What's on TV? Thursday, November 24, 1966

It's Thanksgiving Day 1966, and I'm both glad and fortunate to have a Twin Cities issue, not only because I'm familiar with the stations, but because I would have been watching many of these very programs myself. It hearkens back to a great time; I've always enjoyed Thanksgiving, because it actually means something, because of the wonderful aromas that fill the air, and because it introduces the absolutely best, most wonderful time of the year. It's changed over the years, and not particularly for the better (c'mon - can't you go without shopping for one day?), but it's still a day that can, and should, be appreciated, if you've a mind to. And that will never change.

	KTCA, Channel 2 (Educ.)
	Afternoon
	05:00p	Kindergarten
	05:30p	Book Beat
	Evening
	06:00p	Exploring Space
	06:30p	Industrial Management
	07:00p	When in Rome
	07:30p	Heritage of Latvia
	08:00p	German Playhouse
	08:30p	College Concerts
	09:00p	Playwrights for Tomorrow
	09:30p	Town and Country
	10:00p	Psychology

The educational channels, KTCA and WDSE,don't sign on until 5:00 p.m. due to the Thanksgiving holiday

	KDAL, Channel 3 (Duluth) CBS
	Morning
	07:35a	Farm and Home
	07:45a	Treetop House
	08:00a	Captain Kangaroo
	09:00a	Thanksgiving Day Jubilee (special) (color)
	11:00a	NFL Football – San Francisco at Detroit (special) (color)
	Afternoon
	02:00p	To Tell the Truth
	02:25p	CBS News (color)
	02:30p	The Edge of Night
	03:00p	The Secret Storm
	03:30p	Mike Douglas (co-host Eddie Fisher, guests Henry Morgan, Susan Barrett, Dr. Gilbert Holloway, Allyn Brothers)
	05:00p	NFL Football – Cleveland at Dallas (special) (color)
	Evening
	08:00p	CBS Thursday Night Movies – “Jason and the Argonauts” (color)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:15p	Movie – “The Horse’s Mouth” (color)

I mention below my love of the Thanksgiving Day parades, but no matter how great they were I'd be ready for football, and CBS obliges, with the Detroit Lions hosting their annual game. For many years, Detroit's opponent on Thanksgiving was Green Bay, but after the Packers were humiliated in 1962, Vince Lombardi supposedly had the league take the game off of Thanksgiving, lest the Packers suffer another debacle in front of a national TV audience. The Lions have been so lousy for so long that we forget they were once an NFL powerhouse back in the '50s. Unfortunately for them, we're not in the '50s at this point, and the Lions get walloped by the San Francisco 49ers 41-14 en route to a record of 4-9-1.

	WCCO, Channel 4 (CBS)
	Morning
	06:30a	Siegfried and His Flying Saucer
	07:00a	Clancy and Company
	08:00a	Captain Kangaroo
	09:00a	Thanksgiving Day Jubilee (special) (color)
	11:00a	NFL Football – San Francisco at Detroit (special) (color)
	Afternoon
	02:00p	To Be Announced
	02:15p	News (Dean Montgomery) (time approximate)
	02:30p	The Edge of Night
	03:00p	The Secret Storm
	03:30p	Mike Douglas (co-host Ann Sothern, guests Tim Conway, Matt Monro, Dukes of Dixieland, Mary Hemingway, Dorothy Sara)
	05:00p	NFL Football – Cleveland at Dallas (special) (color)
	Evening
	08:00p	CBS Thursday Night Movies – “Jason and the Argonauts” (color)
	10:00p	News (local) (color)
	10:30p	Norm Van Brocklin
	10:35p	Movie – “City Across the River”
	12:20a	Movie – “Ain’t Misbehavin’” (color) (time approximate)

While others might choose the Macy's parade on NBC, I always preferred the multi-parade coverage on CBS - not just New York, but Detroit, Philadelphia, Toronto, and (later) Hawaii as well. I particularly remember in the early '70s when William Conrad would act as host from New York, his deep, friendly voice booming out as he sat next to a roaring fireplace, managing the traffic between the various parades. To me, that was exactly what Thanksgiving should be, with just a hint of Christmas in the air. (Captain Kangaroo was host for a number of years as well.) In 1966, Arthur Godfrey and Bess Myerson did the honors at the Macy's parade, while Mike Douglas and Marilyn Van Derbur were in Detroit for the Hudson's parade, and Bob Denver and Jim Backus covered the Eaton's parade in Toronto (on tape). Philadelphia wasn't on the lineup that year for some reason. Wonderful memories - you can read about more of that early coverage in this fine article at TVParty!

	KSTP, Channel 5 (NBC)
	Morning
	06:00a	Continental Classroom (American Government)
	06:30a	City and Country (color)
	07:00a	Today (guests Walt Kelly, Maureen Stapleton, Dr. Thorton age, Aline Saarinen) (color)
	09:00a	Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (special) (color)
	11:00a	Jeopardy (color)
	11:30a	Swingin’ Country (color)
	11:55a	NBC News (color)
	Afternoon
	12:00p	News and Weather (local) (color)
	12:15p	Dialing for Dollars (color)
	12:30p	Let’s Make a Deal (color)
	12:55p	NBC News (color)
	01:00p	Days of Our Lives (color)
	01:30p	The Doctors
	02:00p	AFL Football – Buffalo at Oakland (special) (color)
	05:00p	Thanksgiving Special (special) (color)
	05:25p	Doctor’s House Call (color)
	05:30p	The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)
	Evening
	06:00p	News (local) (color)
	06:30p	G.E. Fantasy Theater – “The Ballad of Smokey the Bear” (special) (color)
	07:30p	Star Trek (color)
	08:30p	Dialing for Dollars (color)
	09:00p	Dean Martin (guests Eddie Albert, Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Jan Murray) (color)
	10:00p	News (local) (color)
	10:30p	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)
	12:15a	M Squad

Tonight, "after two weeks of playoffs, two players emerge to compete for prizes in the final round of the 'Letter Game' tournament." A live broadcast of Dialing for Dollars, in prime time on Thanksgiving night. You have to love it, don't you?

	WDSM, Channel 6 (Duluth) (NBC)
	Morning
	07:00a	Today (guests Walt Kelly, Maureen Stapleton, Dr. Thorton age, Aline Saarinen) (color)
	09:00a	Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (special) (color)
	11:00a	Jeopardy (color)
	11:30a	Swingin’ Country (color)
	11:55a	NBC News (color)
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Girl Talk
	12:30p	Let’s Make a Deal (color)
	12:55p	NBC News (color)
	01:00p	Days of Our Lives (color)
	01:30p	The Doctors
	02:00p	AFL Football – Buffalo at Oakland (special) (color)
	05:00p	You Asked for It
	05:30p	The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)
	Evening
	06:00p	News, Rocky Teller (color)
	06:30p	G.E. Fantasy Theater – “The Ballad of Smokey the Bear” (special) (color)
	07:30p	Star Trek (color)
	08:30p	The Hero (color)
	09:00p	Dean Martin (guests Eddie Albert, Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Jan Murray) (color)
	10:00p	News (local) (color)
	10:20p	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)
	11:30p	News (local)

American Football League games were often more exciting than their counterparts in the NFL, and one of the great things about Thanksgiving in 1966 was that the two leagues (in conjunction with the networks, no doubt) coordinated their schedules so you could watch the Lions-49ers at 11, the Bills-Raiders at 2, and the Cowboys-Browns at 5. (There's also a college game if you get bored; more below.) If that isn't something to be thankful for, I don't know what is.

	KMMT, Channel 6 (Austin) (ABC)
	Morning
	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	College Football – Nebraska at Oklahoma (special) (color)
	04:45p	Movie – “Safari Drums”
	05:30p	The Rifleman
	Evening
	06:00p	Peter Jennings with the News
	06:15p	News, Sports, Weather (local)
	06:30p	Batman (color)
	07:00p	F-Troop (color)
	07:30p	The Dating Game (color)
	08:00p	Bewitched (color)
	08:30p	That Girl (color)
	09:00p	Hawk (color)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:30p	The Untouchables

Of all the networks, ABC probably has the least amount of Thanksgiving-related broadcast material. They make up for it the next day, though, with 5½ hours of cartoons for the kiddies home from school. 

	KCMT, Channel 7 (Alexandria) (NBC/ABC)
	Morning
	07:00a	Today (guests Walt Kelly, Maureen Stapleton, Dr. Thorton age, Aline Saarinen) (color)
	09:00a	Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade (special) (color)
	11:00a	Jeopardy (color)
	11:30a	Swingin’ Country (color)
	11:55a	NBC News (color)
	Afternoon
	12:00p	News, Weather, Sports (local)  .
	12:20p	Trading Post
	12:30p	Let’s Make a Deal (color)
	12:55p	NBC News (color)
	01:00p	Days of Our Lives (color)
	01:30p	College Football – Nebraska at Oklahoma (special) (color)
	04:45p	King Kong
	05:00p	Batman
	05:30p	The Huntley-Brinkley Report (color)
	Evening
	06:00p	News (local)
	06:30p	G.E. Fantasy Theater – “The Ballad of Smokey the Bear” (special) (color)
	07:30p	Star Trek (color)
	08:30p	The Hero (color)
	09:00p	Dean Martin (guests Eddie Albert, Phil Harris, Alice Faye, Jan Murray) (color)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:30p	The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (color)

"The Ballad of Smokey the Bear," featuring James Cagney as the narrator, is another of Rankin-Bass' animagic specials, the follow-up to "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." There's even a Smokey balloon in today's Macy's parade (conveniently telecast on NBC, with Lorne Greene and Betty White). It's never been commercially released, but I happen to have a copy, thanks to the Rankin-Bass historian Rick Goldschmidt. It would be nice to say that it was as charming as Rudolph; alas, it has all of that story's weak plot points, without any of the memorable music. I mean, how does a gorilla get in the middle of a Smokey the Bear story? Smokey's own true story is amazing enough that they could simply have used that. Maybe the Park Service held the copyright.

	WDSE, Channel 8 (Duluth) (Educ.)
	11:30a
	Afternoon
	05:00p	Kindergarten
	05:30p	Supervisory Practice
	Evening
	06:00p	Industrial Management
	06:30p	What’s New
	07:00p	U.S.A.
	07:30p	What’s in a Word?
	08:00p	Film Feature
	08:30p	College Concerts
	09:00p	Playwrights for Tomorrow
	09:30p	Town and Country
	10:00p	International Magazine

I know there's nothing I like better than to sit down with a big plate of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and watch Supervisory Practice.

	KMSP, Channel 9 (ABC)
	Morning
	07:30a	Soupy Sales
	08:00a	Kit Carson
	08:30a	Romper Room
	09:30a	Jack LaLanne (color)
	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	College Football – Nebraska at Oklahoma (special) (color)
	04:45p	Sports (Tony Parker)
	05:00p	Peter Jennings with the News
	05:15p	News (Jerry Smith)
	05:30p	Leave it to Beaver
	Evening
	06:00p	Stingray (color)
	06:30p	Batman (color)
	07:00p	F-Troop (color)
	07:30p	The Dating Game (color)
	08:00p	Bewitched (color)
	08:30p	That Girl (color)
	09:00p	Hawk (color)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:30p	Movie – “The President’s Lady”

The 1971 Thanksgiving Day game between Nebraska and Oklahoma ranks as one of the greatest college football games of all time, but the two schools had a tradition of playing either on Thanksgiving or the day after. This game didn't approach that one, but a sub-par Sooners team (6-4 final record) still manages to pull off the upset of the fourth-ranked Cornhuskers, 10-9. Tony Parker follows up, undoubtedly with a plethora of football highlights.

	WDIO, Channel 10 (Duluth) (ABC)
	Morning
	09:00a	Cartoons
	09:15a	Romper Room
	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	College Football – Nebraska at Oklahoma (special) (color)
	04:30p	To Be Announced
	05:30p	News, Sports, Weather (local),
	05:45p	Peter Jennings with the News
	Evening
	06:00p	The Tall Man
	06:30p	Batman (color)
	07:00p	F-Troop (color)
	07:30p	The Dating Game (color)
	08:00p	Bewitched (color)
	08:30p	That Girl (color)
	09:00p	Hawk (color)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:15p	Movie – “The Girl He Left Behind”

There's an article in this week's issue about Supermarket Sweep, a game show produced by David Susskind's Talent Associates. Susskind, who prided himself on bringing the highest possible quality programming to television, was so embarrassed by this program (developed by one of his partners, I believe) that he wouldn't even talk about it.

	WTCN, Channel 11 (Ind.)
	Morning
	09:00a	Casey Junior
	09:05p	Hank and Casey
	09:20p	News, Weather, Sports (local)
	09:30a	Gloria (color)
	10:00a	Girl Talk (guests Eva Gabor, Betsy Palmer, Ruta Lee)
	10:30a	Movie – “Miracle on 34th Street”
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Lunch with Casey
	01:00p	Movie – “Jack and the Beanstalk”
	02:40p	Mel’s Notebook
	02:55p	News (Gil Amundson)
	03:00p	Snowmobile Race (special)
	04:00p	Popeye and Pete
	04:30p	Casey and Roundhouse
	05:30p	The Flintstones (color)
	Evening
	06:00p	The Rifleman
	06:30p	Patty Duke
	07:00p	The Twilight Zone
	07:30p	Perry Mason
	08:30p	Spread of the Eagle
	09:30p	News, Weather, Sports (local)
	10:00p	Movie – “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn”
	12:25a	Bat Masterson

Wonderful lineup on Channel 11 today, starting with Miracle on 34th Street, perhaps the finest Christmas movie. (Certainly it has the best plot.) The 1:00 p.m. version of Jack and the Beanstalk stars Abbott and Costello - perfect kids' fare, especially if they're not into football. 

	KEYC, Channel 12 (CBS) (Mankato)
	Morning
	07:30a	CBS Morning News with Joseph Benti (color)
	07:55a	Film Short
	08:00a	Captain Kangaroo
	09:00a	Thanksgiving Day Jubilee (special) (color)
	11:00a	NFL Football – San Francisco at Detroit (special) (color)
	Afternoon
	02:00p	To Tell the Truth
	02:25p	CBS News (color)
	02:30p	The Edge of Night
	03:00p	The Secret Storm
	03:30p	Take 12
	04:00p	Bart’s Clubhouse
	04:15p	Rocky and His Friends
	04:30p	CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite (color)
	04:45p	News and Weather (local)
	05:00p	NFL Football – Cleveland at Dallas (special) (color)
	Evening
	08:00p	CBS Thursday Night Movies – “Jason and the Argonauts” (color)
	10:00p	News (local)
	10:40p	Movie – “The Quiet Gun”

This is the first year for the now-traditional Thanksgiving game from Dallas, and their opponents are their oft-rivals in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Browns. (This is when the Browns, like the Lions, were actually good.) From 1964 to 1967, one of those two teams would represent the East in the NFL Championship game. It's an odd start time for 1966 - certainly splits the difference between daytime and primetime programming. But it ties in with the AFL game on NBC (a big reason, I suspect), and if your family was like mine and had our big meal in the afternoon, it makes for a very nice post-dessert way to relax and digest. A perfect end to a great day! TV