What's on TV? Friday, April 14, 1961

Even though I've started to branch out to issues from other parts of the country, I always feel most comfortable returning to the Twin Cities editions.  I'm more familiar with the programming, and it's so easy for me to travel back in time and put myself into the story - even if, as is the case this week, I must have been too young to know anything.  So this week I'm going to take a closer look at some of these local shows, and the personalities that made them.  Let's go through it together, shall we?

	KTCA, Channel 2 (Educ.)
	Morning
	09:30a	Fitzpatrick’s Cartoons
	10:15a	Ya Hablamos Espanol
	10:30a	Animals of the Seashore
	11:00a	Ya Hablamos Espanol
	Afternoon
	01:30p	Record Shop
	01:50p	Komm, Lach Und Lerne
	02:05p	Science (Grade 4)
	02:30p	Mathematics
	05:00p	Adventures of Danny Dee
	05:30p	Prospects of Mankind
	Evening
	06:30p	American Perspective
	07:00p	Main Street
	07:30p	Graphic Arts
	08:00p	Cartoon Hour
	08:30p	St. Olaf Hour
	09:00p	Civil War Background
	09:30p	Mythology
	10:00p	Briefing Session
	10:30p	Background

This is such a typical programming schedule for Channel 2 back in these days.  The station really was dedicated to its educational mission, which is why you see programs such as Komm, Lach Und Lerne - which, although I've never learned German, I'm guessing means "Come, Look and Learn."  Maybe someone out there can correct me.

	WCCO, Channel 4 (CBS)
	Morning
	07:00a	Siegfried and His Flying Saucer
	08:00a	CBS Morning News (Richard C. Hottelet)
	08:15a	Captain Kangaroo
	09:00a	News (local)
	09:10a	Dr. Reuben K. Youngdahl
	09:15a	Fashion
	09:30a	Video Village
	10:00a	Double Exposure
	10:30a	Your Surprise Package
	11:00a	Love of Life
	11:30a	Search for Tomorrow
	11:45a	The Guiding Light
	Afternoon
	12:00p	News (local)
	12:15p	Something Special
	12:20p	Weather (local)
	12:30p	As the World Turns
	01:00p	Face the Facts
	01:30p	House Party (guest Edith Head)
	02:00p	The Millionaire
	02:30p	The Verdict is Yours
	03:00p	The Brighter Day
	03:15p	The Secret Storm
	03:30p	The Edge of Night
	04:00p	Around the Town
	04:30p	Bozo the Clown
	05:00p	Axel and His Dog
	05:30p	Clancy the Cop
	05:55p	Sports (local)
	Evening
	06:00p	News (local)
	06:10p	Weather (local)
	06:15p	Douglas Edwards With the News
	06:30p	Rawhide
	07:30p	Route 66
	08:30p	Way Out
	09:00p	The Twilight Zone
	09:30p	Eyewitness to History (Trial of Adolf Eichmann)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:15p	Weather (local)
	10:20p	Sports (local)
	10:30p	Movie – “Seven Sinners”

Around the Town, which aired at 4pm, was a local show hosted by Arle Haeberle.  You've probably seen this listing a time or two from this feature, but did you ever wonder what it was like?  Wonder no longer - you can check out an excerpt from the show here.  I know you can see features like this on local morning "news" shows today, but don't you think there's something charming about it?

	KSTP, Channel 5 (NBC)
	Morning
	06:00a	Continental Classroom (Chemistry) (color)
	06:30a	Continental Classroom (Probability and Statistics) (color)
	07:00a	Dave Garroway Today Show
	09:00a	Say When
	09:30a	Play Your Hunch (color)
	10:00a	The Price Is Right (color)
	10:30a	Concentration
	11:00a	Truth or Consequences
	11:30a	It Could Be You (color)
	11:55a	NBC News (Ray Scherer)
	Afternoon
	12:00p	News (local)
	12:15p	Weather (local)
	12:20p	Treasure Chest
	01:00p	Jan Murray (color)
	01:30p	Loretta Young
	02:00p	Young Dr. Malone
	02:30p	From These Roots
	03:00p	Make Room for Daddy
	03:30p	Here’s Hollywood (guests Earl Holliman, Christina Crawford)
	04:00p	Topper
	04:30p	T.N. Tatters
	05:15p	City Detective
	05:45p	Huntley-Brinkley Report
	Evening
	06:00p	News (local)
	06:15p	Weather (local)
	06:30p	Happy
	07:00p	Five Star Jubilee (host Carl Smith, guest Jimmy Dean)
	07:30p	Nanette Fabray
	08:00p	Bell Telephone Hour (hostess Arlene Francis, guests Ron Husmann, Paula Stewart, Lauri Peters, Brian Davies, Eileen Rodgers, Harve Presnell, Edward Villella, Patricia McBride, Ruth and Jane Earl, Jaime Laredo, the Chad Mitchell Trio) (color)
	09:00p	Michael Shayne
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:15p	Weather (local)
	10:20p	Sports (local)
	10:30p	Jack Paar
	12:00a	News (local)

Treasure Chest, which airs at 12:20pm, is described as "a 40 minute audience participation ladies show televised live in color."  It's not listed as a colorcast in this issue, which may mean KSTP hasn't gone full color yet, or it could be a typo.  The show's hosted by Jim Hutton (no, not the actor) who would later host the popular Dialing for Dollars show.  Here's a look at the show.

COURTESY KINGOFTHEROAD.NET

	KMSP, Channel 9 (Ind.)
	Morning
	09:50a	Chapel of the Air
	09:55a	Newsbeat (local)
	10:00a	Jack LaLanne
	10:30a	Movie – “Private Nurse”
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Kartoontime
	12:30p	Willy
	01:30p	Racket Squad
	02:00p	Movie – “Homecoming”
	04:00p	How to Marry a Millionaire
	04:30p	Mr. Adams and Eve
	05:00p	Susie
	05:30p	Our Miss Brooks
	Evening
	06:00p	Looney Tuners Club
	07:00p	Cannonball
	07:30p	Flight
	08:00p	Stories of the Century
	08:30p	The Californians
	09:00p	Movie – “Captains Courageous”
	10:35p	News (local)
	10:50p	Sports (local)
	10:55p	Weather (local)
	11:00p	TV Hour of Stars

Tony Parker, host of Newsbeat at 9:55am, was actually Channel 9's sportscaster, and he was a fixture on the station for years.  This obituary of him from a few years ago describes him pretty much as I remember.  He did the local pre-game show prior to Channel 9's telecast of AFL football on Sundays, as well as doing the sports on the local news Monday through Friday.  At the end of his career he'd moved to WCCO where, I think, he might have done some weekend sports.  It was like a flashback to childhood seeing him.

	WTCN, Channel 11 (ABC)
	Morning
	07:55a	Farm News
	08:00a	Good Morning Minnesota!
	08:30a	Cartoon Circus
	09:00a	Romper Room (Miss Betty)
	09:45a	Shape Up
	10:15a	Ways With Food
	10:30a	The Life of Riley
	11:00a	Morning Court
	11:30a	Love That Bob!
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Camouflage
	12:30p	Number Please
	01:00p	About Faces
	01:25p	ABC News (Al Mann)
	01:30p	Dr. Hudson’s Secret Journal
	02:00p	Day in Court
	02:30p	Seven Keys
	03:00p	Queen for a Day
	03:30p	Who Do You Trust?
	04:00p	American Bandstand (guest Jack Scott)
	05:00p	5 O’Clock Report (local)
	05:05p	Casey Jones with Popeye
	05:30p	Rin Tin Tin
	Evening
	06:00p	Matty’s Funday Funnies
	06:30p	Harmon Killebrew Show
	06:40p	Baseball Roundup
	06:55p	Baseball (Twins vs. Orioles)
	09:45p	Scoreboard
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:15p	Weather (local)
	10:20p	Sports (local)
	10:30p	Two Faces West
	11:00p	News (local)
	11:05p	Theater 11 – “Captain Blood”
	12:30a	News (local)

Whenever I run across Romper Room on a local broadcast, I always make sure to include the name of the "teacher" if it's listed, because so many of us can still remember her from our childhoods (if we're old enough).  For Channel 11, that was "Miss Betty," aka Mary Douglass, who filled the role for ten years in the Twin Cities.  You can see more about her here.

That was fun - we'll have to do it again some time! TV