Back in the Twin Cities this week, and I'm struck by how ordinary a week it is. Look at tonight, for example - CBS has The Beverly Hillbillies, the top-rated show on television, followed by The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ends the season as #3, and The Danny Kaye Show, which comes in at #30. Meanwhile, NBC has The Virginian at #17, while on ABC, The Patty Duke Show is #18. Clearly people enjoyed watching television on Wednesday nights. Let's see the rest of the schedule.
Not really much to say about this lineup, is there? Except that in some way it seems like what educational television ought to be.
2 KTCA (Educ.) | ||
Morning | ||
8:55 | FRENCH – Grade 4 | |
9:10 | SPANISH – Grade 4 | |
9:30 | SPANISH – Grade 5 | |
9:45 | PORTFOLIO – Grade 11 | |
10:10 | SPANISH – Grade 6 | |
10:25 | GERMAN – Grade 5 | |
10:40 | EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE | |
11:00 | PORTFOLIO – Grade 11 | |
11:45 | KINDERGARTEN | |
Afternoon | ||
12:30 | MAN’S LIVING BODY – Dearden | |
1:00 | SPANISH – Grade 4 | |
1:20 | SPANISH – Grade 5 | |
1:35 | GERMAN – Grade 4 | |
1:50 | SCIENCE – Grade 6 | |
2:20 | GERMAN – Grade 6 | |
2:35 | SPANISH – Grade 6 | |
2:50 | EXPLORING SCIENCE – Grade 6 | |
3:15 | GERMAN FAIRY TALES | |
3:45 | SPANISH – Preview | |
5:30 | KINDERGARTEN | |
Evening | ||
6:00 | BALANCE OF FEAR | |
6:30 | GENERAL SCIENCE | |
7:00 | INQUIRY – Discussion | |
7:30 | CONTINENTAL COMMENT | |
8:00 | FOLK MUSIC NOW AND THEN | |
8:30 | MACALESTER COLLEGE | |
9:00 | LABOR PROBLEMS – Panel | |
10:00 | PROFILE – History | |
10:30 | FACES OF A GIANT – Education |
Not really much to say about this lineup, is there? Except that in some way it seems like what educational television ought to be.
4 WCCO(CBS) | ||
Morning | ||
6:30 | SUNRISE SEMESTER Outlines of Art | |
7:00 | SIEGFRIED, AXEL, CLANCY | |
8:00 | CAPTAIN KANGAROO | |
9:00 | NEWS – Dean Montgomery | |
9:15 | WHAT’S NEW? – Women | |
9:25 | DR. REUBEN K. YOUNGDAHL | |
9:30 | I LOVE LUCY – Comedy | |
10:00 | McCOYS – Comedy | |
10:30 | PETE AND GLADYS – Comedy | |
11:00 | LOVE OF LIVE – Serial | |
11:25 | NEWS – Harry Reasoner | |
11:30 | SEARCH FOR TOMORROW | |
11:45 | GUIDING LIGHT – Serial | |
Afternoon | ||
12:00 | NEWS – Dave Moore | |
12:15 | SOMETHING SPECIAL | |
12:25 | WEATHER – Bud Kraehling | |
12:30 | AS THE WORLD TURNS – Serial | |
1:00 | PASSWORD – Allen Ludden Guests: Sydney Chaplin, Marjorie Lord | |
1:30 | HOUSE PARTY – Art Linkletter | |
2:00 | TO TELL THE TRUTH – Lewis Panel: Darren McGavin, Orson Bean, Bess Myerson, Phyllis Newman | |
2:25 | NEWS – Douglas Edwards | |
2:30 | EDGE OF NIGHT – Serial | |
3:00 | SECRET STORM – Serial | |
3:30 | BEST OF GROUCHO – Quiz | |
4:00 | AROUND THE TOWN – Harvey | |
4:30 | AXEL AND DEPUTY DAWG | |
5:00 | CLANCY AND HIS FRIENDS | |
5:30 | NEWS – Walter Cronkite | |
Evening | ||
6:00 | NEWS – Dean Montgomery | |
6:15 | SPORTS – Don Dahl | |
6:20 | SPOTLIGHT – George Rice | |
6:25 | WEATHER – Don O’Brien | |
6:30 | CBS REPORTS – Documentary “The Great American Funeral” | |
7:30 | GLYNIS – Comedy | |
8:00 | BEVERLY HILLBILLIES | |
8:30 | DICK VAN DYKE – Comedy | |
9:00 | DANNY KAYE – Variety Guests: Gene Kelly, Michele Lee, Clinger Sisters | |
10:00 | NEWS – Dave Moore | |
10:15 | WEATHER – Bud Kraehling | |
10:20 | SPORTS – Hal Scott | |
10:30 | ROUNDY PREDICTS – Football | |
11:00 | STEVE ALLEN – Variety Guests: Telly Savales, Lulu Porter, Stiller and Meara | |
1:00 | MOVIE – Drama “Fighter Attack” (1953) News will follow the movie |
Ironic that we're seeing Danny Kaye's show this week, considering Saturday's discussion surrounding Judy Garland. From what I've read, CBS first offered (or scheduled) Kaye the Sunday night slot opposite Bonanza, which he refused precisely because he knew the toughness of the competition. I have nothing to go on in this speculation, but I wonder - by allowing Kaye to veto that Sunday spot (thereby putting Garland there instead), were they suggesting that they valued Danny's show more, that it was more likely to have a long run without its star blowing up?
5 KSTP (NBC) | ||
Morning | ||
6:30 | CITY AND COUNTRY | |
7:00 | TODAY – Hugh Downs Guests: Sterling Hayden, Raymond Massey, Adam Keefe Local news at 7:25 A.M. and 8:25 A.M. | |
9:00 | SAY WHEN – Art James | |
9:25 | NEWS – Edwin Newman | |
9:30 | WORD FOR WORD C | |
10:00 | CONCENTRATION – Hugh Downs | |
10:30 | MISSING LINKS – Ed McMahon Panel: Ann Sheridan, Nipsey Russell, Sam Levenson | |
11:00 | YOUR FIRST IMPRESSION Panel: Dennis James, Ruth Warrick, Corbett Monica | |
11:30 | TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES | |
11:55 | NEWS – Ray Scherer | |
Afternoon | ||
12:00 | NEWS – MacDougall | |
12:15 | WEATHER – Morris | |
12:25 | WOMAN’S WORLD | |
12:30 | TREASURE CHEST | |
1:00 | PEOPLE WILL TALK | |
1:25 | NEWS – Floyd Kalber | |
1:30 | DOCTORS – Drama | |
2:00 | LORETTA YOUNG – Drama | |
2:30 | YOU DON’T SAY – Kennedy Panelists: Diana Lynn, Richard Conte | |
3:00 | MATCH GAME – Gene Rayburn | |
3:25 | NEWS – Sander Vanocur | |
3:30 | MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY | |
4:00 | MOVIE – Mystery “So Long at the Fair” (English; 1951) | |
5:25 | DOCTOR’S HOUSE CALL – Fox | |
5:30 | NEWS – Huntley, Brinkley | |
Evening | ||
6:00 | NEWS – Bob Ryan | |
6:15 | WEATHER – Morris | |
6:25 | SPORTS – Al Tighe | |
6:30 | VIRGINIAN – Western | |
8:00 | ESPIONAGE – Drama | |
9:00 | ELEVENTH HOUR – Drama | |
10:00 | NEWS – MacDougall | |
10:15 | WEATHER – Morris | |
10:20 | SPORTS – Al Tighe | |
10:30 | JOHNNY CARSON – Variety Guest: Sterling Hayden | |
12:00 | NEWS AND SPORTS |
Sterling Hayden's busy making the rounds, isn't he? I think he also pops up elsewhere during the course of the week. He's probably plugging his book Wanderer, his fascinating (and controversial) memoir of life away from Hollywood, in which he defied both movie bosses and his ex-wife by taking his children and sailing the sea.
9 KMSP (ABC) | ||
Morning | ||
7:40 | CHAPEL OF THE AIR – Religion | |
7:45 | BREAKFAST – Grandpa Ken | |
9:00 | ROMPER ROOM – Miss Betty | |
10:00 | PRICE IS RIGHT – Bill Cullen | |
10:30 | SEVEN KEYS – Jack Narz | |
11:00 | ERNIE FORD – Variety Guest: Leo Diamond | |
11:30 | PEOPLE ARE FUNNY – Linkletter | |
Afternoon | ||
12:00 | GENERAL HOSPITAL – Serial | |
12:30 | FATHER KNOWS BEST – Comedy | |
1:00 | PEOPLE’S CHOICE – Comedy | |
1:30 | DAY IN COURT – Drama | |
1:55 | NEWS – Lisa Howard | |
2:00 | QUEEN FOR A DAY – Bailey | |
2:30 | WHO DO YOU TRUST? | |
3:00 | TRAILMASTER – Western | |
4:00 | ADVENTURES IN PARADISE | |
5:00 | NEWS – Bob Allard | |
5:15 | NEWS – Ron Cochran | |
5:30 | LEAVE IT TO BEAVER – Comedy | |
Evening | ||
6:00 | DOBIE GILLIS – Comedy | |
6:30 | OZZIE AND HARRIET – Comedy | |
7:00 | PATTY DUKE – Comedy | |
7:30 | PRICE IS RIGHT – Bill Cullen | |
8:00 | BEN CASEY – Drama | |
9:00 | CHANNING – Drama | |
10:00 | NEWS, WEATHER, SPORTS | |
10:30 | DETECTIVES – Police | |
11:30 | TARGET: CORRUPTORS – Drama | |
12:30 | NEWS |
We have an interesting theme developing on some of tonight's shows - on Patty Duke, "The girls are planning a slumber party, but kid brother Ross is not asleep at the switch - he's planning to tape their conversation for blackmail purposes." Interesting use of the word there; usually Ross' actions would be considered "hijinks" or something like that. "Blackmail" puts me in mind of Perry Mason. Later, on Channing, a candidate for state's attorney "knows that his opponent will expose him for having once stolen some college funds." Meanwhile, over on CBS, Rob accidentally overhears what Jerry and Millie really think of them, thanks to Ritchie's toy intercom, and NBC's Espionage has the British government dealing with a security leak of top-secret information. What a suspicious night!
11 WTCN (IND.) | ||
Morning | ||
10:45 | KUKLA AND OLLIE – Children | |
11:00 | EN FRANCE - Education | |
11:30 | DATELINE: MINNESOTA, | |
11:45 | TAKE FIVE – Jan Werner | |
Afternoon | ||
12:00 | LUNCH WITH CASEY – Children | |
12:45 | KING AND ODIE – Cartoon | |
1:00 | MOVIE – Musical Comedy “So This Is Love” (1953) | |
2:45 | LEE PHILIP – Women Guest: Peggy Wood | |
3:00 | DECEMBER BRIDE – Comedy | |
3:30 | ROBIN HOOD – Adventure | |
4:00 | BEETLE AND PETE – Dave Lee | |
4:30 | MICKEY MOUSE CLUB – Children | |
5:00 | SUPERMAN – Adventure | |
5:30 | LONE RANGER – Western | |
Evening | ||
6:00 | WHIRLYBIRDS – Adventure | |
6:30 | BOLD JOURNEY – Travel | |
7:00 | EXPEDITION – Documentary | |
7:30 | STONEY BURKE – Drama | |
8:30 | DESILU PLAYHOUSE – Drama | |
9:30 | NEWS – Dick Ford | |
9:45 | WEATHER – Stuart A. Lindman | |
9:50 | SPORTS – Buetel, Horner | |
10:00 | MOVIE – Drama “The Lost Weekend” (1945) |
Just a thought - it's a heck of a way to kick off your broadcasting day with Kukla and Ollie, isn't it? Frankly, I wish more stations would do it today - I rather like the idea of starting your morning with a smile on your face.