1959–60 United States Network Television Schedule

The following is the 1959–60 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1959 through March 1960. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1958–59 season.

By the end of the 1950s, the three major U.S. television networks had basically given up direct control of their TV programs. According to TV historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), ABC allowed Warner Brothers studios to fill 30% of its fall 1959 schedule. The networks "acted as mere conduits", with Warner, Talent Associates, Revue Studios, Ziv, Screen Gems, 20th Century-Fox, Goodson-Todman, and Desilu Studios producing nearly everything on the networks; with rare exceptions, only network news and sports were still produced in-house.

By fall 1959 what the Hollywood studios were producing were mostly Westerns. According to Castleman and Podrazik (1984), "the rush to Westerns had become a virtual stampede so that, by the fall of 1959, viewers had their choice from a staggering twenty-eight different Western-based prime time series."Castleman, H. and Podrazik, W. (1984) ''The TV Schedule Book: Four Decades of Network Programming from Sign-on to Sign-off''. McGraw-Hill. pg 79-85. Westerns were popular with audiences, but critics lamented the loss of other program formats, which had quietly vanished from the three networks' schedules. The addition of Westerns and game shows came at the direct expense of the live dramatic anthology series seen during the Golden Age of Television.Heldenfels, R. D. (1994) ''Television's Greatest Year: 1954''. New York: Continuum, pg 210.

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

The official schedule was set by each network before the start of the official fall season. The fall season is from September to November in the U.S.. The mid-season schedule is listed under the official fall season lineup of each network. The mid-season schedule is from December 1959 to May 1960.

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

Notes: The CBS 1960 summer series ''Lucy in Connecticut'' consisted of reruns of ''I Love Lucy'' from the final 13 episodes of the 1956-57 season when the Lucy and Ricky Ricardo characters made their home in Westport, Connecticut. On ABC, the 1959-60 winter series '' 21 Beacon Street'' consisted of reruns of NBC's 1959 summer series.

Monday

(*) In some areas, '' Douglas Edwards with the News'' and '' The Huntley-Brinkley Report'' aired at 6:45 p.m.
(**) Formerly known as ''The Steve Allen Show''

New episodes of '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'', starring David Janssen, during the season were split, with some airing on NBC from October 1959 to January 1960 on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and the remainder on NBC on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern from June to September 1960.

On CBS, the summer series '' New Comedy Showcase'' was an anthology series composed of unsold television pilots.

Tuesday

Notes: On CBS, the summer anthology series '' The Comedy Spot'' consisted of broadcasts of unsold television pilots and reruns of episodes of '' General Electric Theater'' and NBC's '' Colgate Theater''.

On NBC, ''Gas Company Playhouse'' and ''NBC Playhouse'' alternated weekly. ''Gas Company Playhouse'', hosted by Julia Meade, consisted of reruns of episodes of '' Goodyear Television Playhouse'', '' The David Niven Show'', '' Colgate Theater'', and '' Alcoa Theatre''. ''NBC Playhouse'', hosted by Jeanne Bal, consisted of reruns of episodes of '' The Loretta Young Show'' in which Loretta Young had not starred.

New episodes of '' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'', starring David Janssen, were split during the 1959–1960 season, with some airing on NBC from October 1959 to January 1960 on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time, and the remainder on NBC on Tuesdays at 9:00 p.m. Eastern from June to September 1960.

Wednesday

Note: On ABC, ''Music For a Spring Night'' was the summer 1959 series '' Music For a Summer Night'' renamed. It reverted to the name ''Music For a Summer Night'' in May 1960.

Thursday

Note:
* The ABC 1960 summer series ''The Jeannie Carson Show'' consisted of reruns of the 1956-1957 CBS situation comedy '' Hey, Jeannie!''
* '' Johnny Staccato'' later moved to ABC.

Friday

Saturday

By network

ABC

Returning Series
*'' 77 Sunset Strip''
*'' The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet''
*'' Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond''
*'' Black Saddle''
*'' Broken Arrow''
*'' Bronco''
*'' Cheyenne''
*'' Colt .45''
*'' Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beach-Nut Show''
*'' The Donna Reed Show''
*'' The Gale Storm Show''
*'' The Jeannie Carson Show''
*'' Johnny Staccato'' (moved from NBC later this season)
*'' Jubilee USA''
*'' Keep Talking''
*'' Lawman''
*'' The Lawrence Welk Show''
*'' Leave It to Beaver''
*'' The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp''
*'' Man with a Camera''
*'' Maverick''
*''Music for a Spring Night''
*''Music for a Summer Night''
*'' The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom''
*'' The Rifleman''
*'' Sugarfoot''
*'' Walt Disney Presents''
*''The Wednesday Night Fights''

New Series
*'' The Alaskans''
*'' Black Saddle'' *
*'' Bourbon Street Beat''
*'' Charley Weaver's Hobby Lobby''
*'' The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor''
*''Dick Clark's World of Talent''
*'' Hawaiian Eye''
*'' John Gunther's High Road''
*'' The Man from Blackhawk''
*'' Matty's Funday Funnies''
*'' Philip Marlowe''
*''Playhouse 90''
*'' The Rebel''
*'' Take a Good Look''
*'' The United States Steel Hour''
*'' The Untouchables''
*'' Walter Cronkite with the News''
*'' Wanted: Dead or Alive''

Not returning from 1958–59:
*''ABC News''
*'' Accused''
*'' Anybody Can Play''/''Anyone Can Play''
*''The Billy Graham Crusade''
*'' Bold Journey''
*'' Confession''
*'' Deadline for Action''
*''Dr. I.Q.''
*'' Encounter''
*'' John Daly and the News''
*'' Lawrence Welk's Dodge Dancing Party''
*'' Lawrence Welk's Plymouth Show''
*'' The Patti Page Oldsmobile Show''
*'' Polka Go-Round''
*'' Rough Riders''
*'' Sammy Kaye's Music from Manhattan''
*'' Tales of the Texas Rangers''
*''This is Music''
*''Traffic Court''
*'' The Voice of Firestone''
*'' Walt Disney Presents''
*'' You Asked For It''
*'' Zorro''

CBS

Returning Series
*''Alfred Hitchcock Presents''
*''Armstrong Circle Theatre''
*'' The Ann Sothern Show''
*'' Brenner''
*'' The Danny Thomas Show''
*'' Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater''
*'' Douglas Edwards with the News''
*'' DuPont Show of the Month''
*''The Ed Sullivan Show''
*''Father Knows Best''
*'' The Garry Moore Show''
*'' General Electric Theater''
*'' The George Gobel Show'' (moved from NBC)
*''Gunsmoke''
*'' Have Gun — Will Travel''
*''The Invisible Man''
*'' I've Got a Secret''
*'' The Jack Benny Program''
*'' Lassie''
*'' Leave It to Beaver''
*'' The Lineup''
*'' Markham''
*'' Masquerade Party''
*'' The Millionaire''
*'' Perry Mason''
*'' Peck's Bad Girl''
*'' Person to Person''
*''Playhouse 90''
*'' Rawhide''
*'' The Red Skelton Show''
*'' The Spike Jones Show''
*'' The Texan''
*''To Tell the Truth''
*'' The Twentieth Century''
*'' The United States Steel Hour''
*'' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse''
*'' The Westinghouse Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz Show''
*'' Wanted Dead or Alive''
*'' What's My Line''

New Series
*''Be Our Guest'' *
*'' The Betty Hutton Show''
*''The Big Party''
*'' Buick-Electra Playhouse''
*'' The Comedy Spot'' *
*'' The Dennis O'Keefe Show''
*'' Dennis the Menace''
*'' The Deputy''
*'' Diagnosis: Unknown'' *
*'' The DuPont Show with June Allyson''
*'' Hennesey''
*'' Hotel de Paree''
*'' Johnny Ringo''
*'' The Kate Smith Show'' *
*'' The Lineup''
*'' Lucy in Connecticut''
*'' The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis''
*'' Men into Space''
*'' Mr. Lucky''
*'' New Comedy Showcase'' *
*''The Revlon Revue'' *
*'' The Robert Herridge Theatre''
*'' Tightrope!''
*'' The Twilight Zone''

Not returning from 1958–59:
*'' The $64,000 Question''
*'' Armstrong by Request''
*'' The Arthur Godfrey Show''
*'' December Bride''
*'' Lux Playhouse''
*'' Name That Tune''
*'' The Phil Silvers Show''
*'' Pursuit''
*'' Schlitz Playhouse''
*''Stars in Action''
*'' That's My Boy''
*'' Trackdown''
*'' Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse''
*'' Westinghouse Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show''
*'' Yancy Derringer''
*'' Your Hit Parade''

NBC

Returning Series
*'' 21 Beacon Street''
*'' Alcoa Theatre''
*'' The Art Carney Special''
*'' The Arthur Murray Party''
*'' Bachelor Father'' (moved from CBS)
*''Bat Masterson''
*'' The Bell Telephone Hour''
*'' The Dinah Shore Chevy Show''
*'' The Ford Show''
*'' Gillette Cavalcade of Sports''
*'' Goodyear Television Playhouse''
*'' The Huntley–Brinkley Report''
*'' It Could Be You''
*'' The Lawless Years''
*'' The Loretta Young Show''
*'' M Squad''
*'' Masquerade Party''
*'' NBC News Specials''
*'' Omnibus''
*'' People Are Funny''
*'' The Perry Como Show''
*''Peter Gunn''
*'' Phillies Jackpot Bowling''
*'' The Price Is Right''
*'' Richard Diamond, Private Detective'' (moved from CBS)
*'' Startime''
*'' The Steve Allen Plymouth Show''
*'' Tales of Wells Fargo''
*'' This Is Your Life''
*'' Wagon Train''
*'' You Bet Your Life''

New Series
*''Bonanza''
*'' The Chevy Mystery Show''
*'' The Deputy''
*'' Fibber McGee and Molly''
*'' Five Fingers''
*''Gas Company Playhouse''
*'' Happy''
*'' Johnny Staccato''
*'' Laramie''
*'' Law of the Plainsman''
*'' Love and Marriage''
*'' The Man and the Challenge''
*'' Man from Interpol'' *
*'' Moment of Fear'' *
*''Music on Ice'' *
*''NBC Playhouse'' *
*'' NBC Sunday Showcase''
*'' Overland Trail'' *
*'' Startime''
*'' The Steve Allen Plymouth Show''
*''Tate''
*'' The Troubleshooters''
*'' Wichita Town''
*''World Wide '60'' *
*'' Wrangler'' *

Not returning from 1958–59:
*'' The Adventures of Ellery Queen''
*'' Behind Closed Doors''
*'' Brains & Brawn''
*'' Chet Huntley Reporting''
*'' Cimarron City''
*'' The D.A.'s Man''
*'' The David Niven Show''
*'' The Ed Wynn Show''
*''Fight Beat''
*'' The George Burns Show''
*'' Jefferson Drum''
*'' The Music Shop''
*'' Northwest Passage''
*'' Pete Kelly's Blues''
*'' Steve Canyon''
*'' The Thin Man''

NTA

Not returning from 1958–59:
*'' How to Marry a Millionaire''
*'' Man Without a Gun''
*''Premiere Performance''
*'' This is Alice''

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

References

* McNeil, Alex. ''Total Television''. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. .
* Castleman, Harry & Podrazik, Wally (1984). ''The TV Schedule Book''. New York: McGraw-Hill Paperbacks.
* Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). ''The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows'' (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. .

{{DEFAULTSORT:1959-60 United States network television schedule
United States primetime network television schedules
1959 in American television
1960 in American television