The final day of analog TV broadcasting, June 12, 2009.
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This page displays in tabular format a chronology of major network prime time television programs during the 1960s, excluding those that lasted for one year or less, unless they have some special significance. Also excluded are game shows and most childrens' cartoons that were normally shown during the daytime. (Such programs were often used as prime-time "fillers" back then.) TV shows that switched from one network to another are shown in both network sections, along with parenthetical notes to the right or left. The television season typically began in September-October, and ended in April-May; some shows that began or ended in mid-season (January) are so indicated. Shows that were shown on a different network during one or more years in the 1950s are shown by their first letter in the left column: A for ABC, N for NBC, and C for CBS. The borders of the year column headings show the approximate transition to all-color broadcasting for each respective network. Within each network section, programs are grouped and color-coded according to genre: Drama, Sitcom, Variety, Western, Other (war, science fiction, etc.), Animated cartoons, and News documentaries. Some genres were not included in some networks' broadcast lineups. See the color key at the end of each network section, and a list of Web site links at the bottom of the page.
Back to top ~ ABC ~ NBC ~ CBS
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1958 N | Peter Gunn | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1958 | The Naked City | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1958 | 77 Sunset Strip | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
1959 | The Untouchables | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1959 | Adventures in Paradise | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1959 | Detectives | (NBC) | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1959 | Hawaiian Eye | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | SurfSide 6 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | Ben Casey | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
. | . | . | . | The Fugitive | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | Burke's Law | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | Peyton Place | . | . | ||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | The F.B.I. | 1973 | ||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Avengers | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Felony Squad | (to Jan.) | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Judd for the Defense | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | N.Y.P.D. | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | It Takes A Thief | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Mod Squad | 1973 | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Marcus Welby | 1976 |
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
1952 | Ozzie and Harriet | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
1957 | Leave It To Beaver | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1958 | The Donna Reed Show | . | . | . | . | . | |||||
. | My Three Sons | (CBS) | (CBS) | (CBS) | (CBS) | (CBS) | (CBS) | ||||
. | . | . | . | The Patty Duke Show | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | The Farmer's Daughter | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | Bewitched | 1972 | |||||
. | . | . | . | . | The Addams Family | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | F Troop | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | That Girl | 1971 | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | Gidget | . | The Flying Nun | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Room 222 | 1974 |
1955 | Wyatt Earp | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1955 | Cheyenne | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1957 | Maverick | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1958 | Bronco | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1958 | The Lawman | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1958 | The Rifleman | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
(NBC) | (NBC) | Wagon Train | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Iron Horse | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Guns of Will Sonnett | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Here Come the Brides | . | |
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
1954 | W. W. Disney | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) |
1955 | Lawrence Welk Show | 1971 | |||||||||
. | . | Steve Allen Show | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | Hootenanny | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | The Jimmy Dean Show | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | Shindig | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | (Jan.) | The Hollywood Palace | ||||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Tom Jones | 1971 |
. | . | . | McHale's Navy | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | Combat | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | 12 O'Clock High | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Rat Patrol | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Batman | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Green Hornet | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | The Outer Limits | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Time Tunnel | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Land of the Giants | . | |
. | The Flintstones | . | . | . | . | . | |||||
. | . | Top Cat | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | The Jetsons | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
KEY: | Drama | Situation comedy | Western | Variety | Animated | Other (war, sci fi, etc.) |
NOTES:
Back to top ~ ABC ~ NBC ~ CBS
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1952-59 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Dragnet | . | ||
1953 | Loretta Young | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1959 A | (ABC) | Detectives | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | National Velvet | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | Dick Powell Theatre | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | Bus Stop | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | Dr. Kildare | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
. | . | . | The Eleventh Hour | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | Mr. Novak | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | Flipper | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | The Man From UNCLE | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | I Spy | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | Run for Your Life | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Tarzan | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Girl / UNCLE | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | (ITV) | (ITV) | (ITV) | (ITV) | (ITV) | The Saint | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Ironside | 1975 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Adam-12 | 1973 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Julia | 1971 | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Name of the Game | 1971 | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Ghost and Mrs. Muir (ABC) | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Bold Ones | 1973 |
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
. | Tab Hunter | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | The Joey Bishop Show | (CBS) | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | Bob Newhart | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | C 1972-78 |
. | . | Car 54 Where Are You? | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | The Bill Dana Show | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | Hazel | (CBS) | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | I Dream of Jeannie | . | ||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | Get Smart | (CBS) | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | My Mother Car | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | Wackiest Ship | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | Please Don't Eat the Daisies | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Monkees | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Mothers-in-Law | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | My World / Wel. | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Debbie Reynolds | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Bill Cosby | 1971 |
1957 | Tales of Wells Fargo | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1957 | Wagon Train | (ABC) | (ABC) | (ABC) | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1958 | Bat Masterson | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1959 | Riverboat | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1959 | Laramie | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
1959 | Bonanza | 1973 | |||||||||
. | The Tall Man | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | Outlaws | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | The Virginian | 1971 | |||||||
. | . | . | . | Daniel Boone | |||||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | Branded | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | Laredo | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The High Chapparal | 1971 | ||
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
1953 | Dinah Shore (Chevy) Show | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
(ABC) | (ABC) | The Wonderful World of Disney | 1990 | ||||||||
1955 | Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall | . | . | . | . | The Kraft Music Hall | 1971 | ||||
1956 | Tenn. E. Ford | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1956 | People Are Funny | 1984 | |||||||||
1959 | The Bell Telephone Hour | . | . | . | |||||||
. | . | Sing Along with Mitch | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
. | . | International Showtime | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | The Jack Paar Program | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | The Andy Williams Show | . | . | ||||||
. | . | . | . | Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | That Was The Week That Was | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | (Jan.) | Hullaballoo | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | The Dean Martin Comedy Hour | 1974 | ||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In | 1973 | ||
1952 | This Is Your Life | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1955 C | Alfred Hitchcock | (CBS) | (CBS) | Alfred Hitchcock | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1958 A | Shirley Temple | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | Boris Karloff's Thriller | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | Wild Kingdom | 1988 | ||||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Star Trek | . | . | ||
KEY: | Drama | Situation comedy | Western | Variety | Other (war, sci fi, etc.) |
I still remember this slogan as clearly as if it were yesterday: "The following program is brought to you in living color on NBC!" Watch the video clip at Kris Trexler's Web site.
It quickly becomes apparent that NBC broadcast far fewer programs than either ABC or CBS during the 1960s. Part of this is because it had relatively more hour-long westerns and dramas, and relatively fewer sitcoms, but the main reason is because they began showing at least one movie per week beginning in 1961, later increasing to as many as three. See tvobscurities.com
Back to top ~ ABC ~ NBC ~ CBS
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 N | Armstrong Circle Theatre | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1953 | General Electric Theater | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1954 | Lassie | 1971 | |||||||||
1957 | Perry Mason | . | . | . | . | . | |||||
1959 | June Allyson | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | Checkmate | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | Route 66 | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | The Defenders | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | (The Doctors and) The Nurses | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | Secret Agent | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Daktari | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Mission Impossible | 1973 | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Gentle Ben | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Mannix | 1975 | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Hawaii Five-0 | 1980 | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Medical Center | 1976 |
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
1950-59 | Jack Benny | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
1951-57 | . | . | The Lucy Show | Here's Lucy | 1974 | ||||||
1953 | The Danny Thomas Show | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
1954 | December Bride | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1957 | Bachelor Father | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1957 A | The Real McCoys | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1958 | The Ann Sothern Show | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1959 | Hennesey | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1959 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1959 | Dennis the Menace | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | The Andy Griffith Show | Mayberry RFD | 1971 | ||||||||
. | Pete and Gladys | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | The Dick Van Dyke Show | . | . | . | . | . | ||||
. | . | Mr. Ed | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
1955-59 | . | . | . | Phil Silvers | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | The Beverly Hillbillies | 1971 | |||||||
. | . | . | . | Petticoat Junction | . | ||||||
. | . | . | . | My Favorite Martian | . | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | Joey Bishop | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | . | |||||
. | . | . | . | . | Gilligan's Island | . | . | . | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | My Living Doll | . | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | The Munsters | . | . | . | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | Green Acres | 1971 | ||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | Hogan's Heroes | 1971 | ||||
. | (ABC) | (ABC) | (ABC) | (ABC) | (ABC) | My Three Sons | . | ||||
. | . | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | Hazel | . | . | . | . | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Family Affair | 1971 | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | (NBC) | Get Smart | . |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Good Guys | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | The Doris Day Show | 1973 | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Rome / Love | 1971 |
1950s | 1960-61 | 1961-62 | 1962-63 | 1963-64 | 1964-65 | 1965-66 | 1966-67 | 1967-68 | 1968-69 | 1969-70 | 1970s |
1955 | Gunsmoke | 1975 | |||||||||
1956 | Zane Grey Theater | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1957 | Have Gun, Will Travel | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | ||
1958 | Wanted: D or A | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1959 | Rawhide | . | . | . | . | . | |||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | The Big Valley | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | The Wild, Wild West | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Lancer | 1971 | |
1948 | Ted Mack's Original Amateur Hour | . | |||||||||
1948 | The Ed Sullivan Show | 1971 | |||||||||
1951 | The Red Skelton Show | 1971 | |||||||||
1958 | The Garry Moore Show | . | . | . | . | . | |||||
1952-59 | . | Jackie Gleason | Jackie Gleason | . | |||||||
. | . | . | . | The Danny Kaye Show | . | . | . | . | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | Carol Burnett | 1978 | |||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Jonathan Winters | . | . | |
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Smothers Brothers | . | ||
. | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | Jim Nabors | 1971 |
1955 | (NBC) | Alfred Hitchcock | (NBC) | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
1959 | The Twilight Zone | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |||
. | Candid Camera | . | . | . | . | ||||||
. | . | . | . | . | . | Lost In Space | . | . | . | ||
1953 | Person to Person | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . |
1959 | CBS Reports | 1971 | |||||||||
. | Eyewitness to History | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | . | |
KEY: | Drama | Situation comedy | Western | Variety | Other (war, sci fi, etc.) | News, etc. |
NOTE: The borders of the year column headings show the approximate transition to all-color broadcasting for each respective network.
Back to top ~ ABC ~ NBC ~ CBS
Ed Reitan: early color TV