1964–65 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1964 The following is the 1964–65 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1964 through August 1965. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancel after the 1963–64 season. This is the first full season in which NBC broadcast more than 50% of its schedule in color, a fact which the network emphasized during its September 19–25 premiere week. Castleman Harry Walter J. Podrazik Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television McGraw-Hill 1982 New York 171–179 https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast/page/171 0-07-010269-4 CBS and ABC, still mostly in black and white, continued rolling out rural sitcoms; in fall 1964, the networks added Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (CBS) and No Time For Sergeants (ABC) to their respective schedules. According to television historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), critics objected to CBS's rural sitcom-heavy schedule, particularly the Gomer Pyle character, but the "high ratings earned by the silly gimmicks and simpleton heroes would assure rural sitcoms spots in the network schedules for years". Castleman and Podrazik also point out the large number of "escapist" programs which debuted during the fall of 1964: Gilligan's Island (CBS), Bewitched (ABC), My Living Doll (CBS), The Addams Family (ABC) and The Munsters (CBS). Only NBC avoided the escapist trend during the season, with the exception of The Man From U.N.C.L.E.. All times are Eastern and Pacific. Premieres are highlighted in bold. 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. 978-0-345-49773-4. yellow darkgray Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season. cyan darkgray Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season. FF22FF darkgray Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season. Sunday Network 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Local Wagon Train Broadside The ABC Sunday Night Movie (Periodically in COLOR) CBS Fall Lassie (17/25.1) My Favorite Martian (24/23.7) The Ed Sullivan Show (15/25.2)(Tied with Petticoat Junction) My Living Doll The Joey Bishop Show Candid Camera What's My Line? Winter For the PeopleSummerThe Twilight Zone (repeats) NBC Fall Profiles in Courage (began at 6:30) Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (11/25.7) (In COLOR) The Bill Dana Show Bonanza (1/36.3) (In COLOR) The Rogues Winter Branded (14/25.3)SummerBuckskin (repeats) Notes: Mister Ed aired on CBS from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. until January 1965, when World War One took over the time period. On NBC, some episodes of Branded aired in color. Buckskin, which aired on NBC in July and August 1965, consisted of reruns of the 1958–1959 series. On CBS, Bill & Martha was originally supposed to have aired 9:30 p.m., but it was replaced by The Joey Bishop Show before it ever began.April 20, 1964 What's to be new next fall on network TV 28 Broadcasting https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/64-OCR/1964-04-20-BC-OCR-Page-0028.pdf November 8, 2023May 11, 1964 $1 million a night on the table 60 Broadcasting https://www.worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-Business/Magazines/Archive-BC-IDX/64-OCR/1964-05-11-BC-OCR-Page-0060.pdf November 8, 2023 Monday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABCFall Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea No Time for Sergeants Wendy and Me The Bing Crosby Show Ben CaseySummerThe Farmer's Daughter CBS Fall To Tell the Truth I've Got a Secret (26/23.0) The Andy Griffith Show (4/28.3) The Lucy Show (8/26.6) Many Happy Returns Slattery's People Winter CBS Reports / CBS News Specials Spring The Danny Thomas Show Summer Summer Playhouse Glynis (repeats) NBC Fall 90 Bristol Court (consisting of 3 half-hour sitcoms): Karen (7:30-8:00) / Harris Against the World (8:00-8:30) / Tom, Dick, and Mary (8:30-9:00) The Andy Williams Show (In COLOR) / The Jonathan Winters Show The Alfred Hitchcock Hour Winter Karen The Man From U.N.C.L.E. NOTES: On CBS, Summer Playhouse was an anthology series made up of a combination of unsold television pilots and reruns of episodes of other anthology series. Tuesday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Combat! (10/26.1) McHale's Navy (29/22.3) The Tycoon Peyton Place (20/24.6) The Fugitive (5/27.9) CBSFall Local World War One The Red Skelton Hour (6/27.4) Petticoat Junction (15/25.2)(Tied with The Ed Sullivan Show) The Doctors and the NursesWinterThe Joey Bishop ShowSummerHollywood Talent Scouts NBC Fall Mr. Novak The Man from U.N.C.L.E. That Was The Week That Was (In COLOR) The Bell Telephone Hour (In COLOR) Winter Hullabaloo (In COLOR) Summer Moment of Fear Cloak of Mystery Hullabaloo (In COLOR) Wednesday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Patty Duke Show (28/22.4) Shindig! Mickey Burke's Law ABC Scope Winter Shindig! CBS Fall CBS Reports / CBS News Specials The Beverly Hillbillies (12/25.6) The Dick Van Dyke Show (7/27.1) The Cara Williams Show The Danny Kaye Show Follow-up Mister Ed My Living Doll Summer Our Private World The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (repeats) NBC The Virginian (22/24.0) (In COLOR) NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies (Sporadically in COLOR) Thursday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Flintstones (In COLOR) The Donna Reed Show My Three Sons (13/25.5) Bewitched (2/31.0) Peyton Place (9/26.4) The Jimmy Dean Show December Jonny Quest (In COLOR) CBSFall The Munsters (18/24.7)(Tied with Gilligan's Island) Perry Mason Password The Baileys of Balboa The DefendersSummerThe Celebrity Game NBC Daniel Boone Dr. Kildare Hazel (In COLOR) Kraft Suspense Theatre (In COLOR) / Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (once a month) Friday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall Jonny Quest (In COLOR) The Farmer's Daughter The Addams Family (23/23.9) Valentine's Day 12 O'Clock High Local December The Flintstones (In COLOR) Winter F.D.R. 12 O'Clock High Summer F.D.R. Peyton Place CBS Fall Rawhide The Entertainers Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (3/30.7) The Reporter Winter On Broadway Tonight Slattery's People Spring The Great Adventure (repeats) Summer The Cara Williams Show Our Private World Vacation Playhouse NBC International Showtime Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (In COLOR) / Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special (once monthly; most Bob Hope specials were in black-and-white) The Jack Benny Program The Jack Paar Program (In COLOR) Note: On CBS, Vacation Playhouse was an anthology series made up entirely of unsold television pilots. Saturday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC Fall The Outer Limits The Lawrence Welk Show (30/22.0) The Hollywood Palace Local Winter The King Family Show CBS Fall The Jackie Gleason Show (21/24.4) Gilligan's Island (18/24.7)(Tied with The Munsters) Mr. Broadway Gunsmoke (27/22.6)WinterThe EntertainersSpring Secret Agent Summer Fanfare NBC Fall Flipper (25/23.4) (In COLOR) The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (In COLOR) Kentucky Jones NBC Saturday Night at the Movies (In COLOR) Winter Kentucky Jones The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo (In COLOR) By network ABC Returning Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Avengers Ben Casey Burke's Law Combat! The Donna Reed Show The Farmer's Daughter The Flintstones The Fugitive The Hollywood Palace The Jimmy Dean Show The Lawrence Welk Show McHale's Navy My Three Sons The Outer Limits The Patty Duke Show Saga of Western Man Wagon Train New Series 12 O'Clock High ABC Scope The ABC Sunday Night Movie The Addams Family Bewitched The Bing Crosby Show Broadside F.D.R. * Jonny Quest The King Family Show * Mickey No Time for Sergeants Peyton Place Shindig! The Tycoon Valentine's Day Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea Wendy and Me Not returning from 1963–64: 77 Sunset Strip 100 Grand ABC News Reports Arrest and Trial Breaking Point Channing Destry The Edie Adams Show Ensign O'Toole The Fight of the Week The Greatest Show on Earth Hootenanny The Jerry Lewis Show Laughs For Sale Make That Spare The Price is Right The Sid Caesar Show The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters CBS Returning Series The Andy Griffith Show The Beverly Hillbillies Candid Camera CBS News Hour CBS News Specials The Danny Kaye Show The Danny Thomas Show The Defenders The Dick Van Dyke Show The Doctors and the Nurses The Ed Sullivan Show Glynis Gunsmoke Hollywood Talent Scouts I've Got a Secret The Jackie Gleason Show The Joey Bishop Show (moved from NBC) Lassie The Lucy Show The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour Mister Ed My Favorite Martian On Broadway Tonight Password Perry Mason Petticoat Junction Rawhide The Red Skelton Hour Secret Agent Slattery's People Summer Playhouse To Tell the Truth The Twentieth Century Vacation Playhouse What's My Line? New Series The Baileys of Balboa The Cara Williams Show The Celebrity Game The Entertainers Fanfare * For the People * Gilligan's Island Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Many Happy Returns Mr. Broadway The Munsters My Living Doll Our Private World * The Reporter World War One Not returning from 1963–64: Brenner East Side/West Side The Great Adventure High Adventure with Lowell Thomas The Jack Benny Program (moved to NBC) The Judy Garland Show Made in America Route 66 Suspense Tell It to the Camera The Twilight Zone NBC Returning Series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (moved from CBS) The Andy Williams Show The Bell Telephone Hour The Bill Dana Show Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bonanza Buckskin Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special Dr. Kildare Hazel International Showtime The Jack Benny Program (moved from CBS) The Jack Paar Program The Jonathan Winters Show Kraft Suspense Theatre Mr. Novak NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall That Was the Week That Was The Virginian Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color New Series 90 Bristol Court Branded * Cloak of Mystery * Daniel Boone The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo Flipper Harris Against the World Hullabaloo * Karen Kentucky Jones The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Moment of Fear NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies Profiles in Courage The Rogues Tom, Dick, and Mary Not returning from 1963–64: The DuPont Show of the Week The Eleventh Hour Espionage Ford Presents the New Christy Minstrels Grindl Harry's Girls Hollywood and the Stars The Lieutenant The Joey Bishop Show (moved to CBS) On Parade Redigo The Richard Boone Show Sing Along with Mitch Temple Houston You Don't Say! 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. 0-14-024916-8. Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1964). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. 0-345-31864-1. Category:United States primetime network television schedules Category:1964 in American television Category:1965 in American television