May 16, 2016

What's on TV? Saturday, May 19, 1962

We're back in Eastern New England this week for an interesting day of programming. I think that by 1962 we're well into the transitional period between the Golden Age of the '50s, when technological advances weren't that pronounced, and the programming we're familiar with when we think of the '60s. Although you don't see it in today's selection, the evening news is still 15 minutes and there are still many shows from the '50s on the regular schedule, and yet I sense that change is in the air. That's probably one reason I like this period of the '60s so much.


WBZ, Channel 4 (NBC)

Morning


06:30a
Armed Forces

07:00a
Boomtown

08:00a
Boomtown

09:00a
Boomtown

10:00a
Shari Lewis (color)

10:30a
King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (color)

11:00a
Fury

11:30a
Make Room for Daddy

Afternoon


12:00p
News (Dick Tucker)

12:10p
Weather (Bob Copeland)

12:15p
Big Brother

12:30p
Science Countdown 1962 (special)

01:00p
Ten Pin Bowling

02:00p
Alliance for Progress

02:30p
Championship Debate

03:00p
English for Americans

03:30p
Highway Patrol

04:00p
Junior Bowling

04:30p
Horse Racing – Acorn Stakes

05:00p
Movie – “Belle of Old Mexico”

Evening


06:00p
National Velvet

06:30p
News (Borden, Jensen)

06:55p
Weather (Bob Copeland)

07:00p
Chet Huntley Reporting

07:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo (color)

08:30p
The Tall Man

09:00p
Saturday Night at the Movies – “Garden of Evil”

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Movie – “The Roaring Twenties”

01:00a
Movie – “A Message to Garcia”

Boomtown was an epic three-hour kids show, (with another 2½ hours on Sunday) hosted by Rex Trailer, that ran for almost twenty seasons, well into the 1970s. There's a full-page ad for the show that bills it, without irony, as "The World's Greatest Baby Sitter." We're used to hearing that as a negative appellation when it comes to TV, but the station uses it as a positive: Rex "helps you get a few hours more sleep by whisking your kids to the wonderful world of Boomtown. Nothing wrong with that; I know my mom was always grateful when she could catch an hour or so while I was watching TV.


WHDH, Channel 5 (ABC, CBS, NBC)

Morning


06:30a
Potpourri (color)

07:00a
Captain Bob (color)

08:30a
Sergeant Preston

09:00a
Captain Kangaroo

10:00a
Video Village, Jr.

10:30a
Mighty Mouse

11:00a
Allakazam

11:30a
Roy Rogers

Afternoon


12:00p
Candlepin Bowling

01:00p
Championship Bridge

01:30p
The Life of Riley

02:00p
Baseball – Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

05:00p
West Point

05:30p
Preakness Stakes (special)

Evening


06:00p
The Lone Ranger

06:30p
Troubleshooters

07:00p
Sea Hunt

07:30p
Perry Mason

08:30p
The Defenders

09:30p
Have Gun – Will Travel

10:00p
Gunsmoke

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

11:15p
At Random

12:45a
Movie – “Racing Luck”

02:15a
Builders’ Showcase

I don't know how many of you are familiar with candlepin bowling (noon); it's a uniquely New England-form of bowling that involves ten very narrow pins and a smaller bowling ball. When I lived in Maine, there was a candlepin show every week. It's fun to watch, but even more fun to play.


WCSH, Channel 6 (Portland, ME) (NBC)

Morning


08:00a
News, Weather (local)

08:15a
Davey and Goliath

08:30a
Fury

09:00a
Annie Oakley

09:30a
Pip the Piper (color)

10:00a
Shari Lewis (color)

10:30a
King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (color)

11:00a
Popeye

11:30a
Make Room for Daddy

Afternoon


12:00p
Watch Mr. Wizard

12:30p
Championship Debate

01:00p
Science Fiction Theater

01:30p
Bowling

02:00p
Baseball – Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians

05:00p
Mr. District Attorney

05:30p
Highway Patrol

Evening


06:00p
Hot Rod Drag Race

06:30p
Tightrope!

07:00p
Death Valley Days

07:30p
Tales of Wells Fargo (color)

08:30p
The Tall Man

09:00p
Saturday Night at the Movies – “Garden of Evil”

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Movie – “The Outcast”

For the record, I don't know what kind of bowling is on Channel 6 at 1:30pm. I'd guess it to be candlepin, but the listings only say it's women's bowling.


WNAC, Channel 7 (CBS)

Morning


07:00a
The Three Stooges

07:55a
Topsy Turvy

08:00a
The Three Stooges

08:55a
Cartoons

09:00a
Sky King

09:30a
Movie – “Jack and the Beanstalk”

11:00a
Abbott and Costello

11:30a
Bugs Bunny

Afternoon


12:00p
American Bandstand

01:00p
Movie Triple Feature – “Flight Command”, “The Saint Strikes Back”, 
“Back to Bataan”

05:30p
Changing Times

05:45p
News Review of the Week

Evening


06:00p
Beany and Cecil

06:30p
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

07:00p
Tightrope!

07:30p
Calvin and the Colonel

08:00p
Room For One More

08:30p
Leave It to Beaver

09:00p
Lawrence Welk

10:00p
The Fight of the Week (Clay vs. Daniels)

10:45p
Make That Spare (time approximate)

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Movie Double Feature – “Mr. Lucky”, “Parachute Battalion”

Do any of you remember Changing Times? It was one of the first informercials of the time, a 15-minute program that advertised the financial newspaper of the same name, published by Kiplinger. What I most remember about it was that it was often on before some sporting event I was waiting to watch (The Pro Bowlers Tour?), and that when they gave you the address to send in for your subscription, you'd hear a voiceover with a box number like "TV106." Anyone else remember that?


WMTW, Channel 8 (Portland, ME) (ABC, CBS)

Morning


08:30a
Country Style, U.S.A.

09:00a
Teddy Bear Playhouse

10:00a
Teddy Bear Playhouse

10:30a
Cartoons

11:00a
Cartoons

Afternoon


12:00p
Bugs Bunny

12:30p
Movie – “Bundle of Joy”

01:45p
Baseball Warm-Up

02:00p
Baseball – Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels

05:00p
Movie – “Fort Worth”

Evening


06:00p
Big Time Wrestling

07:00p
M Squad

07:30p
Calvin and the Colonel

08:00p
Room For One More

08:30p
Mantovani (guest Dorothy Collins)

09:00p
Lawrence Welk

10:00p
The Fight of the Week (Clay vs. Daniels)

10:45p
Make That Spare (time approximate)

11:00p
Movie – “Road House”

12:30a
Movie – “Bewitched”

This should be the theme song for Teddy Bear Playhouse.


WMUR, Channel 9 (Manchester, NH) (ABC, CBS)

Morning


09:30a
Cartoons

10:00a
Ring-a-Ding the Clown

10:30a
Gene Autry

11:00a
Range Rider

11:30a
Hi Neighbor

Afternoon


12:00p
Bugs Bunny

12:30p
Candlepin Bowling

01:30p
The Big Picture (Army)

02:00p
Movie Double Feature – “The Marshal’s Daughter”, “Little Pal”

04:45p
Armed Forces Day

05:00p
Chicago Wrestling

Evening


06:00p
Film Feature

06:30p
Cartoons

07:00p
Beany and Cecil

07:30p
Calvin and the Colonel

08:00p
Room For One More

08:30p
Leave It to Beaver

09:00p
Lawrence Welk

10:00p
The Fight of the Week (Clay vs. Daniels)

10:45p
Make That Spare (time approximate)

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Movie – “Dr. Rhythm”

Again, most of you probably know this, but Calvin and the Colonel was, in essence, an animated version of Amos 'n' Andy. right down to the voices: Freemen Gosden and Charles Correll. It's actually a pretty funny show, but you can see for yourself here.



WJAR, Channel 10 (Providence) (ABC, NBC)

Morning


08:00a
Off to Adventure

08:30a
Watch Mr. Wizard

09:00a
Draw Podner

09:30a
Pip the Piper (color)

10:00a
Shari Lewis (color)

10:30a
King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (color)

11:00a
Fury

11:30a
Make Room for Daddy

Afternoon


12:00p
Bugs Bunny

12:30p
Championship Debate

01:00p
Golden 500

01:30p
Captain Grief

02:00p
Paris Precinct

02:30p
Movie Double Feature – “The Crowd Roars”, “British Intelligence”

05:00p
National Velvet

05:30p
Lawrence Welk

Evening


06:30p
Bachelor Father

07:00p
The Lawman

07:30p
Target: Corruptors

08:30p
The Flintstones

09:00p
Saturday Night at the Movies – “Garden of Evil”

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Movie – “Paths of Glory”

Garden of Evil sounds as if it should be an Orson Welles movie, doesn't it? And Pip the Piper, which was actually one of the early color television broadcasts - well, every time I run across it in the listings, I think of this. I have no idea if I'm right or not, but it seems right.



WPRO, Channel 12 (Providence) (CBS)

Morning


07:00a
Popeye and The Three Stooges

08:00a
Commander Jets

09:00a
Captain Kangaroo

10:00a
Video Village, Jr.

10:30a
Mighty Mouse

11:00a
Allakazam

11:30a
Roy Rogers

Afternoon


12:00p
Sky King

12:30p
American Bandstand

01:30p
Wrestling Champions

02:30p
Movie – “Guadalcanal Diary”

04:00p
Ten Pin Bowling

05:00p
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

05:30p
Preakness Stakes (special)

Evening


06:00p
Frontier Circus

07:00p
Sea Hunt

07:30p
Perry Mason

08:30p
The Defenders

09:30p
Have Gun – Will Travel

10:00p
Gunsmoke

11:00p
News, Weather (local)

11:15p
Movie Double Feature – “The Bull Skinner”, “Voodoo Man”

Commander Jets was the star of the Red Ball Jet TV show. Remember Red Ball Jets? They were sneakers, and boy were they cool shoes if you were a kid. Just like P.F. Flyers - remember them?


WGAN, Channel 13 (Portland, ME) (CBS)

Morning


07:00a
Cartoons

07:30a
4-H Club

08:00a
Commander Jets

09:00a
Captain Kangaroo

10:00a
Video Village, Jr.

10:30a
Mighty Mouse

11:00a
Allakazam

11:30a
Roy Rogers

Afternoon


12:00p
Sky King

12:30p
Candlepin Bowling

01:30p
Camera Carnival (special)

02:30p
Ivanhoe

03:00p
Men Into Space

03:30p
Film Feature

04:00p
Ken MacKenzie

04:30p
Dave Astor

05:30p
Preakness Stakes (special)

Evening


06:00p
Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour

06:30p
Frontier Circus

07:30p
Perry Mason

08:30p
The Defenders

09:30p
Have Gun – Will Travel

10:00p
Gunsmoke

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

11:15p
Movie – “Hell’s Five Hours”

Ah, see - yet more candlepin bowling! TV  

5 comments:

  1. Odds & Ends:

    - Here's the listing for The Shari Lewis Show, from my Chicago edition:

    Shari and the gang start to train private detective Kenny Ketchum so he can join the police force.

    'Kenny Ketchum' was one of a number of recurring characters on Shari's show, who were played by up-and-coming New York actors, in what in many cases were their first TV appearances.
    'Kenny Ketchum' was a young comedian from nightclub revues - Dom DeLuise.
    Back then,he wasn't as fat as he ultimately became, but his presentation was much the same as it always would be.

    - Also from Kidshowland:
    Pip The Piper had a fair-sized run on two networks.
    It starred a husband-and-wife team, Jack and Phyllis Spear; Jack played Pip, who played a pipe, and Phyllis played all the female parts. Also there was an actor named Lucian Kaminsky, who looked like Jonathan Winters's kid brother, and played all the other male parts.
    One thing I remember: once when Pip thought that one of the girls he met seemed familiar, she reminded him that "Here in Pipertown, we all look alike," and Pip responded "Oh yeah, that's right ..."
    Hey, I thought it was funny ...
    In later years, Lucian Kaminsky became one of Jackie Gleason's writers (insert your own joke here).

    - Quite a few delayed broadcasts in this area, what with multiple network affiliations and all.
    I'm noticing that in the Eastern time zone, the 5:00 - 7:30 hours catches many of the delays from the secondary network: Frontier Circus, which ran on Thursday on CBS, turns up on Saturday here in two different time slots (in case you were wondering; this is one example to serve for many others).

    - Just for fun, here's what ran on the two stations in Rockford, northwest of Chicago (prime time):

    WREX-TV, channel 13:
    5:00 pm: Mister Ed (CBS), delayed from the previous Sunday
    5:30: Beany & Cecil (ABC), delayed from last Saturday
    6:00: "Witness For The Prosecution", ABC's movie delayed from last Sunday
    8:00: Lawrence Welk, ABC direct.
    9:00: Gunsmoke, CBS direct.
    10:00: News
    10:15: Have Gun, Will Travel (CBS), delayed from earlier tonight.
    After that: Movies.
    (By the way, Perry Mason is delayed to Wednesday at 10:30 - and The Defenders isn't on at all.)

    WTVO, channel 39 (all NBC):
    5:30 pm: International Showtime, delayed from last Friday (when ch 39 is carrying the CBS feed of Rawhide).
    6:30: Tales Of Wells Fargo, direct.
    7:30: The Tall Man, direct.
    8:00: "Garden Of Evil", direct.
    10:00 and after: News and local movies.

    You ought to see some of the other nights ...

    ReplyDelete
  2. There was one (maybe two) early-evening local TV newscasts, just on one (or two) station(s) in Boston.

    The one we know for sure was on WBZ Channel 4 at 6:30 P.M. It's possible that the "News Review Of The Week" on WNAC Channel 7 at 5:45 may have been live and might have included the top headlines of the day, but I would think most (or all) of it was film footage of the week's major news stories.

    I thought that "American Bandstand" was still broadcast five days a week, but perhaps WNAC for some reason pre-empted one episode during the week and ran it on Saturday. Possible, WPRO Channel 12 (with a secondary ABC affiliation) picked up one of the week's five shows on a delayed basis.

    The Saturday morning "King Leonardo" was officially known as "King Leonardo And His Short Subjects" (a play on words; since cartoons were usually called "short subjects" in the movie business). When the show's reruns were syndicated, the title was changed to "The King And Odie Show". Could reruns of earlier seasons have gone into syndication while the show was still in production?

    For many years, if reruns of earlier seasons of TV shows were syndicated while new episodes were still being produced, it was common industry practice that syndicated reruns usually had a different title ("Badge 714" for "Dragnet"; "Andy Of Mayberry" for "The Andy Griffith Show"; "Happy Days Again" for "Happy Days", etc.).

    ReplyDelete
  3. For those Leave it to Beaver fans that are interested, the episode was entitled "Tennis, Anyone?" Directed by Hugh Beaumont.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Candlepin bowling also spread north from New England, to the Canadian Maritimes. It, like duckpin bowling, was harder to get a strike in, but the smaller ball one rolls at the more widely-spaced pins is a bit less hard on the hands. No finger-holes, for one thing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Actually WJAR and WPRO shared ABC programming until WTEV channel 6 came on the air 1/1/63. The Saturday candlepin bowling show on WHDH followed to WCVB and lasted until January 1996.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!