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The Sixties: Television

This guide covers the decade 1960 - 1970

Overview: The Whole World Was Watching

By the end of the 1950s, television had become the favored form of mass communication for Americans. For the first time in history, people everywhere could view events live in their homes. The televised broadcasts of the Nixon-Kennedy debates, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, the 1968 Democratic Convention and man's landing on the moon had a profound effect on Americans. Using advertisement for revenue, three broadcasts networks--ABC, CBS, NBC--and a few independent stations delivered an endless supply of entertainment and news to the American home.

Animal Shows

  • Daktari (CBS) 1966 - 1969
  • Flipper (NBC) 1964 - 1967
  • Gentle Ben (CBS) 1967  - 1969
  • Lassie (CBS) 1954 - 1971
  • Mister Ed (CBS) 1961 - 1966
  • Wild Kingdom (NBC) 1963 - Present

Animation

  • The Archie Show (CBS) 1968-1969.
  • The Bugs Bunny Show (ABC) 1960 - 1968.
  • The Deputy Dawg Show  (Syndication) 1959-1972.
  • The Flintstones. (ABC) 1960 - 1966.
  • The Jetsons (ABC, CBS, NBC, CBS) 1962 -1963, 1964-1965, 1965-1967, 1969-1971.
  • Jonny Quest (ABC) 1964-1965.
  • The Mister Magoo Show (Syndication) 1960 - 1961.
  • Rocky and His Friends/The Bullwinkle Show. (ABC, NBC) 1959 - 1964.
  • Space Ghost (CBS) 1966-1968.
  • Underdog (NBC, CBS) 1964-1973.

Stand-up Comedians

  • Lenny Bruce
  • George Carlin
  • Phyllis Diller
  • Dick Gregory
  • Bob Newhart
  • Mort Sahl
  • Smothers Brothers
  • Lily Tomlin
  • Flip Wilson
  • Jonathan Winters

British TV Imports

  • The Avengers (1966 - 1969)
  • Civilisation (1969)
  • Danger Man / Secret Agent Man (1960 - 1967)
  • Doctor Who (1963 - Present)
  • The Forsyte Saga (1967)
  • The Prisoner (1967 - 1968)
  • The Saint (1962 - 1969)

Children

  • Captain Kangaroo (CBS) 1955 - 1984
  • Lunch with Soupy Sales (Syndication) 1953 - 1966
  • Mister Rogers' Neighborhood (PBS) 1968 - 2001
  • Mister Wizard's World (NBC) 1951 - 1965
  • Romper Room  (Syndication) 1959 - 1994
  • The Shari Lewis Show (NBC) 1960 - 1963
  • Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (NBC) 1961 - 1969

Crime

  • 77 Sunset Strip (ABC) 1958 - 1964
  • Batman (ABC) 1966 - 1968
  • The Green Hornet (ABC) 1966 - 1967)
  • Hawaii Five-O (CBS) 1968 - 1980 
  • Naked City (ABC) 1958 - 1963
  • Perry Mason (CBS) 1957 - 1966
  • The Untouchables (ABC) 1959 - 1963

Drama

  • Ben Casey (ABC) 1961 - 1966
  • Combat  (ABC) 1962 - 1967
  • Dr. Kildare (ABC) 1961 - 1966
  • The Fugitive (ABC) 1963 - 1967
  • Marcus Welby, M.D.(ABC) 1969 - 1976
  • Peyton Place (ABC) 1964 - 1969
  • Route 66 (CBS) 1960 - 1964

Fantasy/Horror

Game Shows

  • The Dating Game (ABC) 1965 - 1980
  • I've Got a Secret (CBS) 1953-1967
  • Jeopardy (Syndication) 1964 - present
  • Let's Make a Deal (NBC) 1963 1976
  • The Price is Right (CBS) 1956 - 1965
  • Queen for a Day (ABC) 1960-1964
  • To Tell the Truth (CBS) 1956-1968 
  • You Bet Your Life (NBC) 1950-1961

Music

  • American Bandstand (Syndication) 1952 - 1989
  • The Andy Williams Show (NBC) 1962 - 1971
  • Hootenanny  (ABC) 1963 - 1964
  • Hullabaloo (NBC) 1965 - 1966
  • The Lloyd Thaxton Show (Syndication) 1961-1968
  • The Monkees (NBC) 1966 - 1968
  • Shindig! (ABC) 1964 - 1966
  • Sing Along With Mitch (NBC ) 1961 - 1964

News, Public Affairs & Documentaries

  • CBS Reports (CBS) 1959 - 1971
  • Face the Nation (CBS) 1954 - Present
  • Firing Line With William F. Buckley (Syndication) 1966 - 1971
  • Meet the Press (NBC) 1947 - Present
  • NBC White Paper (NBC) 1960 - 1980
  • The Twentieth Century (CBS) 1957 - 1970

Science Fiction

  • The Invaders (ABC) 1967 - 1968
  • Lost in Space (CBS) 1965 - 1968
  • My Favorite Martian (CBS) 1963 - 1966
  • The Outer Limits (CBS) 1963 - 1965
  • Star Trek (NBC) 1966 - 1969
  • Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (ABC) 1964 - 1968

Popular TV Show Theme Songs

  • "The Addams Family Theme Song," The Addams Family (1964-1966)
  • Moon River," The Andy Williams Show (1962-1971)
  • "Batman Theme," Batman (1966-1968)
  • "Ballad of Jed Clampitt," Beverly Hillbillies (1962-1971)
  • "Daniel Boone Theme Song," Daniel Boone (1964-1970)
  • "Meet the Flintstones," The Flintstones (1960-1966)
  • "Ballad of Gilligan's Island," Gilligan's Island (1964-1967)
  • "Mister Ed," Mister Ed (1961-1966)
  • "Theme from The Monkees," The Monkees (1966-1968)
  • "The Patty Duke Show Theme," The Patty Duke Show (1963-1966)
  • "Rawhide," Rawhide (1959-1965)

ISongs found on Spotify

Cool Sayings from Sixties TV

  • "And that's the way it is." --Walter Cronkite, signing off CBS News.
  • "Beam me up, Scotty." --adapted from Star Trek.
  • "Book 'em, Dano." --Detective Captain Steve McGarrett, Hawaii Five-O.
  • "Danger, Will Robinson, danger. --Robot Model B9, Lost in Space.
  • "Geepers, Mr. Wilson." --Dennis in Dennis the Menace.
  • "Humble, that's me... Mr. Modesty. When it comes to humility, I'm the greatest." --Bullwinkle in The Bullwinkle Show.
  • "I'm smarter than the average bear." --Yogi Bear in The Yogi Bear Show.
  • "Just one more thing." --Colombo in Colombo.
  • "Live long and prosper." --Spock, Star Trek.
  • "Missed it by that much." --Maxwell Smart, Get Smart.
  • "Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel." --annoncer, Batman.
  • "Sock it to me" --Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in.
  • "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb" --Batman in Batman
  • "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." --Jim McKay, ABCs Wide World of Sports.
  • "Well, if you can't believe what you read in a comic book, what can you believe?" --Bullwinkle in The Bullwinkle Show.
  • "Would you believe?" --Maxwell Smart, Get Smart.
  • "Yabba dabba do!" --Fred Flintstones, The Flintstones.

Sitcoms

  • Addam's Family (ABC) 1964 - 1966
  • The Andy Griffith Show (CBS) 1960 - 1968
  • Beverly Hillbillies (CBS) 1962 - 1971
  • The Dick Van Dyke Show (CBS) 1961 -1966
  • Gilligan's Island (CBS) 1964 - 1967
  • Julia (NBC) 1968 - 1971
  • Leave It To Beaver (ABC) 1958 - 1963
  • The Patty Duke Show (ABC) 1963-1966
  • My Three Sons (ABC, CBS) 1960 - 1972
  • That Girl (ABC) 1966 - 1971

Spies

  • Get Smart (CBS) 1965 - 1969
  • I Spy (NBC) 1965 - 1968
  • It Takes a Thief (ABC) 1968 - 1970)
  • The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (NBC) 1964 - 1968
  • Mission Impossible (CBS) 1966 - 1973

Variety

  • The Carol Burnett Show (CBS) 1967 - 1978
  • The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS)  1948 - 1971
  • The Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon (Syndication) 1966 - 2014
  • Merv Griffin Show (NBC, Syndication, CBS, Syndication) 1962-1986
  • Mike Douglas Show (Syndication) 1963-1981
  • Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in (NBC) 1968 - 1973
  • The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (CBS) 1967 -1969
  • The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson (NBC) 1962-1992

Western

  • Bonanza (NBC) 1959 - 1973
  • Daniel Boone (NBC) 1964-1970.
  • Gunsmke (CBS) 1955 - 1975
  • Have Gun Will Travel (CBS) 1957 - 1963
  • Maverick (ABC) 1957 - 1962
  • Rawhide  (CBS) 1959 - 1965
  • The Rifleman (CBS) 1958 - 1963
  • The Virginian (NBC) 1962 - 1971
  • Wagon Train (NBC) 1957 - 1965

Sign-off Signals

Photograph: TV Sign-off Pattern

TV Sign-off Pattern

Description: Schwarzweiß-Testbild der 1950er und 1960er Jahre auf Philips-Fernseher TD1410U ("Starenkasten") von 1952. Author: Eckhard Etzold

In the 1950s and early 1960s, the television networks signed off at midnight. A pattern like this one appeared on the tv screen.

America in Primetime

Number One Rated Primetime TV Shows

  • 1959 - 1960. Gunsmoke (CBS)
  • 1960 - 1961. Gunsmoke. (CBS)
  • 1961 - 1962. Wagon Train (NBC)
  • 1962 - 1963. Beverly Hillbillies (CBS)
  • 1963 - 1964. Beverly  Hillbillies (CBS)
  • 1964 - 1965. Bonanza (NBC)
  • 1965 - 1966. Bonanza (NBC)
  • 1966 - 1967. Bonanza (NBC)
  • 1967 - 1968. The Andy Griffith Show (CBS)
  • 1968 - 1969. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in (NBC)
  • 1969 - 1970. Rowan & Martin's Laugh-in (NBC)
  • 1970 - 1971. Marcus Welby, MD (ABC)1959

Source:  The complete directory to prime time network and cable TV shows, 1946-present by Brooks & Marsh

Memorable Television Broadcasts

  • Sept. 26, 1960. First Kennedy-Nixon Debate.
  • Feb. 14, 1962. Jackie Kennedy's tour of the White House.
  • Oct. 1, 1962. Johnny Carson hosts his first Tonight Show.
  • Aug. 28, 1963. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I have a dream".
  • Sept. 29, 1963. The Dick Van Dyke Show: "That's My Boy." The Petries think their newborn was switched in the hospital.
  • Nov. 22-25, 1963. Coverage of the President Kennedy's death and funeral.
  • Nov. 24, 1963. Jack Ruby kills Lee Harvey Oswald.
  • Dec.7,1963. Instant Replay debuts with the Army-Navy Game.
  • Feb. 9, 1964. The Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show.
  • Sept. 4 - 5,1966. Jerry Lewis' first MDA Labor Day Telethon
  • Jan. 15, 1967. The first Super Bowl
  • Aug. 29, 1967. The Finale of The Fugitive.
  • Feb. 27, 1968. CBS Anchor Walter Cronkite denounces the war in Vietnam.
  • Oct. 16, 1968, Black power protest at the Mexico City Olympic Games.
  • Nov. 22, 1968. The first interracial kiss between Capt. Kirk and Lt. Uhura.
  • Dec. 3, 1968. Elvis: The 1968 Special
  • July 20, 1969. Neil Armstrong steps on the moon.
  • Sept. 21, 1970. Monday Night Football premieres on ABC with Howard Cossell, Don Meredith and Keith Jackson.
  • Source: CNN.com and EW.com

Television Icons

  • Carol Burnett
  • Johnny Carson
  • Julia Child
  • Dick Clark
  • Walter Cronkite
  • Walt Disney
  • Andy Griffith
  • Rod Serling
  • Ed Sullivan
  • Lawrence Welk

Additional References

Bianculli, D. (2016). The platinum age of television: From I love Lucy to The walking dead, how TV became terrific. New York: Doubleday.
Brooks, T., & Marsh, E. (2009). The complete directory to prime time network and cable TV shows, 1946-present (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine Books.(Kindle)
Condon, P. (2015). 1001 TV shows you must watch before you die. New York, NY: Universe.
Sepinwall, A., & Seitz, M. Z. (2016). TV (the book): Two experts pick the greatest American shows of all time. New York: Grand Central Publishing.
Strain, C. B. (2016). Long Sixties: America, 1954-1974. Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. 
Strodder, C., & Phillips, M. (2007). The encyclopedia of sixties cool: A celebration of the grooviest people, events, and artifacts of the 1960s. Santa Monica, CA: Santa Monica Press.