crime drama, Victor Jory Shotgun Slade – 1959–1961, syndication, western, Scott Brady The Third Man – 1959–1962, syndication, intrigue, Michael Rennie, Jonathan Harris Two Seasons (1958/59) Alcoa Presents – January 1959–1961, ABC, occult anthology The Ann Sothern Show – 1958–1961, CBS, comedy The Arthur Murray Party – 1958–1960, NBC, musical variety Bat Masterson – 1958–1961, NBC, western Black Saddle – January 1959–1960, ABC, western Bronco – 1958–1962, ABC, western Desilu Playhouse – 1958–1960, CBS, dramatic anthology The Donna Reed Show – 1958–1966, ABC, comedy The Garry Moore Show – 1958–1964, CBS, variety Keep Talking – July 1958–1959, CBS; 1959/60, ABC, quiz The Lawless Years – April 1959–1960, summer of 1961, NBC, police drama The Lawman – 1958–1962, NBC, western Man with a Camera – 1958–1960, ABC, drama Markham – May 1959–1960, CBS, detective drama Music For A Spring Night – June 1959–1960, music Open Hearing – 1950, 1951, CBS, documentary Peter Gunn – 1958–1961, NBC, detective drama Phillies Jackpot Bowling – January 1959–1961, NBC, sports Rawhide – January 1959–1966, CBS, western Reckoning – 1959–1960, CBS, dramatic anthology, reruns Rescue 8 – 1958–1960, syndication, adventure The Rifleman – 1958–1963, ABC, western 77 Sunset Strip – 1958–1964, ABC, drama Shirley Temple's Storybook – January 1959–1960, ABC; 1960/61, NBC, children’s anthology Small World – 1958–1960, CBS, discussion The Texan – 1958–1960, CBS, western Wanted: Dead or Alive – 1958–1961, CBS, western Three Seasons (1957/58) Alcoa Theatre – 1957–1960, NBC, dramatic anthology Bachelor Father – 1957–1959, CBS; 1959–1961, NBC; 1961/62, ABC, comedy The Dick Clark Show – February 1958–1960, ABC, music Have Gun, Will Travel – 1957–1963, CBS, western It Could Be You – July 1958–1961, NBC, audience participation Keep Talking – July 1958–1959, CBS; 1959/60, ABC, quiz Leave It To Beaver – 1957/58, CBS; 1958–1963, ABC, comedy Maverick – 1957–1962, ABC, western M Squad – 1957–1960, NBC, police dram 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 Real McCoys – 1957–1962, ABC; 1962/63, CBS, comedy Saber Of London – 1957–1960, NBC, detective drama Sea Hunt – January 1958–1961, syndication, adventure Sugarfoot – 1957–1961, ABC, western Wagon Train – 1957–1962, NBC; 1962–1965, ABC, western Four Seasons (1956/57) 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 Playhouse 90 – 1956–1961, CBS, dramatic anthology Richard Diamond, Private Detective – July 1957–1959, CBS; 1959/60, NBC, detective drama The Sheriff Of Cochise – 1956–1960, syndication, police drama Tales Of Wills Fargo – March 1957–1962, NBC, western To Tell The Truth – December 1956–1967, CBS, game Five Seasons (1955/56) Alfred Hitchcock Presents – 1955–1960, CBS; 1960–1962, NBC; 1962–1964, CBS; 1964/65, NBC, suspense anthology Cheyenne – 1955–1963, ABC, western Gunsmoke – 1955–1975, CBS, western The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp – 1955–1961, ABC, western Saber Of Love – December 1955–1957, ABC; 1957–1960, NBC, detective drama The Steve Allen Plymouth Show – June 1956–1960, NBC, variety Wednesday Night Fights – 1955–1960, ABC, boxing Six Seasons (1954/55) 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 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 The Jack Paar Show – July 1957–1962, NBC, talk/variety Walt Disney Presents – 1954–1983, anthology Seven Seasons (1953/54) The Danny Thomas Show – 1953–1957, ABC; 1957–1965, CBS, comedy The Loretta Young Show – 1953–1961, NBC, dramatic anthology Person to Person – 1953–1961, CBS, interview U.S. Steel Hour – 1953–1955, ABC; 1955–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology LIVE Eight 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 This Is Your Life – 1952–1961, NBC, testimonial Nine Seasons (1951/52) Goodyear TV Playhouse 1951–1960, NBC, dramatic anthology 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 – 195–1953, NBC; 1953–1970, CBS; 1970/71, NBC, variety Ten Seasons (1950/51) The Jack Benny Show – 1950–1964, CBS; 1964/65, NBC, comedy You Bet Your Life – 1950–1961, NBC, quiz Eleven Seasons (1949/50) Armstrong Circle Theatre – June 1950–1957, NBC; 1957–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology What’s My Line? – February 1950–1967, CBS, game Twelve seasons (1948/49) The Perry Como Show – 1948–1950, NBC; 1950–1955, CBS; 1955–1963, NBC, variety Thirteen 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 Fourteen seasons (1946/47) Gillette Cavalcade Of Sports – 1946–1960, NBC, first boxing show