TV Shows: 1940 - 1959
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- CreatorRoy HugginsStarsEfrem Zimbalist Jr.Edd ByrnesRoger SmithStu Bailey and Jeff Spencer are the wisecracking, womanizing private-detective heroes of this Warner Brothers drama.
- StarsAlfred HitchcockHarry TylerLillian O'MalleySeries of unrelated short stories covering elements of crime, horror, drama, and comedy about people of different backgrounds committing murders, suicides, thefts, and other sorts of crime caused by certain motivations, perceived or not.
- StarsGene BarryAllen JaffeAllison HayesBat Masterson roams The West and defends the innocent.
- CreatorDavid DortortFred HamiltonStarsLorne GreeneMichael LandonDan BlockerThe Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.
- StarsJohn LuptonMichael AnsaraSteven RitchIndian Agent Tom Jeffords makes friends with Chief Cochise, becoming a blood brother of the Apache. Together they fight white schemers and renegade Indians.
- StarsClint WalkerClyde HowdyChuck HicksAfter the Civil War, nomadic adventurer Cheyenne Bodie roamed the West looking for fights, bad guys to beat up, and women. His job changed from episode to episode.
- StarsWayde PrestonDonald MayKenneth MacDonaldChristopher Colt appeared to be a gun salesman, but he was actually a government agent tracking down notorious bad guys. His cousin Sam took the lead when the studio had contract disputes with the original star.
- StarsHerbert AndersonJay NorthGloria HenryTelevision episodes built around the same sorts of incidents found in Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip.
- CreatorEd JamesStarsRobert YoungLauren ChapinJane WyattThe popular radio show comes to life in this hit sitcom about a wise family man, Jim Anderson, his common-sense wife Margaret and their children Betty, Bud and Kathy.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenClyde WareStarsJames ArnessMilburn StoneAmanda BlakeMarshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
- CreatorHerb MeadowSam RolfeStarsRichard BooneKam TongHal NeedhamThe adventures of a gentlemanly gunfighter-for-hire.
- StarsJohn HartLon Chaney Jr.Bill WalshNat Cutler, known as Hawkeye, is a fur trader. With his faithful Indian companion Chingachgook, the last of the Mohican tribe, he fights to protect settlers against the raiding Huron Indians.
- StarsMerry AndersBarbara EdenLori NelsonMotherly Mike, ditzy but sexy Loco, and sensible Greta move to the big city to find themselves wealthy men to turn into husbands. After the first year Greta gets married with Gwen the new roommate in this syndicated series.
- StarsLucille BallDesi ArnazVivian VanceThe wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
- StarsLassieJon ProvostJune LockhartThe ongoing saga of the Martin family and their beloved collie, Lassie.
- CreatorJoe ConnellyBob MosherDick ConwayStarsJerry MathersHugh BeaumontBarbara BillingsleyThe misadventures of a suburban boy, family and friends.
- CreatorRoy HugginsStarsJack KellyJames GarnerRoger MooreBret and Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game.
- StarsDanny ThomasRusty HamerMarjorie LordDanny is a New York entertainer. Between his co-stars at the nightclub where he performs and his wife and kids, he has dilemmas galore, which he somehow manages to resolve and still laugh.
- CreatorWalter R. BrooksSonia ChernusWalter BrooksStarsAllan LaneAlan YoungConnie HinesThe misadventures of a wisecracking talking horse and his human owner.
- StarsKeith LarsenBuddy EbsenDon BurnettMajor Robert Rogers organized "Rogers Rangers" to search for the alleged waterway across the United States during the French and Indian War (1754-1759). Helping Rogers, an experienced explorer and Indian fighter, were Hunk Marriner, another experienced Indian fighter, and Langdon Towne, a Harvard graduate who was the map maker. The episodes told the story of their trials and tribulations searching for the Northwest Passage and their battles with both the French and Indians during this war.
- CreatorMerwin GerardStarsJohn NewlandRobert DouglasOlan Soule"One Step Beyond" was a collection of tales about paranormal events, horrifying folklore, and the world of the unknown.
- CreatorErle Stanley GardnerStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperThe trials of a master criminal defense attorney handling the most difficult cases in support of the innocent.
- CreatorBlake EdwardsStarsCraig StevensHerschel BernardiLola AlbrightPeter Gunn is a private detective with a knack for finding trouble. His cases often mean he runs into the shadiest characters, most vicious thugs and the most powerful crime bosses. Cool and resourceful, he always gets the guilty party.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsClint EastwoodPaul BrinegarSteve RainesGil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
- CreatorBill ScottJay WardStarsBill ScottJune ForayPaul FreesRocky, a plucky flying squirrel and Bullwinkle, a bumbling but lovable moose, have a series of ongoing adventures.
- StarsTruman BradleyMichael FoxMarshall ThompsonIn this science-fiction anthology series host Truman Bradley introduces stories extrapolated from actual scientific data available in the 1950's, concentrating on such concepts as space flight, UFO's and mental telepathy.
- CreatorJames BuxbaumStarsLloyd BridgesKen DrakeCourtney BrownMike Nelson is a scuba diver in the days when it was still very new. He works alone, it was mostly carried through his voice-over narrations. These gave the show a flavor of a radio program.
- StarsBud AbbottLou CostelloSid FieldsBud and Lou are unemployed actors living in Mr. Fields' boarding house. Lou's girlfriend Hillary lives across the hall. Any premise would lead to slapstick, puns, lots of gimmicks from their movies.
- StarsOzzie NelsonHarriet NelsonRicky NelsonOzzie and Harriet Nelson raise their two sons Ricky and David. As the sons age, they experience teenage dating problems, marriage and careers.
- StarsEd SullivanThe Ray Bloch OrchestraRay BlochThe classic prime time variety show most famous for its vaudeville acts and rock music performances.
- StarsGeorge 'Gabby' HayesWright KingAndrew DugganA 1950s children's show, sponsored by the Quaker Oats Company. It underwent a number of changes in format, but the host was always the veteran actor George "Gabby" Hayes. Hayes had often portrayed sidekick characters in Western films featuring Hopalong Cassidy and Roy Rogers. A Sunday version of the show was broadcast from 1950 to 1952. In a frame story, Gabby would narrate historical tales to child actors Clifford Sales and Lee Graham. The episodes dramatized the lives of historical figures, such as the naval commander John Paul Jones, the lawman and professional gambler Wyatt Earp, and the outlaw Belle Starr. A weekday version of the show was broadcast from 1951 to 1954. These episodes had Gabby narrating humorous tall tales, and then shifted to depicting scenes lifted from old Western films. A re-edited version of the series was broadcast in 1956, featuring longer scenes from Western films. Then the series ended permanently, though several episodes were available for syndication until the end of the decade.
- StarsGene AutryChampionPat ButtramThe already legendary singing cowboy rode with his comic pal Pat from town to town bringing justice, song and his horse Champion to the old Southwest.
- StarsGeorge BurnsGracie AllenBea BenaderetNeighbor Blanche Morton frequently joined Gracie in escapades which annoy hubby Harry and provides George with an opportunity to offer a humorous soliloquy.
- CreatorJackie GleasonStarsJackie GleasonArt CarneyAudrey MeadowsA bus driver and his sewer worker friend struggle to strike it rich while their wives look on with weary patience.
- StarsJack LescoulieThe June Taylor DancersRay BlochLive variety show with Jackie Gleason.
- StarsJohnny CarsonJill CoreyJack PrinceComedy routines, featuring Johnny Carson and guests, and singing were the theme of this program.
- StarsLawrence WelkDick DaleMyron FlorenA musical variety show, hosted by the big band leader Lawrence Welk. The show started in 1951 as a local production by KTLA, the first commercial television station in California. The show was broadcast from the Aragon Ballroom at Venice Beach. The show was eventually acquired by ABC Television, and it started being broadcast nationwide in 1955. Under ABC, the show was initially broadcast from the Hollywood Palladium. Production soon moved to The Prospect Studios in Los Angeles. ABC canceled the show in 1971, but Welk's own production company acquired the rights to the show and launched a syndicated version of the show. The show finally ended in 1982, when Welk decided to retire. By that time, Welk was approaching his 80th birthday, and he had become the oldest host of a regularly scheduled American entertainment-themed television series.
- CreatorGeorge W. TrendleGeorge W. GeorgeStarsJay SilverheelsClayton MooreJohn HartThe adventures of the masked hero and his Native American partner.
- CreatorMax ShulmanStarsDwayne HickmanBob DenverFrank FaylenA young man schemes and attempts to get the "better things in life" mostly popularity, success, and most importantly, girls.
- CreatorNat HikenStarsPhil SilversHarvey LembeckPaul FordMaster Sergeant Bilko, regularly helped by the soldiers at Fort Baxter's motor pool, spends little time performing his duties by constantly trying to obtain money through various get-rich-quick scams and promotions.
- CreatorIrving PincusStarsWalter BrennanRichard CrennaKathleen NolanFrom the hills of West Virginia, Amos McCoy moves his family to an inherited farm in California. Grandpa Amos is quick to give advice to his three grandchildren and wonders how his neighbors ever managed without him around.
- StarsRed ButtonsAllan WalkerJoe SilverWhen this show was on CBS it ran in a variety format. When it went to NBC it became a sitcom. Red Buttons was very popular. Red won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor.
- CreatorMarcel MarceauStarsRed SkeltonDavid Rose and His OrchestraArt GilmoreA comedy-themed variety show, hosted by the popular comedian Red Skelton. It run with no interruption from 1951 to 1971. From 1956 to 1962, the show's head writer was Sherwood Schwartz, who had previous experience as a comedy writer for Bob Hope's radio show. During the 1960s, the show had its own regular cast of singers and dancers. Guests of the show included then-popular bands, such as the Beach Boys (in their network television debut), The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, and The Supremes. By the early 1970s, the program was thought to appeal primarily to older audiences and to residents of rural regions. It was canceled, as the network wanted something that would attract an urban audience.
- StarsChuck ConnorsJohnny CrawfordPaul FixThe adventures of a Wild West rancher, wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, and his son.
- StarsDale EvansRoy RogersTriggerThe Double R Ranch featured "The King of the Cowboys" Roy, his "Smartest Horse in the Movies" Trigger, "Queen of the West" Dale, her horse Buttermilk, their dog Bullet, and even Pat's jeep, Nellybelle.
- CreatorRod SerlingStarsRod SerlingRobert McCordJay OverholtsOrdinary people find themselves in extraordinarily astounding situations, which they each try to solve in a remarkable manner.
- CreatorWilliam BlinnStarsWalt DisneyPaul FreesClarence NashA Disney-produced anthology covering many different genres.
- StarsFrank McGrathTerry WilsonRobert HortonStories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
- StarsGroucho MarxGeorge FennemanMelinda MarxGroucho Marx hosts a quiz show which features a series of competitive questions and a great deal of humourous conversation.
- StarsRosemary DeCampJackie GleasonLanny ReesRiley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems. His stock answer to every turn of fate became a catch phrase: 'What a revoltin' development this is!"
- CreatorE. Roger MuirStarsBob SmithRobert KeeshanBill LeCornecThe first nationally televised American children's TV program and a prototype for what followed. Buffalo Bob Smith hosts while the puppet, Howdy Doody, stars.
- StarsAllen FuntKen RobertsJohn GarfieldUnsuspecting people are placed in confusing, impossible, embarrassing, ridiculous, and hilarious positions, while their reactions are recorded on a hidden camera.
- StarsEd SullivanThe Ray Bloch OrchestraRay BlochThe classic prime time variety show most famous for its vaudeville acts and rock music performances.
- CreatorGeorge W. TrendleGeorge W. GeorgeStarsJay SilverheelsClayton MooreJohn HartThe adventures of the masked hero and his Native American partner.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenClyde WareStarsJames ArnessMilburn StoneAmanda BlakeMarshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
- CreatorWilliam BlinnStarsWalt DisneyPaul FreesClarence NashA Disney-produced anthology covering many different genres.
- CreatorDavid DortortFred HamiltonStarsLorne GreeneMichael LandonDan BlockerThe Wild West adventures of Ben Cartwright and his sons as they run and defend their Nevada ranch while helping the surrounding community.
- CreatorErle Stanley GardnerStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperThe trials of a master criminal defense attorney handling the most difficult cases in support of the innocent.
- StarsChuck ConnorsJohnny CrawfordPaul FixThe adventures of a Wild West rancher, wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, and his son.
- StarsRobert StackWalter WinchellNicholas GeorgiadeSpecial Agent Eliot Ness and his elite team of incorruptable agents battle organized crime in 1930s Chicago.
- StarsGuy WilliamsGene SheldonHenry CalvinDon Diego de la Vega opposes the corrupt tyrants of Spanish California as the masked swordsman, Zorro.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenStarsClint EastwoodPaul BrinegarSteve RainesGil Favor is trail boss of a continuous cattle drive. He is assisted by Rowdy Yates. The crew runs into characters and adventures along the way.
- StarsAlfred HitchcockHarry TylerLillian O'MalleySeries of unrelated short stories covering elements of crime, horror, drama, and comedy about people of different backgrounds committing murders, suicides, thefts, and other sorts of crime caused by certain motivations, perceived or not.
- CreatorLuke ShortCharles A. WallaceStarsDick PowellWalter SandeDenver PyleAn anthology based (earlier more so than later) on the novels and stories of Zane Grey. Dick Powell was often the star, as well as the host.
- StarsGail DavisBrad JohnsonJimmy HawkinsA fictionalized account of the life of legendary Wild West sharpshooter Annie Oakley.