1964–65 United States network television schedule

This was the television schedule on all three U.S. TV networks for the fall season beginning in September 1964. This is the first full season in which NBC broadcast more than 50% of its schedule in color, a fact which the network emphasized during its September 19–25 premiere week.[1]

CBS and ABC, still mostly in black and white, continued rolling out rural sitcoms; in fall 1964 the networks added Gomer Pyle, USMC (CBS) and No Time For Sergeants (ABC) to their respective schedules. According to television historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), critics objected to CBS's rural sitcom-heavy schedule, particularly the Gomer Pyle character, but the "high ratings earned by the silly gimmicks and simpleton heroes would assure rural sitcoms spots in the network schedules for years."[1]

Castleman and Podrazik also point out the large number of "escapist" programs which debuted during fall 1964: Gilligan's Island (CBS), Bewitched (ABC), My Living Doll (CBS), The Addams Family (ABC) and The Munsters (CBS). Only NBC avoided the escapist trend during the season,[1] with the exception of The Man From U.N.C.L.E..

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

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[2]

  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

Network 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Local Wagon Train Broadside The ABC Sunday Night Movie (Periodically in Color)
CBS Fall Lassie (17/25.1) My Favorite Martian (24/23.7) The Ed Sullivan Show (15/25.2)
(Tied with Petticoat Junction)
My Living Doll The Joey Bishop Show Candid Camera What's My Line?
Winter For the People
Summer The Twilight Zone
NBC Fall Profiles in Courage (began at 6:30) Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (11/25.7) (Color) The Bill Dana Show Bonanza (1/36.3) (Color) The Rogues
Winter Branded (14/25.3)
Summer Buckskin

Notes: Mister Ed aired on CBS from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. until January 1965, when World War One took over the time period.

On NBC, some episodes of Branded aired in color. Buckskin, which aired on NBC in July and August 1965, consisted of reruns of the 1958–1959 series.

Monday

Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea No Time for Sergeants Wendy and Me The Bing Crosby Show Ben Casey
Summer The Farmer's Daughter
CBS Fall To Tell the Truth I've Got a Secret (26/23.0) The Andy Griffith Show (4/28.3) The Lucy Show (8/26.6) Many Happy Returns Slattery's People
Winter CBS Reports / CBS News Specials
Spring The Danny Thomas Show
Summer Summer Playhouse Glynis
NBC Fall 90 Bristol Court (consisting of 3 half-hour sitcoms): Karen (7:30-8:00); Harris Against the World (8:00-8:30); and Tom, Dick, and Mary (8:30-9:00) The Andy Williams Show (Color) / The Jonathan Winters Show The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
Winter Karen The Man From U.N.C.L.E.

Tuesday

Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Combat! (10/26.1) McHale's Navy (29/22.3) The Tycoon Peyton Place (20/24.6) The Fugitive (5/27.9)
CBS Fall Local World War One The Red Skelton Hour (6/27.4) Petticoat Junction (15/25.2)
(Tied with The Ed Sullivan Show)
The Doctors and the Nurses
Winter The Joey Bishop Show
Summer Hollywood Talent Scouts
NBC Fall Mr. Novak The Man from U.N.C.L.E. That Was The Week That Was (Color) The Bell Telephone Hour (Color)
Winter Hullabaloo (Color)
Summer Moment of Fear Cloak of Mystery Hullabaloo (Color)

Wednesday

Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Patty Duke Show (28/22.4) Shindig! Mickey Burke's Law ABC Scope
Winter Shindig!
CBS Fall CBS Reports / CBS News Specials The Beverly Hillbillies (12/25.6) The Dick Van Dyke Show (7/27.1) The Cara Williams Show The Danny Kaye Show
Follow-up Mr. Ed My Living Doll
Summer Our Private World The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
NBC The Virginian (22/24.0) (Color) NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies (Sporadically in Color)

Thursday

Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall The Flintstones (Color) The Donna Reed Show My Three Sons (13/25.5) Bewitched (2/31.0) Peyton Place (9/26.4) The Jimmy Dean Show
Follow-up Jonny Quest (Color)
CBS Fall The Munsters (18/24.7)
(Tied with Gilligan's Island)
Perry Mason Password The Baileys of Balboa The Defenders
Summer The Celebrity Game
NBC Daniel Boone Dr. Kildare Hazel (Color) Kraft Suspense Theater (Color) / Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (once a month)

Friday

Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall Jonny Quest (Color) The Farmer's Daughter The Addams Family (23/23.9) Valentine's Day 12 O'Clock High Local
Follow-up The Flintstones (Color)
Winter F.D.R. 12 O'Clock High
Summer F.D.R. Peyton Place
CBS Fall Rawhide The Entertainers Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (3/30.7) The Reporter
Winter On Broadway Tonight Slattery's People
Spring The Great Adventure
Summer The Cara Williams Show Our Private World Vacation Playhouse
NBC International Showtime Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (Color) / Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special (once monthly; most Bob Hope specials were in black-and-white) The Jack Benny Program The Jack Paar Program (Color)

Saturday

Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC Fall The Outer Limits The Lawrence Welk Show (30/22.0) The Hollywood Palace Local
Winter The King Family Show
CBS Fall The Jackie Gleason Show (21/24.4) Gilligan's Island (18/24.7)
(Tied with The Munsters)
Mr. Broadway Gunsmoke (27/22.6)
Winter The Entertainers
Spring Secret Agent
Summer Fanfare
NBC Fall Flipper (25/23.4) (Color) The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (Color) Kentucky Jones NBC Saturday Night at the Movies (Color)
Winter Kentucky Jones The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (Color)

References

  1. Castleman, Harry; Walter J. Podrazik (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 171–179. ISBN 0-07-010269-4.
  2. 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. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  • Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
  • McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
  • Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1964). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
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