January 18, 2016

What's on TV? Thursday, January 21, 1965

Boston is our location this week, not for the first time, but the listings might look a little different from the last time we visited. Four new stations are included in this issue, in Worcester, Providence, Hartford and Boston. We still have Manchester, NH (although I didn't include their programming), but we're now missing Portland, Maine. It's the Eastern New England edition, and I guess Maine just isn't far enough East - or at least too far Down East.


WGBH, Channel 2 (Educ.)

Morning

06:30a
To Be Announced

07:00a
Blessings of Liberty

07:30a
This is UConn

09:05a
Parlons Francais I

09:25a
Music II

09:45a
Parlons Francais II

11:00a
Parlons Francais III

Afternoon

12:30p
Time For Music

12:45p
The Friendly Giant

01:00p
Parlons Francais I

01:45p
Music II

04:30p
Lip Reading

05:00p
Time For Music

05:30p
What’s New

Evening


06:00p
Home Handyman

06:30p
News (Louis Lyons)

06:45p
News (Bob Baram)

07:00p
Critical Reader

07:30p
College Basketball (Dartmouth vs. Harvard)

09:20p
Ski Report

09:30p
The Science Reporter

10:00p
Standwells

10:30p
World of Music

Here we have a rare example of an educational channel airing a sports event. Naturally it's from the Ivy League.


WTIC, Channel 3 (Hartford) (CBS)

Morning

08:00a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
Hap Richards

09:15a
Deputy Dawg

09:30a
Leave it to Beaver

10:00a
CBS Morning News With Mike Wallace

10:30a
Movie – “Mutiny on the Blackhawk”

Afternoon

12:00p
Love of Life

12:25p
CBS News (Robert Trout)

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

12:45p
The Guiding Light

01:00p
Movie – “Magic Town” part 4

01:30p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Password (panelists Bob Denver, Amanda Blake)

02:30p
House Party

03:00p
The Edge of Night

03:30p
To Tell the Truth (guests Phyllis Krik, Orsen Bean, Ann Sheridan, George Maharis)

03:55p
CBS News (Douglas Edwards)

04:00p
Ranger Andy

04:30p
Movie – “Holiday in Havana”

Evening


06:05p
Sports (Bob Steele)

06:15p
News, Weather (local)

06:30p
CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite

07:00p
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp

07:30p
The Munsters

08:00p
Perry Mason

09:00p
Password (panelists Hugh O’Brian, Juliet Prowse)

09:30p
Harry S Truman

10:00p
The Defenders

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:20p
Movie – “Caught”

That Truman documentary at 9:30pm is, I believe, produced by David Susskind. After failing to secure enough interest with one of the broadcast networks, he syndicated it to local stations throughout the country. As Stephen Battaglio points out in his Susskind biography, it was possible that "network executives knew Truman was still not very popular with the public and certainly not as compelling on the TV screen as the "Give 'em hell, Harry" mythology that was later built around him." 


WBZ, Channel 4 (NBC)

Morning

06:25a
Sign On Seminar

06:45a
Daily Almanac

07:00a
Today (guests Ralph Schoenstein, Terri Thornton)

09:00a
Clubhouse 4

09:25a
News, Weather (local)

09:30a
Bachelor Father

10:00a
Make Room for Daddy

10:30a
What’s This Song? (guests Nancy Sinatra, Tommy Sands) (color)

10:55a
NBC News (Edwin Newman)

11:00a
Concentration

11:30a
Jeopardy (color)

Afternoon

12:00p
News, Weather (local)

12:30p
Mike Douglas (guests Rich Little, Dan Dailey)

02:00p
Moment of Truth

02:30p
The Doctors

03:00p
Another World

03:30p
You Don’t Say! (guests Rusty Draper, Laraine Day) (color)

04:00p
The Match Game (guests Florence Henderson, Bill Cosby)

04:25p
NBC News

04:30p
Leave it to Beaver

05:00p
Movie – “Captains of the Clouds”

Evening


06:00p
Movie – “White Heat”

06:30p
News, Weather (local)

07:00p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:30p
Intertel

08:30p
Dr. Kildare

09:30p
Hazel (color)

10:00p
Kraft Suspense Theatre (color)

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Regis Philbin

12:45a
News, Sports, Weather (local)

01:00a
Movie – “Stormy”

Look at that - Regis Philbin, pre-Joey Bishop, pre-Kathy Lee! Can you believe it? It was a nationally syndicated talk show, based on his successful local show out of San Diego, that started the previous October and would last another month. As was the case with the format followed by Mike Douglas, Rege would have a co-host that would be with him for the entire week. Although no guests are listed in the TV Guide, a little Internet research suggests his co-host for the week could have been Eartha Kitt.


WHDH, Channel 5 (CBS)

Morning

06:00a
The Life of Riley

06:30a
En France

07:00a
Morning Key Club (color)

07:30a
Captain Bob (color)

08:00a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
Romper Room (color)

09:30a
Julie Dane (color)

09:45a
We Believe (color)

10:00a
CBS Morning News With Mike Wallace

10:30a
I Love Lucy

11:00a
Andy Griffith

11:30a
The McCoys

Afternoon

12:00p
Love of Life

12:25p
CBS News (Robert Trout)

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

12:45p
The Guiding Light

01:00p
News (Leo Egan) (color)

01:05p
Farm and Food (color)

01:30p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Password (panelists Bob Denver, Amanda Blake)

02:30p
House Party

03:00p
To Tell the Truth (panelists Skitch Henderson, Phyllis Newman, Dick Shawn, Shari Lewis)

03:30p
The Edge of Night

04:00p
The Secret Storm

04:30p
Bozo the Clown (color)

05:30p
Ripcord (color)

Evening


06:00p
Dateline Boston (color)

06:25p
Weather (Ted Miller) (color)

06:30p
CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite

07:00p
News (John Day/Leo Egan) (color)

07:25p
Weather (Ray Walker) (color)

07:30p
The Munsters

08:00p
Perry Mason

09:00p
Password (panelists Hugh O’Brian, Juliet Prowse)

09:30p
The Baileys of Balboa

10:00p
The Defenders

11:00p
News, Weather (local) (color)

11:20p
Sports (Don Gillis) (color)

11:30p
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

You might notice The Tonight Show's on a CBS affiliate - that's because Regis is on in the Carson timeslot. Someone more familiar with the area could probably tell me why WBZ didn't carry the Carson show. By the way, it's always a bit of a surprise to see a non-NBC affiliate that's so into color programming; because of the network's tie to RCA, NBC affiliates (at least the ones I'm familiar with) were always out in front on that score.


WTEV, Channel 6 (New Bedford) (ABC)

Morning

06:15a
News (Truman Taylor)

06:30a
Educational Age

07:00a
Whirlybirds

07:30a
Morning Funtime

08:30a
Abbott and Costello

09:00a
Cartoons

09:30a
December Bride

10:00a
Community

10:25a
News (Andy Macmillan)

10:30a
Trailmaster

11:30a
The Price is Right (guest Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)

Afternoon

12:00p
Donna Reed

12:30p
Father Knows Best

01:00p
Ernie Ford (guest Gale Garnett)

01:30p
Woman

01:55p
News (local)

02:00p
Flame in the Wind

02:30p
Day in Court

02:55p
ABC News (Marlene Sanders)

03:00p
General Hospital

03:30p
The Young Marrieds

04:00p
Madhouse

04:30p
Superman

05:00p
Hercules

05:30p
Lloyd Thaxton (guests Peter and Gordon)

Evening


06:30p
ABC Evening Report (Ron Cochran)

06:45p
News, Sports, Weather (local)

07:00p
The Rifleman

07:30p
Jonny Quest (color)

08:00p
Donna Reed

08:30p
My Three Sons

09:00p
Bewitched

09:30p
Peyton Place

10:00p
Jimmy Dean (guests the Mills Brothers, Norm Crosby, Buck Owens)

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Les Crane

The Young Marrieds is one of those soaps that I don't remember - it certainly didn't have the staying power of General Hospital, As the World Turns, The Guiding Light, Another World and so on. It ran for about 18 months, but it had some pretty good talent: Susan Seaforth, prior to Days of Our Lives, Paul Picerni, Elliot Ness' right-hand man on The Untouchables, Charles Grodin and a pre-MTM Ted Knight, among others. 


WNAC, Channel 7 (ABC)

Morning

06:25a
Farm and Market Report

06:30a
Family Living

07:00a
The Three Stooges

09:00a
Jack LaLanne

09:30a
Girl Talk (panelists include Jinx Falkenburg)

10:00a
Dobie Gillis

10:30a
Flame in the Wind

11:00a
December Bride

11:30a
The Price is Right (guest Douglas Fairbanks Jr.)

Afternoon

12:00p
Donna Reed

12:30p
Father Knows Best

01:00p
General Hospital

01:30p
Trailmaster

02:00p
Flame in the Wind

02:30p
Movie – “The Narrow Margin”

03:55p
ABC News (Marlene Sanders)

04:00p
Surfside 6

05:00p
Huckleberry Hound

05:30p
The Three Stooges

Evening


06:00p
ABC Evening Report (Ron Cochran)

06:15p
News, Weather (local)

06:30p
The Rifleman

07:00p
Car 54, Where Are You?

07:30p
Jonny Quest (color)

08:00p
Donna Reed

08:30p
My Three Sons

09:00p
Bewitched

09:30p
Peyton Place

10:00p
Jimmy Dean (guests the Mills Brothers, Norm Crosby, Buck Owens)

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:20p
Movie – “Two Girls and a Sailor”

12:50a
Movie – “Destination Big House”

Jimmy Dean has one of the more impressive guest lineups you're going to see - the Mills Brothers, Norm Crosby, and Buck Owens - all legends. 


WJAR, Channel 10 (Providence) (NBC)

Morning

06:30a
TV Classroom

07:00a
Today (guests Ralph Schoenstein, Terri Thornton)

09:00a
Leave it to Beaver

09:25a
News (local)

09:30a
The World Around Us

09:55a
News, Weather (local)

10:00a
Make Room for Daddy

10:30a
What’s This Song? (guests Nancy Sinatra, Tommy Sands) (color)

10:55a
NBC News (Edwin Newman)

11:00a
Concentration

11:30a
Jeopardy (color)

Afternoon

12:00p
Say When! (color)

12:30p
Truth or Consequences (color)

12:55p
NBC News (Ray Scherer)

01:00p
Talk of the Town

01:30p
Let’s Make a Deal (color)

01:55p
NBC News (Floyd Kalber)

02:00p
Moment of Truth

02:30p
The Doctors

03:00p
Another World

03:30p
You Don’t Say! (guests Rusty Draper, Laraine Day) (color)

04:00p
The Match Game (guests Florence Henderson, Bill Cosby)

04:25p
NBC News

04:30p
Movie – “Return of the Bad Men”

Evening


06:00p
Eye-Dentify

06:15p
News, Weather (local)

06:30p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:00p
Wanted – Dead or Alive

07:30p
Daniel Boone

08:30p
Dr. Kildare

09:30p
Hazel (color)

10:00p
Kraft Suspense Theatre (color)

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

Moment of Truth is yet another soap opera that doesn't remain in the consciousness. A CBC import, it lasted on U.S. television for less than a year.


WPRO, Channel 12 (Providence) (CBS)

Morning

06:30a
Guest Artist Concerts

07:00a
The Three Stooges and Popeye

08:00a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
Romper Room (Miss Bonnie)

09:30a
Dialing for Dollars

10:30a
I Love Lucy

11:00a
Andy Griffith

11:30a
The McCoys

Afternoon

12:00p
Love of Life

12:25p
CBS News (Robert Trout)

12:30p
Search for Tomorrow

12:45p
The Guiding Light

01:00p
Girl Talk (panelists include Hermione Gingold)

01:30p
As the World Turns

02:00p
Password (panelists Bob Denver, Amanda Blake)

02:30p
House Party

03:00p
To Tell the Truth (panelists Skitch Henderson, Phyllis Newman, Dick Shawn, Shari Lewis)

03:30p
The Edge of Night

04:00p
The Three Stooges

04:30p
Woody Woodpecker

05:00p
Movie – “The Astounding She-Monster”

Evening


06:00p
News, Sports, Weather (local)

06:30p
CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite

07:00p
News, Sports, Weather (local)

07:30p
The Munsters

08:00p
Perry Mason

09:00p
Password (panelists Hugh O’Brian, Juliet Prowse)

09:30p
The Baileys of Balboa

10:00p
The Defenders

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:20p
Movie – “A Cry in the Night”

I thought The Astounding She-Monster sounded familiar, and as it turns out I was right - a quick check shows it was on KSTP back in Minneapolis-St. Paul not two weeks before this. I remain stunned that it hasn't been on Mystery Science Theater 3000.  Yet.


WJZB, Channel 14 (Worcester)  (Ind.)

Afternoon

05:30p
Film Feature

Evening


06:00p
Sports, News, Weather (local)

06:30p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report

07:00p
Whiplash

07:30p
Susie

08:00p
Movie – “Hiroshima Mon Amour”

09:30p
Highway Patrol

10:00p
Beachcomber

10:30p
Danger Man

11:00p
Florida Films

This is the first week in the listings for WJZB, out of Worcester. A modest lineup for the independent station, but with some notables: Huntley-Brinkley, unusual in that it's being picked up by an indy, and Danger Man, the precursor to Secret Agent and The Prisoner. And then there's the classic foreign movie Hiroshima Mon Amour. As I said, modest - but intriguing.


WIHS, Channel 38 (Ind.)

Morning

09:00a
Youth News Digest

09:15a
Reading Out Loud

09:45a
Let’s Explore America

10:15a
Physical Fitness

10:30a
Adventures in New Lands

11:00a
Horizons of Science

11:30a
To Be Announced

Afternoon

01:00p
Study of Communism

01:30p
Gateways to Sound

02:00p
Our Health and Safety

02:30p
Money Management

03:00p
Movie – “Smashing the Money Ring”

05:00p
Kit Carson

05:30p
News (Victor Best)

Evening


06:00p
Famous Playhouse

06:30p
Love That Bob!

07:00p
Movie – “Princess O’Rourke”

08:30p
The D.A.’s Man

09:00p
Coronado 9

09:30p
I Led Three Lives

10:00p
News (local)

10:15p
Movie – “Night Unto Night”


I enjoy looking at these independent stations; it seems to be a mix of movies, syndicated programs, and the kind of morning and afternoon shows you're more likely to see on educational television. Many independent stations of the time relied on heavy sports programming, as was the case with WTCN back in Minneapolis - or as will be the case when this channel, redubbed WSBK, became the flagship station of the Boston Red Sox. TV  

6 comments:

  1. Group W, Westinghouse's TV syndication arm, owned Regis Philbin's show.
    It was an emergency replacement for Steve Allen, who ended the show he was doing for them rather abruptly.
    Group W also owned WBZ-TV in Boston, one of five stations they owned in various cities. These stations were affiliated with all three networks; Group W's boss, Donald McGannon, often asserted his "independence" by dropping network offerings in favor of his own company's products, such as in this case.
    A few years after this, McGannon came up with the Prime Time Access Rule, ostensibly to promote "diversity" in local programming; this came to be regarded as nothing more than trying to put Group W in the syndication business in a big way (the whole story has been written up elsewhere).
    Prime Time Access backfired big time, not only for the FCC, but for McGannon and Group W: almost all their shows flopped.
    ... but that (as Mr. Kipling said) is another story ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bewitched at 9.00? Seems quite late for that sort of sitcom... or maybe I'm just too used to never seeing it in prime time!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't know if you've got time zones in Australia - your country certainly is large enough.
      Anyway, Boston is in the Eastern Standard Time zone, where primetime was then 7:30 to 11 pm.
      In Chicago, where I was at the time, subtract one hour, and Bewitched, comes on at 8 pm.
      Here in the USA, we grew up with that litany:
      9 Eastern - 8 Central Time!
      What was the Australian equivalent?

      Delete
    2. In those early days Australia never really had networked schedules - each city and different members of the same network rarely had common schedules, they were all programmed at a local level, so we never really had the issue of programs airing simultaneously across two time-zones.

      And sitcoms, unless they were of a particularly 'mature' nature, were rarely scheduled to start after 8.00pm at all. That's why I was surprised to see Bewitched airing at 9.00. It just seemed odd to think of it at 9.00 as that timeslot for us is usually reserved for more adult fare.

      Networked scheduling never really became commonplace until the mid-late 1980s but even then scheduling was done in local time at each time zone, so if a program is scheduled at 8.30 it's at 8.30 in each time-zone, not 8.30 in some and 7.30 in others.

      Delete
  3. Soem notes:

    (1) WJZB Worcester was originally known as WWOR, and was broadcasting off-and-on from 1953 until 1969. For most of it's life (after about 1958; it was briefly an ABC and DuMont affiliate in it's earliest years), it was a satellite of NBC affiliate WWLP Springfield.

    But Worcester was too close to Boston for WJZB to become a "big three" affiliate. However, it carried the NBC news, perhaps because parent station WWLP suggested to the network that it would help WJZB's "public service" (and perhaps also help at FCC license renewal time).

    WJZB went-off the air for good in 1969 after a fire destroyed their transmitter.

    (2) WIHS was originally owned by the Boston Archdiocese (hence the morning programming for Catholic schools in the area).

    In 1966, Storer Communications bought WIHS and changed the call letters to WSBK ("SBK" was Storer's stock ticker symbol).

    Although WIHS (which went on the air in October of 1964) carried some collegiate sports events,. the station moved into sports in a big way after Storer bought the station. Around 1967, it began carrying Boston Bruins hockey team (and would through 2002), adding the Boston Red Sox in 1975 (which they'd carry until 1995 and again from 2003 through 2005). They also carried Boston Celtics basketball for a time as well.

    (3) The other Group W station affiliated with NBC at the time (KYW of Cleveland; it was moved to Philadelphia later in 1965 under FCC orders, undoing an ownership swap a decade earlier with that network concerning Cleveland and Philly), and it too carried both Steve Allen's 1962-64 show and Regis Philbin's short-lived 1964-65 show instead of Johnny Carson (I believe that apart from the Group W cities, both shows were broadcast in late-afternoon in most cities).

    A few months later, Regis was replaced by Merv Griffin. WBZ continued to pre-empt Carson and carry Griffin in late-night. When KYW moved to Philly, I think they began carrying Carson. WBZ finally did so in the fall of 1966.

    WBZ and KYW both stopped carrying "Tonight" during the short-lived "America After Dark" fiasco in 1957; both bailed out of the show a month before Jack Paar took over.

    ReplyDelete
  4. After Storer bought channel 38 in April 1965 (the calls changed in October) afternoon ABC programs preempted by WNAC were shown there.

    WJZB did simulcast Huntley-Brinkley from WWLP. The local news before H-B was also from WWLP. WJZB never transmitted in color, and by 1967 the only shows they did air were WWLP news and Huntley-Brinkley.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!