March 21, 2022

What's on TV? Thursday, March 26, 1959




Xhis is about as representative a week of television as you're likely to find, and there's nothing wrong with that. We know, for example, that not all shows during the Golden Age were really golden, and quite a few were even below average. Likewise, some of the shows that we're tempted to reject as naïve are actually far more accurate to the tenor of the times than we know. So as you look through these listings from the North Texas edition, concentrate on the genres, the formats, the stars, and ask yourself what they tell you about the era of the late 1960s and the early 1960s. What was considered important back then, what was still a shadow of the past, and what was a preview of things to come?

-4- KRLD (CBS)
 
    MORNING   
 
    7:30
CARTOONS—Kids
 
    8:00
NEWS—Harry Reasoner
 
    8:15
CAPT. KANGAROO—Kids
 
    8:45
NEWS
 
    9:00
MORNING PLAYHOUSE
“No Trial by Jury”
 
    9:30
ARTHUR GODFREY—Variety
 
  10:00
I LOVE LUCY—Comedy
 
  10:30
TOP DOLLAR—Quiz
 
  11:00
LOVE OF LIFE—Serial
 
  11:30
SEARCH FOR TOMORROW
 
  11:45
GUIDING LIGHT—Serial
 
  AFTERNOON 
 
  12:00
NEWS
 
  12:15
NEWS
 
  12:30
AS THE WORLD TURNS—Serial
 
    1:00
JIMMY DEAN—Variety
 
    1:30
HOUSE PARTY—Linkletter
 
    2:00
BIG PAYOFF—Quiz
 
    2:30
VERDICT IS YOURS—Drama
 
    3:00
BRIGHTER DAY—Serial
 
    3:15
SECRET STORM—Serial
 
    3:30
EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial
 
    4:00
MOVIE—Western
“Frontier Badmen” (1943)
 
    5:15
PARTY TIME—Tiny Grant
 
     EVENING    
 
    6:00
NEWS, WEATHER
 
    6:15
NEWS—Douglas Edwards
 
    6:30
I LOVE LUCY—Comedy
 
    7:00
DECEMBER BRIDE—Comedy
 
    7:30
SEA HUNT—Adventure
 
    8:00
ZANE GREY—Western
“Trouble at Tres Cruces”
 
    8:30
PLAYHOUSE 90—Drama
“A Trip to Paradise”
 
  10:00
NEWS
 
  10:15
WEATHER
 
  10:20
PEOPLE AND PLACES—Hogan
 
  10:30
MOVIE—Drama
“Cadets on Parade” (1942)
 
 
 
-5- WBAP (NBC)
 
    MORNING   
 
    7:00
TODAY—Dave Garroway
 
    9:00
DOUGH RE MI—Quiz
 
    9:30
TREASURE HUNT—Quiz
 
  10:00
PRICE IS RIGHT—Contest
 
  10:30
CONCENTRATION—Contest
 
  11:00
TIC TAC DOUGH—Quiz
 
  11:30
IT COULD BE YOU—Leyden
 
  AFTERNOON 
 
  12:00
NEWS
 
  12:30
PEOPLE’S CHOICE—Comedy
 
    1:00
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Quiz   COLOR 
 
    1:30
HAGGIS BAGGIS   COLOR 
 
    2:00
YOUNG DR. MALONE—Serial
 
    2:30
FROM THESE ROOTS—Serial
 
    3:00
QUEEN FOR A DAY—Bailey
 
    3:30
COUNTY FAIR—Bert Parks 
 
    4:00
MOVIE—Drama
“The Man Who Found Himself” (1937)
 
    5:30
TEEN-AGE DOWNBEAT   COLOR 
 
     EVENING    
 
    6:00
NEWS, WEATHER   COLOR 
 
    6:15
NEWS—Chet Huntley
 
    6:30
JEFFERSON DRUM—Western
 
    7:00
STEVE CANYON—Adventure
 
    7:30
HAYES AND HENDERSON   DEBUT 
“A Nice Place to Hide”
 
    8:00
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
 
    8:30
ERNIE FORD—Variety   COLOR 
Guest: Lloyd Nolan
 
    9:00
GROUCHO MARX—Quiz
 
    9:30
MASQUERADE PARTY—Panel   COLOR 
 
  10:00
NEWS
 
  10:15
WEATHER
 
  10:25
NEWS—Charles Murphy
 
  10:30
SPORTS
 
  10:35
JACK PAAR—Variety
 
 
 
 6  KCEN (Temple) (NBC)
 
    MORNING   
 
    7:00
TODAY—Dave Garroway
 
    9:00
DOUGH RE MI—Quiz
 
    9:30
TREASURE HUNT—Quiz
 
  10:00
PRICE IS RIGHT—Contest
 
  10:30
CONCENTRATION—Contest
 
  11:00
TIC TAC DOUGH—Quiz
 
  11:30
IT COULD BE YOU—Leyden
 
  AFTERNOON 
 
  12:00
WEATHER—Eddie Schuster
 
  12:05
FARM REPORT—Clark Bolt
 
  12:25
NEWS—Eddie Schuster
 
  12:30
MR. AND MRS. NORTH—Mystery
 
    1:00
TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES—Quiz   COLOR 
 
    1:30
HAGGIS BAGGIS   COLOR 
 
    2:00
YOUNG DR. MALONE—Serial
 
    2:30
FROM THESE ROOTS—Serial
 
    3:00
QUEEN FOR A DAY—Bailey
 
    3:30
COUNTY FAIR—Bert Parks 
 
    4:00
OUR MISS BROOKS—Comedy
 
    4:30
HAPPY HOUR—Kids
 
    4:45
LAUREL AND HARDY—Comedy
 
    5:00
POPEYE—Cartoon
 
    5:30
HUCKLEBERRY HOUND
 
     EVENING    
 
    6:00
NEWS, WEATHER
 
    6:10
SPORTS—Eddie Schuster
 
    6:15
NEWS—Chet Huntley
 
    6:30
JEFFERSON DRUM—Western
 
    7:00
STEVE CANYON—Adventure
 
    7:30
HAYES AND HENDERSON   DEBUT 
“A Nice Place to Hide”
 
    8:00
BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
 
    8:30
ERNIE FORD—Variety   COLOR 
Guest: Lloyd Nolan
 
    9:00
GROUCHO MARX—Quiz
 
    9:30
MASQUERADE PARTY—Panel   COLOR 
 
  10:00
WEATHER, NEWS, SPORTS
 
  10:30
JACK PAAR—Variety
 
 
 
-8- WFAA (ABC)
 
    MORNING   
 
    7:30
FOR KIDS ONLY—Puppets
 
    8:30
ROMPER ROOM—Kids
 
    9:30
TOPPER—Comedy
 
  10:00
SUSIE—Comedy
 
  10:30
BURNS AND ALLEN—Comedy
 
  11:00
JULIE BENELL—Cooking
 
  11:30
PETER LIND HAYES—Variety
 
  AFTERNOON 
 
  12:30
PLAY YOUR HUNCH—Contest
 
    1:00
LIBERACE—Variety
 
    1:30
OUR MISS BROOKS—Comedy
 
    2:00
DAY IN COURT—Drama
 
    2:30
MUSIC BINGO—Quiz
 
    3:00
BEAT THE CLOCK—Bud Collyer
 
    3:30
WHO DO YOU TRUST?—Quiz
 
    4:00
AMERICAN BANDSTAND
 
    5:30
ADVENTURE TIME—Disney
 
     EVENING    
 
    6:00
NEWS, WEATHER
 
    6:20
SPORTS—Wes Wise
 
    6:30
LEAVE IT TO BEAVER—Comedy
 
    7:00
ZORRO—Adventure
 
    7:30
REAL McCOYS—Comedy
 
    8:00
PAT BOONE—Variety
Guest: Tab Hunter
 
    8:30
ROUGH RIDERS—Western
 
    9:00
MIKE HAMMER—Mystery
 
    9:30
U.S. MARSHAL—Police
 
  10:00
NEWS
 
  10:10
WEATHER—Dale Milford
 
  10:15
NEWS—John Daly
 
  10:30
MOVIE—Drama
“The River” (1951)
 
 
 
10 KWTX (Waco) (CBS, ABC)
 
    MORNING   
 
    8:00
NEWS—Harry Reasoner
 
    8:15
CAPT. KANGAROO—Kids
Guest: Bennye Gatteys
 
    9:00
MORNING PLAYHOUSE
“No Trial by Jury”
 
    9:30
ARTHUR GODFREY—Variety
 
  10:00
I LOVE LUCY—Comedy
 
  10:30
TOP DOLLAR—Quiz
 
  11:00
BETTER LIVING—Russell
 
  11:30
SEARCH FOR TOMORROW
 
  11:45
GUIDING LIGHT—Serial
 
  AFTERNOON 
 
  12:00
NEWS—Walter Cronkite
 
  12:05
NEWS—Russ Grovener
 
  12:15
FARM REPORT—Johnny Watkins
 
    1:00
JIMMY DEAN—Variety
 
    1:30
HOUSE PARTY—Linkletter
 
    2:00
BIG PAYOFF—Quiz
 
    2:30
VERDICT IS YOURS—Drama
 
    3:00
BRIGHTER DAY—Serial
 
    3:15
SECRET STORM—Serial
 
    3:30
EDGE OF NIGHT—Serial
 
    4:00
AMERICAN BANDSTAND
 
    5:30
ADVENTURE TIME—Disney
 
     EVENING    
 
    6:00
NEWS, WEATHER
 
    6:15
NEWS—Douglas Edwards
 
    6:30
OZZIE AND HARRIET—Comedy
 
    7:00
DECEMBER BRIDE—Comedy
 
    7:30
YANCY DERRINGER—Adventure
 
    8:00
ZANE GREY—Western
“Trouble at Tres Cruces”
 
    8:30
PLAYHOUSE 90—Drama
“A Trip to Paradise”
 
  10:00
NEWS
 
  10:15
WEATHER
 
  10:20
SPORTS—Ben Vaughn
 
  10:30
TV THEATER—Drama
 
 
 
11 KFJZ (Independent)
 
    MORNING   
 
    9:00
LITTLE RASCALS—Comedy
 
    9:45
MOVIE—Double Feature
1. “Carolina Blues” (1944) 2. “Riders of the Purple Sage” (1941)
 
  11:55
TAKE FIVE—Mark Stevens
 
  AFTERNOON 
 
  12:00
CARTOON CLUBHOUSE—Kids
 
  12:45
MOVIE—Police
“Cry of the City” (1948)
 
    2:40
TAKE FIVE—Mark Stevens
 
    2:45
ANN ALDEN—Interview
 
    3:00
I MARRIED JOAN—Comedy
 
    3:30
ROY ROGERS—Western
 
    4:00
ABBOTT AND COSTELLO
 
    4:30
EARLY SHOW—Kids
 
    5:30
POPEYE—Cartoons
 
     EVENING    
 
    6:00
HUCKLEBERRY HOUND
 
    6:30
THREE STOOGES—Comedy
“Wee Wee Monsieur”
 
    7:00
OUR GANG—Comedy
“Going to Press”
 
    7:15
MOVIE—Western
“Dakota Lil” (1949)
 
    9:00
OFFICIAL DETECTIVE—Sloane
 
    9:30
SILENT SERVICE—Drama
 
  10:00
MOVIE—Police
“Night Court” (1932)
 
  11:00
MOVIE—Comedy
“Sailor’s Lady” (1940)

TV  

2 comments:

  1. "...the era of the late 1960s and the early 1960s...". You mean "late 1950s" right?

    It appears that CBS is showing reruns of I LOVE LUCY twice-daily now at 10 AM & 6:30 PM. KRLD from Dallas shows them both, but since Waco's KWTX is still affiliated w/ ABC also, it shows OZZIE & HARRIET at 6:30 instead. I think ABC launched its Thursday night lineup w/ O&H for quite a few years.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Working from the Chicago edition:

    - As usual, you don't mention the actual content of the episodes - and frankly, I think you're missing something here ...
    I'm a bit surprised that you seem not to have noticed tonight's Zane Grey Theatre, "Trouble At Tres Cruces."
    This was what would nowadays be called a "backdoor pilot": Dick Powell and Aaron Spelling used the Grey show as a seedbed for launching other series, and this show became The Westerner, which Four Star sold to NBC the following fall (it's been written up on this very site several times; I know, because I've checked out your archives (which you ought to do sometime ...)).

    - Sidebar: Backdoor pilots were nothing new, even then: on Friday night, Schlitz Playhouse is showing "The Salted Mine", starring Scott Brady as a Western detective called Shotgun Slade.
    This yielded up a syndicated series in the following season, called Shotgun Slade (surprise!), which has become a kind of cult show in the years since (check the listing for the pilot for one of the reasons).

    - Back to Thursday for a bit:
    In the past, I've had occasion to mention Behind Closed Doors, the NBC series that feature Bruce Gordon as a US Naval commander who narrated stories about military intelligence; had this been more of a success, Gordon might not have been available for The Untouchables the following season.
    ... Or maybe he might have been ...
    This season, Bruce Gordon was free-lancing: look earlier on Thursday, and you'll find him appearing on Jefferson Drum, an NBC Western, playing a character named "Juan Cavanaugh" (I'll guess that he's likely a bad guy).
    Comes to that, you'll also find Bruce Gordon on Tuesday night's Alcoa Presents (aka One Step Beyond), playing a French army captain.
    His sergeant, by the way, is played by a pre-Bonanza Pernell Roberts - who just a few hours earlier turns up as a Western preacher on The Cheyenne Show, which this week is about Bronco Layne, but that's another story ...

    - One more example of full employment for actors in Hollywood:
    Back on Thursday night, Claude Akins is on Steve Canyon on NBC - and then, almost immediately after, turns up on Yancy Derringer on CBS.
    Just think - if Akins had managed to squeeze in a guest shot on ABC's Rough Riders, he would have had a three-network hat trick for the evening ...
    ... And in those days, it could have happened - and probably did, many times over ...

    - While I'm here, I might as well mention this week's episode of Ellery Queen on Friday night.
    This is the Lost Series, which nobody at NBC thought about saving in any form.
    This episode, "A Girl Named Daisy" (not based on any known EQ story), features Shelley Berman as a carnival barker (apparently, he was allowed to improvise his own spiel).
    As I said, NBC didn't save this show, and more's the pity; this one, I'd have liked to see, if only the once ...

    - Ah well/Oh hell ...

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for writing! Drive safely!