What's on TV? Thursday, February 23, 1961

For some reason, I really enjoyed this issue. It's not that there are landmark series or important specials to look at; it's just an average night. Perhaps that's it, that it's because it's so representative of the era, at least living in the Twin Cities. In fact, this week I've been take a closer look at the local angle of the television shows in Minneapolis-St. Paul; even though I wasn't even one year old when this issue went to press, so many of the same personalities were around for most of my time growing up there.

	-2- KTCA (Educ.)
	MORNING
	8:30	GUIDANCE INFORMATION
	9:00	MUSIC FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
	9:30	GUIDANCE INFORMATION
	10:00	MATHEMATICS—Grade 12
	10:30	GUIDANCE INFORMATION
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	GUIDANCE INFORMATION
	12:30	SCULPTING—Merrell Gage
	1:00	GUIDANCE INFORMATION
	1:30	SCIENCE—Grade 6
	2:00	GUIDANCE INFORMATION
	2:30	MUSIC—Grade 3
	3:00	RAGTIME ERA—Documentary
	3:30	CHIMNEY CORNER—Education
	EVENING
	6:15	FRIENDLY GIANT—Children
	6:30	RAGTIME ERA—Documentary
	7:00	INICIACIO’N AL ESPANOL—Burett
	7:30	WHAT ARE THE ODDS?
	8:00	GUSTAVUS ADOLPHUS HOUR
	8:30	MUSIC—Gustavus Adolphus
	9:00	ECONOMIC GROWTH—Goldstein
	9:30	TOWN AND COUNTRY—Ray Wolf
	10:00	FITZPATRICK’S CARTOONS
	10:30	BACKGROUND—Ziebarth
	10:40	ANIMALS OF THE SEA

Last week I mentioned that the Hamline College Hour ran for only 30 minutes; you'll see that this is the case with the Gustavus Adolphus Hour this week as well, although they do have a 30-minute music program that follows, so I guess technically that adds up to an hour. Gustavus Adolphus is a top-ranked private college in St. Peter, Minnesota, in case you were wondering.

	-4- WCCO (CBS)
	MORNING
	7:00	FLYING SAUCER—Siegfried
	8:00	NEWS—Richard C. Hottelet
	8:15	CAPTAIN KANGAROO—Children
	9:00	NEWS—Dean Montgomery
	9:10	DR. REUBEN K. YOUNGDAHL
	9:20	WHAT’S NEW?—Arle Haeberle
	9:30	VIDEO VILLAGE—Monty Hall
	10:00	I LOVE LUCY—Comedy
	10:30	CLEAR HORIZON—Serial
	11:00	LOVE OF LIFE—Serial
	11:30	SEARCH FOR TOMORROW—Serial
	11:45	GUIDING LIGHT—Serial
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	NEWS—Dave Moore
	12:15	SOMETHING SPECIAL—Merriman
	12:20	WEATHER—Bud Kraehling
	12:30	AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial
	1:00	FULL CIRCLE—Serial
	1:30	HOUSE PARTY—Linkletter Guest: Dr. Loriene Johnston
	2:00	RANDY MERRIMAN—Variety
	2:30	VERDICT IS YOURS—Drama
	3:00	BRIGHTER DAY—Serial
	3:15	SECRET STORM—Serial
	3:30	EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial
	4:00	AROUND THE TOWN—Haeberle
	4:30	AXEL AND DOG—Clellan Card
	4:50	BOZO THE CLOWN—Children
	5:00	YOGI BEAR—Cartoons
	5:30	CLANCY THE COP—Children
	5:55	SPORTS—Rollie Johnson
	EVENING
	6:00	NEWS—Dean Montgomery
	6:10	WEATHER—Don O’Brien
	6:15	NEWS—Douglas Edwards
	6:30	ANN SOTHERN—Comedy
	7:00	ANGEL—Comedy
	7:30	ZANE GREY—Western
	8:00	SHRINE CIRCUS—Randy Merriman    SPECIAL
	8:30	THERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW    SPECIAL
	9:00	FACE THE NATION—Interview Guests: Walter Reuther, Dr. Edward R. Annis
	10:00	NEWS—Dave Moore
	10:15	WEATHER—Bud Kraehling
	10:20	SPORTS—Dick Enroth
	10:30	TIGHTROPE—Police
	11:00	WEATHER—Don O’Brien
	11:05	MOVIE—Drama “Big Town Scandal” (1948)

I briefly mentioned Randy Merriman, host of the Shrine Circus broadcast, on Saturday; he also hosts his own variety show at 2:00 p.m., as well as the 15-minute Something Special at 12:15 p.m. Not surprisingly, he's in the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and you can read about (and listen to) him here.

	-5- KSTP (NBC)
	MORNING
	6:00	CONTINENTAL CLASSROOM    COLOR  Chemistry
	6:30	CONTINENTAL CLASSROOM    COLOR  Probability and Statistics
	7:00	DAVE GARROWAY Local news at 7:25 and 8:25 A.M.
	9:00	SAY WHEN—Art James
	9:30	PLAY YOUR HUNCH—Merv Griffin    COLOR  Guest: Jose Melis
	10:00	PRICE IS RIGHT—Cullen    COLOR
	10:30	CONCENTRATION—Hugh Downs
	11:00	TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES
	11:30	IT COULD BE YOU    COLOR
	11:55	NEWS—Ray Scherer
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	NEWS—John MacDougall
	12:15	WEATHER—Johnny Morris
	12:20	TREASURE HUNT—Jim Hutton
	1:00	JAN MURRAY—Game    COLOR
	1:30	LORETTA YOUNG—Drama
	2:00	YOUNG DR. MALONE—Serial
	2:30	FROM THESE ROOTS—Serial
	3:00	MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY
	3:30	HERE’S HOLLYWOOD—Interviews Guests: Michael Ansara and Barbara Eden; the Corcoran family
	4:00	TOPPER—Comedy
	4:30	T.N. TATTERS—Children
	5:15	CITY DETECTIVE—Police
	5:45	NEWS—Huntley, Brinkley
	EVENING
	6:00	NEWS—Bob Ryan
	6:15	WEATHER—Johnny Morris
	6:30	OUTLAWS—Western
	7:30	BAT MASTERSON—Western
	8:00	BACHELOR FATHER—Comedy
	8:30	ERNIE FORD—Variety    COLOR  Guest: Minnie Pearl
	9:00	GROUCHO—Quiz
	9:30	MANHUNT—Police
	10:00	NEWS—John MacDougall
	10:15	WEATHER—Johnny Morris
	10:20	SPORTS—Dick Nesbitt
	10:30	JACK PAAR—Variety    COLOR
	12:00	NEWS—Roger Krupp

Johnny Morris was the longtime weatherman at KSTP, part of a 55-year career in television and radio which is commemorated in this video from KOAT in Albuquerque, where Morris was news anchor from 1979 to 1999. Here's a look-back at his career from when he retired at KOAT.

	-9- KMSP (Ind.)
	MORNING
	9:50	CHAPEL OF THE AIR—Religion
	9:55	NEWSBEAT—Tony Parker
	10:00	JACK LA LANNE—Exercises
	10:30	MOVIE—Mystery “The Woman from Tangier” (1947)
	11:30	I MARRIED JOAN—Comedy
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	KARTOONTIME—Children
	12:30	WILLY—Comedy
	1:00	FOLLOW THAT MAN—Mystery
	1:30	RACKET SQUAD—Police
	2:00	MOVIE—Adventure “Green Hell” (1939)
	4:00	HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE—Comedy
	4:30	MR. ADAMS AND EVE
	5:00	SUSIE—Comedy
	5:30	OUR MISS BROOKS—Comedy
	EVENING
	6:00	LOONEY TUNERS CLUB—Children
	7:00	SILENT SERVICE—Drama
	7:30	ASSIGNMENT: UNDERWATER
	8:00	GRAY GHOST—Adventure
	8:30	TRACKDOWN—Western
	9:00	MOVIE—Mystery “Notorious” (1946)
	10:35	NEWS—Paul Sevareid
	10:50	SPORTS—Tony Parker
	10:55	WEATHER—Jere Smith
	11:00	PLAYBOY’S PENTHOUSE Guests: Vic Damone, Mabel Mercer, Ken and Mitzi Welch, the Signatures, Vic Perry

As one of our commenters pointed out a while back, Paul Sevareid was the older brother of Eric Sevareid, the CBS correspondent and commentator. Unlike his brother, who was identified with liberal politics, Paul was an official with the Minnesota Republican party. You'll generally see his name associated more often with WTCN, where he was the newscaster in the late '50s.

	11 WTCN (ABC)
	MORNING
	7:55	FARM NEWS—Frank Seifert
	8:00	GOOD MORNING MINNESOTA!
	8:30	CARTOON CIRCUS—Children
	9:00	ROMPER ROOM—Miss Betty
	9:45	SHAPE UP—Louraine Larson
	10:15	WAYS WITH FOOD—Cooking
	10:30	LIFE OF RILEY—Comedy
	11:00	MORNING COURT—Drama
	11:30	LOVE THAT BOB!—Comedy
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	CAMOUFLAGE—Don Morrow
	12:30	NUMBER PLEASE—Bud Collyer
	1:00	ABOUT FACES—Ben Alexander
	1:30	DR. HUDSON’S SECRET JOURNAL—Drama
	2:00	DAY IN COURT
	2:30	ROAD TO REALITY—Drama
	3:00	QUEEN FOR A DAY—Bailey
	3:30	WHO DO YOU TRUST?—Carson
	4:00	AMERICAN BANDSTAND—Clark
	5:00	5 O’CLOCK REPORT—Huston
	5:05	CASEY JONES WITH POPEYE
	5:30	ROCKY AND HIS FRIENDS
	EVENING
	6:00	U.S. MARSHALL—Police
	6:30	GUESTWARD HO!—Comedy
	7:00	DONNA REED—Comedy
	7:30	REAL McCOYS—Comedy
	8:00	MY THREE SONS—Comedy
	8:30	UNTOUCHABLES—Police
	9:30	ERNIE KOVACS—Panel
	10:00	NEWS—Chick McCuen
	10:15	WEATHER—Stuart A. Lindman
	10:20	SPORTS—Buetel, Horner
	10:30	BROTHERS BRANNAGAN—Police
	11:00	NEWS—Ken Anderson
	11:05	MOVIE—Drama Theater 11: “The Magnificent Ambersons” (1942)
	12:30	NEWS—Stuart A. Lindman

The last person you see on Channel 11 is Stuart A. Lindman, who is another member of the Minnesota Broadcasting Hall of Fame. He was on WTCN for years and years; I remember him most as the local host of the Jerry Lewis Telethon, and I'll admit that I was never a big fan of his. I don't know; perhaps I thought he was a big glib? I suspect the way local newscasters are now, I'd consider him a paragon of gravitas. TV