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== Tuesday ==
== Tuesday ==

⚫
This is the first broadcast of ''[[The Bugs Bunny Show]]''.
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center" colspan="2" | Network
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
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! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! colspan="2" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Expedition!]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Expedition!]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Bugs Bunny Show]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Bugs Bunny Show]]'''''
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| Local
| Local
|-
|-
! [[CBS]]
! rowspan="2" | [[CBS]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]''
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Father Knows Best]]'' (repeats)
| rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Father Knows Best]]'' (repeats)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]'' (23/23.0)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis]]'' (23/23.0)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Tom Ewell Show]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Tom Ewell Show]]'''''
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" | ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'' (19/24.0) (Occasionally in <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" | ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'' (19/24.0) (Occasionally in <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" colspan="2" | ''[[The Garry Moore Show]]'' (25/22.7)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" colspan="2" | ''[[The Garry Moore Show]]'' (25/22.7)
|-
|-
! [[NBC]]
! Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Comedy Spot|Comedy Spotlight]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="3" | ''[[Playhouse 90]]'' (repeats)
|-
! colspan="2" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" |7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[NBC News|Huntley-Brinkley Report]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" |7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[NBC News|Huntley-Brinkley Report]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | ''[[Laramie (TV series)|Laramie]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | ''[[Laramie (TV series)|Laramie]]''
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| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | ''Specials'' (Most in <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | ''Specials'' (Most in <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
|}
|}

⚫
'''NOTES:''' This is the first broadcast of ''[[The Bugs Bunny Show]]''.

On [[CBS]], ''[[The Comedy Spot|Comedy Spotlight]]'' consisted of reruns of episodes of ''[[General Electric Theater]]''.


== Wednesday ==
== Wednesday ==
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| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]''
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]''
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Aquanauts]]'''''
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Aquanauts]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV series)|Wanted: Dead or Alive]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Wanted Dead or Alive (TV series)|Wanted Dead or Alive]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[My Sister Eileen (TV series)|My Sister Eileen]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[My Sister Eileen (TV series)|My Sister Eileen]]'''''
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''
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| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[NBC News|Huntley-Brinkley Report]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 ''[[NBC News|Huntley-Brinkley Report]]''
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Wagon Train]]'' (2/34.2)
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Wagon Train]]'' (2/34.2)
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Price Is Right (1956 U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' (8/27.0)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'') (Color)</small>
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Price Is Right (1956 U.S. game show)|The Price Is Right]]'' (8/27.0)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[The Untouchables (1959 TV series)|The Untouchables]]'') (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)</small>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Kraft Music Hall (TV series)|Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall]]'' (Color)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Kraft Music Hall (TV series)|Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall]]'' (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Peter Loves Mary]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Peter Loves Mary]]'''''
| rowspan="2" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
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! Follow-up
! Follow-up
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2"| ''[[The Ann Sothern Show]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2"| ''[[The Ann Sothern Show]]''
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" |'''''[[Angel (1960 TV series)|'''Angel''']]'''''
| rowspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" |'''''[[Angel (1960 TV series)|Angel]]'''''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" |'''''[[The Witness (TV series)|'''The Witness''']]'''''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" |'''''[[The Witness (TV series)|The Witness]]'''''
|-
|-
! Winter
! Winter
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| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Bat Masterson (TV series)|Bat Masterson]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Bachelor Father (US TV series)|Bachelor Father]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Bachelor Father (US TV series)|Bachelor Father]]''
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[The Ford Show]]'' (24/22.9) (Color)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[The Ford Show]]'' (24/22.9) (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[You Bet Your Life|The Groucho Show]]'''''* (Sporadically in Color)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[You Bet Your Life|The Groucho Show]]'''''* (Sporadically in <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| rowspan="2" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
|-
|-
! Summer
! Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Great Ghost Tales]]''''' (Color)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Great Ghost Tales]]''''' (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
|}
|}


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| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | '''''[[Dan Raven]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | '''''[[Dan Raven]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Westerner (TV series)|The Westerner]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Westerner (TV series)|The Westerner]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | ''[[The Bell Telephone Hour]]'' (Color) / ''[[NBC News|NBC News Specials]]'' (alternating)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" | ''[[The Bell Telephone Hour]]'' (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>) / ''[[NBC News|NBC News Specials]]'' (alternating)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" rowspan="5" | '''''[[Michael Shayne#Television|Michael Shayne]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" rowspan="5" | '''''[[Michael Shayne#Television|Michael Shayne]]'''''
|-
|-
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| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[One Happy Family]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[One Happy Family]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[Westinghouse Playhouse|Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[Westinghouse Playhouse|Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Bell Telephone Hour]]'' / '''''[[Sing Along with Mitch]]''''' (alternating) (Color)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Bell Telephone Hour]]'' / '''''[[Sing Along with Mitch]]''''' (alternating) (Both programs in <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
|-
|-
! May
! May
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Five Star Jubilee]]''''' (Color)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Five Star Jubilee]]''''' (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
|-
|-
! Summer
! Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[One Happy Family]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[One Happy Family]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[Five Star Jubilee]]''''' (Color)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[Five Star Jubilee]]''''' (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Lawless Years]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Lawless Years]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Westinghouse Playhouse|Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Westinghouse Playhouse|Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey]]'''''
|-
|-
! Follow-up
! Follow-up
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''Westinghouse Preview Theatre'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Westinghouse Preview Theatre]]'''''
|}
|}


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! rowspan="2" | [[NBC]]
! rowspan="2" | [[NBC]]
! Fall
! Fall
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Bonanza]]'' (17/24.8) (Color)
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" colspan="2" rowspan="2" | ''[[Bonanza]]'' (17/24.8) (In <span style="color:red;">C</span><span style="color:orange;">O</span><span style="color:gold;">L</span><span style="color:green;">O</span><span style="color:blue;">R</span>)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[The Tall Man (TV series)|The Tall Man]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[The Tall Man (TV series)|The Tall Man]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Deputy (TV series)|The Deputy]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Deputy (TV series)|The Deputy]]''
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*''[[Candid Camera]]''
*''[[Candid Camera]]''
*''[[CBS News|CBS Reports]]''
*''[[CBS News|CBS Reports]]''
*''Comedy Spotlight'' (previously ''[[The Comedy Spot]]'')
*''[[The Danny Thomas Show]]''
*''[[The Danny Thomas Show]]''
*''[[Dennis the Menace (1959 TV series)|Dennis the Menace]]''
*''[[Dennis the Menace (1959 TV series)|Dennis the Menace]]''
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*''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''
*''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]''
*''[[The United States Steel Hour]]''
*''[[The United States Steel Hour]]''
*''[[Wanted: Dead or Alive (TV series)| Wanted: Dead or Alive]]''
*''[[Wanted Dead or Alive (TV series)|Wanted Dead or Alive]]''
*''[[What's My Line]]''
*''[[What's My Line]]''


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*'''''[[Bringing Up Buddy]]'''''
*'''''[[Bringing Up Buddy]]'''''
*'''''[[Danger Man]]'''''
*'''''[[Danger Man]]'''''
*'''''[[The Andy Griffith Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Eyewitness to History]]'''''
*'''''[[Eyewitness to History]]'''''
*'''''[[Glenn Miller Orchestra (1956-present)|Glenn Miller Time]]'''''
*'''''[[Glenn Miller Orchestra (1956-present)|Glenn Miller Time]]'''''
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*''[[Men into Space]]''
*''[[Men into Space]]''
*''[[The Millionaire (TV series)|The Millionaire]]''
*''[[The Millionaire (TV series)|The Millionaire]]''
*''[[Mr. Lucky (TV series)|Mr. Lucky]]''
*''[[New Comedy Showcase]]''
*''[[Peck's Bad Girl]]''
*''[[Peck's Bad Girl]]''
*''[[Playhouse 90]]''
*''[[Playhouse 90]]''
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*'''''[[Thriller (U.S. TV series)|Thriller]]'''''
*'''''[[Thriller (U.S. TV series)|Thriller]]'''''
*'''''[[Westinghouse Playhouse|Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey]]'''''*
*'''''[[Westinghouse Playhouse|Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey]]'''''*
*'''''Westinghouse Preview Theatre''''' *
*'''''[[Westinghouse Preview Theatre]]''''' *
*'''''[[Whispering Smith (TV series)|Whispering Smith]]''''' *
*'''''[[Whispering Smith (TV series)|Whispering Smith]]''''' *


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


==Controversy==
==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.
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?"<ref name="CP1982">{{cite book| last = Castleman| first = Harry|first2= Walter J.|last2= Podrazik| title = Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television| publisher = McGraw-Hill| year = 1982| location = New York| pages = [https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast/page/139 139–146]| url =https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast| url-access = registration| isbn = 0-07-010269-4}}</ref> 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."<ref name="CP1982"/>
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?"<ref name="CP1982">{{cite book| last = Castleman| first = Harry|first2= Walter J.|last2= Podrazik| title = Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television| publisher = McGraw-Hill| year = 1982| location = New York| pages = [https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast/page/139 139–146]| url =https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast| url-access = registration| isbn = 0-07-010269-4}}</ref> 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."<ref name="CP1982"/>


Latest revision as of 16:05, 14 June 2024

  • Morning: 1958–59
  • 1959–60
  • 1960–61
  • 1961–62
  • 1962–63
  • Overnight: 1958–59
  • 1959–60
  • 1960–61
  • 1961–62
  • 1962–63

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

[edit]
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 Fall Walt Disney Presents (began 6:30) Maverick The Lawman (26/22.3) The Rebel The Islanders Winston Churchill: The Valiant Years
Spring The Asphalt Jungle
CBS Lassie Dennis 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)
NBC Fall The Shirley Temple Show (In COLOR) National Velvet The Tab Hunter Show The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (In COLOR) The Loretta Young Show This Is Your Life
Summer The 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

[edit]
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 Cheyenne (28/22.0) / Sugarfoot / Bronco Surfside 6 Adventures in Paradise Peter Gunn (29/21.9)
CBS Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News To Tell the Truth Pete and Gladys Bringing Up Buddy The Danny Thomas Show (12/25.9) The Andy Griffith Show (4/27.8) Hennesey Presidential Countdown
November Face the Nation
Summer Glenn Miller Time Brenner
Follow-up The Ann Sothern Show
NBC Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley Report Riverboat Tales of Wells Fargo Klondike Dante The Barbara Stanwyck Show Jackpot Bowling starring Milton Berle (In COLOR)
Winter The Americans Acapulco
Spring Whispering Smith Concentration

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

[edit]
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 Expedition! The Bugs Bunny Show The Rifleman (27/22.1) The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Stagecoach West Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond Local
CBS Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News Local Father Knows Best (repeats) The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis (23/23.0) The Tom Ewell Show The Red Skelton Show (19/24.0) (Occasionally in COLOR) The Garry Moore Show (25/22.7)
Summer Comedy Spotlight Playhouse 90 (repeats)
NBC 7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley Report Laramie Alfred Hitchcock Presents Thriller Specials (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

[edit]
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 Hong Kong The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Hawaiian Eye Naked City
CBS Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News The Aquanauts Wanted Dead or Alive My Sister Eileen I've Got a Secret Armstrong Circle Theatre / The United States Steel Hour
Spring Danger Man Angel
NBC Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley Report Wagon 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 Mary Local
Summer It Could Be You

Thursday

[edit]
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 Guestward, Ho! The Donna Reed Show The 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
CBS Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News The Witness Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theatre Angel The Ann Sothern Show Person to Person The DuPont Show with June Allyson
Follow-up The Ann Sothern Show Angel The Witness
Winter Gunslinger
Summer Summer Sports Spectacular Face the Nation and CBS Reports
NBC Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley Report Outlaws Bat Masterson Bachelor Father The Ford Show (24/22.9) (In COLOR) The Groucho Show* (Sporadically in COLOR) Local
Summer Great Ghost Tales (In COLOR)

* formerly You Bet Your Life

Friday

[edit]
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 Matty's Funday Funnies Harrigan and Son The Flintstones (18/24.3) 77 Sunset Strip (13/25.8)
(Tied with My Three Sons) 		The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor The Law and Mr. Jones
CBS Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News Rawhide (6/27.5) Route 66 (30/21.7) Mr. Garlund The Twilight Zone Eyewitness to History
Winter The Jackie Gleason Show
Spring 'Way Out
NBC Fall 7:00 Local / 7:15 Huntley-Brinkley Report Dan Raven The Westerner The Bell Telephone Hour (In COLOR) / NBC News Specials (alternating) Michael Shayne
Winter Happy One Happy Family Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey The Bell Telephone Hour / Sing Along with Mitch (alternating) (Both programs in COLOR)
May Five Star Jubilee (In COLOR)
Summer One Happy Family Five Star Jubilee (In COLOR) The Lawless Years Westinghouse Playhouse Starring Nanette Fabray and Wendell Corey
Follow-up Westinghouse Preview Theatre

Saturday

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Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM
ABC The Roaring 20s Leave It to Beaver The Lawrence Welk Show 10:00 The Fight of the Week / 10:45 Make That Spare
CBS Perry Mason (16/24.9) Checkmate (21/23.2) Have Gun – Will Travel (3/30.9) Gunsmoke (1/37.3) Local
NBC Fall Bonanza (17/24.8) (In COLOR) The Tall Man The Deputy The Campaign and the Candidates Man from Interpol
November The Nation's Future Local

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

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ABC

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CBS

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NBC

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

Trivia

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Effects of the WGA strike

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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

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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

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  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. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.
  2. ^ a b Castleman, Harry; Podrazik, Walter J. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 139–146. ISBN 0-07-010269-4.

Additional sources

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  • 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 (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
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