1963–64 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1963 The following is the 1963–64 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1963 through August 1964. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1962–63 season. ABC began its new fall schedule a week early, beating CBS and NBC out of the starting gate. New series debuting this week included sci-fi anthology The Outer Limits, police/lawyer series Arrest and Trial, drama The Fugitive, and game show 100 Grand. ABC also completely revamped its Friday night schedule, with two new series: detective show Burke's Law, sitcom The Farmer's Daughter, and returning boxing program The Fight of the Week. Fight would mark the end of boxing on network television. Weekly boxing telecasts had debuted on network TV in 1940 and had enjoyed a run on all networks at various times, but after September 11, 1964, weekly primetime boxing series would disappear entirely from network television. ABC introduced two variety hours that fall with The Jimmy Dean Show and the short lived The Jerry Lewis Show.697, 702 CBS's success with rural comedies The Andy Griffith Show and The Beverly Hillbillies convinced the network that rural sitcoms would continue to be popular. As a result, CBS president James Aubrey added what critics described as an "endless procession of country clones [of] the wildly successful Beverly Hillbillies" to the network's schedule. Petticoat Junction, from the same producers of Hillbillies, debuted on September 24. Castleman Harry Walter J. Podrazik Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television McGraw-Hill 1982 New York 162–170 https://archive.org/details/watchingtvfourde00cast registration 0-07-010269-4 The strategy worked: CBS had 14 of the top 15 primetime programs, a feat Variety later compared to Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak.Grossman Andrew 2004-06-07 The smiling cobra: James Aubrey was TV's first programming superstar. He ruled CBS in the early '60s like a czar by tapping into the public's thirst for 'broads, bosoms and fun.' While he's largely forgotten, his winning formula endures in a landscape of mindless entertainment. https://www.thefreelibrary.com/The+smiling+cobra%253A+James+Aubrey+was+TV%2527s+first+programming+superstar....-a0118376285 2025-05-08 Variety CBS also brought two show business veterans to weekly variety television that year with The Judy Garland Show and The Danny Kaye Show. Westerns continued to be popular on television, and all three networks scheduled several Western series. NBC, in particular, retained a number of Westerns on its fall 1963 schedule: two returning series The Virginian and Bonanza, and new series Temple Houston, and Redigo. NBC's Western-heavy schedule would pay off, as Bonanza again became the second highest-rated TV series in the Nielsen ratings that year; The Virginian reached #17. CBS's Gunsmoke reached #20. However, some Westerns from the previous season were cancelled, some examples are Laramie and Empire, which due to low ratings. On July 17, 1963, NBC removed The Robert Taylor Show from the lineup due to conflicts between the producers and the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. All times are Eastern and Pacific. New fall series 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. Two landmark events occurred during this network TV season. The first was the JFK assassination, which took place on Friday, November 22, 1963. All programming that was originally scheduled to air in prime time on that weekend had to be pushed back to the following weekend due to all three networks broadcasting news coverage that would last until November 26. Regular programming was resumed on November 27. The second event was the live American debut of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964. An estimated 73 million people tuned in to watch the Fab Four perform on the program, which made it one of the highest rated TV episodes in the history of prime-time television.July 2024 yellow darkgray Yellow indicates the top 10 programs for the season. cyan darkgray Cyan indicates the top 20 programs for the season. FF22FF darkgray Magenta indicates the top 30 programs 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 ABCFall Local The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters Arrest and Trial 100 Grand ABC News Reports October Laughs For SaleWinterLocalSpringEmpire (In COLOR) (R) CBSFall Lassie (12/25.0)(Tied with I've Got a Secret and The Jack Benny Show) My Favorite Martian (10/26.3) The Ed Sullivan Show (8/27.5) The Judy Garland Show Candid Camera (7/27.7) What's My Line? (24/22.6)(Tied with To Tell the Truth)SpringThe Celebrity GameMade in AmericaSummerBrenner NBC The Bill Dana Show Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (21/23.0) (In COLOR) Grindl Bonanza (2/36.9) (In COLOR) The DuPont Show of the Week Notes: Mister Ed aired on CBS from 6:30 to 7 p.m. 100 Grand only lasted three weeks, and was replaced by Laughs For Sale, which ran until December 1963. In April 1964, The Celebrity Game was added to CBS' primetime lineup. Empire on ABC consisted of reruns of the 1962-63 NBC TV series. Brenner on CBS consisted of ten new episodes — the first produced for the show since 1959 — followed by reruns of episodes first aired in 1959 and 1961. Monday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABC The Outer Limits Wagon Train (In COLOR) Breaking Point CBSFall To Tell the Truth (24/22.6)(Tied with What's My Line?) I've Got a Secret (12/25.0)(Tied with Lassie and The Jack Benny Show) The Lucy Show (6/28.1) The Danny Thomas Show (9/26.7) The Andy Griffith Show (5/29.4) East Side/West SideSummer Vacation Playhouse NBC NBC Monday Night at the Movies (most in COLOR) Hollywood and the Stars Sing Along with Mitch (In COLOR) Notes: Beginning in September, CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite (formerly Walter Cronkite with the News) and The Huntley-Brinkley Report expanded to a half-hour, airing weekdays at 6:30 p.m. On CBS, Vacation Playhouse was an anthology series made up of unsold television pilots. 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! McHale's Navy (22/22.8)(Tied with Hazel) The Greatest Show on Earth (In COLOR) The Fugitive (28/21.7) CBS Fall Marshal Dillon (Gunsmoke repeats) The Red Skelton Show (11/25.7) Petticoat Junction (4/30.3) The Jack Benny Show (12/25.0)(Tied with I've Got a Secret and Lassie) The Garry Moore Show Summer High Adventure with Lowell Thomas NBCFall Mr. Novak Redigo The Richard Boone Show The Bell Telephone Hour / The Andy Williams Show (In COLOR)Winter You Don't Say! (In COLOR) Note: The 1964 CBS summer series High Adventure with Lowell Thomas consisted of reruns of specials which had aired under that title during the late 1950s. In January 1964, Redigo was cancelled and replaced with You Don't Say!. Wednesday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABCFall The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (29/21.6) The Patty Duke Show (18/23.9) The Price Is Right Ben Casey ChanningFollow-upThe Farmer's Daughter CBS Fall Chronicle / CBS Reports Glynis The Beverly Hillbillies (1/39.1) The Dick Van Dyke Show (3/33.3) The Danny Kaye Show (30/21.5)(Tied with Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre)WinterTell It to the Camera Summer Suspense On Broadway Tonight NBC The Virginian (17/24.0) (In COLOR) Espionage The Eleventh Hour 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 (16/24.5) My Three Sons (27/21.9) The Jimmy Dean Show The Edie Adams Show / The Sid Caesar Show Local Winter ABC News Reports Spring Ensign O'Toole The Jimmy Dean Show CBS Password Rawhide Perry Mason (26/22.1) The Nurses NBC Fall Temple Houston Dr. Kildare (19/23.6) Hazel (22/22.8)(Tied with McHale's Navy) (In COLOR) Kraft Suspense Theatre (In COLOR) / Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (once a month) (In COLOR) Summer Ford Presents the New Christy Minstrels (In COLOR) Note: Ensign O'Toole on ABC consisted of reruns of the 1962-1963 NBC situation comedy. On NBC, The Robert Taylor Show was supposed to air at 7:30-8:30, but it was never aired and Temple Houston replaced it on the schedule at the last minute. 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 77 Sunset Strip Burke's Law The Farmer's Daughter The Fight of the Week (10:00) / Make That Spare (10:45)Follow-upThe Price is Right Winter Destry CBS The Great Adventure Route 66 Twilight Zone The Alfred Hitchcock Hour NBC Fall International Showtime Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (30/21.5)(Tied with The Danny Kaye Show) (Dramatic episodes in COLOR; the monthly Bob Hope variety specials were in black-and-white) Harry's Girls The Jack Paar Program (In COLOR) Winter That Was the Week That Was (In COLOR) Summer On Parade Note: 77 Sunset Strip on ABC ended February 7, 1964, replaced the next week by Destry. On December 6, 1963, The Farmer's Daughter moved to another day and timeslot and The Price Is Right replaced it. Saturday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PM ABCFall Hootenanny The Lawrence Welk Show The Jerry Lewis Show (continued until 11:30)JanuaryThe Hollywood PalaceLocal CBS Fall The Jackie Gleason Show (15/24.6) The New Phil Silvers Show The Defenders Gunsmoke (20/23.5) DecemberThe DefendersThe New Phil Silvers Show Summer The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (repeats) Summer Playhouse NBC The Lieutenant The Joey Bishop Show (In COLOR) NBC Saturday Night at the Movies (In COLOR) Notes: ABC-TV Presents: The Hollywood Palace debuted on January 4, 1964, replacing The Jerry Lewis Show. On CBS, Summer Playhouse was an anthology series consisting of a combination of unsold television pilots and reruns of episodes of other anthology series. By network ABC Returning Series 77 Sunset Strip ABC News Reports The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Avengers Ben Casey Combat! The Donna Reed Show The Fight of the Week Hootenanny The Lawrence Welk Show Make That Spare McHale's Navy My Three Sons The Price is Right Wagon Train New Series 100 Grand Arrest and Trial Breaking Point Burke's Law Channing Destry * The Edie Adams Show The Farmer's Daughter The Fugitive The Greatest Show on Earth The Hollywood Palace * The Jerry Lewis Show The Jimmy Dean Show Laughs For Sale The Outer Limits The Patty Duke Show Saga of Western Man The Sid Caesar Show The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters Not returning from 1962–63: Alcoa Premiere Beany and Cecil Bell and Howell Closeup Cheyenne The Dakotas The Gallant Men Going My Way Hawaiian Eye Hollywood Special Howard K. Smith: News and Comment I'm Dickens, He's Fenster The Jetsons Leave It to Beaver Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Naked City Our Man Higgins The Rifleman The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show Stoney Burke The Untouchables The Valiant Years CBS Returning Series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour The Andy Griffith Show The Beverly Hillbillies Brenner Candid Camera CBS Reports The Danny Thomas Show The Defenders The Dick Van Dyke Show The Ed Sullivan Show The Garry Moore Show Gunsmoke High Adventure with Lowell Thomas I've Got a Secret The Jack Benny Show The Jackie Gleason Show Lassie The Lucy Show Mister Ed The Nurses Password Perry Mason Rawhide Route 66 Suspense To Tell the Truth The Twentieth Century Twilight Zone Vacation Playhouse What's My Line New Series Chronicle * The Danny Kaye Show East Side/West Side Glynis The Great Adventure The Judy Garland Show Made in America * My Favorite Martian The New Phil Silvers Show On Broadway Tonight * Petticoat Junction Slattery's People Summer Playhouse * Tell It to the Camera * Not returning from 1962–63: Dennis the Menace Eyewitness Fair Exchange Have Gun - Will Travel GE True The Keefe Brasselle Show The Lloyd Bridges Show The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis The New Loretta Young Show The Real McCoys Stump the Stars The United States Steel Hour Walter Cronkite with the News NBC Returning Series The Alfred Hitchcock Hour (moved from CBS) The Andy Williams Show The Bell Telephone Hour Bonanza Dr. Kildare The DuPont Show of the Week The Eleventh Hour Hazel International Showtime The Jack Paar Program The Joey Bishop Show Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall Sing Along with Mitch NBC Monday Night at the Movies NBC Saturday Night at the Movies The Virginian Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color New Series Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special * Espionage Grindl Harry's Girls Hollywood and the Stars Kraft Suspense Theatre Mr. Novak On Parade * Redigo ** The Richard Boone Show Temple Houston That Was the Week That Was * You Don't Say! * Not returning from 1962–63: Car 54, Where Are You? Chet Huntley Reporting David Brinkley's Journal The Dick Powell Show Don't Call Me Charlie! Du Pont Show of the Week Empire Ensign O'Toole The Huntley–Brinkley Report It's a Man's World Laramie The Lively Ones Saints and Sinners Sam Benedict Wide Country Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason. The ** indicates that the program ran only for a partial season. 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 (1984). 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:1963 in American television Category:1964 in American television