Television of the 50s & 60s

Television in the 60s was unique compared to what it is today. We only had 3 channels ABC, CBS, and NBC. We received our TV reception either through a pair of rabbit ears antenna located on top of the TV or an aerial antenna attached to our homes or on the roof. We had no idea what cable TV was or what its impact would be later.

Television of yester year was entertainment for the whole family. A typical Friday night may consist of watching our favorite show on the sofa with a large bowl of popcorn with our favorite beverage. Our popcorn was cooked on the stove in a large kettle, shaken as it popped or later we had Jiffy Pop® Popcorn. If you wanted pizza, you had to go pick it up because back then, there was no such thing as pizza delivery. I remember when I couldn't wait to watch Disney on Sunday night with episodes of "Swamp Fox," "Zorro" or even watch repeats of "Davy Crockett" starring Fess Parker and Buddy Ebsen. Each week at the beginning of Disney they played the song "When You Wish Upon a Star."

My family never owned a color TV and I never could afford one till after I got married so black and white TV was the entertainment not only for us but for many in my hometown. The cost of purchasing a color television was out of reach for may families. Families all over have a Mixbook collection of old photo books with old black and white TVs sitting in the background. Some have even kept them around, mostly stored in basements. At times though, the old black and white TVs can still be found in the sitting room of grandparents and great grandparents here or there. They happen to be the same TVs seen in their old photos and photo books from when they were new.

Thinking back to those days I recall a number of television shows that I enjoyed and have fond memories of and I have included them here. The 60s era was when westerns were king and comedies were clean fun. Also we had are share of variety shows which TV does not have today. I hope I have included some of your favorites as we take the trip back to 60s television. Turn your speakers on because the theme songs of many these memories are playing as the page opens. Enjoy the trip back to 50s & 60s TV. Just click the links below.

• 77 Sunset Strip premiered on ABC October 10, 1958 and ended its run February 26, 1964 with 206 episodes being produced. The investigators of Stuart Bailey, p[layed by Efrem Zimbalist Jr. and Jeff Spencer played by Roger Smith, operated out of very elaborate offices at 77 Sunset Strip, Hollywood California. Stuart Bailey was a very cultered OSS officer who was an expert in foreign languages. Jeff Spencer was a former government uncover agent with a degree in law. Bailey and Spencer were both Judo experts. Their cases took them to glamourous places all ove the world. At Dino's, a posh restaurant, worked a parking attendant named Kookie,played by Edd Byrnes, who was a private detective wannabe. In the cast also was Suzanne, the French switchboard operator 
• Adam 12 -was created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb, the latter of whom also created Dragnet. It starred Martin Milner and Kent McCord and purported to realistically capture a typical day in the life of police officers. The show ran from September 21, 1968, through May 20, 1975, and helped to introduce police procedures and jargon to the general public in the United States. 
• Alfred Hitchcock Presents - Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series that was created, hosted, and produced by Alfred Hitchcock; the program aired on CBS and NBC between 1955 and 1965. 
• Alvin Show was agreat show for the kids on 60s television featuring Alvin and the Chipmunk. One of the great 60s cartoon shows. 
• American Bandstand began as a local program on WFIL-TV (now WPVI), Channel 6 in Philadelphia on October 7, 1952. Then it was hosted by Bob Horn and was called Bob Horn's Bandstand.On July 9 of 1956 the show got a new host, a clean-cut 26 year old named Dick Clark. When ABC picked the show up, it was renamed American Bandstand, airing it's first national show on August 5, 1957. The show was moved to Los Angeles in 1964. From 1963 to 1987 Bandstand was on only once a week, on Saturday. 
• Andy's Gang 
• Batman is a 1960s American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name, which stars Adam West and Burt Ward as Batman and Robin, two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network for two and a half seasons from January 12, 1966 to March 14, 1968.
  Ben Casey stars Vince Edwards as medical doctor Ben Casey, a young, intense but idealistic surgeon at County General Hospital. His mentor was Doctor David Zorba, played by Sam Jaffe. 
• Bewitched revolves around Darrin Stevens, first played by Dick York and later by Dick Sargent, an advertising executive and his beautiful wife, Samantha, played by beautiful Elizabeth Montgomery, who happens to be a witch. They live at 1164 Morning Glory Circle in Westport Connecticut. Darrin works for the Manhattan firm of McMann and Tate. Most Bewitched episodes deals with him hiding the fact his wife is a witch and of course her powers she possesses. 
• The Big Valley is an American television Western which ran on ABC from September 15, 1965, to May 19, 1969, which starred Barbara Stanwyck, as a California widowed mother. The TV series was based loosely on the Hill Ranch located at the western edge of Calaveras County, not far from Stockton. 
• Bonanza was the first color western and one of the longest running TV shows. It first aired in 1959 on NBC and there were 430 sixty minute episodes produced. The series followed the adventures of the Cartwright clan who owned a 1000 square mile timber range known as The Ponderosa just outside Virginia City. Head of the Cartwright family was Ben Cartwright played by Lorne Greene, who was a widower. Michael Landon played the youngest son Little Joe with Dan Blocker the middle son Eric "Hoss" Cartwright and Pernell Roberts as the oldest son Adam Cartwright. All three sons had different mothers and all being deceased. 
• Bronco aired from September 23, 1958 until August 20, 1962. 
• Burke's Law is a detective series that ran on ABC from 1963 to 1965 and was revived on CBS in the 1990s. The show starred Gene Barry as Amos Burke, millionaire captain of Los Angeles police homicide division, who was chauffeured around to solve crimes in his Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II. 
• Candid Camera was a hidden camera television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947. After a series of theatrical film shorts, also titled Candid Microphone, Funt's concept came to television on August 10, 1948. 
• Captain Kangaroo - was an American children's television series that aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS from 1955 to 1984, making it the longest-running nationally broadcast children's television program of its day. 
• Car 54 Where Are You is an American sitcom that ran on NBC from September 17, 1961 to September 8,1963, airing 60 episodes. Most of its filming was on location in the The Bronx and at Biograph Studios.
• Cheyenne Bodie played by Clint walker was a large man, 6'6" tall) a former army scout, who wandered the west and tried to avoid trouble at all cost but with little success. In the first season he had a sidekick named Smitty played by L.Q. Jones but was dropped in the second season. 
• Combat! is an American television program that aired on ABC from 1962 until 1967. Combat! presented an unvarnished view of men in armed conflict. This was not a series that glorified war, but a tribute to the civilian soldier, the average G.I. who fought (and died) on the front lines of Europe. 
• Daniel Boone was American action-adventure television series starring Fess Parker as Daniel Boone that aired from September 24, 1964 to September 10, 1970 on NBC for 165 episodes. 
• Death Valley Days is an American radio and television anthology series featuring true stories of the old American West, particularly the Death Valley area. The 558 television episodes were introduced by a host. The longest-running was "The Old Ranger" from 1952 to 1965, played by Stanley Andrews. 
• Deputy Dawg was a below average lawman but his misadventures made him a classic on 1960s television and one of the best 1960s cartoons.
• Dragnet was perhaps the most famous and influential police procedural drama in media history. The series gave millions of audience members a feel for the boredom and drudgery, as well as the danger and heroism, of real-life police work. Dragnet earned praise for improving the public opinion of police officers.
• Dr Kildaire is an NBC medical drama television series which ran from September 27, 1961 until April 5, 1966 encompassing a total of 190 episodes. The show, which premiered at the same time as an ABC medical drama, Ben Casey, quickly achieved success and helped spark a number of new shows dealing with the medical field. 
• F Troop is a satirical American television sitcom that originally aired for two seasons on ABC-TV. It debuted in the United States on September 14, 1965 and concluded its run on April 6, 1967 with a total of 65 episodes. The first season of 34 episodes was filmed in black-and-white, but the show switched to color for its second season. 
• Family Affair is an American sitcom that aired on CBS from September 12, 1966, to March 4, 1971. The series explored the trials of well-to-do engineer and bachelor Bill Davis (Brian Keith) as he attempted to raise his brother's orphaned children in his luxury New York City apartment. 
• Flipper the television show is an adaptation of the 1963 film Flipper starring Chuck Connors and Luke Halpin as Porter and Sandy Ricks, and its 1964 sequel, Flipper's New Adventure, where Brian Kelly took over the role of Porter. In adapting the films to a television series, the producers made Porter a single parent and gave him a second son named Bud, played by Tommy Norden.
• Get Smart is an American television comedy series that satirizes the secret agent genre. Created by Mel Brooks with Buck Henry, the show starred Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Agent 86, Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, and Edward Platt as the Chief of CONTROL, a secret American government counter-espionage agency.
• Gilligans Island is an American television situation comedy created and produced by Sherwood Schwartz and originally produced by United Artists Television. The series featured Bob Denver, Alan Hale, Jr., Jim Backus, and Tina Louise, and aired for three seasons on the CBS network, from September 26,
• Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. was a spinoff from The Andy Griffith Show. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C., premiered on CBS on September 25, 1964 and exited September 19, 1969 after completing 150 episodes. Gomer Pyle started on The Andy Griffith Show during the third season as the dimwitted mechanic. His ignorance but honesty really was annoyance to Andy and Deputy Barney Fife. After the first season, Jim Nabors (Gomer) was offered a series of his own. The spinoff began as an episode on The Andy Griffith Show where Gomer enlists into the Marines. Private Pyle is stationed at Camp Henderson, California assigned to tough as nails Sergeant Carter's platoon. Sergeant Carter played by Frank Sutton can handle anything except Private Pyle's back woods naivete and slow learning ability. This combination made this show hit.
• Green Acres - CBS produced 170 episodes of Green Acres and it appeared on television from September 1965 till September 1971. Green acres was a spinoff of Petticoat Junction. Attorney Oliver Wendall played by Eddie Albert, an attorney, wanting to be a farmer all his life buys The Haney 160 acre farm sight unseen near Hooterville. His wife Lisa, starrin Eva Gabor, objects leaving New York's luxury to live in the country. She eventually gives in and moves to the broken down shack which is unfurnished and missing the luxuries they are so accustomed. The show is built around them adjusting not only to the new style of living but to the towns people with their backwards living.
• Gunsmoke, the televsion western series, originally started on radio in 1952 with William Conrad the voice of Matt Dillon. When it was decided to move to television John Wayne was asked to be Marshall Matt Dillon but he turned it down because he didn't want the rigors of doing a weekly television show. John Wayne recommended James Arness, a relatively new actor. John Wayne introduced the first episode when it aired on CBS in 1955. There was a total of 233 thirty minute episodes and 402 sixty minute episodes produced. It is still the longest running western ever produced.
• Have Gun Will Travel - Richard Boone stars as the black clad good guy Paladin, a modern day detective working in the old west. In this 60s television western he lived in San Francisco and his services did not come cheap. His standard fee was $1000. He was a West Point graduate and could recite Shakespeare as well as use his colt single action revolver. If you remember he had a calling card he handed out during each episode.
  Hawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the ABC television network.
• Hawaii 5-O - Hawaii Five-O is an American police procedural drama series produced by CBS Productions and created by Leonard Freeman. Set in Hawaii, the show originally aired for 12 seasons from 1968 to 1980, and continues in reruns. At the airing of its last episode it was the longest-running police drama in American television history.
• Hawaiian Eye -Hawaiian Eye is an American television series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963 on the ABC television network
• Hazel  is an American sitcom about a live-in maid named Hazel Burke (played by Shirley Booth) and her employers, the Baxters. The five-season, 154-episode series aired in prime time from September 28, 1961, to April 11, 1966,
• The High Chapparral - is an American Western-themed television series starring Leif Erickson and Cameron Mitchell, which aired on NBC from 1967 to 1971. The series, made by Xanadu Productions in association with NBC Productions, was created by David Dortort, who had previously created Bonanza for the network. Highway Patrol is a syndicated action crime drama series that aired from 1955-1959. The series was syndicated by Ziv TV. It starred Broderick Crawford as Dan Mathews, the gruff and dedicated head of a police force in a large, unidentified Western state.
• Hogans Heroes was an American classic TV show that produced 168 episodes and aired on CBS from September 17, 1965 to March 28, 1971. The show was set in a German prisoner of war (POW) camp during the Second World War. Bob Crane had the starring role as Colonel Robert E. Hogan.
• Honey West is an American crime drama television series that aired on ABC during the 1965-1966 television season. The series stars Anne Francis as female private detective Honey West.
• Hootenanny was a musical variety television show broadcast in the United States on ABC from April 1963 to September 1964. Although both popular and influential, the program is primarily remembered today for the controversy created when the producers blacklisted certain folk music acts, which then led to a boycott by others.
• Hullabaloo! was a lot like 'Shindig', and lasted only a year and a half as well, debuting in January of 1965, and continuing until the Fall of 1966. First broadcast as a half hour series, then as an hour show in the spring, then switching back again to a half hour in the fall of 1965, 'Hullabaloo' featured the Hullabaloo Dancers, The Peter Matz Orchestra ('The Carol Burnett Show' band), and (on the first few hour shows) Brian Epstein, the Beatles' manager, introducing new British acts in black and white segments (the rest of the show was in color). Instead of just one host, different guest-hosts were recruited each week for this NBC show
• I Dream of Jeannie appeared on NBC for five years beginning September 1965 and ending after 139 episodes on September 1, 1970.
• I Spyis an American secret-agent television adventure series. It ran for three seasons on NBC from 1965 to 1968 and teamed US intelligence agents Kelly Robinson (Robert Culp) and Alexander "Scotty" Scott (Bill Cosby), traveling undercover as international "tennis bums"
• I've Got a Secretis a weekly panel game show produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. Created by comedy writers Allan Sherman and Howard Merrill, it was a derivative of Goodson-Todman's own panel show What's My Line?
• Laramie is an American Western television series that aired on NBC from 1959 to 1963. Laramie was a Revue Studios production which originally starred John Smith as Slim Sherman, Robert Fuller as Jess Harper, Hoagy Carmichael as Jonesy and Robert Crawford, Jr. as Andy Sherman.
• Lassie  TV show was a baby boomer classic that started from a popular movie of the 1940s. The show is still shown in syndication today.
• Laugh-In is an American sketch comedy television program which ran for 140 episodes from January 22, 1968, to May 14, 1973. It was hosted by comedians Dan Rowan and Dick Martin and was broadcast over NBC.
• Leave it to Beaver aired on CBS and ABC for 234 episodes from October 1957 to September 1963. The family of the Cleavers lived in Mayfield at 211 Pine Street. Ward, Hugh Beaumont, the father was an accountant and his wife June Cleaver starring Barbara Billingsley was the typical housewife during that period. The shows follows the story of the two sons Beaver starring Jerry Mathers and Tony Dow as Wally. The Cleavers was the typical middle class family found always in these type of programs. Together with the growing up and the problems they presented during the episodes with their friends included brought delightment and a moral to the story.
• Lost in Space was a science fiction televsion series produced by Irwin Allen for broadcast on CBS. The show ran for three seasons, with 83 episodes airing between September 15, 1965, and March 6, 1968
• The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is an American television series that was broadcast on NBC from September 22, 1964, to January 15, 1968. It follows the exploits of two secret agents, played by Robert Vaughn and David McCallum, who work for a fictitious secret international espionage and law-enforcement agency called U.N.C.L.E., whose letters stand for the United Network Command for Law and Enforcement.
• Mannix began its appearance on televison September 7, 1967 and remained at CBS until August 24, 1975 with 154 episodes being filmed. During the first season Joe Mannix played by Mike Connors, worked as a detective for Intertect, a computerized private detective agency. Stories follow the format of Mannix being a loner who constantly goes against the rules and regulations of the detective organization.
• Maverick was the story of Brett Maverick (James Garner) a card shark during the old west. The series started out as a straight forward story teller and then comedy was added later.
• McHale's Navy is an American television sitcom series which ran for 138 half-hour episodes from October 11, 1962 to August 31, 1966 on the ABC network. The series was filmed in black and white and originated in a one-hour drama called Seven Against the Sea, broadcast on April 3, 1962
• Mighty Mouseis an American animated anthropomorphic, superhero mouse character created by the Terrytoons studio for 20th Century Fox. The character first appeared in 1942 (originally named Super Mouse) and subsequently in 80 theatrical films between 1942 and 1961. These films appeared on American television from 1955 through 1967, Saturday mornings on the CBS television network.
• Mission Impossible invaded CBS on September 17, 1966 and ended its run in September 1973 after 171 episodes. The cases of Impossible Mission Force, which was a top secret government organization that was trained to handle dangerous and highly sensitive international assignments, was depicted week after week on these 60 minute episode. Peter Graves, Greg Morris.
• The Mod Squad is an American crime drama series that ran on ABC from September 24, 1968 to August 23, 1973. It starred Michael Cole as Peter "Pete" Cochran, Peggy Lipton as Julie Barnes, Clarence Williams III as Lincoln "Linc" Hayes, and Tige Andrews as Captain Adam Greer. The executive producers of the series were Aaron Spelling and Danny Thomas.
• My Favorite Martian is an American television sitcom that aired on CBS from September 29, 1963 to May 1, 1966 for 107 episodes (75 in black and white 1963–1965, 32 color 1965–1966). The show starred Ray Walston as Uncle Martin (the Martian) and Bill Bixby as Tim O'Hara.
• Mister Ed - Settling into their first home, newlyweds Wilbur Post, an architect, and his wife Carol, discover a horse in the barn. Meeting Roger Addison, a neighbor, they discover that the horse is theirs, left to them by the previous owner. Unable to part with the animal, Wilber persuades Carol to let him keep it. Shortly after, while brushing the horse (named Mr. Ed), Wilbur discovers that he possesses the ability to talk, and because Wilbur is the only person he likes well enough to talk to, he will speak only to him. Stories depict the misadventures that befall Wilbur as he struggles to conceal the fact that he owns a talking horse.
• My Three Sons storylines centred on the family's adventures in suburbia, and was perhaps the hybrid of what was to become the era of the Dom-Com (Domestic Sitcom). Steve Douglas also spent a good deal of time fending off attractive women who wanted to marry him and take over that loveable ready made family.
• Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format.
• One Step Beyond is an American television series created by Merwin Gerard. The original series ran for three seasons on ABC from 1959 to 1961.
• The Outer Limits was one of the best sci-fi shows on 60s TV was the original "Outer Limits."
• Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, produced over 271 episodes for CBS. It started its run September 21, 1957 and ended September 4, 1966. For nine seasons the famous defense attorney solved murder cases in the courtroom.
• Petticoat Junction was a spinoff from The Beverly Hillbillies. The story takes place in a small town of Hooterville. Kate Bradley was the widowed owner of the only bed and breakfast type of establishment in the entire town. She had three beautiful daughters, Billy Jo, Betty Jo, Bobby Jo, who helped her run the rural Shady Rest Hotel.
• Popeye was first created in the 1930s but his popularity reached its peak in the 1960s. This 1930s cartoon character was a hit on 1960s television.
• Quick Draw McGraw of 1960s television was a classic 1960s cartoon following on the sucess of Huckleberry Hound.
• Rawhide was the continuing story of a group of Texas headed by trail boss, Gil Favor, (Eric Fleming) moving a herd of 3000 cattle to market up north. Also starring was Clint Eastwood as Rowdy Yates. The show first aired on January 9, 1959 and its last episode was January 4, 1966.
• Rocky and Bullwinkle was a classic of 1960s television. This 1960s cartoon show was well written like a script for radio but with pictures.
• Room 222is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television that aired on ABC for 112 episodes from September 17, 1969, until January 11, 1974.
• Route 66 is an American TV series in which two young men traveled across America. The show ran weekly on CBS from 1960 to 1964.
• Scoopy Do is a lovable chicken at heart dog in Scooby Doo. A real classic cartoon show of 1960s television.
• Secret Agent Man or Danger Man (retitled Secret Agent in the United States, and Destination Danger and John Drake in other non-UK markets) is a British television series that was broadcast between 1960 and 1962, and again between 1964 and 1968. The series featured Patrick McGoohan as secret agent John Drake. Shindig, hosted by LA disc jockey Jimmy O'Neill, was broadcast live on ABC September 16, 1964, with house band the Shin-diggers (later the Shindogs) and the Shindigger dancers Most of the 'Shindig' shows were broadcast in glorious black and white.
• Sky King - The television version of Sky King starred Kirby Grant as Sky King and Gloria Winters as Penny. Other regular characters included Sky's nephew Clipper, played by Ron Hagerthy, and Mitch the sheriff, portrayed by Ewing Mitchell. Mitch, a competent and intelligent law enforcement officer, depended on his friend Sky's flying skills to solve the harder cases.
• Star Trek started its journey on television with NBC on September 8, 1966 and completed its final journey on April 4, 1969 after 78 episodes. The series Star Trek was set in the 23rd Century on Starship Enterprise commanded by Captain James Kirk played by William Shatner. Its mission was to explore unknown and new planets and to deliver supplies from Earth to other colonies in space. Continuing conflicts with Klingons and Romulans provided recurring conflicts as well as other discovered life forms.
• Sugarfoot,Tom Brewster grew up in the East and came west studying law by correspondence course hoping to become a lawyer. He being naive and being a sarsparilla drinker caused him to get into many predicaments. Will Hutchins was casted as Tom "Sugarfoot" Brewster and Jack Elam was "Toothy" Thompson in this classic yet short lived 60s televison western.
• Surfside 6 is an ABC television series (1960–1962) about a Miami Beach detective agency set on a houseboat, featuring Troy Donahue as Sandy Winfield, II, Van Williams as Kenny Madison (a character recycled from Bourbon Street Beat, a similar series that had appeared in the same time slot the season before), and Lee Patterson as Dave Thorne.
• The Addams Family series was the story of an eccentric family that lived on North Cemetery Ridge. The series aired on ABC as a 30 minute comedy from September 1964 to September 1966. In all there were 64 episodes produced.
• The Adventures of Jim Bowie was aired on ABC. The show was only on the air for two years from 1956 to 1958 and produced 76 episodes.
• The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet  appeared on ABC for 15 years beginning October 1952 and ending September 1966. There were 435 episodes produced that followed the Nelsons day to day adventures as an average middle-class family. We all watched as their two young sons David Nelson and Ricky Nelson grew up before our eyes including getting married and their real life wives appearing on the show.
• The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin is an American children's television program which originally aired in 166 episodes on ABC from October 1954 until August 1959.
• The Adventures of Superman was produced for first-run television syndication rather than a network, has disputed first and last air dates, but they are generally accepted as September 19, 1952, and April 28, 1958. 
• The Andy Griffith Show was one of the top rated shows of all times. It appeared on CBS from October 1960 to September 1968 for a total of 249 episodes. Andy Taylor was the sheriff in the small town of Mayberry where he raised his small son Opie played by Ronnie Howard with the help of his Aunt Bea. Most of his time was spent raising his son Opie and with his deputy Barney Fife played by Don Knotts keeping the peace in an uneventful and crime free town. The town had its share of characters like Floyd the Barber who was taken in by the world around him and Gomer Pyle, the gas station attendant, at Wally's Service Station.
• The Andy Williams Show premiered on NBC in 1962 and exited July 17, 1971. The velvet voice of Andy Williams one of the most popular singers during the 60s, appeared in many variety shows on television. He first did special variety shows for ABC and CBS in 1958 and 1959 and got his own show in 1962. Always big-name stars appeared on his show as well as the regular cast. The Osmond brothers were discovered by Andy Williams and first appeared on his show December 20, 1962.
• The Beatles aired on 60s television. It is remembered as one of the best due to the actual soundtrack music of the Beatles used in the series.
• The Beverly Hillbillies was an instant success. It was the number one show for the 1962 and 1963 season. It was shown on CBS from September 1962 till September 1971. The situation comedy produced 274 thirty minute episodes.
• The Bugs Bunny Show was one of the most memorable cartoons of the 1960s era was Bugs Bunny. The Bugs Bunny Show was watched on 1960s TV more than any other cartoon show.
• The Carol Burnett Show and TV warriors entertained us with song, dance and comedy for over ten years. The Carol Burnett Show was one of television's most successful variety shows of all time. Jim Nabors was considered her good luck charm as he appeared on the first show. The show raked in the Emmy Awards. The CBS variety show began on September 11, 1967 and ended its successful run on March 29, 1978.
• The Defenders is an American courtroom drama series that ran on CBS from 1961–1965. It starred E. G. Marshall and Robert Reed as father-and-son defense attorneys who specialized in legally complex cases, with defendants such as neo-Nazis, conscientious objectors, civil rights demonstrators, a schoolteacher fired for being an atheist, an author accused of pornography, and a physician charged in a mercy killing.
• The Dick Van Dyke Show is an American television sitcom which initially aired on CBS from October 3, 1961 until June 1, 1966. There were 158 episodes plus one reunion telecast. The show was created by Carl Reiner and starred Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore.
• The Donna Reed Show was an American sitcom starring Donna Reed as the upper middle class housewife Donna Stone. Carl Betz appears as her pediatrician husband Alex, and Shelley Fabares and Paul Petersen as their teenage children Mary and Jeff. The show originally aired on ABC at 10 pm from September 24, 1958 to March 19, 1966.
• The Ed Sullivan Show  - The Ed Sullivan Show was the longest running variety show in TV history. He started in 1948 and left the air in 1971. Our family would sit down to watch the Ed Sullivan Show on CBS every Sunday night. He was a newspaper columnist who's peculiar diction and weird gesture were made fun of by all even comedians that appeared on his show.
• The Everglades is an American crime-adventure television series that aired in first-run syndication for one season from 1961–62 and in reruns. Ron Hayes starred as Constable Lincoln Vail, a law enforcement officer of the fictional Everglades County Patrol who traveled the Florida Everglades in an airboat, which was often the star of the show.
• The Flintstones were the first prime time television cartoon show of the 1960s television era.
• The Flying Nun is an American sitcom produced by Screen Gems for ABC based on the book The Fifteenth Pelican, by Tere Rios, which starred Sally Field as Sister Bertrille.
• The Fugitive as a very successful series that aired on ABC from September 1963 to August 1967 with 120 episodes being produced. Dr. Richard Kimble played by David Janssen is accused, tried, and convicted of the murder of his wife, which he did not commit.
• The Huckleberry Hound Show  Definitely a classic of 1960s cartoon shows although it began its debut in the late 1950s.
• The Invaders - One of my favorite science fiction TV shows of the 60s was "The Invaders," starring Roy Thinnes.
• The Lucy Showis an American sitcom that aired on CBS from 1962 to 1968. It was Lucille Ball's follow-up to I Love Lucy.
• The Jetsons - Another great cartoon show emerges with the Jetsons. Following the lead of the Flinstones from the past to zooming to the future. The Jetsons is a classic 1960s cartoon show.
• Lawman  , Marshall Dan Troop (John Russell) of Laramie protected the town from the bad guys.
• The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp is a western television series loosely based on the adventures of frontier marshal Wyatt Earp. The half-hour black and white series ran on ABC-TV from 1955 to 1961 and featured Hugh O'Brian as Wyatt Earp.
• The Lone Ranger- is an American western drama television series that aired on the ABC Television network from 1949 to 1957, with Clayton Moore in the starring role. Jay Silverheels, a member of the Mohawk Aboriginal people in Canada, played The Lone Ranger's Indian companion Tonto.
• The Monkees , an American situation comedy that aired on NBC from September 1966 to March 1968 follows the adventures of four young men (The Monkees) trying to make a name for themselves as rock 'n roll singers.
• The Munsters aired on CBS from September 1964 to September 1966 with 70 episodes being produced. The creepy family lived at 1313 Mockingbird Lane where the house was infested with spider webs.
• The Patty Duke Show is an American sitcom which ran on ABC from September 18, 1963, until May 4, 1966, with reruns airing through August 31, 1966. The show was created as a vehicle for rising star Patty Duke, who had recently won an Academy Award for The Miracle Worker (1962). A total of 104 episodes were produced, most written by Sidney Sheldon.
• The Rat Patrol is an American television program that aired on ABC during the 1966–1968 seasons. The show follows the exploits of four (three American and one British) Allied soldiers who are part of a long-range desert patrol group in the North African campaign during World War II. Their mission: "to attack, harass and wreak havoc on Field Marshal Rommel's vaunted Afrika Korps".
• The Real McCoys starring Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna was a happy care free West Virginia Mountain family that pulls up its roots and moves to California. It first aired on ABC October 23, 1957 and later moved to CBS. A total of 224 episodes were made of this 30 minute situation comedy.
• The Rebel -   is a 76-episode American western television series starring Nick Adams that ran on the ABC network from 1959 to 1961.
• Red Skelton started in radio during the 40s and was one of the brightest new stars to come along. Red was a visual comedian, so unlike many of his counterparts, he made an easy transition to TV. He arrived on TV in 1951 and remained at the top for 20 years. The Red Skelton Show was a classic TV event. Most of his characters were developed on radio and worked so well and he continued to develop them on television. Some of his well known characters were; The Mean Widdle Kid, Clem Kadiddlehopper, Sheriff Deadeye, Cauliflower McPugg, San Fernando Red, the con man; the henpecked husband George Appleby,Willie Lump-Lump, the drunk, Ludwick von Humperdoo, the scientist and Bolivar Shagnasty. Freddie the Freeloader was a hobo that did not speak and was added for television. His character was pantomined and Red Skelton was the best artist of pantomine that TV has ever known.
• The Rifleman aired 169 thirty minute episodes on ABC from 1958 to 1963. The story evolved around a rancher Lucas McCain (Chuck Conners) and son Mark (Johnny Crawford) who he raised alone on his ranch near North Folk, New Mexico. McCain's Winchester rifle was modified where he could fire a round in 3/10 of a second. His skill with his rifle helped the sheriff maintain law and order in the town.
• The Smothers Brother ComedyHour was an American comedy and variety show television series hosted by the Smothers Brothers and initially airing on CBS from 1967 to 1969.
• The Whirlybirdssometimes called The Whirlybirds or Copter Patrol) is a syndicated American drama/adventure television series, which aired for 111 episodes — broadcast from February 4, 1957, through January 18, 1960. It was produced by Desilu Studios.
• Twilight Zone was one of the most popular sci-fi shows on TV. It appeared on CBS from October 1959 to June 1964. So many well-known actors appeared on Twilight Zone, too numerous to mention. The stories not the acting is what made it a hit. The opening dialogue by Rod Serling set the stage for that evening's show.
• The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a special team of agents handpicked for their courage and incorruptibility, nicknamed the Untouchables.
• The Virginian, also known as The Men From Shiloh, is an American Western-themed television series starring James Drury and Doug McClure which aired on NBC from 1962 to 1971 for a total of 249 episodes.
• Voyage to the Bottom   of the Sea is a 1960s American science fiction television series based on the 1961 film of the same name.
• Wagon Train starring Ward Bond first as the Wagonmaster and later, John McIntire,told the stories of pioneering familes moving west from the east to start a new life soon after the Civil War. Some of these stories had heart warming and happy endings while some did not. This approach made this weekly western series a hit. Due to the popularity of the show and a new storyline each week it was not too difficult for the scriptwriters to have larger than average talent appear on the show. The budget was larger than the normal one hour show that was being produced for TV. Its popularity continued even though there were several cast changes.
• Yogi Bear was one of the most popular cartoon shows of the 1960s television era. This 1960s cartoon character was and still is Hanna Berbera's most popular character.