April 6, 2015

What's on TV: Monday, April 6, 1959

This week our television travels take us to Virginia, and an edition of TV Guide that even includes parts of West Virginia, North Carolina and Tennessee.  We're concentrating on Virginia however, and a hodgepodge of stations and affiliations - I've never seen so many double- and sometimes triple-affiliations.  It does give one a good idea of the most popular shows in a given market, though - the shows that demographics and viewers demand be shown in their area.  Since this is my first time through the market, I won't have much in the way of local background to add, but let's take a look at a pretty good television day:


KTAR, Channel 3 (Norfolk) (CBS)

Morning


06:40a
Lift Up Mine Eyes

06:45a
Transatlantic Views

07:00a
Morty Nevins Show

08:00a
CBS Morning News (Richard C. Hottelet)

08:15a
Captain Kangaroo

08:45a
Bob and Chauncey

09:00a
Jimmy Dean

09:30a
As the World Turns

10:00a
Morning Playhouse

10:30a
Arthur Godfrey

11:00a
I Love Lucy

11:30a
Top Dollar

Afternoon


12:00p
Love of Life

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

12:45p
The Guiding Light

01:00p
Party Line

01:05p
Movie – “Best of Hollywood”

02:30p
House Party

03:00p
The Big Payoff

03:30p
The Verdict Is Yours

04:00p
The Brighter Day

04:15p
The Secret Storm

04:30p
The Edge of Night

05:00p
News (local)

05:05p
MGM Matinee Movie – “Too Hot to Handle”

Evening


06:25p
Sports Roundup

06:30p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

06:45p
Douglas Edwards with the News

07:00p
The Big Story

07:30p
Strikes ‘n’ Spares

08:00p
The Texan

08:30p
Bold Venture

09:00p
Danny Thomas

09:30p
Ann Sothern

10:00p
Desilu Playhouse

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Mr. District Attorney

11:45p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

Some interesting things on TV tonight; I wrote about Desliu Playhouse on Saturday.  Mr. District Attorney, showing at 11:15pm, is an old syndication warhorse, transferred from radio.  I once read that the lead character in the series, Mr. D.A. himself, Paul Garrett ("Champion of the People...Defender of Truth...Guardian of our fundamental right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."*), was based on Thomas E. Dewey, the two-time Republican presidential nominee (once while D.A. and again after he was elected governor of New York).  Hey, if it's on the internet it must be true, right?

*What is this guy anyway, District Attorney or Superman?


WSVA, Channel 3 (Rawley Pike/Harrisonburg) (NBC/CBS/ABC)

Morning


10:20a
News, Weather (local)

10:30a
Treasure Hunt

11:00a
The Price Is Right

11:30a
Concentration

Afternoon


12:00p
Love of Life

12:30p
It Could Be You

01:00p
Adventures in Living

01:30p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Queen for a Day

02:30p
Haggis Baggis (color)

03:00p
Young Dr. Malone

03:30p
From These Roots

04:00p
Kiddie Kartoons

04:15p
The Secret Storm

04:30p
The Edge of Night

05:00p
All Star Band

05:30p
Bengal Lancers

Evening


06:00p
Film Feature

06:15p
Shenandoah Showcase

06:25p
News (local)

06:35p
Market Report

06:45p
Douglas Edwards with the News

07:00p
Mackenzie’s Raiders

07:30p
Strikes ‘n’ Spares

08:00p
Peter Gunn

08:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo

09:00p
Danny Thomas

09:30p
Ann Sothern

10:00p
Desilu Playhouse

10:30p
Academy Awards (hosts Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Tony Randall, Mort Sahl) (special)

12:15a
Jack Paar

Whenever I write about the Academy Awards on television, I invariably point out how late in the evening the program used to air, and here's an example of it - 10:30 Eastern Time.  They can get away with that, though, because the show's only scheduled to run an hour and 45 minutes.  If I'm not mistaken, this was the broadcast that actually ended 20 minutes early, leaving host Jerry Lewis to vamp (unsuccessfully) until the network mercifully cut away to a show about guns.  Although WSVA was an affiliate of all three networks, there's no doubt they were going to carry the Oscars that night.


WCYB, Channel 5 (Bristol) (NBC/ABC)

Morning


06:30a
Continental Classroom (Physics)

07:00a
Today

09:00a
Fun and Fantasy

09:30a
The Life of Riley

10:00a
Dough Re Mi

10:30a
Treasure Hunt

11:00a
The Price Is Right

11:30a
Concentration

Afternoon


12:00p
Tic Tac Dough

12:30p
It Could Be You

01:00p
Divorce Hearing

01:30p
I Married Joan

02:00p
Queen for a Day

02:30p
Haggis Baggis (color)

03:00p
Young Dr. Malone

03:30p
From These Roots

04:00p
Truth or Consequences (color)

04:30p
County Fair

05:00p
Looney Tunes

05:30p
This is Alice

Evening


06:00p
Popeye

06:30p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

06:40p
Weather Bee (local)

06:45p
Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:00p
Public Defender

07:30p
Buckskin

08:00p
The Restless Gun

08:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo

09:00p
Peter Gunn

09:30p
The Rifleman

10:00p
Arthur Murray Dance Party (guests June Havoc, Ricardo Montalban, Paul Winchell, Judy Jonson, Richard Hayes) (color)

10:30p
Academy Awards (hosts Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Tony Randall, Mort Sahl) (special)

12:15a
Jack Paar

Another multi-network affiliation that looks to primarily broadcast NBC programming.  I wonder what Jack Paar's program was like, coming on about an hour later than usual?  Just guessing that it was probably a rerun.


WTVR, Channel 6 (Richmond) (ABC)

Morning


07:00a
Religion for All Faiths

07:30a
Movie – To Be Announced

09:00a
Dandy Doodle

10:00a
Telequiz

10:30a
Farmer and His Family

11:00a
Mystery Matinee

11:30a
Peter Lind Hayes

Afternoon


12:30p
Play Your Hunch

01:00p
Liberace

01:30p
Amos ‘n’ Andy

01:57p
Headline News

02:00p
Day in Court

02:30p
Music Bingo

02:57p
Headline News

03:00p
Beat the Clock

03:30p
Who Do You Trust?

04:00p
American Bandstand

05:30p
Mickey Mouse Club

Evening


06:00p
Woody Woodpecker

06:30p
Cartoons

06:45p
Sportslight

07:00p
News (local)

07:10p
Weather (local)

07:15p
ABC News (Don Goddard)

07:30p
Texas Rangers

08:00p
Polka-Go-Round

08:30p
Glencannon

09:00p
Voice of Firestone (guests Rise Stevens, Richard Tucker, Heidi Krall, Jerome Hines)

09:30p
Top Pro Golf (debut)

10:00p
Traffic Court

10:30p
Charlie Chan

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

12:15a
Movie – “Let’s Go Steady”

Top Pro Golf isn't live, in case you wondered - it's a filmed series made up of reruns from last year's All-Star Golf.


WDBJ, Channel 7 (Roanoke) (CBS)

Morning


06:45a
Happy Valley Hymn Time

07:00a
Top O’ the Morning

07:55a
News (local)

08:00a
Light of Life

08:15a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
Popeye

09:30a
Four Star Playhouse

10:00a
Morning Playhouse

10:30a
Arthur Godfrey

11:00a
I Love Lucy

11:30a
Top Dollar

Afternoon


12:00p
Love of Life

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

12:45p
The Guiding Light

01:00p
Panorama

01:30p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Jimmy Dean

02:30p
House Party

03:00p
The Big Payoff

03:30p
The Verdict Is Yours

04:00p
The Brighter Day

04:15p
The Secret Storm

04:30p
The Edge of Night

05:00p
The Early Show – “Broadway Hostess”

Evening


06:30p
News (local)

06:45p
Douglas Edwards with the News

07:00p
Death Valley Days

07:30p
Name that Tune

08:00p
The Texan

08:30p
Father Knows Best

09:00p
Danny Thomas

09:30p
Ann Sothern

10:00p
Desilu Playhouse

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:25p
Late Show – “Mr. Moto Takes a Vacation”

Happy Valley Hymn Time is a show that, I'd wager, is no longer broadcast - at least on a weekday morning.


WXEX, Channel 8 (Petersburg) (NBC)

Morning


05:45a
What’s Your Trouble?

06:00a
Open House

06:30a
Continental Classroom (Physics)

07:00a
Today

09:00a
I Married Joan

09:30a
The Bob Culver Show

09:55a
News (local)

10:00a
Dough Re Mi

10:30a
Treasure Hunt

11:00a
The Price Is Right

11:30a
Concentration

Afternoon


12:00p
Tic Tac Dough

12:30p
It Could Be You

01:00p
Burns and Allen

01:30p
The Life of Riley

02:00p
Queen for a Day

02:30p
Haggis Baggis (color)

03:00p
Young Dr. Malone

03:30p
From These Roots

04:00p
Truth or Consequences (color)

04:30p
County Fair

05:00p
5 O’Clock Movie – “Thanks for Everything”

Evening


06:30p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

06:45p
Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:00p
Waterfront

07:30p
Buckskin

08:00p
The Restless Gun

08:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo

09:00p
Peter Gunn

09:30p
Alcoa Theatre

10:00p
Arthur Murray Dance Party (guests June Havoc, Ricardo Montalban, Paul Winchell, Judy Jonson, Richard Hayes) (color)

10:30p
Academy Awards (hosts Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Tony Randall, Mort Sahl) (special)

Kind of a defiant tone to that first show, isn't there?  If these were New York or New Jersey shows, it probably would have been like, "So, what's your trouble, buddy?"


WSLS, Channel 10 (Roanoke) (NBC/ABC)

Morning


06:00a
Farm and Home

06:30a
Continental Classroom (Physics)

07:00a
Today

09:00a
Movie – To Be Announced

09:30a
Betty Bond

10:30a
Treasure Hunt

11:00a
The Price Is Right

11:30a
Concentration

Afternoon


12:00p
Tic Tac Dough

12:30p
Play Your Hunch

01:00p
Romper Room

01:30p
Betty Bond

02:00p
Music Conference

02:30p
Haggis Baggis (color)

03:00p
Young Dr. Malone

03:30p
From These Roots

04:00p
Truth or Consequences (color)

04:30p
County Fair

05:00p
Top Ten Dance Party

05:30p
Uncle Looney

Evening


06:00p
Rin Tin Tin

06:30p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

06:45p
Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:00p
Claim to Fame

07:30p
Buckskin

08:00p
The Restless Gun

08:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo

09:00p
Peter Gunn

09:30p
Alcoa Theatre

10:00p
Arthur Murray Dance Party (guests June Havoc, Ricardo Montalban, Paul Winchell, Judy Jonson, Richard Hayes) (color)

10:30p
Academy Awards (hosts Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Tony Randall, Mort Sahl) (special)

12:15a
Jack Paar

Love that "To Be Announced" movie at 9am.


WAVY, Channel 10 (Norfolk) (NBC/ABC)

Morning


06:30a
Continental Classroom (Physics)

07:00a
Today

09:00a
Romper Room

09:30a
Cartoons

10:00a
The Life of Riley

10:30a
Treasure Hunt

11:00a
Music Bingo

11:30a
Peter Lind Hayes

Afternoon


12:30p
It Could Be You

01:00p
Liberace

01:30p
TV Reader’s Digest

02:00p
Day in Court

02:30p
Haggis Baggis (color)

03:00p
Beat the Clock

03:30p
Who Do You Trust?

04:00p
American Bandstand

05:00p
Woody Woodpecker

05:30p
Mickey Mouse Club

Evening


06:00p
Popeye

06:20p
Amos ‘n’ Andy

06:50p
News (local) 

06:55p
Weather (local)

07:00p
Highway Patrol

07:30p
Target

08:00p
The Gray Ghost

08:30p
Flight

09:00p
Voice of Firestone (guests Rise Stevens, Richard Tucker, Heidi Krall, Jerome Hines)

09:30p
Colt .45

10:00p
Traffic Court

10:30p
News at Night (local)

10:35p
Weather (local)

10:45p
Early Late Show – “Strange Affair”

12:00a
All-Star Theater

12:30a
Final Edition (local)

The listings note that this is the last week for the Peter Lind Hayes show, which ABC broadcast at 11:30am.  I'm sure his wife, Mary Healy, was on it as well.  He had a wonderfully dry sense of humor.


WRVA, Channel 12 (Richmond) (CBS)

Morning


07:50a
Market Report, Weather

08:00a
CBS Morning News (Richard C. Hottelet)

08:15a
Captain Kangaroo

08:45a
News (local)

09:00a
Popeye

09:30a
Jimmy Dean

10:00a
Morning Playhouse

10:30a
Arthur Godfrey

11:00a
I Love Lucy

11:30a
Top Dollar

Afternoon


12:00p
Love of Life

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

12:45p
The Guiding Light

01:00p
My Little Margie

01:30p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Our Miss Brooks

02:30p
House Party

03:00p
The Big Payoff

03:30p
The Verdict Is Yours

04:00p
The Brighter Day

04:15p
The Secret Storm

04:30p
The Edge of Night

05:00p
Popeye

05:30p
Movie – Western

Evening


06:30p
Science Fiction Theater

07:00p
News (local)

07:10p
Weather (local)

07:15p
Douglas Edwards with the News

07:30p
Strikes ‘n’ Spares

08:00p
The Texan

08:30p
Father Knows Best

09:00p
Danny Thomas

09:30p
Ann Sothern

10:00p
Desilu Playhouse

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Film Feature

12:15a
Jack Paar

Interesting that this CBS affiliate picks up the Paar show, but then why wouldn't they?  It's not as if CBS has any late night programming of its own.  Shows you the impact of Jack Paar - must-see TV of the '50s and early '60s.


WLVA, Channel 13 (Lynchburg) (ABC)

Morning


11:00a
Movie – “Queen of the Amazon” (Part 1)

11:30a
Peter Lind Hayes

Afternoon


01:00p
Liberace

01:30p
I Spy

02:00p
Day in Court

02:30p
Music Bingo

03:00p
Beat the Clock

03:30p
Who Do You Trust?

04:00p
American Bandstand

05:30p
Mickey Mouse Club

Evening


06:00p
Six O’Clock Movie – “Apache Chief”

07:15p
ABC News (Don Goddard)

07:30p
Sherlock Holmes

08:00p
Polka-Go-Round

08:30p
To Be Announced

09:00p
Voice of Firestone (guests Rise Stevens, Richard Tucker, Heidi Krall, Jerome Hines)

09:30p
Top Pro Golf (debut)

10:00p
Traffic Court

10:30p
John Daly and the News

10:45p
Sports (local)

10:50p
Night Show – “Down Missouri Way”

Ah, we see John Daly and the News again, ABC's effort to introduce a late night news program.  John, who was head of ABC News, did this Monday through Friday, and then hosted What's My Line? on CBS Sunday nights.


WVEC, Channel 15 (Hampton) (NBC)

Morning


06:30a
Continental Classroom (Physics)

07:00a
Today

09:00a
Educational TV

09:30a
Film Feature

10:00a
Dough Re Mi

10:30a
Cartoon Time

11:00a
The Price Is Right

11:30a
Concentration

Afternoon


12:00p
Tic Tac Dough

12:30p
It Could Be You

01:00p
Educational TV

01:30p
Film Feature

02:00p
Queen for a Day

02:30p
Haggis Baggis (color)

03:00p
Young Dr. Malone

03:30p
From These Roots

04:00p
Truth or Consequences (color)

04:30p
County Fair

05:00p
Cartoon Time

05:30p
American Town Hall

Evening


06:00p
William and Mary

06:30p
Telescope

06:45p
Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:00p
Focus

07:30p
Buckskin

08:00p
The Restless Gun

08:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo

09:00p
Peter Gunn

09:30p
Alcoa Theatre

10:00p
Arthur Murray Dance Party (guests June Havoc, Ricardo Montalban, Paul Winchell, Judy Jonson, Richard Hayes) (color)

10:30p
Academy Awards (hosts Bob Hope, Jerry Lewis, David Niven, Sir Lawrence Olivier, Tony Randall, Mort Sahl) (special)

12:15a
Jack Paar

Interesting that in this pre-educational television era (at least in Virginia), Channel 15 blocks out one hour for educational programming.  It can be done! TV  

4 comments:

  1. Two notes:

    (1) The station in Norfolk, VA was WTAR. KTAR was a station in Phoenix that's now known as KPNX.

    (2) The NBC station in Richmond didn't clear Jack Paar. And the late (12:15 A.M.) start time this particular night was due to NBC's live broadcast of the Academy Awards. Normally, it began at 11:15.

    Was it a misprint, or did Paar begin right after the Oscars, with no local newscast in-between??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think there may well have been several misprints in the issue, most of which I tried to eliminate - for example, one of the stations (can't recall which one at this point) was listed as showing movies while they were also scheduled to show the Oscars. I'm sure that someone, either from the station or TV Guide, simply went with their regularly scheduled lineup, not taking the preemptions into consideration. However, since they would still have been keeping their program lineups on filecards back then, I suppose I can give them a break.

      Delete
  2. Was about to point out the KTAR error (I live in Hertford, NC but am considered part of the Tidewater/Hampton Roads market).

    A couple of other notes:

    1. WTAR is now WTKR (switched call letters around 1981/82 after being sold to Knight-Ridder); WSVA-TV is now WHSV and a primary ABC affiliate since 1968; WCYB became just NBC in 1969; WTVR would become a CBS affiliate the following year due to WWBT's low ratings (WWBT became an NBC station in 1965); WXEX flipped to ABC after WWBT acquired the NBC affiliation in 1965 and is now WRIC; WSLS, from what I've found, actually became just NBC in 1955 (possibly an error on TV Guide's part or it may have been that they still picked up some of the weaker ABC shows WTVR skipped - just a guess). WAVY was originally the local ABC affiliate (Norfolk-area) before trading affiliations with NBC station WVEC in Norfolk (WVEC would move from channel 15 to channel 13 later that year due to most TV's not having UHF capabilities; and subsequently became the area ABC station). Finally, Lynchburg's WLVA-TV became WSET in 1977.

    2. Regarding the Tom Dewey note, Dewey was New York District Attorney when he ran for the Republican Presidential nomination in 1940, but was passed over for Wendell Willkie. Dewey was nominated twice (1944, 1948); but he had become Governor of New York by that time.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes - in 1940, Dewey was, I believe, the last presidential candidate (at least on the Republican side) to currently hold an office other than Vice President, Governor, Representative or Senator while seeking the nomination. I know that John Lindsay, the turncoat Republican-turned-Democrat was still Mayor when he ran for the Democratic nomination in 1972, but otherwise I can't think of anyone who would fall into that category.

      It's an extraordinary accomplishment in this day and age; the Republicans frequently have nominated men who were not current officeholders (Eisenhower in 1952, Nixon in 1968, Reagan in 1980 for example), and back in the day it was possible to nominate candidates who'd at one time held such offices as police commissioner (Theodore Roosevelt) and Undersecretary of the Navy (Franklin Roosevelt) as well as served in the military; Rudy Giuliani was, I think the last man to seek the presidency who had held an office which had not been one of the big four I listed above, and prior to that the only one I can think of was Sargent Shriver in 1976 (but does he count, since he'd been a VP nominee?), but I could be mistaken on that. You do have businessmen such as Ben Carson who take a look at the office, and should John Bolton take the plunge he would be the rare appointed official (UN Ambassador - would he be the first appointed official since Hoover?) to run, but by and large it's up to the career politicians nowadays.

      I've long contended - not in a partisan sense, but simply from looking at the history of presidential nominees - that in former days, Kenneth Starr (who prepared the report against Clinton), General Schwarzkopf, and Justices Scalia and/or Thomas would almost certainly have been considered serious candidates for the presidency. Today, I doubt that any of them would have a chance.

      I'm sure this is a commentary on the American political system, but I'll defer to another day in suggesting what that might be.

      Delete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!