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What was on ABC on a Tuesday night in 1964? Plenty of cartoons!
At seven-thirty, the evening starts with Tang's The Bugs Bunny Show.
At eight o'clock it's the sitcom Bachelor Father. Recently we saw a hilarious episode of Valentine's Day featuring Jack Soo as an Asian lead character who did not speak in pigeon english or take part in any of the other shameful Hollywood characteristics that Asians were forced to portray. Unfortunately, the same can not be said for the part Sammee Tong was made to play in the Bachelor Father. His role as the slow-minded houseboy may have been what led to his suicide later in 1964 (okay, it was actually gambling debts).
At eight-thirty it was another cartoon, this one a bit more offensive, removed from the air due to some vocal protests. Calvin and Colonel was basically an Amos n' Andy soundtrack paired with splendid nineteen sixties TV animation. The cartoon was written by some of the people responsible for Leave it to Beaver and The Munsters. A nice glimpse into a serious rarity.
Watch the whole night's worth here.
What was prime time TV like on ABC in 1964?
Starting at 7:30 pm, it was the greatest of the Hanna-Barbera adventure cartoons, Johnny Quest. It was followed by the not-so-greatest of sitcoms, The Farmer's Daughter. This is actually my first exposure to The Farmer's Daughter, and probably my last. It survived a solid three seasons and three years after its cancellation, the program's star, Inger Stevens, committed suicide. Just prior to eight-thirty we see a soup commercial narrated by Sterling Holloway and featuring Mickey Mouse and then it is time for The Addams Family. This episode features the hilarious Frank "Yuhhhhhh-essssss?" Nelson as guest star. Next up it's a serious obscurity that's got absolutely everything going for it. Starring future Barney Miller favorite Jack Soo, it's Valentine's Day. The sitcom didn't last much longer than the annual event of the same name, and that's a damn shame. This hilarious episode features Mamie Van Doren as herself and an appearance by the voice of Judy Jetson (and several other teenage cartoon and radio characters), Janet Waldo. It is not only the funniest show on ABC's Friday night line-up, but also the most adult.
We move over to CBS for the end of the night. We're treated to a typical episode of Gomer Pyle, USMC and the George C. Scott drama East Side, West Side.
Check out all the fun here!
The Museum of Broadcast Communications has posted some great footage on the site brightcove.tv - I tried to embed their videos here as they'd have been a great fit for Classic Television Showbiz but it simply does not work. So instead, I send you to their site to watch their "Network Nights" series. Today I offer three different three and a half hour videos that depict, as closely as possible, what it was like to sit in front of your TV with only three channels for three and a half hours in these three years including commercials and network promos.
1955 - Primetime
What was on the air primetime in '55? We'll see The Lone Ranger and You Bet Your Life on NBC, flip over to CBS for Climax! with a dramatization of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde adapted by Gore Vidal and back to NBC for The Ford Theater presentation of The Clay Pigeon with recognizable character actor Tom Tully. Fall asleep in the easy chair watching WGN's Late Show featuring the 1935 Bela Lugosi stinker Murder By Television including those late night cheapo commercials, this time courtesy Polk City Hallicrafter. Check it out here.
1963 - PrimetimeThe night starts off on ABC with a now-classic episode of The Outer Limits starring The Man From U.N.C.L.E.'s David MaCullum. Then over to CBS for 90 minutes worth of Desilu powerhouse programming. First, something that you've probably seen in the public domain, The Lucy Show. Flipping through TV Guide we see that one of my all time favorite sitcoms is up next, the former Make Room For Daddy, The Danny Thomas Show. This episode includes an animated Thomas espousing the virtues of Post brand cereals. Morey Amsterdam makes a guest appearance as his character from the Danny Thomas produced Dick Van Dyke Show as well. The Danny Thomas Show's spin-off, The Andy Griffith Show continues the hour long Post cereal block with a Don Knotts-less episode. Back to ABC for the drama Breaking Point with special guest star John Cassavettes in an episode titled There Are the Hip and There Are the Square. Here it is.
1969 - Primetime
First up on Chicago's ABC affiliate it is the Irwin Allen adventure program Land of the Giants sponsored by Raleigh Cigarettes. Switch over to NBC and dig the forgotten Desi Arnaz presentation The Mother In-Laws featuring Classic Television Showbiz favorite Richard Deacon. On CBS it's Hee Haw with guest appearances from Charley Pride and Minnie Pearl, followed by Mission: Impossible. Here ya go.
