1965–66 United States network television schedule

none March 2025 1965 The following is the 1965–66 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1965 through August 1966. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1964–65 season. During this season, ABC and CBS initiated the broadcast of a predominant portion of their prime-time programming in color, while nearly all of NBC's autumn lineup was presented in color, except for the war drama Convoy and the fantasy sitcom I Dream of Jeannie. The former was terminated after 13 episodes, whereas the latter transitioned to color in the subsequent season. With the majority of prime-time content being produced in color, the scheduling for this season denoted the residual black-and-white programming with a "(B/W)" designation. New 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: https://books.google.com/books?id=w8KztFy6QYwC&dq=%22October+1965+-+April+1966%22&pg=PA1684 Tim Brooks Tim Brooks (historian) Earle Marsh 2007 9 The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946–Present 1684 Ballantine Books New York 978-0-345-49773-4 2026-01-08 . 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. Schedule 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 Fall Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea The F.B.I. The ABC Sunday Night Movie (occasional B/W feature film) Summer Preview Tonight CBS Lassie (27/21.8)(Tied with I Dream of Jeannie) My Favorite Martian The Ed Sullivan Show (17/23.2)(Tied with Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color) Perry Mason (B/W; one episode in color) Candid Camera (B/W) What's My Line? (B/W)NBC The Bell Telephone Hour (6:30) / Actuality Specials (6:30) Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color (17/23.2)(Tied with The Ed Sullivan Show) Branded Bonanza (1/31.8) The Wackiest Ship in the Army Note: On ABC, Preview Tonight was a summer anthology series made up entirely of unsold television pilots. Monday Network 7:30 PM 8:00 PM 8:30 PM 9:00 PM 9:30 PM 10:00 PM 10:30 PMABC Fall 12 O'Clock High (B/W) The Legend of Jesse James (B/W) A Man Called Shenandoah (B/W) The Farmer's Daughter (third and fourth episodes in B/W) Ben Casey (B/W) November Peyton Place (B/W) Spring The Avengers (B/W)CBS Fall To Tell the Truth (B/W) I've Got a Secret (B/W) (19/22.4)(Tied with The Lawrence Welk Show) The Lucy Show (3/27.7) The Andy Griffith Show (6/26.9) Hazel The Steve Lawrence Show (B/W) Winter Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts (B/W) Summer Vacation PlayhouseNBC Hullabaloo The John Forsythe Show Dr. Kildare The Andy Williams Show / Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (once a month) Run for Your Life Notes: On ABC, The Avengers replaced Ben Casey in March. On CBS, Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts replaced The Steve Lawrence Show in December. Vacation Playhouse was a CBS summer anthology series made up entirely 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! (B/W) McHale's Navy (B/W) F Troop (B/W) Peyton Place (B/W) The Fugitive (B/W) CBS Fall Rawhide (B/W) The Red Skelton Hour (4/27.6) Petticoat Junction (21/22.3) CBS News Hour / CBS Reports(B/W; permanently shot in color beginning January 1966) Winter Daktari (14/23.9)SummerThe Hippodrome NBC My Mother the Car Please Don't Eat the Daisies(first episode in B/W) Dr. Kildare NBC Tuesday Night at the Movies 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 (B/W) Gidget The Big Valley Amos Burke — Secret Agent* (B/W) Winter Batman (10/24.7) Blue Light The Long Hot Summer (B/W) CBS Fall Lost in Space (B/W) The Beverly Hillbillies (7/25.9)(Tied with Bewitched) Green Acres (11/24.6) The Dick Van Dyke Show (B/W) (16/23.6) The Danny Kaye Show Summer The John Gary Show NBC The Virginian (23/22.0)(Tied with The Wild Wild West and The Jackie Gleason Show) Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre / Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special I Spy * formerly Burke's Law 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 Shindig! (B/W) The Donna Reed Show (B/W) O.K. Crackerby! (first episode in B/W) Bewitched (B/W) (7/25.9)(Tied with The Beverly Hillbillies) Peyton Place (B/W) The Long Hot Summer (B/W) Winter Batman (5/27.0) Gidget The Double Life of Henry Phyfe The Baron CBS The Munsters (B/W) Gilligan's Island (22/22.1) My Three Sons (15/23.8) The CBS Thursday Night Movie NBC Fall Daniel Boone (26/21.9) Laredo Mona McCluskey The Dean Martin Show Spring Mickie Finn's Summer The Dean Martin Summer Show 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 The Flintstones Tammy The Addams Family (B/W) Honey West (B/W) Peyton Place (B/W) The Jimmy Dean ShowNovember The Farmer's DaughterSummerSummer FunCourt Martial (B/W) CBSFall The Wild Wild West (B/W) (23/22.0)(Tied with The Jackie Gleason Show and The Virginian) Hogan's Heroes (first episode in B/W) (9/24.9) Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (2/27.8) The Smothers Brothers Show (B/W) Slattery's People (B/W)WinterThe Trials of O'Brien (B/W)SummerWayne & Shuster Take An Affectionate Look At... (B/W) NBCFall Camp Runamuck Hank (first episode in B/W) Convoy (B/W) Mister Roberts The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (13/24.0)WinterThe Sammy Davis Jr. ShowSummerSing Along with Mitch (repeats) Notes: The Farmer's Daughter took over the 9:30–10 time period on ABC, effective November 5, because many viewers were not home to watch Peyton Place on Fridays. Starting November 1, Peyton Place was seen Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. In the winter of 1966, The Sammy Davis Jr. Show, which was transmitted live in color, replaced Convoy in its timeslot on NBC. Summer Fun was an ABC summer 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 Shindig! (B/W) The King Family Show The Lawrence Welk Show (19/22.4)(Tied with I've Got a Secret) The Hollywood Palace ABC Scope (B/W) Winter The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet The Donna Reed Show (B/W) CBSFall The Jackie Gleason Show (B/W) (23/22.0)(Tied with The Wild Wild West and The Virginian) The Trials of O'Brien (B/W) The Loner (B/W) Gunsmoke (B/W) (30/21.3) WinterSecret Agent (B/W)Summer Continental Showcase The Face is Familiar NBC Flipper (29/21.6) I Dream of Jeannie (B/W)(27/21.8)(Tied with Lassie) Get Smart (first episode in B/W) (12/24.5) NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Note: Even though ABC Scope was scheduled at 10:30 PM, not one major station (including WABC-TV New York, the network's flagship station) carried it in that time period, preferring to schedule local or syndicated programming in its place. Most affiliates aired it in "fringe time" during the weekend. By network ABC Returning Series 12 O'Clock High ABC Scope The ABC Sunday Night Movie The Addams Family The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Amos Burke — Secret Agent The Avengers Ben Casey Bewitched Combat! The Donna Reed Show The Farmer's Daughter The Flintstones The Fugitive The Hollywood Palace The Jimmy Dean Show The King Family Show The Lawrence Welk Show McHale's Navy The Patty Duke Show Peyton Place Saga of Western Man Shindig! Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea New Series The Baron Batman * The Big Valley Blue Light * Court Martial * The Double Life of Henry Phyfe * F Troop The F.B.I. Gidget Honey West The Legend of Jesse James The Long Hot Summer A Man Called Shenandoah O.K. Crackerby! Preview Tonight * Summer Fun * Tammy Not returning from 1964–65: The Bing Crosby Show Broadside F.D.R. Jonny Quest Mickey My Three Sons (moved to CBS) No Time for Sergeants The Outer Limits The Tycoon Valentine's Day Wagon Train Wendy and Me CBS Returning Series The Andy Griffith Show The Beverly Hillbillies Candid Camera CBS News Hour CBS Reports The Danny Kaye Show The Dick Van Dyke Show The Ed Sullivan Show Gilligan's Island Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. Gunsmoke Hazel (moved from NBC) I've Got a Secret The Jackie Gleason Show Lassie The Lucy Show The Munsters My Favorite Martian My Three Sons (moved from ABC) Perry Mason Petticoat Junction Rawhide The Red Skelton Hour Secret Agent Slattery's People To Tell the Truth The Twentieth Century Vacation Playhouse What's My Line? New Series Art Linkletter's Hollywood Talent Scouts CBS Thursday Night Movie Continental Showcase Daktari * The Face Is Familiar * Green Acres The Hippodrome * Hogan's Heroes The John Gary Show * The Loner Lost in Space The Smothers Brothers Show The Smothers Brothers Summer Show * The Steve Lawrence Show The Trials of O'Brien Wayne & Shuster Take An Affectionate Look At... * The Wild Wild West Not returning from 1964–65: The Baileys of Balboa The Cara Williams Show The Celebrity Game The Defenders The Doctors and the Nurses The Entertainers Fanfare For the People Glynis The Great Adventure The Joey Bishop Show Many Happy Returns Mr. Broadway Mister Ed My Living Doll On Broadway Tonight Our Private World Password The Reporter Summer Playhouse World War One NBC Returning Series Actuality Specials The Andy Williams Show The Bell Telephone Hour Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Bonanza Branded Daniel Boone Dr. Kildare Flipper The Man from U.N.C.L.E. NBC Saturday Night at the Movies Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall The Virginian Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color New Series Camp Runamuck Convoy The Dean Martin Show The Dean Martin Summer Show * Get Smart Hank I Dream of Jeannie I Spy The John Forsythe Show Laredo Mickie Finn's * Mister Roberts Mona McCluskey My Mother the Car Please Don't Eat the Daisies Run for Your Life The Sammy Davis Jr. Show * The Wackiest Ship in the Army Not returning from 1964–65: 90 Bristol Court The Alfred Hitchcock Hour The Bill Dana Show Cloak of Mystery The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo Harris Against the World Hazel (moved to CBS) Hullabaloo International Showtime The Jack Benny Program The Jack Paar Program Karen Kentucky Jones Kraft Suspense Theater Mr. Novak Moment of Fear Profiles in Courage The Rogues Tom, Dick, and Mary Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason. References Additional sources 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 (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. 978-0-345-49773-4. Category:United States primetime network television schedules Category:1965 in American television Category:1966 in American television