1961/62 – Wagon Train
was #1 on NBC Wednesday.
Note: Any BOLD shows were cancelled in 1961 season; Bugs Bunny was cancelled in the
second season.
Alternate Series:
Armstrong Circle Theatre and The U.S. Steel Hour were on CBS Wednesday at 10 PM.
The Bell Telephone Hour and The Dinah Shore Show were on NBC Friday at 9:30 PM.
Anniversary:
The Adventures Of Ozzie & Harriet celebrated ten years on ABC.
Death Valley Days celebrated ten years in syndication.
Ed Sullivan celebrated fifteen years on CBS.
Biggest New Hit: Hazel was #4 on NBC Thursdays. Shirley Booth must have been quite proud of herself. She has the biggest
hit of the year; it was her first series. She won the best actress Emmy in the first year. Previously, in 1953, she won the
best actress Oscar for her role on Come Back, Little Sheba, thus becoming the first actress to win an Oscar and a Tony for
the same role. She became the fourth performer to win the Triple Crown of Acting in 1962; the Triple Crown is The Tony, The
Oscar and The Emmy.
Death: Joseph Kearns died on February 17, 1962 during the third season of Dennis The Menace. Well, there goes the fun
for Dennis. George Wilson wasn’t around anymore to be kick around. Then again, his brother, John Wilson, was introduced
in May 1962. Things went back to normal for Mr. Wilson and Dennis. Gale Gordon was the new Mr. Wilson.
Local TV: Open End was on local TV in New York from 1958–1961, then it was syndicated from 1961–1987.
Movies 2 TV:
Dr. Kildare was based on the 1937 Joel McCrea movie, Interns Can't Take Money. There were nine more movies.
Margie was based on the 1946 Jeanne Crain movie.
Room For One More was based on the 1952 Cary Grant movie. They later renamed the movie to The Easy Way.
Name Change:
The Bob Cummings Show to The New Bob Cummings Show in December 1961.
Comedy Spotlight to The Comedy Spot
The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor to Robert Taylor's Detectives.
Mrs. G Goes To College to The Gertrude Berg Show in January 1962.
The Jack Paar Show to The Tonight Show on April 2, 1962.
Original Run:
87th Precinct was on NBC Monday at 9 PM.
Original Title: The Dick Van Dyke Show was going to be called Head Of The Family with the creator, Carl Reiner, in
the lead role, sans Dick Van Dyke. Carl originally planned to produce and star in the show, but the pilot failed miserable.
Johnny Carson almost play Rob Petrie, but Sheldon Leonard, the show's executive producer, suggested Van Dyke. Dick was perfect
for the role of Rob; Carl settled for the role of Alan Brady.
Reruns:
NBC aired reruns of the ABC series, The Rebel, during the summer of 1962.
ABC aired reruns of the NBC series, Law of the Plainsman, during the summer of 1962.
CBS aired reruns of Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre during the summer of 1962.
The Return:
Robert Young returned to a failed series, Window On Main Street, after a year absence. He was best known for Father Knows
Best in the 1950’s. People was more interest of seeing Father Knows Best reruns in prime time on CBS Tuesdays, then
the new show on CBS Mondays. Robert retired once again till something much better come along in the name of Marcus Welby.
Gertrude Berg returned to a failed series, Mrs. G. Goes to College, after a six-year absence. She was best known for The
Goldbergs in the early 1950s.
Bob Cummings returned to a failed series, The Bob Cummings Show, after a two-year absence. He was best known for Love That
Bob in the late 1950’s
Groucho Marx returned to a short-lived weekly series, Tell It To Groucho. He was best known for You Bet Your Life in the
1950’s
The Steve Allen Show returned to ABC after a year absence. He was previously on NBC for five years.
Chet Huntley Reporting returned to prime time. It was previously on NBC Sunday afternoon for two years.
Play Your Hunch returned to NBC for the summer. It was last seen on NBC in 1960.
Soupy Sales returned to ABC prime time after a seven–year absence.
Summer Replacement:
The Adventures Of Sir Francis Drake replaced Car 54, Where Are You for the summer.
The Comedy Spot replaced The Red Skelton Show for the summer.
Kraft Mystery Theater replaced Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall for the summer.
Talent Scouts replaced The Garry Moore Show for the summer.
Switch Networks:
Bachelor Father went from NBC to ABC
The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor went from ABC to NBC.
Really, Mr. Ed jumped from syndication to CBS.
Steve Allen went from NBC to ABC.
The Wonderful World of Disney went from ABC to NBC.
Tidbits:
Matt Dillon? Hmm, where did I hear of that name before? Oh, yes! Matt is the main character on Gunsmoke. CBS started showing
Gunsmoke reruns under the Matt Dillon’s name on Tuesdays at 7:30 PM.
The New Breed was John Clarke’s first series; it only lasted a season. John found great success in the world of daytime
soaps in 1965. He was an original Days Of Our Lives cast member till he retired from acting in 2004. Since then, Frances Reid
is the one and only original cast member on Days. Frances and John played mother/son - Alice & Mickey Horton.
The New Breed was Leslie Nielsen’s first series; he became a great comic foil in the movies from Airplane to Naked
Gun to Scary Movie 3.
The Hathaways was Belle Montrose’s first and only series. She was Steve Allen’s real mother. She appeared on
This Is Your Life with Steve in 1958.
Cain’s Hundred was based on actual cases histories that the show dramatized.
A Lion Walks Among Us, a Bus Stop episode, caused controversial that the USA Congress held hearings of the violence on
TV. The episode was about a young psychopath bent on murder and mayhem; it was the most explicit violence and sadism ever
seen on TV at that time.
The Alvin Show was originally shown in B/W on CBS because CBS didn’t switch to full color TV till 1964. Ross Bagdasarian
and Shepard Menken provided the voices. Ross died from a heart attack in 1972. His son, Ross Bagdasarian Jr. took over the
voices and a new version, Alvin & The Chipmunks, premiered on NBC in 1983.
James Moser produced Ben Casey; he was also the creator of Medic from 1954-56.
The Defenders was Robert Reed’s first series. He became more famous on The Brady Bunch.
Dr. Kildare was Richard Chamberlain’s first series. He became more famous in the mini series, Centennial, Shogun
and The Thorn Birds. We got to give it to Richard; for a gay man, he was truly convincing as the straight man in the min series,
notable The Thorn Birds. That, my friends, makes a great actor.
A very batty actor, Adam West, joined the last season of Robert Taylor's Detectives. It was his first series. His second
series, Batman, turned him into a star.
Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis played fellow police officers, Francis Muldoon & Leo Schnauser, on Car 54, Where Are You.
Their greatest fame was The Munsters as Herman Munster & Grandpa Munster few years later.
The Dinah Shore Show vacated the Sunday time slot to Bonanza and moved to Friday. Bonanza thrived on Sundays for the next
eleven year; it was #1 from 1964 to 1967.
1961/62 Fall Season
One Season (1961/62)
Alcoa Premiere – 1961–1963, ABC, dramatic anthology, Fred Astaire
Ben Casey – 1961–1966, ABC, drama, Vince Edwards
Car 54, Where Are You? – 1961–1963, NBC, comedy, Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynne, Al Lewis
David Brinkley’s Journal – 1961–1963, NBC, documentary, David Brinkley
The Defenders – 1961–1965, CBS, drama, Robert Reed, E.G. Marshall
The Dick Powell Show – 1961–1963, NBC, dramatic anthology, Dick Powell
The Dick Van Dyke Show – 1961–1966, CBS, comedy, Dick Van Dyke, Mary Tyler Moore, Carl Reiner
Dr. Kildare – 1961–1966, NBC, drama, Richard Chamberlain
DuPont Show of The Week – 1961–1964, NBC, various
Hazel – 1961–1965, NBC; 1965/66, CBS, comedy, Shirley Booth
International Showtime – 1961–1965, NBC, variety, Don Ameche
The Joey Bishop Show – 1961–1964, NBC; 1964/65, CBS, comedy, Joey Bishop
Marshal Dillon reruns – 1961–1964, CBS, western, James Arness
Cancelled TV shows
The Alvin Show – CBS, cartoon, Ross Bagdasarian
Bullwinkle – NBC, cartoon, Bill Scott
Bus Stop – ABC, drama, Marilyn Maxwell
The Bob Cummings Show – CBS, comedy/adventure, Bob Cummings
The Bob Newhart Show – NBC, comedy/variety, Bob Newhart
Cain’s Hundred – NBC, crime drama, Mark Richman
Calvin & The Colonel – ABC, cartoon, Freeman Gosden
87th Precinct – NBC, crime drama, Robert Lansing
Follow The Sun – ABC, adventure, Barry Coe
Father Of The Bride – CBS, comedy, Leon Armes, Ruth Warrick
Frontier Circus – CBS, western, Chill Willa, John Derek
The Hathaways – ABC, comedy, Peggy Cass, Belle Montrose
Here & Now – NBC, documentary, Frank McGee
Ichabod & Me – CBS, comedy, Robert Sterling, George Chandler
The Investigators – CBS, mystery, James Franciscus
Margie – ABC, comedy, Cynthia Pepper
Mrs. G Goes To College – ABC, comedy, Gertrude Berg
The New Breed – ABC, crime drama, Leslie Nielsen, John Clarke
1, 2, 3 Go – NBC, educational children's, Richard Thomas
The Steve Allen Show – ABC, variety, Steve Allen
Straightaway – ABC, adventure, Brian Kelly
Target: The Corruptors – ABC, drama, Stephen McNally
Top Cat – ABC, cartoon, Arnold Stang
Window On Main Street – CBS, comedy, Robert Young
13 out of 37 new series SURVIVED for 1962/63
ABC – 2/13, Alcoa Premiere & Ben Casey
CBS – 3/10, The Defenders, The Dick Van Dyke Show & Marshal
Dillon
NBC – 8/14, Car 54, Where Are You, David Brinkley’s Journal,
Dick Powell Show, Dr. Kildare, DuPont Show of The Week, Hazel, International Showtime & Joey Bishop Show
Mid season shows
Bell & Howell Closeup – November 1961–1963, ABC, documentary
Chet Huntley Reporting – January 1962–1963, NBC, news/documentary, Chet Huntley
Howard K Smith-News & Comment – February 1962–1963, ABC, news commentary, Howard K Smith
The Lively Ones – 1962–1963, NBC, musical variety, Vic Damone
Password – January 1962–1965, CBS, game, Allen Ludden
Talent Scouts – July 1962–1963, CBS, talent/variety, Jim Backus
Cancelled Mid Season Shows
Accent On An American Summer – CBS, travelogue, John Ciardi
The Adventures Of Sir Francis Drake – NBC, adventure, Terence Morgan
Oh, Those Bells – CBS, comedy, Herbert Wiere
Play Your Hunch – NBC, quiz, Merv Griffin
Room For One More – ABC, comedy, Peggy McKay
The Saturday Sports Final – ABC, sports news, Merle Harmon
Soupy Sales – ABC, children's, LIVE, Soupy Sales
Tell It To Groucho – CBS, comedy/interview, Groucho Marx
This Is NBC News – NBC, news, Ray Scherer
Who In The World – CBS, interview, Warren Hull
Yours For A Song – ABC, quiz, LIVE, Bert Parks
Syndication
Biography – February 1962–1964, syndication, documentary, Mike Wallace
King Of Diamonds – syndication, crime drama, Broderick Crawford
Open End – 1961–1987, syndication, talk, David Susskind
Ripcord – 1961–1963, syndication, adventure, Larry Pennell
Whiplash – syndication, western, Peter Graves
Two Seasons (1960/61)
The Andy Griffith Show – 1960–1968, CBS, comedy
Matty's Funday Funnies – 1960–1963, ABC; cartoon
The Bugs Bunny Show – 1960–1962, ABC, cartoon
CBS Reports – January 1961–1971, CBS, documentary
Candid Camera – 1960–1967, CBS, humor
Checkmate – 1960–1962, CBS, mystery
Expedition – 1960–1962, ABC, wildlife
Eyewitness To History – 1960–1963, CBS, news analysis
General Electric Theater – February 1961–1962, CBS, dramatic anthology
Fight of the Week – 1960–1964, ABC, sports boxing
The Flintstones – 1960–1966, ABC, cartoon
Focus On America – 1961–1963, ABC, documentary
Kraft Mystery Theater – 1961–1963, NBC, dramatic anthology
Make That Spare – 1960–1964, ABC, sports
Mr. Ed – January 1961, Syndication; 1961–1965, CBS; comedy
My Three Sons – 1960–1965, ABC; 1965–1972, CBS, comedy
Naked City – 1960–1963, ABC, crime drama
National Velvet – 1960–1962, NBC, adventure
The Outlaws – 1960–1962, NBC, western
Pete & Gladys – 1960–1962, CBS, comedy
Purex Summer Specials – July 1961–1963, NBC, anthology
The Roaring Twenties – 1960–1962, ABC, drama
Route 66 – 1960–1964, CBS, adventure
Sing Along With Mitch – January 1961–1964, NBC, variety
Surfside Six – 1960–1962, ABC, detective drama
The Tall Man – 1960–1962, NBC, western
Thriller – 1960–1962, NBC, suspense anthology
The Third Man – 1960–1962, syndication, intrigue
Three Seasons (1959/60)
Adventures In Paradise – 1959–1962, ABC, adventure
Bell Telephone Hour – 1959–1968, NBC, music
Bonanza – 1959–1973, NBC, western
The Comedy Spot – 1960–1962, CBS, comedy anthology
Dennis The Menace – 1959–1963, CBS, comedy
Robert Taylor's Detectives – 1959–1961, ABC; 1961/62, NBC, crime drama
Hawaiian Eye – 1959–1963, ABC, drama
Hennessey – 1959–1962, CBS, comedy/drama
Laramie – 1959–1963, NBC, western
Many Loves of Dobie Gillis – 1959–1963, CBS, comedy
The Third Man – 1959–1962, syndication, intrigue
The Twilight Zone – 1959–1965, CBS, anthology
The Untouchables – 1959–1963, ABC, crime drama
Four Seasons (1958/59)
Bronco – 1958–1962, ABC, western
The Donna Reed Show – 1958–1966, ABC, comedy
The Garry Moore Show – 1958–1964, CBS, variety
The Lawman – 1958–1962, ABC, western
Rawhide – January 1959–1966, CBS, western
The Rifleman – 1958–1963, ABC, western
77 Sunset Strip – 1958–1964, ABC, drama
Five Seasons (1957/58)
Bachelor Father – 1957–1959, CBS, 1959–1961, NBC, 1961/62, ABC, comedy
Have Gun, Will Travel – 1957–1963, CBS, western
Leave It To Beaver – 1957/58, CBS; 1958–1963, ABC, comedy
Maverick – 1957–1962, ABC, western
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
Wagon Train – 1957–1962, NBC; 1962–1965, ABC, western
Six Seasons (1956/57)
The Dinah Shore Show – 1956–1963, NBC, variety
Tales Of Wills Fargo – March 1957–1962, NBC, western
To Tell The Truth – December 1956–1967, CBS, game
Seven 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
Eight Seasons (1954/55)
Father Knows Best reruns – 1960–1962, CBS; 1962/63, ABC, comedy
Lassie – 1954–1971, CBS; 1971–1974, Syndication, adventure
The Lawrence Welk Show – 1954–1971, ABC, music
The Jack Paar Show – July 1957–1962, NBC, talk/variety
Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color – 1954–1983, anthology
Nine Seasons (1953/54)
The Danny Thomas Show – 1953–1957, ABC; 1957–1965, CBS, comedy
U.S. Steel Hour – 1953–1955, ABC; 1955–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology
Ten 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
Eleven Seasons (1951/52)
I’ve Got A Secret – June 1952–1967, CBS, game
Red Skelton – 1951–1953, NBC; 1953–1970, CBS; 1970/71, NBC, variety
Twelve Seasons (1950/51)
The Jack Benny Show – 1950–1964, CBS; 1964/65, NBC, comedy
Thirteen Seasons (1949/50)
Armstrong Circle Theatre – June 1950–1957, NBC; 1957–1963, CBS, dramatic anthology
What’s My Line? – February 1950–1967, CBS, game
Fourteen seasons (1948/49)
The Perry Como Show – 1948–1950, NBC; 1950–1955, CBS; 1955–1963, NBC, variety
Fifteen seasons (1947/48)
The Ed Sullivan Show – June 1948–1971, CBS, variety
Meet The Press – November 1947–1965, NBC, interview
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