August 29, 2016

What's on TV? Wednesday, August 31, 1966

As I mentioned on Saturday, we're looking at another part of this vast state this week, but in the long run television is television no matter where you're at. Oddly enough, though, I think the regional differences between stations were far more pronounced back then as opposed to today. They all get the same syndicated shows nowadays, their news people all went to the same school where they all learned to talk the same way, their local shows all come from the same media people, the graphics are identical from one market to another. Odd, isn't it, that we can be so homogenized in that way, yet so divided in every other way.


KPRC, Channel 2 (Houston) (NBC)

Morning


07:00a
Today (guests Vaughn Monroe, Jack Greenberg) (color)

09:00a
Eye Guess (color)

09:25a
NBC News (Sander Vanocur)

09:30a
Concentration

10:00a
Chain Letter (guests Dan Rowan, Dick Martin) (color)

10:30a
Showdown (color)

11:00a
Jeopardy (color)

11:30a
Swingin’ Country (guest Anette Brooks) (color)

11:55a
NBC News (Edwin Newman)

Afternoon


12:00p
Midday

12:30p
Let’s Make a Deal (color)

12:55p
NBC News (Floyd Kalber) (color)

01:00p
Days of Our Lives (color)

01:30p
The Doctors

02:00p
Another World (color)

02:30p
You Don’t Say! (panelists Kathy Nolan, Dale Robertson) (color)

03:00p
The Match Game (contestants Sam Levenson, Dr. Joyce Brothers) (color)

03:25p
NBC News (Nancy Dickerson) (color)

03:30p
Marijane’s Magicastle

04:00p
Merv Griffin

05:00p
Chris Chandler

05:30p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)

Evening


06:00p
News (Larry Rasco, Al Mofett) 

06:30p
The Virginian (color)

08:00p
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater (color)

09:00p
I Spy (color)

10:00p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

10:30p
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

12:00a
M Squad

NBC has a dominant presence in this week's listings, which for the most part you'll find consistent through all the local channels. Whenever I do listings from this era, I'm always struck by the presence of Swingin' Country - a morning variety show. There used to be several of them - not anymore, unless you can get a guest to sing on one of the chat shows.


KJAC, Channel 4 (Port Arthur) (NBC)

Morning


07:00a
Today (guests Vaughn Monroe, Jack Greenberg) (color)

09:00a
Circle 4 Club

09:30a
Concentration

10:00a
Chain Letter (guests Dan Rowan, Dick Martin) (color)

10:30a
Showdown (color)

11:00a
Jeopardy (color)

11:30a
Swingin’ Country (guest Anette Brooks) (color)

11:55a
News (Ed Robinson)

Afternoon


12:00p
Wills Family

12:30p
Let’s Make a Deal (color)

12:55p
NBC News (Floyd Kalber) (color)

01:00p
Days of Our Lives (color)

01:30p
The Doctors

02:00p
Another World (color)

02:30p
You Don’t Say! (panelists Kathy Nolan, Dale Robertson) (color)

03:00p
The Match Game (contestants Sam Levenson, Dr. Joyce Brothers) (color)

03:25p
NBC News (Nancy Dickerson) (color)

03:30p
Bachelor Father

04:00p
Movie – “The Paleface”

05:30p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)

Evening


06:00p
News and Weather (local)

06:30p
The Virginian (color)

08:00p
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater (color)

09:00p
I Spy (color)

10:00p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

10:30p
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

The matinee movie "The Paleface" is a typical Bob Hope comedy, as he plays a timid traveling dentist who falls in with outlaws and Jane Russell (who offers a lot to fall into, if you know what I mean). Pleasant enough, but where's Bing Crosby when you need him?


KFDM, Channel 6 (Beaumont) (CBS)

Morning


07:00a
CBS Morning News With Joseph Benti (color)

07:30a
Funtime

08:00a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
I Love Lucy

09:30a
The McCoys

10:00a
Andy Griffith

10:30a
Dick Van Dyke

11:00a
Love of Life

11:25a
CBS News (Joseph Benti) (color)

11:30a
Search For Tomorrow

11:45a
The Guiding Light

Afternoon


12:00p
News (Wally Dixon)

12:30p
As the World Turns

01:00p
Password (panelists Frank Gifford, Florence Henderson)

01:30p
House Party (guests Billy Eckstine, Dorothy Manners) (color)

02:00p
To Tell the Truth

02:25p
CBS News (Douglas Edwards) (color)

02:30p
The Edge of Night

03:00p
The Secret Storm

03:30p
Mike Douglas (co-host Arthur Godfrey, guest Leon Shimkin)

05:00p
Leave it to Beaver

05:30p
CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite (color)

Evening


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

06:30p
Lost in Space

07:30p
The Beverly Hillbillies

08:00p
Green Acres (color)

08:30p
Dick Van Dyke

09:00p
John Gary (guests Joanie Sommers, Morey Amsterdam) (color)

10:00p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

10:30p
Stoney Burke

Stoney Burke is one of those shows that I'm kind of surprised to see pop up on DVD. It only ran for one season, and despite its rodeo setting it's not a period Western. It does have Jack Lord though, on the cusp of stardom in Hawaii Five-0. I've seen an episode in the past; I wouldn't be surprised to see the set wind up in my DVD collection one of these days.


KPLC, Channel 7 (Lake Charles, LA) (NBC)

Morning


07:00a
Today (guests Vaughn Monroe, Jack Greenberg) (color)

09:00a
Eye Guess (color)

09:25a
NBC News (Sander Vanocur)

09:30a
Concentration

10:00a
Chain Letter (guests Dan Rowan, Dick Martin) (color)

10:30a
Showdown (color)

11:00a
Jeopardy (color)

11:30a
Swingin’ Country (guest Anette Brooks) (color)

11:55a
NBC News (Edwin Newman)

Afternoon


12:00p
News, Weather, Sports (local)

12:30p
Let’s Make a Deal (color)

12:55p
NBC News (Floyd Kalber) (color)

01:00p
Days of Our Lives (color)

01:30p
The Doctors

02:00p
Another World (color)

02:30p
You Don’t Say! (panelists Kathy Nolan, Dale Robertson) (color)

03:00p
Lee Janot

04:00p
Mike Douglas (co-host Arthur Godfrey, guest Leon Shimkin)

05:30p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)

Evening


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

06:30p
The Virginian (color)

08:00p
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater (color)

09:00p
I Spy (color)

10:00p
Pulse

10:30p
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

I know I Spy isn't on the hit parade at the moment due to Bill Cosby, but for three seasons it was a dependable series on NBC, and Cosby's presence, as the first black actor to star in a drama series on TV, is groundbreaking. Tonight's episode, not so much - they boys are assigned to prevent the spoiled daughter of a Cabinet official from causing trouble during a visit to Mexico. Sounds more like it should be on The Man from U.N.C.L.E. - the bad years.


KUHT, Channel 8 (Houston) (Educ.)

Evening


06:00p
What’s New

06:30p
Sports World

07:00p
Today’s Health

07:30p
U.S.A.

08:00p
Travel Club

08:30p
Einstein (special)

That biography of Einstein - we think of him today as a very distant figure, but he was far less distant in 1966; he'd only been dead for 11 years. Today, 11 years ago was 2005 - not so far back, is it?


KTRE, Channel 9 (Lufkin) (NBC, ABC, CBS)

Morning


07:00a
Today (guests Vaughn Monroe, Jack Greenberg) (color)

08:30a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
Eye Guess (color)

09:25a
NBC News (Sander Vanocur)

09:30a
Concentration

10:00a
Chain Letter (guests Dan Rowan, Dick Martin) (color)

10:30a
Showdown (color)

11:00a
Jeopardy (color)

11:30a
Swingin’ Country (guest Anette Brooks) (color)

11:55a
NBC News (Edwin Newman)

Afternoon


12:00p
Father Knows Best

12:30p
Let’s Make a Deal (color)

12:55p
NBC News (Floyd Kalber) (color)

01:00p
Days of Our Lives (color)

01:30p
The Doctors

02:00p
Another World (color)

02:30p
You Don’t Say! (panelists Kathy Nolan, Dale Robertson) (color)

03:00p
The Match Game (contestants Sam Levenson, Dr. Joyce Brothers) (color)

03:25p
NBC News (Nancy Dickerson) (color)

03:30p
General Hospital

04:00p
Ben Casey

05:00p
Summer Fun

05:30p
The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)

Evening


06:00p
At Your Service News, Weather, Sports (local)

06:30p
The Virginian (color)

08:00p
Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theater (color)

09:00p
I Spy (color)

10:00p
News, Sports and Weather (local)

10:15p
Honey West

10:45p
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

Yes, most of their programming may have been from NBC, but you have to love how they cut short Today in order to show Captain Kangaroo, and delay Johnny Carson so they can show Honey West.


KHOU, Channel 11 (Houston) (CBS)

Morning


06:30a
Summer Semester

07:00a
Weather, Surfing, Fishing

07:05a
CBS Morning News With Joseph Benti (color)

07:30a
Morning

08:30a
Captain Kangaroo

09:00a
I Love Lucy

09:30a
The McCoys

10:00a
Andy Griffith

10:30a
Dick Van Dyke

11:00a
Love of Life  

11:25a
CBS News (Joseph Benti) (color)

11:30a
Search For Tomorrow  

11:45a
The Guiding Light

Afternoon


12:00p
News (Al Bell, Joanne King)

12:30p
As the World Turns

01:00p
Password (panelists Frank Gifford, Florence Henderson)

01:30p
House Party (guests Billy Eckstine, Dorothy Manners) (color)

02:00p
To Tell the Truth

02:25p
Doctor’s House Call

02:30p
The Edge of Night

03:00p
The Secret Storm

03:30p
Movie – “Castle on the Hudson”

05:00p
Marshal Dillon

05:30p
CBS Evening News With Walter Cronkite (color)

Evening


06:00p
News, Weather, Sports (Stone, Bell, Temple, Lasher)

06:30p
Lost in Space

07:30p
The Beverly Hillbillies

08:00p
Green Acres (color)

08:30p
Dick Van Dyke

09:00p
John Gary (guests Joanie Sommers, Morey Amsterdam) (color)

10:00p
News, Sports and Weather (local)

10:30p
Movie – “June Bride”

John Gary was a popular singer of the day; never at the top of the charts, but possessor of a very good voice nonetheless, and certainly good enough to host this summer replacement series, filling in for Danny Kaye.


KBMT, Channel 12 (Beaumont) (CBS)

Morning


08:50a
News (local)

09:00a
Laurel and Hardy

09:30a
Yancy Derringer

10:00a
Supermarket Sweep

10:30a
The Dating Game

11:00a
Donna Reed

11:30a
Father Knows Best

Afternoon


12:00p
Ben Casey

01:00p
The Newlywed Game

01:30p
A Time For Us

01:55p
ABC News (Marlene Sanders)

02:00p
General Hospital

02:30p
The Nurses

03:00p
Dark Shadows

03:30p
Popeye

03:45p
Rocky and His Friends

04:00p
Superman

04:30p
Where the Action Is (guests the Temptations, Michiru Maki, the Robbs, Keith Allison)

05:00p
Peter Jennings with the News

05:15p
News and Weather (local)

05:30p
Bat Masterson

Evening


06:00p
Peter Potamus

06:30p
Batman (color)

07:00p
Patty Duke (last show of the series)

07:30p
Blue Light (color) (last show of the series)

08:00p
Wednesday Night Movie – “Bachelor Flat” (color)

10:00p
News and Weather (local)

10:20p
Movie – “Magnetic Monster”

As I mentioned Saturday, it's the last night for The Patty Duke Show on the network. Interesting how the series (and especially it's theme song) have become so ingrained in pop culture of the era, particularly since it had a relatively short run of three years.


KTRK, Channel 13 (Houston) (ABC)

Morning


06:30a
Cadet Don

07:00a
News (Stephenson, Jones)

07:30a
Cadet Don

08:30a
Kitty’s Corner

09:00a
Jack LaLanne (color)

09:30a
Girl Talk

10:00a
Supermarket Sweep

10:30a
The Dating Game

11:00a
Donna Reed

11:30a
Father Knows Best

Afternoon


12:00p
Ben Casey

01:00p
The Newlywed Game

01:30p
A Time For Us

01:55p
ABC News (Marlene Sanders)

02:00p
General Hospital

02:30p
The Nurses

03:00p
Dark Shadows

03:30p
Where the Action Is (guests the Temptations, Michiru Maki, the Robbs, Keith Allison)

04:00p
Kitirik’s Karrousel

05:00p
Kitty’s Corner

05:30p
Leave it to Beaver

Evening


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

06:15p
Peter Jennings with the News

06:30p
Batman (color)

07:00p
Salute to Youth (special)

08:00p
Wednesday Night Movie – “Bachelor Flat” (color)

10:00p
News, Sports and Weather (local)

10:30p
Far Away Places (color)

11:00p
Movie – “The Youngest Spy”

12:45a
Conaway Comments

The 11:00 movie "The Youngest Spy" sounds like something from Nickelodeon, doesn't it? In reality, it's probably much grimmer. Here's the description of the 1962 Russian film: "A 12-year-old boy joins a World War II Russian regiment as a scout after he sees his mother and sister killed by the Nazis." Not quite Harriet the Spy territory, is it? TV  

8 comments:

  1. I remember Showdown on NBC daytime...it was hosted by Joe Pyne.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And the "house band" was a trio of pre-teens called "The Bantams." ("Showdown, Showdown, Showdown / Showdown, Showdown, Showdown / Showdown, Showdown, Showdown / Watch me now, HEY!")

      Delete
    2. I'd love to see a clip of this game. It also has a big distinction for the game show that replaced it after it was cancelled Oct. 14. It was replaced the nest Monday, Oct. 17, w/ another Heatter-Quigley game show which lasted almost 14 years on NBC and about 15 in syndication, The Hollywood Squares.

      Delete
  2. A very odd channel asssignment; if Houston is far larger than Beaumont or Port Arthur, why did it get only one high VHF (2-6)?
    Calling a show "Marijane's Magicastle" in 1966? Something tells me that name wouldn't stick around for long.
    About the "Patty Duke Show"; one of the reasons it's so remembered is that Nickelodeon aired in the late 80s both in afternoon and in Nick at Nite. I remembered when Patty Duke passed this spring, a lot of the people mentioning they were fans of the show or who had crushes on Patty remembered the show from the Nickelodeon playings.

    ReplyDelete
  3. CBN also ran The Patty Duke Show in the mid-80's, so between that network and NAN it was on national cable continuously for about a decade circa 1985-1995.

    Stoney Burke was one of two rodeo series to air during 1962-63, the other being NBC's Wide Country. Neither caught on.

    ReplyDelete
  4. "Stoney Burk" was produced by Daystar Productions, which followed up with "The Outer Limits" in the fall of 1963, right after the cancellation of "Stoney."

    ReplyDelete
  5. Expect singing again this fall in the daytime, thanks to Harry Connick, Jr.'s new talk show.
    I wonder if KTRE ran a different half-hour show on delay every night, so as to start THE TONIGHT SHOW at the same time.
    The HARRIET THE SPY book has this line from her journal..."If Marion Hawthorne doesn't watch out she's going to grow up to be a lady Hitler"

    ReplyDelete
  6. Unless CBS was re-running a pre-September, 1965 episode of "Beverly Hillbillies" that night, the show should have been listed as being in color.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!