Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female Rough Collie dog named Lassie and her companions, human and animal. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12th, 1954, to March 24th, 1973. The show chalked up seventeen seasons […]
Name That Tune is an American television game show that put two contestants against each other to test their knowledge of songs. Premiering in the United States on NBC Radio in 1952, the show was created and produced by Harry Salter and his wife Roberta. Name That Tune ran from 1953 to 1959 on NBC and CBS in prime time. The first hosts were Red Benson and later Bill Cullen, but George DeWitt became most identified with the show.
Richard Hayes also emceed a local edition from 1970–1971, which ran for 26 weeks in a small number of markets. However, the best-remembered syndicated Name That Tune aired once a week (expanded to twice a week for its final season) from 1974–1981 with host Tom Kennedy. The series was revived for daily syndication in 1984, and its lone season was hosted by Jim Lange. For the last two of these series, John Harlan served as announcer.
Screen Director’s Playhouse is a popular American radio and television anthology series which brought leading Hollywood actors to the NBC microphones beginning in 1949. The radio program broadcast adaptations of films, and original directors of the films were sometimes involved in the productions, although their participation was usually limited to introducing the radio adaptations, and a brief “curtain call” with the cast and host at the end of the program.
The series later had a brief run on television, focusing on original teleplays and several adaptations of famous short stories (such as Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Markheim”). The television version, produced and filmed at Hal Roach Studios, was broadcast for one season of 35 half-hour episodes on NBC, under the sponsorship of Eastman Kodak, airing from October 5th, 1955 to June 27th, 1956. The final seven episodes aired on ABC from July 4th to September 26th.
Top-billed stars on the television series are: Lee Aaker, Lola Albright, Leon Ames, Lew Ayres, Lynn Bari, Ralph Bellamy, William Bendix, John Bentley, Charles Bickford, Janet Blair, Ward Bond, Neville Brand, Walter Brennan, Hillary Brooke, Joe E. Brown, Edgar Buchanan, Rory Calhoun, MacDonald Carey, Jack Carson, Joan Caulfield, Gower Champion, Marge Champion, Fred Clark, Constance Cummings, Linda Darnell, Laraine Day, Yvonne De Carlo, Brandon De Wilde, Bobby Driscoll, James Dunn, Leo Durocher, Buddy Ebsen, Marilyn Erskine, Frank Fay, Errol Flynn, Scott Forbes, Wallace Ford, Sally Forrest, Rita Gam, Nancy Gates, Leo Genn, Greta Granstedt, Barbara Hale, Don Hanmer, Dick Haymes, Dennis Hopper, Kim Hunter, Buster Keaton, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Cloris Leachman, Peter Lorre, James Lydon, Jeanette MacDonald, Jimmy McHugh, Fred MacMurray, Vera Miles, Ray Milland, Sal Mineo, Thomas Mitchell, George Montgomery, Patricia Morison, Barry Nelson, Edmond O’Brien, Dan O’Herlihy, Dennis O’Keefe, Zasu Pitts, Basil Rathbone, Phillip Reed, Robert Ryan, George Sanders, Herb Shriner, Mary Sinclair, Rod Steiger, William Talman, Casey Tibbs, June Vincent, John Wayne, Pat Wayne, Michael Wilding, Fay Wray, Teresa Wright, Keenan Wynn, May Wynn and Alan Young.
There was one difference between the two versions of the program: while the radio program had presented only condensed versions of well-known plays and films, the television version presented mostly original dramas.
Blondie (also known as The New Blondie) is an American sitcom that aired on CBS during the 1968-1969 television season. The series is an updated version of the 1957 TV series that was based on the comic strip of the same name. The series stars Will Hutchins as Dagwood Bumstead and Jim Backusas his boss Mr. Dithers, and featured child character actress Pamelyn Ferdin as the Bumstead’s daughter, and character actor Bryan O’Byrne as the hapless mailman, always getting run over by Dagwood hurrying out the door, late for work..
The series is known for its opening theme, which featured the comic strip characters in animated form before transforming into the actors playing the characters. Like the 1957 version, which lasted only one season, this version of the series lasted a total of 13 weeks before being canceled.
Hullabaloo is an American musical variety series that ran on NBC from January 12th, 1965 through August 29th, 1966. Similar to Shindig! it ran in prime time in contrast to ABC’s American Bandstand. Directed by Steve Binder, who went on to direct Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special, Hullabaloo served as a big-budget, quality showcase for […]
ABC Scope is a public affairs program that appeared on the ABC television network from 1964–1968, hosted by Howard K. Smith, the future anchor of the ABC Evening News. News reporters Louis Rukeyser, Frank Reynolds and John Scali also appeared. The program provided its viewer with an in-depth look at the important political, economic and […]
Profiles in Courage is an American historical anthology series that was telecast weekly on NBC from November 8th, 1964 to May 9th, 1965 (Sundays, 6:30-7:30pm, Eastern). The series was based on the recently-assassinated President John F. Kennedy’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, Profiles in Courage. The series lasted for 26 episodes, each of which would feature […]
90 Bristol Court is the umbrella title of a short-lived NBC experiment comprising three situation comedies set in a Southern California apartment complex located at the title address. The 90-minute block aired Monday nights and consisted of Karen (7:30-8:00pm), Harris Against the World (8:00-8:30pm), and Tom, Dick, and Mary (8:30-9:00pm). While they were promoted as […]
My Living Doll is an American science fiction sitcom that aired for 26 episodes on CBS from September 27th, 1964 to March 17th, 1965. This series was produced by Jack Chertok and was filmed at Desilu studios by Jack Chertok Television, Inc., in association with the CBS Television Network. The series was unusual in that […]
Mr. Broadway is an American 13-episode CBS adventure and drama television series starring Craig Stevens as New York City public relations specialist Mike Bell. The program aired at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturdays from September 26th to December 26th, 1964. Also featured were Bell’s assistant, Toki, portrayed by Lani Miyazaki, and his police contact, Hank […]
Gilligan’s Island is an American sitcom created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The situation comedy series featured Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, Russell Johnson, Tina Louise, and Dawn Wells. It aired for three seasons on the CBS network from September 26th, 1964, to April […]
The Reporter is an American drama series that aired on CBS from September 25th to December 18th, 1964. The series was created by Jerome Weidman and developed by executive producers Keefe Brasselle and John Simon. The series stars Harry Guardino as Danny Taylor, a reporter for the fictitious New York Globe newspaper. Guardino’s co-stars were […]
Gomer Pyle, USMC is an American situation comedy that originally aired on CBS from September 25th, 1964, to May 2nd, 1969. The series was a spin-off of The Andy Griffith Show, and the pilot episode was aired as the season finale of the fourth season of its parent series on May 18th, 1964. The show […]
The Entertainers is a one-hour American variety show that aired on CBS from September 25th, 1964 through March 27th, 1965. The series, produced by Joe Hamilton, featured three stars, Hamilton’s wife Carol Burnett, Caterina Valente, and Bob Newhart. Each week, the series, originating from New York, presented comedy sketches and musical numbers performed by a […]
The Baileys of Balboa is an American sitcom that appeared on CBS in the 1964-1965 season on Thursdays at 9:30pm ET. The show was directed by Gary Nelson and Bob Sweeney. The show was primarily developed for the network because its president, James T. Aubrey, insisted that Gilligan’s Island, which premiered the same season (and […]
Daniel Boone is an American action-adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24th, 1964 to September 10th, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes, and was made by 20th Century Fox Television. Ed Ames co-starred as Mingo, Boone’s Cherokee friend, for the first four seasons of the series. Albert Salmi […]
The Munsters is an American television sitcom depicting the home life of a family of benign monsters. The series originally aired on Thursday at 7:30pm on CBS from September 24th, 1964, to May 12th, 1966. Seventy episodes were produced. The series stars Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster and Yvonne De Carlo as his wife, Lily […]
The Cara Williams Show is an American sitcom that aired in 1964 on CBS. Cara Williams starred with costars Frank Aletter, previously the star of Bringing Up Buddy on CBS, and Jack Sheldon, later star of the short-lived 1966 series, Run, Buddy, Run, also on CBS. On the series, Williams and Aletter played Cara and […]
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22nd, 1964, to January 15th, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E. Originally co-creator Sam Rolfe wanted […]
World War One is an American documentary television series that was shown on CBS during the 1964–1965 television season to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the war. The series was produced by CBS News, which featured 26 half-hour episodes, was narrated by Robert Ryan. World War One originally aired on Tuesday nights […]
Slattery’s People is a 1964-1965 American television series about local politics starring Richard Crenna as title character James Slattery, a state legislator, co-starring Ed Asner and Tol Avery, and featuring Carroll O’Connor and Warren Oates in a couple of episodes each. James E. Moser was executive producer. The program, telecast on CBS, was nominated for […]
Many Happy Returns is an American situation comedy that ran on CBS for twenty-six episodes, from September 21st, 1964 to April 12th, 1965, under the sponsorship of General Foods. The Tagline of the show was Krockmeyer’s Appreciates Your Patronage. The show stars character actor John McGiver. Known for his emphatic, precise, dogmatic bearing and firm […]
Broadside is an American sitcom that aired on ABC during the 1964-1965 TV season. There were 32 episodes, the first of which aired September 20th, 1964. The series, produced by McHale’s Navy creator Edward Montagne, starred Kathleen Nolan, formerly of The Real McCoys (her character, Lieutenant Morgan, had first appeared on McHale’s Navy the previous […]
The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo is an animated television series, produced by United Productions of America, which aired on NBC for one season (1964 –1965) of 24 episodes. The television series was based on the original cartoon of the same name, with Jim Backus reprising the voice over of the role he did on […]
Then Came Bronson is an American adventure/drama television series starring Michael Parks that aired on NBC from 1969 to 1970, and was produced by MGM Television. The series, created by Denne Bart Petitclerc, began with a movie pilot on Monday, March 24th, 1969. The series was approved for one year and began its first run […]
Room 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television. The series aired on ABC for 112 episodes from September 17th, 1969 until January 11th, 1974. The series focused on an American history class at the fictional Walt Whitman High School in Los Angeles, California, although it also depicted other events […]
The Long, Hot Summer is an American drama series from 20th Century Fox Television that was broadcast on ABC-TV for one season from 1965-1966. Created by Dean Riesner, The Long, Hot Summer was based on the novel The Hamlet by William Faulkner, the short story “Barn Burning”, and the 1958 film of the same name. […]
For the People is an American Legal drama that aired Sundays from January 31st until May 9th, 1965 on CBS. This one season, thirteen episode drama had William Shatner playing an assistant district attorney in New York City. The show’s cancellation left Shatner free to accept the role of Captain James T. Kirk on Star […]
Mr. Broadway is an American 13-episode CBS adventure and drama television series starring Craig Stevens as New York City public relations specialist Mike Bell. The program aired at 9 p.m. Eastern time Saturdays from September 26th to December 26th, 1964. Also featured were Bell’s assistant, Toki, portrayed by Lani Miyazaki, and his police contact, Hank […]
The Reporter is an American drama series that aired on CBS from September 25th to December 18th, 1964. The series was created by Jerome Weidman and developed by executive producers Keefe Brasselle and John Simon. The series stars Harry Guardino as Danny Taylor, a reporter for the fictitious New York Globe newspaper. Guardino’s co-stars were […]
12 O’Clock High (also known as Twelve O’Clock High) is an American drama series set in World War II. This TV series originally broadcast on ABC for two-and-one-half seasons from September 18th, 1964, through January 13th, 1967 and was based on the motion picture Twelve O’Clock High (1949). The series was a co-production of 20th […]
Letter to Loretta (also known as The Loretta Young Show) is an American anthology drama series telecast on NBC from September 1953 to June 1961 for a total of 165 episodes. The filmed show was hosted by Loretta Young who also played the lead in various episodes. Letter to Loretta was sponsored by Procter & Gamble from 1953 through 1960. The final season’s sponsor was Warner-Lambert’s Listerine. The program […]
Crusader (sometimes erroneously listed as The Crusader) is a half-hour black-and-white American adventure/drama series that aired on CBS for two seasons from October 7th, 1955 to December 28th, 1956. The series stars Brian Keith as the fictitious free-lance journalist Matt Anders, whose mother’s death in a World War II Nazi concentration camp in German-occupied Poland […]
The 20th Century Fox Hour is an American drama anthology series televised in the United States on CBS from 1955 to 1957. Presenting both originals and remakes, The 20th Century Fox Hour was telecast on Wednesday nights at 10pm, alternating each week with The U.S. Steel Hour. Many of the programs were shortened versions of […]
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes broadcast weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV. It stars Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show followed the legendary character Robin Hood and his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest and the surrounding vicinity. While some episodes dramatised the traditional Robin Hood […]
Navy Log is an American drama anthology series that initially aired for one season on CBS. It relates the greatest survival war stories in the history of the United States Navy. This series premiered on September 20th, 1955, but the following year, it was moved to ABC, where it aired until September 25th, 1958. The […]
Damon Runyon Theatre is an American television program that presented dramatized versions of Damon Runyon‘s short stories. Hosted by Donald Woods, the program, sponsored by Anheuser-Busch‘s Budweiser beer, aired for a total of 39 episodes on CBS from April 1955 through February 1956 (repeats continued through June).
Appointment with Adventure is a half-hour adventure dramatic anthology television series broadcast live on CBS from 1955-1956. The program has no host. It aired at 10 p.m. EST on the Sunday evening schedule between the better known Alfred Hitchcock Presents and What’s My Line? It ran opposite The Loretta Young Show on NBC and Life […]
TV Reader’s Digest is the title of a 30 minute American television anthology drama series which aired on the ABC from 1955 to 1956. Based on articles that appeared in Reader’s Digest magazine, the episodes based on true stories which were varied in their themes, plots and content. Themes included crime, heroism, mystery, romance, and […]
The first incarnation of the Walt Disney anthology television series, commonly called The Wonderful World of Disney, premiered on ABC on Wednesday night, October 27th, 1954 under the name Disneyland. The same basic show has since appeared on several networks under a variety of titles. Originally hosted by Walt Disney himself, the series presented animated cartoons and other material (some […]
The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin is an American children’s television program. The show ran for five seasons on ABC on Friday evenings from October 1954 to May 1959, airing 166 episodes. ABC reran the series on late afternoons from September 1959 to September 1961. It starred child actor Lee Aaker as Rusty, a boy orphaned in an Indian raid, […]
The Lineup is an American police drama which aired on CBS radio from 1950 to 1953 and on CBS television from 1954 to 1960. The television version was set specifically in San Francisco and was produced with the cooperation of the San Francisco Police Department, which received a credit at the close of each episode. It starred Warner Anderson as Guthrie and Tom Tully as Grebb, who was now an inspector instead […]
The United States Steel Hour is an anthology series which brought hour-long dramas to television from 1953 to 1963. The television series and the radio program that preceded it were both sponsored by the United States Steel Corporation. The series originated on radio in the 1940s as Theatre Guild on the Air. The television version […]
Cavalcade of America is an anthology drama series that was sponsored by the DuPont Company, although it occasionally presented a musical, such as an adaptation of Show Boat, and condensed biographies of popular composers. It was initially broadcast on radio from 1935 to 1953, and later on television from 1952 to 1957. Originally on CBS, […]
Barney Miller is an American situation comedy television series set in a New York City police station in Greenwich Village. The series originally was broadcast from January 23rd, 1975, to May 20th, 1982, on ABC. It was created by Danny Arnold and Theodore J. Flicker. Noam Pitlik directed the majority of the episodes.
Barney Miller takes place almost entirely within the confines of the Detectives’ Squad Room and Captain Barney Miller’s adjoining office of New York City’s fictional 12th Precinct, located in Greenwich Village. A typical episode would feature the detectives of the 12th bringing in several complainants and/or suspects to the squad room. Usually there are two or three separate subplots in a given episode, with different officers dealing with different crimes. Once a year, there would be an episode which featured one or more of the detectives outside of the walls of the 12th Precinct, either on a stakeout or at one of their homes.