1960–61 United States network television schedule explained

The following is the 1960–61 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1960 through March 1961. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1959–60 season.

New fall series are highlighted in bold. All times are Eastern and Pacific.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[1]

Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.

Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.

Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.

Sunday

Network7:00 PM7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCFallWalt Disney Presents (began 6:30)MaverickThe Lawman (26/22.3)The RebelThe IslandersWinston Churchill: The Valiant Years
SpringThe Asphalt Jungle
CBSLassieDennis the Menace (11/26.1)The Ed Sullivan Show (15/25.0)General Electric Theater (20/23.4)The Jack Benny Show (10/26.2)Candid Camera (7/27.3)What's My Line? (22/23.1)
NBCFallThe Shirley Temple Show (In COLOR)National VelvetThe Tab Hunter ShowThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show (In COLOR)The Loretta Young ShowThis Is Your Life
SummerThe Chevy Mystery Show (In COLOR)

Note: ABC aired the interim The Walter Winchell Show at 10:30 p.m. from early October until early November.

Monday

Network7:00 PM7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCLocalCheyenne (28/22.0) / Sugarfoot / BroncoSurfside 6Adventures in ParadisePeter Gunn (29/21.9)
CBSFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News To Tell the TruthPete and GladysBringing Up BuddyThe Danny Thomas Show (12/25.9)The Andy Griffith Show (4/27.8)HenneseyPresidential Countdown
NovemberFace the Nation
SummerGlenn Miller TimeBrenner
Follow-upThe Ann Sothern Show
NBCFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley ReportRiverboatTales of Wells FargoKlondike DanteThe Barbara Stanwyck ShowJackpot Bowling starring Milton Berle (In COLOR)
WinterThe Americans Acapulco
SpringWhispering SmithConcentration

Notes: On CBS, Presidential Countdown aired as an interim series, 10:30–11 p.m. in September and October until the November 8th election. In some areas, Douglas Edwards with the News and The Huntley-Brinkley Report aired at 6:45 p.m. Peter Gunn moved from NBC to ABC in the fall of 1960. The episodes of Brenner that ran on CBS in the summer of 1961 consisted of two previously unaired episodes produced in 1959 and reruns of episodes broadcast during the summer of 1959.

Tuesday

Network7:00 PM7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCExpedition!The Bugs Bunny ShowThe Rifleman (27/22.1)The Life and Legend of Wyatt EarpStagecoach WestAlcoa Presents: One Step BeyondLocal
CBSFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the NewsLocalFather Knows Best (repeats)The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (23/23.0)The Tom Ewell ShowThe Red Skelton Show (19/24.0) (Occasionally in COLOR)The Garry Moore Show (25/22.7)
SummerComedy SpotlightPlayhouse 90 (repeats)
NBC7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley ReportLaramieAlfred Hitchcock PresentsThrillerSpecials (Most in COLOR)

NOTES: This is the first broadcast of The Bugs Bunny Show.

On CBS, Comedy Spotlight consisted of reruns of episodes of General Electric Theater.

Wednesday

Network7:00 PM7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCLocalHong KongThe Adventures of Ozzie and HarrietHawaiian EyeNaked City
CBSFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the NewsThe AquanautsWanted Dead or AliveMy Sister EileenI've Got a SecretArmstrong Circle Theatre / The United States Steel Hour
SpringDanger ManAngel
NBCFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley ReportWagon Train (2/34.2)The Price Is Right (8/27.0)
(Tied with The Untouchables) (In COLOR)
Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (In COLOR)Peter Loves MaryLocal
SummerIt Could Be You

Thursday

Network7:00 PM7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCLocalGuestward, Ho!The Donna Reed ShowThe Real McCoys (5/27.7)My Three Sons (13/25.8)
(Tied with 77 Sunset Strip)
The Untouchables (8/27.0)
(Tied with The Price Is Right)
Take A Good Look
CBSFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the NewsThe Witness Dick Powell's Zane Grey TheatreAngelThe Ann Sothern ShowPerson to PersonThe DuPont Show with June Allyson
Follow-upThe Ann Sothern ShowAngelThe Witness
WinterGunslinger
SummerSummer Sports SpectacularFace the Nation and CBS Reports
NBCFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley ReportOutlawsBat MastersonBachelor FatherThe Ford Show (24/22.9) (In COLOR)The Groucho Show
  • (Sporadically in
COLOR)
Local
SummerGreat Ghost Tales (In COLOR)

* formerly You Bet Your Life

Friday

Network7:00 PM7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCLocalMatty's Funday FunniesHarrigan and SonThe Flintstones (18/24.3)77 Sunset Strip (13/25.8)
(Tied with My Three Sons)
The Detectives Starring Robert TaylorThe Law and Mr. Jones
CBSFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the NewsRawhide (6/27.5)Route 66 (30/21.7)Mr. GarlundThe Twilight ZoneEyewitness to History
WinterThe Jackie Gleason Show
Spring'Way Out
NBCFall7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley ReportDan Raven The Westerner The Bell Telephone Hour (In COLOR) / NBC News Specials (alternating)Michael Shayne
WinterHappyOne Happy FamilyWestinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell CoreyThe Bell Telephone Hour / Sing Along with Mitch (alternating) (Both programs in COLOR)
MayFive Star Jubilee (In COLOR)
SummerOne Happy FamilyFive Star Jubilee (In COLOR)The Lawless YearsWestinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey
Follow-upWestinghouse Preview Theatre

Saturday

Network7:30 PM8:00 PM8:30 PM9:00 PM9:30 PM10:00 PM10:30 PM
ABCThe Roaring 20sLeave It to BeaverThe Lawrence Welk Show10:00 The Fight of the Week / 10:45 Make That Spare
CBSPerry Mason (16/24.9)Checkmate (21/23.2)Have Gun – Will Travel (3/30.9)Gunsmoke (1/37.3)Local
NBCFallBonanza (17/24.8) (In COLOR)The Tall ManThe DeputyThe Campaign and the CandidatesMan from Interpol
NovemberThe Nation's FutureLocal

Note: On NBC, The Campaign and the Candidates aired as an interim series, 9:30–10:30 p.m., from mid-September until the November 8 election.

By network

ABC

Returning Series

New Series

Not returning from 1959–60:

CBS

Returning Series

New Series

Not returning from 1959–60:

NBC

Returning Series

New Series

Not returning from 1959–60:

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

Trivia

Effects of the WGA strike

Between January and June 1960, the 1960 Writers Guild of America strike took place, affecting the fall schedule. The networks had numerous holes, which were mostly filled with unscripted material, some of which included political programs in anticipation of the forthcoming 1960 United States presidential election. CBS gave the unprecedented step of showing episodes from previous seasons of popular series. Some timeslots however (particularly that of 10:30-11) were ceded to stations.

"Vast wasteland" speech

On May 9, 1961, at the annual convention of the National Association of Broadcasters new Federal Communications Commission chairman Newton Minow delivered "Television and the Public Interest," a scathing speech directed at the "procession of game shows, violence, audience participation shows, formula comedies about totally unbelievable families, blood and thunder, mayhem, violence, sadism, murder, Western badmen, Western goodmen, private eyes, gangsters, more violence, and cartoons, and, endlessly, commercials, many screaming, cajoling, and offending, and, most of all, boredom [...] Is there one network president in this room who claims he can't do better?"[2] Minow called TV a "vast wasteland"; the phrase was picked up by the press and resulted in bad publicity for the networks and for the television industry as a whole. According to television historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), the networks were in a bind, though: they had already purchased their fall 1961 programs and had locked in their 1961–62 schedules. "The best the networks could do was slot a few more public affairs shows, paint rosy pictures for 1962–63, and prepare to endure the barrage of criticism they felt certain would greet the new season."[2]

References

Additional sources

Notes and References

  1. Highest-rated series is based on the annual top-rated programs list compiled by Nielsen Media Research and reported in: Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. .
  2. Book: Castleman, Harry. Walter J.. Podrazik. Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. McGraw-Hill. 1982. New York. 139–146. registration. 0-07-010269-4.