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{{Short description|none}}
New fall series are highlighted in '''bold'''.
{{USTV|1953}}
The following is the '''1953–54 network television schedule''' for the four major English language commercial [[List of United States over-the-air television networks|broadcast networks in the United States]]. The schedule covers [[primetime]] hours from September 1953 through March 1954. The schedule is followed by a [[#By network|list per network]] of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the [[1952-53 United States network television schedule|1952–53 season]].


Despite hit filmed programs such as ''[[I Love Lucy]]'', both [[William S. Paley]] of [[CBS]] and [[David Sarnoff]] of [[NBC]] were said to be determined to keep most programming on their networks live.<ref name="Boddy">Boddy, William (1993). ''Fifties Television: The Industry And Its Critics.'' Urbana: The University of Illinois Press. {{ISBN|0-252-06299-X}}</ref> Filmed programs were said to be inferior to the spontaneous nature of live television. Thus, NBC and CBS continued to schedule many live programs, including two new 1953 fall NBC series ''[[The Dave Garroway Show (television program)|The Dave Garroway Show]]'' and ''[[Bonino (TV series)|Bonino]]''. According to Brooks and Marsh (2007), Garroway's show "was faced with overwhelming competition from ''[[Mama (American TV series)|Mama]]'' and ''[[Ozzie & Harriet]]'', which were running opposite on CBS and ABC, and it only lasted a single season".<ref name="BM"/> ''[[Bonino (TV series)|Bonino]]'' did not even last the full season. CBS had more luck with new live programs ''[[Person to Person]]'' and ''[[My Favorite Husband]]'' (which would later make the switch to film).
The highest-rated show for the year is colored in gold.
[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]], perennially in third or fourth place among the four U.S. television networks, had been on the verge of bankruptcy, but the February 1953 merger of United Paramount Theaters with ABC had given ABC a $30 million cash infusion. ABC revamped its schedule for Fall 1953 with big-budget programs. New ABC programs included ''[[Make Room for Daddy]]'', and an ABC version of NBC's popular ''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]''; the strategy was designed to "take on CBS and NBC with a strong schedule".<ref name="CP1984">Castleman, H. and Podrazik, W. (1984) ''The TV Schedule Book: Four Decades of Network Programming from Sign-on to Sign-off''. McGraw-Hill. pg 45-46. {{ISBN|0-07-010277-5}}</ref>


In contrast to ABC's revamped schedule, [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont's]] Fall 1953 prime time schedule looked weak, with programs that were "doomed from the start by third-rate scripts and cheap production."<ref name="CP1982">{{cite book| last = Castleman| first = Harry|author2= Walter J. Podrazik| title = Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television| url = https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast| url-access = registration| publisher = McGraw-Hill| year = 1982| location = New York| pages = [https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast/page/87 87]| isbn = 0-07-010269-4}}</ref> The 1953–54 season would be the last year DuMont was able to schedule nearly 20 hours of programming in [[prime time]]. By the 1954–55 season, DuMont would be forced to cut back its schedule,<ref name="BM">Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows'' (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. pp 517–518, 1576-1577. {{ISBN|0-345-31864-1}}.</ref> while the other three networks continued to expand.


During the 1953 season, both DuMont and ABC "made sporadic efforts to compete for the daytime audience, but faced so many problems just filling prime time that they found it much more efficient to focus primarily on weekend sports".<ref name="CP1984"/> DuMont paid $1.3 million in 1953 for the rights to broadcast [[National Football League]] games in prime time; starting December 12, DuMont also broadcast a series of [[National Basketball Association|NBA]] basketball games, the first time pro basketball was seen regularly on network TV. Both DuMont and ABC "were especially aggressive in pursuit of sports broadcasts because they were desperately in need of special attractions to bring in viewers".<ref name="CP1984"/>
=== Sunday ===

{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">
Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by [[Nielsen Media Research]].<ref name="BM2">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}}.</ref>

:{{Color box|yellow|border=darkgray}} Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.
:{{Color box|cyan|border=darkgray}} Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.
:{{Color box|#FF22FF|border=darkgray}} Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.

== Sunday ==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[You Asked for It]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[You Asked For It]]''
| colspan="3" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 '''[[The Frank Leahy Show]]''' / 7:45 '''[[Notre Dame Football]]'''
| colspan="3" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 '''''[[Frank Leahy|The Frank Leahy Show]]''''' / 7:45 '''''[[ESPN College Football on ABC|Notre Dame Football]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 9:00 [[The Walter Winchell Show]] / 9:15 [[The Orchid Award]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 9:00 ''[[The Walter Winchell Show]]'' / 9:15 ''The Orchid Award''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Juke Box Jury (US TV series)|Juke Box Jury]]'''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''Jukebox Jury'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 10:30 [[Hour of Decision]] / 10:45 Local
| 10:30 ''[[Hour of Decision|Billy Graham's Hour of Decision]]'' / 10:45 Local
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Quiz Kids]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Quiz Kids]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Jack Benny|The Jack Benny Program]]/[[Private Secretary (TV series)|Private Secretary]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | <span style="background-color:cyan">''[[The Jack Benny Program#Television|The Jack Benny Show]]'' (16/33.3)</span> / <span style="background-color:magenta">''[[Private Secretary (TV series)|Private Secretary]]'' (24/30.3)</span>
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Toast of the Town]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#00FFFF" | ''[[Toast of the Town]]'' (17/33.0)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Fred Waring Show]]/[[General Electric Theater|The General Electric Theater]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Fred Waring Show]]'' / <span style="background-color:magenta">''[[General Electric Theater]]'' (27/29.9)</span>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[The Man Behind the Badge]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Man Behind the Badge]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Web (TV series)|The Web]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Web (1950 TV series)|The Web]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[What's My Line?]]
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[What's My Line?]]'' (28/29.6)
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Paul Winchell-Jerry Mahoney Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''The Paul Winchell Show''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Mr. Peepers]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Mister Peepers]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | <span style="background-color:#FFFF00">''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]'' (10/36.2)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'')</small></span> / '''''[[Bob Hope television specials#1953|The Bob Hope Show]]''''' (once a month)
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Philco Television Playhouse]]/[[Goodyear Television Playhouse]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | <span style="background-color:cyan">''[[The Philco Television Playhouse]]'' (19/32.5)</span> / <span style="background-color:magenta">''[[Goodyear Television Playhouse]]'' (22/31.0)</span>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[A Letter to Loretta]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Letter to Loretta]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Man Against Crime]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Man Against Crime]]''
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! rowspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Washington Exclusive]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Washington Exclusive]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="white" | Local
| colspan="2" rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Rocky King, Inside Detective]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Plainclothesman]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Rocky King, Inside Detective]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Dollar a Second]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Plainclothesman]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Man Against Crime]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[Dollar a Second]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Man Against Crime]]''
|-
! Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''Better Living TV Theatre''
|}
|}


*On CBS, ''[[The Jack Benny Program]]'' alternated with ''[[Private Secretary (TV series)|Private Secretary]]'' every third week. As of February 14, 1954, ''[[Letter to Loretta]]'' on NBC became ''[[The Loretta Young Show]]''.
=== Monday ===
*On April 18, 1954, '''''[[The Martha Wright Show]]''''' replaced ''The Jane Pickens Show'', starring vocalist [[Jane Pickens Langley]], at the 9:15&nbsp;p.m. time slot on Sundays on ABC. ''Pickens'' had previously replaced ''The Orchid Award''.
{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">

== Monday ==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 [[The Walter Winchell Show]] / 7:15 '''[[World News With Charles Gibson|John Daley and the News]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 ''[[The Walter Winchell Show]]'' / 7:15 '''''[[ABC World News Tonight|John Daly and the News]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Jamie (TV series)|Jamie]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Jamie (TV series)|Jamie]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Sky King]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Sky King]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Of Many Things]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Of Many Things]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Junior Press Conference]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''Junior Press Conference''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[The Big Picture (TV series)|The Big Picture]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Big Picture (American TV series)|The Big Picture]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[This Is the Life]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[This Is the Life (TV series)|This Is the Life]]''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[CBS News]] / 7:45 [[The Perry Como Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]'' / 7:45 ''[[The Perry Como Show]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show]]
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" | ''[[The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show]]'' (20/32.4)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts]]
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | ''[[Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts]]'' (3/43.6)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'')</small>
| bgcolor="gold" | [[I Love Lucy]]
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | ''[[I Love Lucy]]'' (1/58.8)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Red Buttons Show]]
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" | ''[[The Red Buttons Show]]'' (12/35.3)
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Studio One (radio-TV series)|Studio One]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Studio One (U.S. TV series)|Studio One]]''
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[The Arthur Murray Party]] / 7:45 [[Camel News Caravan]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 ''[[The Arthur Murray Party]]'' / 7:45 ''[[Camel News Caravan]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Name That Tune]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Name That Tune]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Voice of Firestone]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Voice of Firestone]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Dennis Day Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Dennis Day|The Dennis Day Show]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Robert Montgomery Presents]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Robert Montgomery Presents]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Who Said That?]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Who Said That?]]''
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 [[Captain Video]] / 7:15 '''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 ''[[Captain Video and His Video Rangers|Captain Video]]'' / 7:15 '''''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Twenty Questions]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Twenty Questions]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Big Issue (TV series)|The Big Issue]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''The Big Issue''
| colspan="4" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Boxing from Eastern Parkway]]
| colspan="4" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Boxing From Eastern Parkway]]''
|}
|}


*On April 26, 1954, ''[[The Tony Martin Show]]'' replaced ''The Arthur Murray Party'' on NBC. Both programs were fifteen minutes in length.
=== Tuesday ===
*From April 6, 1953, to December 7, 1953, DuMont aired ''[[Monodrama Theater]]'' Monday through Friday at 11pm ET.
{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">

== Tuesday ==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''[[World News With Charles Gibson|John Daley and the News]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''''[[ABC World News Tonight|John Daly and the News]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Cavalcade of America]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Cavalcade of America]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | Local
| colspan="2"| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Make Room for Daddy]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Danny Thomas Show|Make Room for Daddy]]'''''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[The United States Steel Hour]]'''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The United States Steel Hour]]''''' / '''''[[The Motorola Television Hour]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Name's the Same]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Name's the Same]]''
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! rowspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[CBS News]] / 7:45 [[Jane Froman's U.S.A. Canteen]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Gene Autry Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:30 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]'' / 7:45 ''[[The Jane Froman Show]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Red Skelton Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Gene Autry Show]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[This Is Show Business]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Red Skelton Show]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Suspense]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[This Is Show Business]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Danger (TV series)|Danger]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Suspense (US TV series)|Suspense]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Danger (TV series)|Danger]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[See It Now]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[See It Now]]
|-
|-
! Summer
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''The Blue Angel'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[The Dinah Shore Show]] / 7:45 [[Camel News Caravan]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Milton Berle Show]]/'''[[The Bob Hope Show]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Fireside Theater]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Armstrong Circle Theater]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Judge for Yourself]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 10:30 [[On the Line with Considine]] / 10:45 [[It Happened in Sports]]
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! rowspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 [[Captain Video]] / 7:15 '''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Life is Worth Living]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:30 ''[[The Dinah Shore Show]]'' / 7:45 ''[[Camel News Caravan]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[Texaco Star Theater|The Buick-Berle Show]]''* (5/40.2)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Pantomime Quiz]]
| colspan="4" bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | ''[[Fireside Theatre]]'' (9/36.4)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Armstrong Circle Theater]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''Judge for Yourself'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 10:30 ''[[Bob Considine|On the Line with Considine]]'' / 10:45 ''It Happened in Sports''
|-
! Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Summer Playhouse (1954 TV series)|Summer Playhouse]]'''''
|-
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 ''[[Captain Video and His Video Rangers|Captain Video]]'' / 7:15 '''''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''''
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Life Is Worth Living]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Pantomime Quiz]]''
| colspan="4"| Local
|}
|}
(*) Formerly ''[[Texaco Star Theater]]''


On ABC, ''The United States Steel Hour'' alternated with ''The Motorola Television Hour''.
=== Wednesday ===

{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">
On NBC, ''[[Summer Playhouse (1954 TV series)|Summer Playhouse]]'' was a summer [[anthology series]] made up of repeats of episodes from other anthologyseries.

== Wednesday ==
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''[[World News With Charles Gibson|John Daley and the News]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''''[[ABC World News Tonight|John Daly and the News]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Inspector Mark Saber – Homicide Squad]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Saber of London|Inspector Mark Saber – Homicide Squad]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 8:00 '''[[At Issue]]''' / 8:15 '''[[Through the Curtain]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 8:00 '''''[[At Issue]]''''' / 8:15 '''''Through the Curtain'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Answers for Americans]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''Answers for Americans'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Take It from Me]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''Take It from Me'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Dr. I.Q.]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Dr. I.Q.]]'''''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Wrestling from the Marigold in Chicago]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''Wrestling From Rainbo Arena''
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[CBS News]] / 7:45 [[The Perry Como Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]'' / 7:45 ''[[The Perry Como Show]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Arthur Godfrey and His Friends]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFF00" | ''[[Arthur Godfrey and His Friends]]'' (6/38.9)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Strike It Rich]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Strike It Rich (radio-TV)|Strike It Rich]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[I've Got a Secret]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[I've Got a Secret]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 10:00 [[Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts]] / 10:45 [[Sports Spot]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 10:00 <span style="background-color:magenta">''[[Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts]]'' (23/30.9)</span> / 10:45 ''Sports Spot''
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[Those Two]] / 7:45 [[Camel News Caravan]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 ''[[Coke Time with Eddie Fisher]]'' / 7:45 ''[[Camel News Caravan]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[I Married Joan]]
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[I Married Joan]]'' (25/30.2)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[Mama (American TV series)|Mama]]'')</small>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[My Little Margie]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[My Little Margie]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Kraft Television Theater]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[Kraft Television Theater]]'' (21/31.3)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[This Is Your Life]]
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" | ''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]'' (10/36.2)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]'')</small>
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
|-
! rowspan="4" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="4" | 7:00 ''[[Captain Video and His Video Rangers|Captain Video]]'' / 7:15 '''''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''''
| rowspan="4" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="4" | ''[[The Johns Hopkins Science Review]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="4" | '''''[[Joseph Schildkraut Presents]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="4" | '''''[[Colonel Humphrey Flack]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="4" | '''''[[On Your Way]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Stars on Parade (TV series)|Stars on Parade]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Music Show (TV program)|The Music Show]]''
|-
!Winter
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="4" | ''[[The Music Show (TV program)|The Music Show]]''
|
|-
!Spring
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''Better Living TV Theatre'''''
|-
!Summer
|
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 [[Captain Video]] / 7:15 '''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The John Hopkins Science Review]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Melody Street]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Colonel Humphrey Flack]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[On Your Way]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Stars on Parade]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Music Show]]
|}
|}


=== Thursday ===
== Thursday ==
{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''[[World News With Charles Gibson|John Daley and the News]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''''[[ABC World News Tonight|John Daly and the News]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Lone Ranger]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Lone Ranger (TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Quick as a Flash]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Quick As a Flash]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Where's Raymond?]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Where's Raymond?]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Back That Fact]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Back That Fact]]'''''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Kraft Television Theater]]'''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Kraft Television Theater]]'''''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! rowspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[CBS News]] / 7:45 [[Jane Froman’s U.S.A. Canteen]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Meet Mr. McNutley]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:30 ''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]]'' / 7:45 ''[[Jane Froman’s U.S.A. Canteen]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Four Star Playhouse]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[Meet Mr. McNutley]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Lux Video Theatre]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Four Star Playhouse]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Big Town]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Lux Video Theatre]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Phillip Morris Playhouse]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Big Town (American TV series)|Big Town]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Philip Morris Playhouse]]'''''/ starting March 11: '''''[[The Public Defender (TV series)|The Public Defender]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Place the Face]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''Place the Face''
|-
|-
! Summer
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Telltale Clue]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[The Dinah Shore Show]] / 7:45 [[Camel News Caravan]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[You Bet Your Life]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Treasury Men in Action]]
| bgcolor="silver" | [[Dragnet (series)|Dragnet]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Ford Theater]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | Martin Kane
| bgcolor="white" | Local
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! rowspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 [[Captain Video]] / 7:15 '''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| rowspan="2" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Football Highlights]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | 7:30 ''[[The Dinah Shore Show]]'' / 7:45 ''[[Camel News Caravan]]''
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[You Bet Your Life]]'' (3/43.6)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts]]'')</small>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Broadway to Hollywood – Headline Clues]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[What's the Story?]]
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan="2" | ''[[Treasury Men in Action]]'' (15/33.9)
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[Dragnet (series)|Dragnet]]'' (2/53.2)
| colspan="3" bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[Ford Theatre]]'' (7/38.8)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[Martin Kane, Private Eye]]'' (29/29.5)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[The Big Story (radio and TV series)|The Big Story]]'' and ''[[Your Hit Parade]]'')</small>
| rowspan="2" | Local
|-
! Summer
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Marriage (American TV series)|The Marriage]]''''' ('''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>''')
|-
! colspan="2" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 ''[[Captain Video and His Video Rangers|Captain Video]]'' / 7:15 '''''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''''
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Pro Football Highlights]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Broadway to Hollywood|Broadway to Hollywood – Headline Clues]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[What's the Story]]''
| colspan="3" | Local
|}
|}


=== Friday ===
== Friday ==
{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center" colspan=2 | Network
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan=2 | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''[[World News With Charles Gibson|John Daley and the News]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 Local / 7:15 '''''[[ABC World News Tonight|John Daly and the News]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Stu Erwin Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Stu Erwin Show]]'' (aka Trouble With Father)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Pepsi-Cola Playhouse]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Pride of the Family]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Pride of the Family]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[The Comeback Story]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''The Comeback Story'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Showcase Theater]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''Showcase Theater'''''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| Local
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan=2 | [[CBS]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| rowspan=2 | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[CBS News]] / 7:45 [[The Perry Como Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Mama (TV series)|Mama]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan=2 | 7:30 [[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards with the News]] / 7:45 [[The Perry Como Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Topper (TV series)|Topper]]'''
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" rowspan=2 | ''[[Mama (American TV series)|Mama]]'' (25/30.2)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[I Married Joan]]'')</small>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Schlitz Playhouse of Stars]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan=2 | '''''[[Topper (TV series)|Topper]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Our Miss Brooks]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan=2 | ''[[Schlitz Playhouse of Stars]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[My Friend Irma]]
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" rowspan=2 | ''[[Our Miss Brooks]]'' (14/34.2)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Person to Person]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[My Friend Irma]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan=2 | '''''[[Person to Person]]'''''
|-
|-
! Summer
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Viceroy Star Theatre]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 [[Coke Time with Eddie Fisher]] / 7:45 [[Camel News Caravan]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[The Dave Garroway Show]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Life of Riley]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Big Story (radio/TV)|The Big Story]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Campbell Soundstage]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 10:00 [[Gillette Cavalcade of Sports]] / 10:45 [[Greatest Fights of the Century]]
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan=2 | [[NBC]]
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 [[Captain Video]] / 7:15 '''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:30 ''[[Coke Time with Eddie Fisher]]'' / 7:45 ''[[Camel News Caravan]]''
| bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Front Page Detective]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[The Dave Garroway Show (TV program)|The Dave Garroway Show]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Guide Right]]
| bgcolor="#00FFFF" | ''[[The Life of Riley]]'' (13/35.0)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[The Big Story (radio/TV)|The Big Story]]'' (29/29.5)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[Martin Kane, Private Eye]]'' and ''[[Your Hit Parade]]'')</small>
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Life Begins at Eighty]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Nine Thirty Curtain]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[The Campbell Playhouse (TV series)|Campbell Soundstage]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 10:00 <span style="background-color:cyan">''[[Gillette Cavalcade of Sports]]'' (18/32.7)</span> / 10:45 ''Greatest Fights of the Century''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Chance of a Lifetime]]
|-
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Down You Go]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan=2 | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 7:00 ''[[Captain Video and His Video Rangers|Captain Video]]'' / 7:15 '''''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''''
| Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Front Page Detective]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Melody Street]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Life Begins at Eighty]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Nine Thirty Curtain]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Chance of a Lifetime (1950s TV series)|Chance of a Lifetime]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Down You Go]]''
|}
|}


=== Saturday ===
== Saturday ==
{| class=wikitable border="1" cellpadding="1">
{| class="wikitable" style="width:100%;margin-right:0;text-align:center"
|-
|-
! colspan="2" style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| Network
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 7:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 7:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 8:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 8:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 9:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 9:30 PM
! width="12%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:00
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:00 PM
! width="13%" bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | 10:30
! style="background-color:#C0C0C0;text-align:center"| 10:30 PM
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Paul Whiteman|Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Leave It to the Girls]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Leave It to the Girls]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Music at the Meadowbrook]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Talent Patrol]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 9:00 [[The Saturday Night Fights]] / 9:45 [[Fight Talk]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''Music at the Meadowbrook''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Madison Square Garden Highlights]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | 9:00 ''The Saturday Night Fights'' / 9:45 ''Fight Talk''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''Madison Square Garden Highlights''
| colspan="2" | Local
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[CBS]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" rowspan="2" | [[CBS]]
! Fall
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Meet Millie]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Beat the Clock]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Meet Millie]]''
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[The Jackie Gleason Show]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Beat the Clock]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Two for the Money (game show)|Two for the Money]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="#FFFF00" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Jackie Gleason Show]]'' (8/38.1)
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[My Favorite Husband]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[Two for the Money (game show)|Two for the Money]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Medallion Theater]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | '''''[[My Favorite Husband]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Revlon Mirror Theater]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Medallion Theatre]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" rowspan="2" | ''[[The Revlon Mirror Theater]]''
|-
|-
! Spring
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[NBC]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Watch Mr. Wizard]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[That's My Boy (1954 TV series)|That's My Boy]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Ethel and Albert]]
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[Bonino]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Original Amateur Hour|The Original Amateur Hour]]
| colspan="3" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Your Show of Shows]]/'''[[The Martha Raye Show]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | [[Your Hit Parade]]
|-
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | [[NBC]]
| colspan="2" bgcolor="white" | Local
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Watch Mr. Wizard]]''
| colspan="6" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''[[National Football League Professional Football]]'''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Ethel and Albert]]''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[Bonino (TV series)|Bonino]]'''''
| bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Original Amateur Hour|The Original Amateur Hour]]''
| colspan="3" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | ''[[Your Show of Shows]]''/'''''[[Martha Raye|The Martha Raye Show]]''''' (once a month)
| bgcolor="#FF22FF" | ''[[Your Hit Parade]]'' (29/29.5)<br/><small>(Tied with ''[[The Big Story (radio and TV series)|The Big Story]]'' and ''[[Martin Kane, Private Eye]]'')</small>
|-
! bgcolor="#C0C0C0" colspan="2" | [[DuMont Television Network|DMN]]
| colspan="2" | Local
| colspan="6" bgcolor="#F0F0F0" | '''''[[NFL on DuMont|National Football League Professional Football]]'''''
|}
|}

==By network==

===[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
'''Returning Series'''
*''[[The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet]]''
*''[[The Big Picture (American TV series)|The Big Picture]]''
*''[[Hour of Decision|Billy Graham's Hour of Decision]]''
*''[[Cavalcade of America]]'' (moved from [[NBC]])
*''[[The Dotty Mack Show]]'' (moved from [[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]])
*''Fight Talk''
*''[[Saber of London|Inspector Mark Saber — Homicide Squad]]''
*''Junior Press Conference''
*''[[Leave It to the Girls]]''
*''[[The Lone Ranger (TV series)|The Lone Ranger]]''
*''Madison Square Garden Highlights''
*''Music at Meadowbrook''
*''[[The Name's the Same]]''
*''The Orchid Award''
*''[[Quick As a Flash]]''
*''[[Paul Whiteman|Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club]]''
*''The Saturday Night Fights''
*''[[Sky King]]''
*''[[The Stu Erwin Show]]''
*''[[Talent Patrol]]''
*''[[This Is the Life (TV series)|This Is the Life]]''
*''[[The Walter Winchell Show]]''
*''Wrestling From Rainbo Arena''
*''[[You Asked For It]]''

{{col-3}}
'''New Series'''
*'''''Answers for Americans'''''
*'''''At Issue'''''
*'''''[[Back That Fact]]'''''
*'''''[[The Big Picture (American TV series)|The Big Picture]]'''''
*'''''[[Center Stage (TV series)|Center Stage]]''''' *
*'''''The Comeback Story'''''
*'''''[[Dr. I.Q.]]'''''
*'''''[[The Ern Westmore Hollywood Glamour Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Frank Leahy|The Frank Leahy Show]]'''''
*'''''[[The George Jessel Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Jamie (TV series)|Jamie]]'''''
*'''''[[ABC World News Tonight|John Daly and the News]]'''''
*''''' Jukebox Jury'''''
*'''''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]'''''
*'''''[[Leave It to the Girls]]'''''
*'''''[[Make Room for Daddy]]'''''
*'''''[[The Martha Wright Show]]'''''
*'''''[[The Motorola Television Hour]]'''''
*'''''[[ESPN College Football on ABC|Notre Dame Football]]'''''
*'''''[[Of Many Things]]'''''
*'''''[[On Your Way]]'''''
*'''''[[The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse]]'''''
*'''''The Pride of the Family'''''
*'''''[[Quick as a Flash]]'''''
*'''''Showcase Theater'''''
*'''''[[Talent Patrol]]'''''
*'''''[[The Stu Erwin Show|The Trouble With Father]]'''''
*'''''Through the Curtain'''''
*'''''[[The United States Steel Hour]]'''''
*'''''[[Where's Raymond?]]'''''

{{col-3}}
'''Not returning from [[1952–53 United States network television schedule|1952–53]]:'''
*''[[The Adventures of Ellery Queen]]''
*''All-Star News''
*''America in View''
*''Anywhere U.S.A.''
*''[[Back That Fact]]''
*''[[The Beulah Show]]''
*''Both Sides''
*''[[Fear and Fancy]]''
*''Feature Playhouse''
*''[[Hollywood Screen Test]]''
*''Live Like a Millionaire''
*''On Guard''
*''[[Perspectives (TV series)|Perspectives]]''
*''[[Plymouth Playhouse]]''
*''Tales of Tomorrow''
*''[[This is the Life (TV series)|This is the Life Presents "The Fisher Family"]]''
*''United or Not?''

{{col-end}}

===[[CBS]]===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
'''Returning Series'''
*''[[Arthur Godfrey and His Friends]]''
*''[[Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts]]''
*''[[Beat the Clock]]''
*''[[Big Town]]''
*''The Blue Angel''
*''[[Danger (TV series)|Danger]]''
*''[[CBS Evening News|Douglas Edwards and the News]]''
*''[[Four Star Playhouse]]''
*''[[The Fred Waring Show]]''
*''[[The Garry Moore Show]]''
*''[[The Gene Autry Show]]''
*''[[General Electric Theater]]''
*''[[The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show]]''
*''[[I Love Lucy]]''
*''[[I've Got a Secret]]''
*''[[The Jack Benny Show]]''
*''[[The Jackie Gleason Show]]''
*''[[The Jane Froman Show]]''
*''[[Jane Froman's U.S.A. Canteen]]''
*''[[Lux Video Theatre]]''
*''[[Mama (American TV series)|Mama]]''
*''[[Medallion Theatre]]''
*''[[Meet Millie]]''
*''[[My Friend Irma]]''
*''[[Omnibus (American TV program)|Omnibus]]''
*''[[Our Miss Brooks]]''
*''[[Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts]]''
*''[[The Perry Como Show]]''
*''Place the Face''
*''[[The Red Buttons Show]]''
*''[[The Red Skelton Show]]'' (moved from [[NBC]])
*''[[The Revlon Mirror Theater]]'' (moved from [[NBC]])
*''[[Schlitz Playhouse of Stars]]''
*''[[See It Now]]''
*''Sports Spot''
*''[[Strike It Rich (1947 game show)|Strike It Rich]]''
*''[[Studio One (US TV series)|Studio One]]''
*''[[Suspense (US TV series)|Suspense]]''
*''This Is Show Business''
*''[[Toast of the Town]]''
*''[[Topper (TV series)|Topper]]''
*''[[Two for the Money (game show)|Two for the Money]]''
*''[[The Web (1950 TV series)|The Web]]''
*''[[What in the World? (game show)|What in the World?]]''
*''[[What's My Line]]''
*''[[Your Play Time]]''

{{col-3}}
'''New Series'''
*'''''The Blue Angel''''' *
*'''''[[The Jo Stafford Show (1954 TV series)|The Jo Stafford Show]]''''' *
*'''''[[Life with Father]]'''''
*'''''[[The Man Behind the Badge]]'''''
*'''''[[Meet Mr. McNutley]]'''''
*'''''[[My Favorite Husband]]'''''
*'''''Pentagon U.S.A.'''''
*'''''[[Person to Person]]'''''
*'''''The Public Defender'''''
*'''''[[The Telltale Clue]]''''' *
*'''''[[That's My Boy (1954 TV series)|That's My Boy]]''''' *

{{col-3}}
'''Not returning from [[1952–53 United States network television schedule|1952–53]]:'''
*''[[Amos 'n' Andy]]''
*''[[Balance Your Budget]]''
*''[[Battle of the Ages]]''
*''Biff Baker, U.S.A.''
*''[[City Hospital (US series)|City Hospital]]''
*''[[Crime Syndicated]]''
*''[[Footlights Theater]]''
*''[[Heaven for Betsy]]''
*''[[Jane Froman's U.S.A. Canteen]]''
*''[[The Larry Storch Show]]''
*''[[Leave It to Larry]]''
*''[[Life with Luigi]]''
*''[[Mr. and Mrs. North]]''
*''[[Racket Squad]]''
*''[[Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City]]''
*''[[Your Jeweler's Showcase]]''

{{col-end}}

===[[DuMont Television Network|DuMont]]===

{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
'''Returning series'''
*''[[Boxing from Eastern Parkway]]''
*''[[Broadway to Hollywood|Broadway to Hollywood – Headline Clues]]''
*''[[Captain Video and His Video Rangers|Captain Video]]''
*''[[Chance of a Lifetime (TV series)|Chance of a Lifetime]]''
*''[[Concert Tonight]]''
*''[[Down You Go]]''
*''[[Front Page Detective]]''
*''[[Guide Right]]''
*''[[The Johns Hopkins Science Review]]''
*''[[Life Begins at Eighty]]''
*''[[Life is Worth Living]]''
*''[[Man Against Crime]]'' (moved from [[CBS]])
*''[[The Music Show (US)|The Music Show]]''
*''[[Pantomime Quiz]]''
*''[[The Plainclothesman]]''
*''[[Pro Football Highlights]]''
*''[[Rocky King, Inside Detective]]''
*''[[The Strawhatters]]''
*''[[They Stand Accused]]''
*''[[Twenty Questions]]''
*''[[Washington Exclusive]]''
*''[[What's the Story?]]''
*''[[What's Your Bid?]]''

{{col-3}}
'''New series'''
*'''''Better Living TV theatre''''' *
*'''''The Big Issue'''''
*'''''[[Colonel Humphrey Flack]]'''''
*'''''[[Concert Tonight]]''''' *
*'''''[[Dollar a Second]]'''''
*'''''[[Gamble on Love]]''''' *
*'''''[[The Igor Cassini Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Joseph Schildkraut Presents]]'''''
*'''''[[Love Story (1954 TV series)|Love Story]]''''' *
*'''''[[Marge and Jeff]]'''''
*'''''[[Melody Street]]'''''
*'''''[[NFL on DuMont|National Football League Professional Football]]'''''
*'''''[[Night Editor (TV series)|Night Editor]]''''' *
*'''''[[Nine Thirty Curtain]]'''''
*'''''[[On Your Way]]'''''
*'''''[[Opera Cameos]]'''''
*'''''[[Pulse of the City]]'''''
*'''''[[Stars on Parade (TV series)|Stars on Parade]]'''''
*'''''[[The Stranger (1954 American TV series)|The Stranger]]'''''

{{col-3}}
'''Not returning from [[1952–53 United States network television schedule|1952–53]]:'''
*''[[The Arthur Murray Party]]''
*''[[Author Meets the Critics]]''
*''[[The Big Idea (American TV series)|The Big Idea]]''
*''[[Blind Date (American game show)|Blind Date]]''
*''[[Charlie Wild, Private Detective]]''
*''[[Dark of Night]]''
*''[[Drama at Eight]]''
*''[[Football Sidelines]]''
*''[[Georgetown University Forum]]''
*''[[Guide Right]]''
*''[[Jimmy Hughes, Rookie Cop]]''
*''[[Keep Posted]]''
*''[[The Old American Barn Dance]]''
*''[[One Woman's Experience]]''
*''[[The Pet Shop]]''
*''[[The Power of Women]]''
*''[[Report Card for Parents]]''
*''[[Stage a Number]]''
*''[[Steve Randall]]''
*''[[This Is the Life (TV series)|This Is the Life Presents "The Fisher Family"]]''
*''[[Trash or Treasure]]''
*''[[Where Was I? (TV series)|Where Was I?]]''
*''[[Wisdom of the Ages]]''
*''[[Wrestling From Marigold]]''
*''[[Youth on the March]]''

{{col-end}}

===[[NBC]]===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-3}}
'''Returning Series'''
*''[[Armstrong Circle Theatre]]''
*''[[The Arthur Murray Party]]''
*''[[Bank on the Stars]]'' (moved from [[CBS]])
*''[[The Big Story (radio/TV)|The Big Story]]''
*''[[The Buick-Berle Show]]''
*''[[Camel News Caravan]]''
*''[[Cameo Theatre]]''
*''[[The Campbell Playhouse (TV series)|Campbell Soundstage]]''
*''[[Coke Time with Eddie Fisher]]''
*''[[The Colgate Comedy Hour]]''
*''[[The Dave Garroway Show (TV program)|The Dave Garroway Show]]''
*''[[Dennis Day|The Dennis Day Show]]''
*''[[The Dinah Shore Show]]''
*''[[Dragnet (1951 TV series)|Dragnet]]''
*''[[Ethel and Albert]]''
*''[[Fireside Theatre]]''
*''[[Ford Theatre]]''
*''[[Gillette Cavalcade of Sports]]''
*''[[Goodyear Television Playhouse]]''
*''Greatest Fights of the Century''
*''[[I Married Joan]]''
*''It Happened In Sports''
*''[[The Kate Smith Evening Hour]]''
*''[[Kraft Television Theatre]]''
*''[[The Life of Riley]]''
*''[[Man Against Crime]]'' (moved from [[CBS]])
*''[[Martin Kane, Private Eye]]''
*''[[Mister Peepers]]''
*''[[My Little Margie]]''
*''[[Name That Tune]]''
*''[[Bob Considine|On the Line with Considine]]''
*''[[The Original Amateur Hour]]''
*''[[Paul Winchell|The Paul Winchell Show]]''
*''[[The Philco Television Playhouse]]''
*''[[Robert Montgomery Presents]]''
*''[[Texaco Star Theater]]''
*''[[This Is Your Life (American franchise)|This Is Your Life]]''
*''[[Treasury Men in Action]]''
*''[[The Voice of Firestone]]''
*''[[Watch Mr. Wizard]]''
*''[[Who Said That?]]''
*''[[You Bet Your Life]]''
*''[[Your Favorite Story]]''
*''[[Your Hit Parade]]''
*''[[Your Show of Shows]]''

{{col-3}}
'''New Series'''
*'''''[[The Best in Mystery]]''''' *
*'''''[[Bob Hope television specials#1953|The Bob Hope Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Bonino (TV series)|Bonino]]'''''
*'''''[[Cheer Television Theatre]]''''' *
*'''''[[The Dave Garroway Show (TV program)|The Dave Garroway Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Dennis Day|The Dennis Day Show]]'''''
*'''''[[Inner Sanctum (TV series)|Inner Sanctum]]'''''
*'''''It Happened in Sports'''''
*'''''Judge for Yourself'''''
*'''''[[Letter to Loretta]]'''''
*'''''[[Man Against Crime]]'''''
*'''''[[The Marriage (American TV series)|The Marriage]]''''' *
*'''''[[Martha Raye|The Martha Raye Show]]'''''
*'''''[[The Spike Jones Show (series)|The Spike Jones Show]]''''' *
*'''''[[Summer Playhouse (1954 TV series)|Summer Playhouse]]''''' *
*'''''[[The World of Mr. Sweeney]]'''''

{{col-3}}
'''Not returning from [[1952–53 United States network television schedule|1952–53]]:'''
*''[[The Aldrich Family]]''
*''[[The Buick Circus Hour]]''
*''[[The Doctor (1952 TV series)|The Doctor]]''
*''Embassy Club''
*''[[Eye Witness (TV series)|Eye Witness]]''
*''[[Ford Festival]]''
*''[[Gang Busters]]''
*''[[Gulf Playhouse]]''
*''The Herman Hickmann Show''
*''[[My Hero (American TV series)|My Hero]]''
*''[[My Son Jeep]]''
*''[[The RCA Victor Show#The Dennis Day Show|The RCA Victor Show Starring Dennis Day]]''
*''Scott Music Hall''
*''[[Short Short Dramas]]''
*''[[Those Two]]''
*''[[Victory at Sea]]''

{{col-end}}

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


==References==
==References==
* McNeil, Alex. ''Total Television''. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
* McNeil, Alex. (1996). ''Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present''. 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.
* Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1984). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows'' (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. {{ISBN|0-345-31864-1}}.
* Heldenfels, R(ichard) D. (1994). ''Television's Greatest Year: 1954''. New York: Continuum. {{ISBN|0-8264-0675-0}}.

===General references===
* 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}}.

===Inline citations===
{{Reflist}}



{{US TV schedule}}
{{US TV schedule}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:1953-54 United States network television schedule}}
[[Category:Television schedules]]
[[Category:United States primetime network television schedules]]
[[Category:1953 in American television|United States network television schedule]]
[[Category:1954 in American television|United States network television schedule]]

Latest revision as of 21:39, 20 December 2024

  • Morning: 1951–52
  • 1952–53
  • 1953–54
  • 1954–55
  • 1955–56
  • Overnight: 1951–52
  • 1952–53
  • 1953–54
  • 1954–55
  • 1955–56

The following is the 1953–54 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1953 through March 1954. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1952–53 season.

Despite hit filmed programs such as I Love Lucy, both William S. Paley of CBS and David Sarnoff of NBC were said to be determined to keep most programming on their networks live.[1] Filmed programs were said to be inferior to the spontaneous nature of live television. Thus, NBC and CBS continued to schedule many live programs, including two new 1953 fall NBC series The Dave Garroway Show and Bonino. According to Brooks and Marsh (2007), Garroway's show "was faced with overwhelming competition from Mama and Ozzie & Harriet, which were running opposite on CBS and ABC, and it only lasted a single season".[2] Bonino did not even last the full season. CBS had more luck with new live programs Person to Person and My Favorite Husband (which would later make the switch to film).

ABC, perennially in third or fourth place among the four U.S. television networks, had been on the verge of bankruptcy, but the February 1953 merger of United Paramount Theaters with ABC had given ABC a $30 million cash infusion. ABC revamped its schedule for Fall 1953 with big-budget programs. New ABC programs included Make Room for Daddy, and an ABC version of NBC's popular Kraft Television Theatre; the strategy was designed to "take on CBS and NBC with a strong schedule".[3]

In contrast to ABC's revamped schedule, DuMont's Fall 1953 prime time schedule looked weak, with programs that were "doomed from the start by third-rate scripts and cheap production."[4] The 1953–54 season would be the last year DuMont was able to schedule nearly 20 hours of programming in prime time. By the 1954–55 season, DuMont would be forced to cut back its schedule,[2] while the other three networks continued to expand.

During the 1953 season, both DuMont and ABC "made sporadic efforts to compete for the daytime audience, but faced so many problems just filling prime time that they found it much more efficient to focus primarily on weekend sports".[3] DuMont paid $1.3 million in 1953 for the rights to broadcast National Football League games in prime time; starting December 12, DuMont also broadcast a series of NBA basketball games, the first time pro basketball was seen regularly on network TV. Both DuMont and ABC "were especially aggressive in pursuit of sports broadcasts because they were desperately in need of special attractions to bring in viewers".[3]

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[5]

  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 You Asked For It 7:30 The Frank Leahy Show / 7:45 Notre Dame Football 9:00 The Walter Winchell Show / 9:15 The Orchid Award Jukebox Jury 10:30 Billy Graham's Hour of Decision / 10:45 Local
CBS Quiz Kids The Jack Benny Show (16/33.3) / Private Secretary (24/30.3) Toast of the Town (17/33.0) The Fred Waring Show / General Electric Theater (27/29.9) The Man Behind the Badge The Web What's My Line? (28/29.6)
NBC The Paul Winchell Show Mister Peepers The Colgate Comedy Hour (10/36.2)
(Tied with This Is Your Life) / The Bob Hope Show (once a month) 		The Philco Television Playhouse (19/32.5) / Goodyear Television Playhouse (22/31.0) Letter to Loretta Man Against Crime
DMN Fall Local Washington Exclusive Local Rocky King, Inside Detective The Plainclothesman Dollar a Second Man Against Crime
Summer Better Living TV Theatre

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 7:00 The Walter Winchell Show / 7:15 John Daly and the News Jamie Sky King Of Many Things Junior Press Conference The Big Picture This Is the Life Local
CBS Local 7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Perry Como Show The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (20/32.4) Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (3/43.6)
(Tied with You Bet Your Life) 		I Love Lucy (1/58.8) The Red Buttons Show (12/35.3) Studio One
NBC Local 7:30 The Arthur Murray Party / 7:45 Camel News Caravan Name That Tune The Voice of Firestone The Dennis Day Show Robert Montgomery Presents Who Said That?
DMN 7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 Marge and Jeff Local Twenty Questions The Big Issue Boxing From Eastern Parkway
  • On April 26, 1954, The Tony Martin Show replaced The Arthur Murray Party on NBC. Both programs were fifteen minutes in length.
  • From April 6, 1953, to December 7, 1953, DuMont aired Monodrama Theater Monday through Friday at 11pm ET.

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 7:00 Local / 7:15 John Daly and the News Cavalcade of America Local Make Room for Daddy The United States Steel Hour / The Motorola Television Hour The Name's the Same
CBS Fall Local 7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Jane Froman Show The Gene Autry Show The Red Skelton Show This Is Show Business Suspense Danger See It Now
Summer The Blue Angel
NBC Fall Local 7:30 The Dinah Shore Show / 7:45 Camel News Caravan The Buick-Berle Show* (5/40.2) Fireside Theatre (9/36.4) Armstrong Circle Theater Judge for Yourself 10:30 On the Line with Considine / 10:45 It Happened in Sports
Summer Summer Playhouse
DMN 7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 Marge and Jeff Local Life Is Worth Living Pantomime Quiz Local

(*) Formerly Texaco Star Theater

On ABC, The United States Steel Hour alternated with The Motorola Television Hour.

On NBC, Summer Playhouse was a summer anthology series made up of repeats of episodes from other anthologyseries.

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 7:00 Local / 7:15 John Daly and the News Inspector Mark Saber – Homicide Squad 8:00 At Issue / 8:15 Through the Curtain Answers for Americans Take It from Me Dr. I.Q. Wrestling From Rainbo Arena
CBS Local 7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Perry Como Show Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (6/38.9) Strike It Rich I've Got a Secret 10:00 Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts (23/30.9) / 10:45 Sports Spot
NBC Local 7:30 Coke Time with Eddie Fisher / 7:45 Camel News Caravan I Married Joan (25/30.2)
(Tied with Mama) 		My Little Margie Kraft Television Theater (21/31.3) This Is Your Life (10/36.2)
(Tied with The Colgate Comedy Hour) 		Local
DMN Fall 7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 Marge and Jeff Local The Johns Hopkins Science Review Joseph Schildkraut Presents Colonel Humphrey Flack On Your Way Stars on Parade The Music Show
Winter The Music Show
Spring Better Living TV Theatre
Summer

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 7:00 Local / 7:15 John Daly and the News The Lone Ranger Quick As a Flash Where's Raymond? Back That Fact Kraft Television Theater Local
CBS Fall Local 7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 Jane Froman’s U.S.A. Canteen Meet Mr. McNutley Four Star Playhouse Lux Video Theatre Big Town Philip Morris Playhouse/ starting March 11: The Public Defender Place the Face
Summer The Telltale Clue
NBC Fall Local 7:30 The Dinah Shore Show / 7:45 Camel News Caravan You Bet Your Life (3/43.6)
(Tied with Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts) 		Treasury Men in Action (15/33.9) Dragnet (2/53.2) Ford Theatre (7/38.8) Martin Kane, Private Eye (29/29.5)
(Tied with The Big Story and Your Hit Parade) 		Local
Summer The Marriage (In COLOR)
DMN 7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 Marge and Jeff Local Pro Football Highlights Broadway to Hollywood – Headline Clues What's the Story Local

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 7:00 Local / 7:15 John Daly and the News The Stu Erwin Show (aka Trouble With Father) The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse The Pride of the Family The Comeback Story Showcase Theater Local
CBS Fall Local 7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Perry Como Show Mama (25/30.2)
(Tied with I Married Joan) 		Topper Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Our Miss Brooks (14/34.2) My Friend Irma Person to Person
Summer Viceroy Star Theatre
NBC Local 7:30 Coke Time with Eddie Fisher / 7:45 Camel News Caravan The Dave Garroway Show The Life of Riley (13/35.0) The Big Story (29/29.5)
(Tied with Martin Kane, Private Eye and Your Hit Parade) 		Campbell Soundstage 10:00 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (18/32.7) / 10:45 Greatest Fights of the Century
DMN 7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 Marge and Jeff Local Front Page Detective Melody Street Life Begins at Eighty Nine Thirty Curtain Chance of a Lifetime Down You Go

Saturday

[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 Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club Leave It to the Girls Talent Patrol Music at the Meadowbrook 9:00 The Saturday Night Fights / 9:45 Fight Talk Madison Square Garden Highlights Local
CBS Fall Meet Millie Beat the Clock The Jackie Gleason Show (8/38.1) Two for the Money My Favorite Husband Medallion Theatre The Revlon Mirror Theater
Spring That's My Boy
NBC Watch Mr. Wizard Ethel and Albert Bonino The Original Amateur Hour Your Show of Shows/The Martha Raye Show (once a month) Your Hit Parade (29/29.5)
(Tied with The Big Story and Martin Kane, Private Eye)
DMN Local National Football League Professional Football

By network

[edit]

ABC

[edit]

CBS

[edit]

DuMont

[edit]

NBC

[edit]

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

References

[edit]
  • McNeil, Alex. (1996). Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
  • Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1984). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
  • Heldenfels, R(ichard) D. (1994). Television's Greatest Year: 1954. New York: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-0675-0.

General references

[edit]
  • 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.

Inline citations

[edit]
  1. ^ Boddy, William (1993). Fifties Television: The Industry And Its Critics. Urbana: The University of Illinois Press. ISBN 0-252-06299-X
  2. ^ a b Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. pp 517–518, 1576-1577. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
  3. ^ a b c Castleman, H. and Podrazik, W. (1984) The TV Schedule Book: Four Decades of Network Programming from Sign-on to Sign-off. McGraw-Hill. pg 45-46. ISBN 0-07-010277-5
  4. ^ Castleman, Harry; Walter J. Podrazik (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 87. ISBN 0-07-010269-4.
  5. ^ 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.


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