What's on TV? Tuesday, April 6, 1954

On Saturday I mentioned some of the differences between the TV Guide of 1954 and that of the later years we're more used to seeing, and there are more on display today. You'll notice right away that the familiar television-shaped channel number is nowhere to be seen; instead, the Philadelphia stations have a white sans-serif number inside a black circle, while the out-of-market stations have a black serif number inside a white square. And some of the descriptions that accompany the program titles are wonderful: Ramar is not just adventure, but "Jungle Adventure." A show like Art Linkletter's House Party is "Fun." (I like that; we could use more of that today.) Some programs appear on multiple stations, even within the same city. And apparently you have to be in prime time to have your name in ALL CAPS. But if everything was the same all the time, it would be just too dull, wouldn't it?

Loyal reader and commenter J.D. Rowe suggested I post an entire page from the issue to give you an idea of what this all looks like:

If you want to see more, this issue is available at the Internet Archive; you can page through it at your leisure, or you can just read the listings below:

          ❸ WPTZ (NBC)

	MORNING
	6:55	Thought for Today
	7:00	Today—Garroway Guest: Adm. Richard E. Byrd
	9:00	Let Scott Do It
	10:00	Ding Dong School
	10:30	Operation Blackboard
	11:00	Home—Women’s Features
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	Bride and Groom
	12:15	Lunch with Uncle Pete
	12:45	Hawkins Falls—Serial
	1:00	MOVIE—One Hour “The Emperoro’s Nightingale”
	2:00	The Alan Schtt Spotlight
	2:30	Pots, Pans, Personalities
	3:00	Three Steps to Heaven
	3:15	Kate Smith Hour—Variety
	4:00	Welcome Travelers
	4:30	On Your Account
	5:00	Pinky Lee Show
	5:30	Howdy Doody
	EVENING
	6:00	RANGE RIDER—Western
	6:30	WILD BILL HICKOK—Film
	7:00	NEWS REPORTER—McCutchen
	7:15	THE SPORTS PAGE
	7:25	WEATHER GIRL—Lynn Dollar
	7:30	DINAH SHORE—Songs
	7:45	NEWS—Swayze
	8:00	MILTON BERLE Guests: Judith Anderson, Cyril Ritchard
	9:00	FIRESIDE THEATER “Invitation to Marriage”
	9:30	CIRCLE THEATER “My Client, McDuff”
	10:00	JUDGE FOR YOURSELF—Fred Allen
	10:30	MR. DISTRICT ATTORNEY  DEBUT
	11:00	NEWS—John B. Hughes
	11:10	SPORTS—Bosh Pritchard
	11:15	WEATHER—Jack Pyle
	11:20	WRESTLING—Ves Box
	12:20	NEWS—Fred Bennett
	12:25	THOUGHT FOR TOMORROW

I think you'd have a tough sell nowadays with a "Weather Girl," but they were all the rage once, and I'm old enough to remember when WTCN had them in Minneapolis. Today's meteorologists have all kinds of radar and forecasting tools at their disposal (which doesn't make them any more accurate), but it's nice to know that there was a time when you could still get fashion and beauty with your forecast.

          ❻ WFIL (ABC, DUMONT)

	MORNING
	8:40	Wanted Persons—F.B.I.
	8:45	Televiews--Films
	9:00	Breakfast Club—Don McNeill
	9:30	Hymns of Faith—Music
	9:45	Record Room—Melodies
	10:00	Wifesaver—Allen Prescott
	11:00	Wiffil Schoolhouse
	11:15	University of the Air “Short Stories”
	11:30	University of the Air “American Life in the Contemporary Novel”
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	Features for Women
	12:15	Ramar—Jungle Adventure
	12:45	Stop Look and Listen—Fun
	2:00	The Woman’s Page—Recipe
	2:30	Racket Squad—Drama
	3:00	Bandstand—Dancing
	5:00	Hopalong Cassidy—Western
	EVENING
	6:00	RAMAR—Jungle Adventure
	6:30	SPORTS, NEWS
	6:45	TV NEWSREEL—Frank Hall
	6:55	WEATHER—Francis Davis
	7:00	VICTORY AT SEA—Navy Film
	7:30	CAVALCADE OF AMERICA
	8:00	LIFE IS WORTH LIVING “Three Times in the Nation’s History” Next week THE GOLDBERGS return at this time.
	8:30	PANTOMIME QUIZ—Stokey Panelists: Cliff Norton, Jerry Lester, Peter Donald, Jackie Cooper, Dorothy Hart, guests (This is the last show in this series) Next week LOVE STORY debuts in this spot
	9:00	DANNY THOMAS SHOW
	9:30	MOTOROLA TV HOUR “The Sins of the Fathers’
	10:30	MOVIE—One Hour, 15 Min. “The Macomber Affair”
	11:45	NEWSREEL—Frank Hall
	11:55	WEATHER—Francis Davis
	12:00	RACKET SQUAD—Drama

As I said on Saturday, Bob Horn was the original host of Bandstand when it was a local show. It still has the same spirit though, doesn't it?

         8  WGAL (Lancaster) (ABC, DUMONT, CBS, NBC)

	MORNING
	7:00	Today—Garroway Guest: Adm. Richard E. Byrd
	9:00	College of the Air “Ice”
	10:00	Ding Dong School
	10:30	One Man’s Family—Serial
	10:45	Three Steps to Heaven
	11:00	Hawkins Falls—Serial
	11:45	Jackpot—Phone Quiz
	11:30	Strike it Rich—Quiz
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	TV Farmer—Crop Date
	12:15	Love of Life—Serial
	12:30	News of the World
	12:40	Regional News—Brandt
	12:45	The Guiding Light—Serial
	1:00	The Brighter Day—Serial
	1:15	Valiant Lady—Serial
	1:30	From the Kitchen Door
	2:00	Talent Patrol
	2:30	Search for Tomorrow—Serial
	2:45	Today with Kay—Features
	3:00	The Big Payoff—Quiz
	3:30	Kate Smith Hour—Variety
	4:00	Welcome Travelers
	5:00	Pinky Lee Show
	5:30	Howdy Doody
	EVENING
	6:00	MOVIE—Western
	6:30	SPORTS, WEATHER, NEWS
	7:00	PLAYHOUSE—Anita Colby
	7:45	NEWS—Swayze
	8:00	MILTON BERLE Guests: Judith Anderson, Cyril Ritchard
	9:00	FIRESIDE THEATER “Invitation to Marriage”
	9:30	CIRCLE THEATER “My Client, McDuff”
	10:00	JUDGE FOR YOURSELF—Fred Allen
	10:30	SEE IT NOW Guest: Senator Joseph McCarthy
	11:00	ELEVENTH HOUR NEWS
	11:10	REGIONAL NEWS
	11:15	MAN AGAINST CRIME
	11:45	SPORTS NOTES
	11:50	WANTED PERSONS—F.B.I.

Dave Garroway's guest, Admiral Richard Byrd, is distinguished indeed; a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor and two Distinguished Service Medals, an explorer who was the first to reach both the North and South Poles by air, and one of only four men to wear a medal with his own image on it. Which reminds me of the joke about how George Washington made decisions: by flipping a coin and calling, "me or tails."

        ❿ WCAU (CBS)

	MORNING
	7:00	The Morning Show
	9:00	Mister and Missus—Features
	9:15	Get Happy—Variety
	9:45	The Brighter Day—Serial
	10:00	Arthur Godfrey Time
	11:30	Strike it Rich—Quiz
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	Valiant Lady—Serial
	12:15	Love of Life—Serial
	12:30	Search for Tomorrow
	12:45	The Guiding Light—Serial
	1:00	Marian Kemp’s Kitchen
	1:30	Garry Moore—Variety Guest: Harry Belafonte
	2:30	House Party—Fun
	3:00	Fun and Fortune—Contest
	3:30	Bob Crosby—Music
	4:15	Secret Storm—Serial
	4:30	Cinderella Weekend—Quiz
	5:00	Junior Hi-Jinx--Willie
	5:30	Gene Autry—Western
	EVENING
	6:00	MOVIE—Early Show “Buffalo Stampede”
	6:55	TV NEWS—John Facenda
	7:00	THE BIG IDEA—Inventions
	7:30	NEWS—Douglas Edwards
	7:45	JO STAFFORD—Musical
	8:00	GENE AUTRY—Western
	8:30	RED SKELTON SHOW
	9:00	MEET MILLIE—Comedy
	9:30	AUTO SHOW Guests: Nancy Olson, Buff Cobb, Robin Chandler, Eva Gabor, Ann Rutherford, Roxanne, Phyllis Kirk, Peggy Ann Garner, and “Miss America” Host: Irene Dunne SUSPENSE returns at this time next week
	10:00	DANGER—Mystery
	10:30	SEE IT NOW Guest: Senator Joseph McCarthy
	11:00	NEWS—John Facenda
	11:10	WEATHER—Phil Sheridan
	11:15	SPORTS FINAL—Whitaker
	11:30	KNOW IT OR SHOW IT Panelists: Bill Hart, Gene Crane, guest. Host: Ed McMahon
	12:00	MOVIE—Late Feature “Love, Honor and Goodbye”

This is not a picture of Irene Dunne at the Detroit Auto Show.

(It is, in fact, from the 1935 movie Magnificent Obsession)






          12 WDEL (WILMINGTON, DE)  (NBC, DUMONT)

	MORNING
	8:55	Delaware Today—Rhoads
	9:45	The Open Door—Religious
	10:00	Ding Dong School
	10:30	One Man’s Family—Serial
	10:45	Three Steps to Heaven
	11:00	Home—Women’s Features
	AFTERNOON
	12:00	Bride and Groom
	12:15	Hawkins Falls—Serial
	12:30	Betty White Show
	1:00	Midday News—Bob Darby
	1:15	Buck’s Best—Buck Ross
	1:30	Music Box—Films
	2:00	Visit Ester Alderman
	2:30	Cosmopolitan Kitchen
	3:00	Kate Smith Hour—Variety
	4:00	Welcome Travelers
	5:00	Pinky Lee Show
	5:30	Howdy Doody
	EVENING
	6:00	MOVIE TIME—Cartoons
	6:30	SIX-THIRTY EDITION
	6:45	SPORTING SCENE—Frick
	6:55	WEATHERMAN—Fariss
	7:00	LIBERACE—Pianist
	7:45	NEWS—Swayze
	8:00	MILTON BERLE Guests: Judith Anderson, Cyril Ritchard
	9:00	FIRESIDE THEATER “Invitation to Marriage”
	9:30	CIRCLE THEATER “My Client, McDuff”
	10:00	JUDGE FOR YOURSELF—Fred Allen
	10:30	MR. AND MRS. NORTH
	11:00	HEADLINE ROUNDUP
	11:10	HEADLINES IN SPORTS
	11:15	INDUSTRY ON PARADE

Fred Allen's intelligent sense of satire never did hold sway on television the way it did on radio, but that didn't stop him from making a few attempts in the medium. Here's the debut episode of his 10:00 p.m. show, Judge For Yourself.

TV