1962–63 United States Network Television Schedule

The following is the 1962–63 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1962 through August 1963. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1961–62 season.

Summary

Television historians Harry Castleman and Walter Podrazik (1982) state, "Despite all the promises of programming reform made by television executives in May, 1961" (the month of Newton Minow's landmark speech "Television and the Public Interest"), "the 1962–63 schedule turned out to be business as usual". Castleman and Podrazik point out that although the three networks had added generally well-made public-affairs and news programs to their schedules, there were "too many of them and their sheer number diluted the audience and stretched resources far too thin to allow quality productions each week". CBS aired ''CBS Reports'' and ''Eyewitness'', NBC broadcast ''Chet Huntley Reporting'', ''David Brinkley's Journal'' and ''Actuality Specials'', while ABC had ''Bell and Howell Close-up'' and the ''Howard K. Smith'' show. Despite Minow's complaints that the sitcoms of the era were "totally unrealistic" and his disdain for cartoons, the new sitcoms of 1962 were even more hostile to Minow's stated taste and were frequently "stretching further than ever for their situations"; increasingly fantastical premises such as hillbillies in the city ('' The Beverly Hillbillies'') and cartoons set a century into the future ('' The Jetsons'', ABC's first regularly-scheduled TV series to air in color) were among the new offerings.

This was the first season that ABC aired some of their prime-time programs in color.

Schedule

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.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. .

: 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

* formerly known as ''General Electric Theater''
* ''McKeever and the Colonel'' aired Sundays at 6:30-7 on NBC.
* ''The Bullwinkle Show'' aired Sundays at 5:30-6 on NBC.
* '' Password'' aired Sundays at 6:30-7 on CBS.

Monday

* In some areas, '' Walter Cronkite with the News'' and '' The Huntley-Brinkley Report'' aired at 6:45 p.m.(ET). ''Stump the Stars'' was formerly '' Pantomime Quiz''.

Tuesday

Note: The CBS series ''Marshal Dillon'' consisted of reruns of episodes of ''Gunsmoke''.

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

* Formerly known as '' Matty's Funnies with Beany and Cecil''.

By network

ABC

Returning Series
*'' 77 Sunset Strip''
*'' ABC News Reports''
*''The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''
*'' Alcoa Premiere''
*''The Avengers''
*'' Beany and Cecil'' *
*'' Bell and Howell Closeup''
*'' Ben Casey''
*'' Cheyenne''
*'' The Donna Reed Show''
*''The Fight of the Week''
*'' The Flintstones''
*''Hawaiian Eye''
*''Hollywood Special''
*'' Howard K. Smith: News and Comment''
*'' The Lawrence Welk Show''
*'' Leave It to Beaver''
*'' Make That Spare''
*'' My Three Sons''
*'' Naked City''
*'' The Rifleman''
*'' The Untouchables''
*''The Voice of Firestone''
*'' Wagon Train'' (moved from NBC)

New Series
*'' Combat!''
*'' The Dakotas'' *
*'' The Gallant Men''
*'' Going My Way''
*'' Hootenanny'' *
*'' I'm Dickens, He's Fenster''
*'' The Jetsons''
*'' McHale's Navy''
*''Mr. Smith Goes to Washington''
*'' Our Man Higgins''
*''The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show''
*'' Stoney Burke''

Not returning from 1961–62:
*'' Adventures in Paradise''
*'' Bachelor Father''
*'' Bronco''
*''The Bugs Bunny Show''
*''Bus Stop''
*'' Calvin and the Colonel''
*'' The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor''
*''Expedition!''
*'' The Hathaways''
*''The Law and Mr. Jones''
*'' Lawman''
*'' Margie''
*'' Matty's Funday Funnies''
*'' The New Breed''
*'' The Roaring 20's''
*'' Room for One More''
*'' The Steve Allen Show''
*'' Straightaway''
*'' Surfside 6''
*'' Target: The Corruptors!''
*'' Top Cat''
*''Yours for a Song''

CBS

Returning Series
*''The Alfred Hitchcock Hour'' (moved from NBC)
*'' The Andy Griffith Show''
*'' Armstrong Circle Theatre''
*'' Brenner''
*'' CBS News Hour''
*'' CBS Reports''
*''Candid Camera''
*'' Danny Thomas Show''
*'' The Defenders''
*'' Dennis the Menace''
*'' The Dick Van Dyke Show''
*'' The Ed Sullivan Show''
*''Eyewitness''
*'' The Garry Moore Show''
*''Gunsmoke''
*'' Have Gun – Will Travel''
*'' I've Got a Secret''
*''The Jack Benny Show''
*'' The Jackie Gleason Show''
*''Lassie''
*''The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour''
*'' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis''
*'' Mister Ed''
*'' Perry Mason''
*'' Rawhide''
*'' The Real McCoys'' (moved from ABC)
*'' The Red Skelton Show''
*''Route 66''
*'' To Tell the Truth''
*'' The Twentieth Century''
*'' The Twilight Zone''
*''The United States Steel Hour''
*'' Walter Cronkite with the News''
*'' What's My Line''

New Series
*'' The Beverly Hillbillies''
*'' Fair Exchange''
*'' GE True''
*'' The Keefe Brasselle Show'' *
*'' The Lloyd Bridges Show''
*'' The Lucy Show''
*'' The New Loretta Young Show''
*'' The Nurses''
*'' The Real McCoys''
*''Stump the Stars''
*''Vacation Playhouse'' *

Not returning from 1961–62:
*''Accent on an American Summer''
*'' The Alvin Show''
*'' Armstrong Circle Theatre''
*''Checkmate''
*'' Douglas Edwards with the News''
*''Father of the Bride''
*''Frontier Circus''
*''Hennesey''
*'' Ichabod and Me''
*'' The Investigators''
*'' Mrs. G. Goes to College''/''The Gertrude Berg Show''
*'' The New Bob Cummings Show''
*''Oh! Those Bells''
*''Pete and Gladys''
*'' Tell It to Groucho''
*'' Tell It to the Camera''
*''Window on Main Street''

NBC

Returning Series
*'' The Art Linkletter Show''
*'' The Bell Telephone Hour''
*''Bonanza''
*'' Car 54, Where Are You?''
*'' David Brinkley's Journal''
*''The Dick Powell Show''
*''Dr. Kildare''
*''The DuPont Show of the Week''
*''Hazel''
*'' The Huntley–Brinkley Report''
*'' International Showtime''
*'' The Joey Bishop Show''
*'' Laramie''
*''The Lively Ones''
*'' NBC Saturday Night at the Movies''
*'' Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall''
*'' The Price Is Right''
*'' Sing Along with Mitch''
*'' Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color''

New Series
*'' The Andy Williams Show''
*''Don't Call Me Charlie!''
*'' The Eleventh Hour''
*'' Empire''
*''Ensign O'Toole''
*'' It's a Man's World''
*'' The Jack Paar Program''
*''McKeever and the Colonel''
*''NBC Monday Night at the Movies''
*'' Saints and Sinners''
*'' Sam Benedict''
*'' The Virginian''
*'' Wide Country''

Not returning from 1961–62:
*'' 87th Precinct''
*'' The Bob Newhart Show''
*''The Bullwinkle Show''
*''Cain's Hundred''
*'' The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor''
*'' The Dinah Shore Show''
*''Here and Now''
*'' National Velvet''
*''Outlaws''
*''Thriller''
*'' Wagon Train'' (moved to ABC)

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

References

* 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. .
* Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows'' (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. .

{{DEFAULTSORT:1962-63 United States network television schedule
United States primetime network television schedules
1962 in American television
1963 in American television