1955–56 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1955 The 1955–56 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1955 through March 1956. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1954–55 season. The $64,000 Question had debuted on CBS during summer 1955 and became the #1 program on U.S. television. The three networks "rushed to copy this latest hit format, quickly filling prime time with similar contests". (It would not be until fall 1958 that it would be confirmed that several of these new quiz shows were rigged.)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. 0-07-010277-5 For years, ABC had "struggled to cobble together a TV schedule", Miller Roger K. TV of 50 Years Ago is Stiff Competition for Today's Shows Deseret News Salt Lake City (UT) 2005-09-16 http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/241863/tv_of_50_years_ago_is_stiff_competition_for_todays/index.html 2009-09-17 but following the network's major success with Disney-produced series Disneyland in 1954, other Hollywood film companies began embracing television. MGM assembled clips for MGM Parade on ABC; ABC also hired Warner Bros. for a Tuesday night program called Warner Brothers Presents. The hour-long umbrella series featured TV adaptations of three Warner Brothers movies: Cheyenne, Casablanca, and Kings Row. Of the three new series, only Cheyenne was a hit with viewers, and ABC began contracting with other Hollywood studios for Westerns. Immediately following Warner Brothers Presents, ABC scheduled The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp. This Western was also produced in conjunction with a Hollywood studio: Desilu Productions. CBS had its own Western hit with Gunsmoke, which also debuted in fall 1955. Over the next few years, "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." Around 1955, live drama anthologies, the staple of early television programming, were being phased out by the networks in favor of filmed fare: Westerns, police dramas, quiz shows, and adventure series. By the mid-1950s, the practice of television executives of ordering dozens of pilots for proposed television series each year — far more than their networks could possibly broadcast as series — had created a sizable body of unsold pilots that had never aired.https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/unsold_pilots_on_television_56_66/ UNSOLD PILOTS ON TELEVISION, 1956-1966 15 August 2019 tvobscurities.com Television Obscurities 3 June 2024 By 1954, the American television industry had begun to consider the idea of packaging these unsold pilots in anthology series and airing them during the summer, providing television networks with a way of both providing fresh programming during the summer rerun season and recouping at least some of the expense of producing them. During the summer of 1956, ABC and NBC acted on this idea, airing the first series — G.E. Summer Originals on ABC and Sneak Preview on NBC — composed entirely of unsold pilots.https://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/GeneralElectricSummerOriginals.htm General Electric Summer Originals ctva.com CTVA – The Classic TV Archive 3 June 2024https://ctva.biz/US/Anthology/SneakPreview.htm Sneak Preview ctva.com CTVA – The Classic TV Archive 3 June 2024 On June 8, 1956, when it reported ABC's decision to broadcast G.E. Summer Originals, the New York Times wrote that "the problem of what to do with ‘pilot’ or sample films of projected television series that previously have failed to sell has been solved."https://www.nytimes.com/1956/06/08/archives/ge-will-sponsor-tv-series-in-summer-using-previously-unsold-sample.html G.E. Will Sponsor TV Series in Summer Using Previously Unsold ‘Sample’ Films 8 June 1956 nytimes.com The New York Times 37 3 June 2024 Both series premiered on July 3, 1956, at 9:00 p.m. In the following decades, ABC, NBC, and later CBS would air a number of anthology series consisting in whole or in part of unsold pilots.https://www.tvobscurities.com/articles/unsold_pilots_on_television_67_89/ UNSOLD PILOTS ON TELEVISION, 1967-1989 5 May 2018 tvobscurities.com Television Obscurities 3 June 2024 The struggling DuMont Television Network offered little during the 1955–56 television season. DuMont's final program line-up consisted of What's the Story on Wednesday nights at 9:30 and Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena on Monday nights at 9:00. By September 23, What's the Story was off the air.McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.), p. 907. New York: Penguin Books. 0-14-024916-8 DuMont honored its few remaining network commitments until August 6, 1956, when it ceased operations as a major television network.Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. pp. 517–518, 1576–1577. 0-345-31864-1. DuMont hoped to go into independent television production; the company's studio facilities and Electronicam system were used to produce CBS's The Honeymooners during the 1955–56 season. DuMont's loss was ABC's gain, as some of DuMont's most popular programs, including Life Is Worth Living, Chance of a Lifetime, Life Begins at Eighty, and Down You Go, found their way onto ABC's 1955–56 prime time schedule. The crumbling and eventual death of the old DuMont Network meant the 1955–56 television season would be the first year in which the three major remaining U.S. television networks would be the only full-time commercial participants in prime time, a situation that was to remain for the next 31 years, until Fox entered prime time on Sunday, April 5, 1987. This was the first season that CBS and NBC aired some of their prime-time programs in color. New series are highlighted in bold. All times are U.S. Eastern and Pacific time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central and Mountain times. 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. Legend #abbfff darkgray Light blue indicates local programming lightgreen darkgray Light green indicates sporting events. #bf8fef darkgray Light purple indicates movies. #FA8072 darkgray Red indicates series being burned off and other irregularly scheduled programs, including specials. 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 You Asked For It Famous Film Festival Chance of a Lifetime The Original Amateur Hour Life Begins at Eighty Local Programming CBS Lassie The Jack Benny Show (5/37.2) / Private Secretary (12/32.4)(Tied with Ford Theatre) The Ed Sullivan Show* (3/39.5) General Electric Theater (11/32.9) Alfred Hitchcock Presents Appointment with Adventure What's My Line? NBC It's a Great Life Frontier Colgate Variety Hour** Goodyear Television Playhouse / The Alcoa Hour The Loretta Young Show Justice * The Ed Sullivan Show was formerly Toast of the Town. ** formerly The Colgate Comedy Hour. On NBC, Color Spread (COLOR) aired as a monthly series, 7:30–9 p.m. Appointment with Adventure premiered on CBS on April 3, 1955, and ran through September 1955, before starting its regular second season in the same time slot on October 2, 1955. The anthology series had no host. Monday 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 Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:00) / John Daly and the News (7:15) Topper (repeats) TV Reader's Digest The Voice of Firestone The Dotty Mack Show Medical Horizons The Big Picture Local Programming CBS Fall Local (7:00) / Douglas Edwards with the News (7:15) The Adventures of Robin Hood (20/30.1) The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (27/28.4)(Tied with People Are Funny) Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (16/31.1) I Love Lucy (2/46.1) December Bride (6/37.0) Studio One Summer The Vic Damone Show DMN Local Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena (9:00) / At Ringside (10:45) NBC Local The Tony Martin Show (7:30) / Camel News Caravan (7:45) Caesar's Hour Medic Robert Montgomery Presents Local Programming Note: On NBC, Producers' Showcase aired as a monthly series 8–9:30 p.m. No longer a network operation, DuMont continued airing its Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena on an occasional basis over individual stations until August 6, 1956. On CBS, in most areas, Douglas Edwards With the News aired at 6:45 p.m., while some cities (including New York) aired the 7:15 p.m. edition. Tuesday 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 Fall Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:00) / John Daly and the News (7:15) Warner Bros. Presents / Kings Row / Cheyenne / Casablanca The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Make Room for Daddy Du Pont Cavalcade Theater Talent Varieties Local Programming Summer G.E. Summer Originals CBS Fall Local (7:00) / Douglas Edwards with the News (7:15) Name That Tune Navy Log You'll Never Get Rich (30/28.1) Meet Millie The Red Skelton Show (In COLOR) (14/32.3) The $64,000 Question (1/47.5) My Favorite Husband November The Phil Silvers Show (30/28.1) Navy Log NBC Fall Local The Dinah Shore Show (7:30) / Plymouth News Caravan (7:45) The Milton Berle Show (In COLOR) / The Martha Raye Show / The Chevy Show (29/28.2) Fireside Theatre (24/29.0) Armstrong Circle Theatre / Pontiac Presents Playwrights '56 (alternating) Big Town Summer Dear Phoebe This Is Show Business Sneak Preview The Kaiser Aluminum Hour Notes: The Martha Raye Show and The Chevy Show appeared monthly. As of November 1, You'll Never Get Rich officially became The Phil Silvers Show, swapping time periods with Navy Log. On NBC, Dear Phoebe consisted entirely of reruns of the series from the 1954–1955 season. Premiering on the same evening at the same time, G.E. Summer Originals on ABC and Sneak Preview on NBC were the first U.S. anthology series composed of unsold television pilots. Wednesday 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 Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:00) / John Daly and the News (7:15) Disneyland (4/37.4) MGM Parade Masquerade Party Break the Bank The Wednesday Night Fights* CBS Fall Local (7:00) / Douglas Edwards with the News (7:15) Brave Eagle Arthur Godfrey and His Friends The Millionaire (9/33.8) I've Got a Secret (10/33.5) The United States Steel Hour / The 20th Century Fox Hour Summer CBS Cartoon Theatre DMN Fall Local Programming Hollywood Preview What's the Story** Local Programming October Local Programming WinterLocal Programming NBC Local Programming Coke Time with Eddie Fisher (7:30) / Camel News Caravan (7:45) Screen Director's Playhouse Father Knows Best Kraft Television Theater This Is Your Life (26/28.8) Midwestern Hayride * Formerly Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts on CBS. ** What's the Story aired only until September 23 before being cancelled. Thursday 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 Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:00) / John Daly and the News (7:15) The Lone Ranger Life is Worth Living Stop the Music Star Tonight Down You Go Outside U.S.A. Local CBS Local (7:00) / Douglas Edwards with the News (7:15) Sergeant Preston of the Yukon The Bob Cummings Show Climax! (22/29.6) / Shower of Stars (once a month) Four Star Playhouse The Johnny Carson Show Wanted NBC Local The Dinah Shore Show (7:30) / Plymouth News Caravan (7:45) You Bet Your Life (7/35.4) The People’s Choice Dragnet (8/35.0) Ford Theatre (In COLOR) (12/32.4)(Tied with Private Secretary) Lux Video Theatre (25/28.9) Friday 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 Fall Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:00) / John Daly and the News (7:15) The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Crossroads Dollar a Second The Vise Ethel and Albert Local Summer Combat Sergeant CBS Local (7:00) / Douglas Edwards with the News (7:15) The Adventures of Champion Mama Our Miss Brooks Crusader Schlitz Playhouse of Stars The Lineup (17/30.8) Person to Person DMN Fall Local Programming Winter Local ProgrammingHollywood Preview Spring Local Programming NBC Fall Local Coke Time with Eddie Fisher (7:30) / Camel News Caravan (7:45) Truth or Consequences The Life of Riley (21/29.9) The Big StoryStar Stage Gillette Cavalcade of Sports (10:00) / Red Barber's Corner (10:45) Summer The Best in Mystery Follow-up Star Stage Note: On NBC, The Best in Mystery consisted entirely of reruns of episodes of Four Star Playhouse seen previously on CBS. Saturday 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 Ozark Jubilee Lawrence Welk's Dodge Dancing Party Tomorrow's Careers Local CBS Fall The Gene Autry Show Beat the Clock Stage Show The Honeymooners (19/30.2) Two for the Money It's Always Jan Gunsmoke Damon Runyon Theater July High Finance NBC Fall LocalThe Big Surprise The Perry Como Show (18/30.3) People Are Funny (27/28.4)(Tied with The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show) Texaco Star Theater (In COLOR) The George Gobel Show (15/31.9) Your Hit Parade (23/29.1) SummerThe Julius LaRosa Show (13 weeks) The Jimmy Durante ShowEncore Theatre Notes: On ABC, Grand Ole Opry made its debut as a monthly series, airing 8–9 p.m. from October 15, 1955, to September 26, 1956. On CBS, Ford Star Jubilee made its debut as a monthly series, airing 9:30–11 p.m. On NBC, Max Liebman Presents aired as a monthly series, 9–10:30 p.m. High Finance, hosted by Dennis James, debuted on July 7, 1956, at 10:30 on CBS. It ran until December 15, 1956. It replaced The Damon Runyon Theater. On NBC, the 1956 version of the summer series Encore Theatre consisted of reruns of episodes of Pepsi Cola Playhouse and Studio 57. By network ABC Returning Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin The Big Picture Break the Bank Chance of a Lifetime (moved from DuMont) Cheyenne Disneyland Dollar a Second The Dotty Mack Show Down You Go Du Pont Cavalcade Theater Ethel and Albert John Daly and the News Kukla, Fran and Ollie Life Begins at Eighty Life is Worth Living The Lone Ranger Make Room for Daddy Masquerade Party The Original Amateur Hour Ozark Jubilee Paris Precinct Star Tonight Stop the Music Tomorrow's Careers TV Reader's Digest The Vise The Voice of Firestone You Asked for It New Series The Alcoa Hour Casablanca Cheyenne Combat Sergeant * Crossroads Down You Go Famous Film Festival G.E. Summer Originals * Grand Ole Opry It's Polka Time * Kings Row Lawrence Welk's Dodge Dancing Party The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp Medical Horizons MGM Parade Outside U.S.A. Press Conference * Talent Varieties Warner Bros. Presents Not returning from 1954–55: Boxing from Eastern Parkway Cavalcade of America College Press Conference Come Closer The Elgin TV Hour Enterprise Fight Talk Flight No. 7 Jamie The Jane Pickens Show Let's See The Mail Story The Martha Wright Show Mr. Citizen The Name's the Same Pond's Theater The Ray Bolger Show The Saturday Night Fights So You Want to Lead a Band Soldier Parade Star Tonight The Stork Club The Stu Erwin Show Talent Patrol Treasury Men in Action Twenty Questions What's Going On Where's Raymond? CBS Returning Series The $64,000 Question Appointment with Adventure Arthur Godfrey and His Friends Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts Beat the Clock The Bob Cummings Show (moved from NBC) Climax! Damon Runyon Theater December Bride Douglas Edwards with the News The Ed Sullivan Show Four Star Playhouse Frankie Laine Time The Gene Autry Show General Electric Theater The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show The Herb Shriner Show I Love Lucy I've Got a Secret The Jack Benny Show Lassie The Lineup Mama Meet Millie The Millionaire My Favorite Husband Name That Tune Omnibus Our Miss Brooks Person to Person Private Secretary The Red Skelton Show Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Shower of Stars Stage Show Studio One Two for the Money The United States Steel Hour (moved from ABC) What's My Line? New Series The 20th Century Fox Hour The $64,000 Challenge * The Adventures of Champion The Adventures of Robin Hood Alfred Hitchcock Presents Brave Eagle CBS Cartoon Theatre * Crusader Ford Star Jubilee Gunsmoke High Finance * Hollywood Summer Theater * The Honeymooners It's Always Jan Joe and Mabel The Johnny Carson Show My Friend Flicka * Navy Log Sergeant Preston of the Yukon Tales of the Texas Rangers Telephone Time * The Vic Damone Show * Wanted You'll Never Get Rich Not returning from 1954–55: America's Greatest Bands The Best of Broadway The Blue Angel Danger Father Knows Best (moved to NBC) The Halls of Ivy Honestly, Celeste! Life with Father Music 55 Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts (moved to ABC, renamed to The Wednesday Night Fights) The Public Defender The Ray Milland Show See It Now Sports Spot Stage 7 Strike It Rich That's My Boy Topper What in the World? Willy Windows Your Play Time DuMont Returning series At Ringside Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena What's the Story New series Hollywood Preview Not returning from 1954–55: Captain Video Chance of a Lifetime Concert Tonight DuMont Evening News Flash Gordon The Ilona Massey Show It's Alec Templeton Time Life Begins at Eighty The Music Show National Football League Professional Football One Minute Please Opera Cameos The Paul Dixon Show Rocky King, Inside Detective Studio 57 The Stranger They Stand Accused Time Will Tell NBC Returning Series Armstrong Circle Theatre Big Town Caesar's Hour Camel News Caravan The Chevy Show Coke Time with Eddie Fisher Colgate Variety Hour Dragnet Father Knows Best (Moved from CBS) Fireside Theatre Ford Theatre The George Gobel Show Gillette Cavalcade of Sports Goodyear Television Playhouse It's a Great Life The Jimmy Durante Show Justice Kraft Television Theatre The Life of Riley The Loretta Young Show Lux Video Theatre The Martha Raye Show Max Liebman Presents Medic Midwestern Hayride The Milton Berle Show People Are Funny The Perry Como Show (moved from CBS) Producers' Showcase Red Barber's Corner Robert Montgomery Presents Texaco Star Theater This Is Your Life The Tony Martin Show Truth or Consequences You Bet Your Life Your Hit Parade New Series Adventure Theater * The Alcoa Hour The Big Surprise Encore Theatre * Frontier The Golden Touch of Frankie Carle * Hollywood Today * The Julius LaRosa Show * The Kaiser Aluminum Hour * The NBC Comedy Hour * The People's Choice Pontiac Presents Playwrights '56 Screen Directors Playhouse Sneak Preview * Star Stage Wide Wide World Not returning from 1954–55: The Amazing Dunninger And Here‘s the Show The Bob Cummings Show (moved to CBS) The Bob Hope Show The Buick-Berle Show Cameo Theatre Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe The Donald O'Connor Show Goodyear Television Playhouse The Greatest Moments in Sports The Hunter I Married Joan The Imogene Coca Show The Jack Carson Show Make the Connection The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan Mister Peepers Musical Chairs My Little Margie Norby The Philco Television Playhouse Place the Face The Red Buttons Show The Soldiers Watch Mr. Wizard 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 (1996). Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. 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 United States network television schedule United States network television schedule