1959–60 United States network television schedule

The 1959–60 United States network television schedule was for the period that began in September 1959 and ran through March 1960.

By the end of the 1950s, the three major U.S. television networks had basically given up direct control of their TV programs. According to TV historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), ABC allowed Warner Brothers studios to fill 30% of its fall 1959 schedule. The networks "acted as mere conduits", with Warner, Talent Associates, Revue Studios, Ziv, Screen Gems, 20th Century-Fox, Goodson-Todman, and Desilu Studios producing nearly everything on the networks; with rare exceptions, only network news and sports were still produced in-house.[1]

By fall 1959 what the Hollywood studios were producing were mostly Westerns. According to Castleman and Podrazik (1984), "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."[2] Westerns were popular with audiences, but critics lamented the loss of other program formats, which had quietly vanished from the three networks' schedules. The addition of Westerns and game shows came at the direct expense of the live dramatic anthology series seen during television's golden age.[3]

All times are Eastern and Pacific. New fall series are highlighted in bold.

The official schedule was set by each network before the start of the official fall season. The fall season is from September to November in the U.S.. The mid-season schedule is listed under the official fall season lineup of each network. The mid-season schedule is from December 1959 to May 1960.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.[4]

Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.

Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.

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	Fall	Colt .45	Maverick (19/25.2)		Lawman (15/26.2)	The Rebel	The Alaskans		Dick Clark's World of Talent
ABC	Spring	Broken Arrow	Maverick (19/25.2)		Lawman (15/26.2)	The Rebel	The Alaskans		Johnny Staccato
CBS	Fall	Lassie (29/23.1) (Tied with The Perry Como Show)	Dennis the Menace (16/26.0)	The Ed Sullivan Show (12/28.0)		General Electric Theater (21/24.4) (Tied with Mr. Lucky and Zane Grey Theater)	Alfred Hitchcock Presents (25/24.1)	The Jack Benny Program / The George Gobel Show	What's My Line? (27/23.9)
CBS	Summer	Lassie (29/23.1) (Tied with The Perry Como Show)	Dennis the Menace (16/26.0)	The Ed Sullivan Show (12/28.0)			Alfred Hitchcock Presents (25/24.1)	Lucy in Connecticut	What's My Line? (27/23.9)
NBC	Fall	Riverboat / Overland Trail (beginning Feb. 7)		NBC Sunday Showcase (Color)		The Dinah Shore Chevy Show (Color)		The Loretta Young Show	Local Programming
NBC	Summer	Riverboat / Overland Trail (beginning Feb. 7)		Music on Ice (Color)		The Chevy Mystery Show (Color)		The Loretta Young Show	Local Programming

Note: The CBS 1960 summer series Lucy in Connecticut consisted of reruns of I Love Lucy from the final 13 episodes of the 1956-57 season when the Lucy and Ricky Ricardo characters made their home in Westport, Connecticut.

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		Local Programming	Cheyenne (17/25.9)		Bourbon Street Beat		Adventures in Paradise		Man with a Camera
CBS	Fall	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News*	Masquerade Party	The Texan	Father Knows Best (6/29.7) (Tied with 77 Sunset Strip)	The Danny Thomas Show (4/31.1)	The Ann Sothern Show (24/24.2)	Hennesey	The DuPont Show with June Allyson
CBS	Mid-Season		The Kate Smith Show	The Texan	Father Knows Best (6/29.7) (Tied with 77 Sunset Strip)	The Danny Thomas Show (4/31.1)	The Ann Sothern Show (24/24.2)	Hennesey	The DuPont Show with June Allyson
NBC		7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 The Huntley-Brinkley Report*	Richard Diamond, Private Detective	Love and Marriage	Tales of Wells Fargo	Peter Gunn	Alcoa Theatre / Goodyear Television Playhouse	The Steve Allen Plymouth Show** (Color)

(*) In some areas, Douglas Edwards with the News and The Huntley-Brinkley Report aired at 6:45 p.m. (**) Formerly known as The Steve Allen Show

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		Local Programming	Sugarfoot / Bronco		The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (20/25.0)	The Rifleman (13/27.5)	Philip Marlowe	Alcoa Presents: One Step Beyond	Keep Talking
CBS	Fall	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News	Local Programming	The Dennis O'Keefe Show	The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis	Tightrope!	The Red Skelton Show (Sporadically in Color) (5/30.8)	The Garry Moore Show
CBS	Summer	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News	Local Programming	Peck's Bad Girl	The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis	Tightrope!	The Red Skelton Show (Sporadically in Color) (5/30.8)	Diagnosis: Unknown
NBC		7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 The Huntley-Brinkley Report	Laramie		Fibber McGee and Molly	The Arthur Murray Party (Color)	Startime (Color)		Local Programming

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	Fall	Local Programming	The Court of Last Resort (repeats)	Charley Weaver's Hobby Lobby	The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet	Hawaiian Eye		The Wednesday Night Fights
	Winter		Music For a Spring Night	Charley Weaver's Hobby Lobby
	Spring		Music For a Spring Night / Music For a Summer Night
CBS	Fall	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News	The Lineup		Men into Space	The Millionaire	I've Got a Secret (28/23.5)	Armstrong Circle Theatre / The United States Steel Hour
CBS	Winter	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News	Be Our Guest		Men into Space	The Millionaire	I've Got a Secret (28/23.5)	Armstrong Circle Theatre / The United States Steel Hour
NBC		7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 The Huntley-Brinkley Report	Wagon Train (2/38.4)		The Price Is Right (Color) (8/29.2)	The Perry Como Show (29/23.1) (Tied with Lassie) (Color)		This Is Your Life	Wichita Town

Note: On ABC, Music For a Spring Night was the summer 1959 series Music For a Summer Night renamed. It reverted to the name Music For a Summer Night in May 1960.

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	Fall	Local Programming	The Gale Storm Show	The Donna Reed Show	The Real McCoys (11/28.2)	The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom	The Untouchables		Take a Good Look
ABC	Summer	Local Programming	The Gale Storm Show	The Donna Reed Show	The Real McCoys (11/28.2)	The Jeannie Carson Show	The Untouchables		Take a Good Look
CBS	Fall	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News	To Tell the Truth	The Betty Hutton Show	Johnny Ringo	Zane Grey Theater (21/24.4) (Tied with Mr. Lucky and General Electric Theater)	Playhouse 90 / The Big Party
	Winter		To Tell the Truth				Markham	The Revlon Revue
	Summer		The Invisible Man				Markham	The Revlon Revue
NBC		7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 The Huntley-Brinkley Report	Law of the Plainsman	Bat Masterson	Johnny Staccato	Bachelor Father	The Ford Show (14/27.4) (Color)	You Bet Your Life (26/24.0)	The Lawless Years

Note; The ABC 1960 summer series The Jeannie Carson Show consisted of reruns of the 1956-1957 CBS situation comedy Hey, Jeannie!.

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	Local Programming	Walt Disney Presents		The Man From Blackhawk	77 Sunset Strip (6/29.7) (Tied with Father Knows Best)		The Detectives Starring Robert Taylor	Black Saddle
CBS	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 Douglas Edwards with the News	Rawhide (18/25.8)		Hotel de Paree	Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse / The Westinghouse Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show (once a month)		The Twilight Zone	Person to Person
NBC	7:00 Local Programming / 7:15 The Huntley-Brinkley Report	People Are Funny	The Troubleshooters	The Bell Telephone Hour (Color) / NBC News Specials		M Squad	10:00 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports / 10:45 Phillies Jackpot Bowling

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 Programming	Dick Clark's Saturday Night Beech-Nut Show	John Gunther's High Road	Leave It to Beaver	The Lawrence Welk Show		Jubilee USA
CBS	Fall		Perry Mason (10/28.3)		Wanted: Dead or Alive (9/28.7)	Mr. Lucky (21/24.4) (Tied with Zane Grey Theater and General Electric Theater)	Have Gun – Will Travel (3/34.7)	Gunsmoke (1/40.3)	Markham
CBS	Winter		Perry Mason (10/28.3)		Wanted: Dead or Alive (9/28.7)		Have Gun – Will Travel (3/34.7)	Gunsmoke (1/40.3)	Local Programming
NBC	Fall		Bonanza (Color)		The Man and the Challenge	The Deputy	Five Fingers		It Could Be You
NBC	Winter		Bonanza (Color)		The Man and the Challenge	The Deputy	Five Fingers		Man from Interpol

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References

Castleman, Harry; Walter J. Podrazik (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 129–138. ISBN 0-07-010269-4.
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. ISBN 0-07-010277-5
Heldenfels, R. D. (1994) Television's Greatest Year: 1954. New York: Continuum, pg 210. ISBN 0-8264-0675-0
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. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.

McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
Castleman, Harry & Podrazik, Wally (1984). The TV Schedule Book. New York: McGraw-Hill Paperbacks.
Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.

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[CP1982-1] Castleman, Harry; Walter J. Podrazik (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. pp. 129–138. ISBN 0-07-010269-4.

[CP1984-2] 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. ISBN 0-07-010277-5

[Heldenfels-3] Heldenfels, R. D. (1994) Television's Greatest Year: 1954. New York: Continuum, pg 210. ISBN 0-8264-0675-0

[BM2-4] 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. ISBN 978-0-345-49773-4.