TV In the 60's

oldman

oldman

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Just wondering what everyone watched on TV back in the 60's. My Dad was a cowboy nut, so we watched a ton of Westerns like; Gunsmoke, Palladin, The Rebel, Rawhide, Bat Masterson, Wagon Train, The Lone Ranger (Sat. mornings), Maverick, The Rifleman, Bonanza, The Deputy and a host of others. There was also, Dragnet, Ed Sullivan, Lawrence Welk, and again, a host of others. My Dad always worked second shift while I was growing up, so in the evening, my Mother controlled the TV for the most part and she liked to watch all of the variety shows. Carol Burnett, Red Skeleton, Dean Martin, Smothers Brothers and so on.

I know on Saturday mornings, my Dad let us kids control the TV, except he had to watch The Lone Ranger, which we also liked. I watched Sky King, My Friend Flicka, Zorro, and a host of cartoons until maybe 11:00 or so and then out the door I went for the day to play and be with my friends.

I would be interested to find out what you were watching.
 

We watched all those westerns too Oldman, the only one I really got interested in was Bonanza. All the others you mentioned like Ed Sullivan also. I remember watching Queen for a Day with my mother, and getting teary eyed over that, also Michael Angelo the Millionaire.

We watched a lot of the sitcoms too like My Little Margie, Topper, I Married Joan, Amos and Andy, Life of Riley, Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith show, Patty Duke Show, Beverly Hillbillies, Dobie Gillis Show, etc. :tv: We were allowed to watch some cartoons on Saturday, but like you, we then were outside playing for the rest of the time. No TV zombies back then like we have today, LOL!
 
I was just a wee tot in the beginning of the '60's - born in 1958 - so the early years were filled with Capt. Kangaroo, Romper Room and Top Cat. By the end of the decade my tastes had turned to Bugs Bunny ( a taste I have to this day), Batman, The Munsters and The Twilight Zone.

Those were (with the exception of TZ) mainly weekday morning or Saturday shows. I was never a big evening show person as a kid - I was usually reading or playing something at that time of day. I do remember seeing some good stuff that my family was watching, though - Carol Burnett and such.

I've found that only in the last 20 years or so have I picked up an appreciation for many more of the '60's shows. Strange ...
 

SeaBreeze said:
We watched all those westerns too Oldman, the only one I really got interested in was Bonanza. All the others you mentioned like Ed Sullivan also. I remember watching Queen for a Day with my mother, and getting teary eyed over that, also Michael Angelo the Millionaire.

We watched a lot of the sitcoms too like My Little Margie, Topper, I Married Joan, Amos and Andy, Life of Riley, Leave it to Beaver, Andy Griffith show, Patty Duke Show, Beverly Hillbillies, Dobie Gillis Show, etc. :tv: We were allowed to watch some cartoons on Saturday, but like you, we then were outside playing for the rest of the time. No TV zombies back then like we have today, LOL!
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Oh, SeaBreeze, I remember "The Life of Riley." My favorite line...."What a revoltin' development this is." Him and his neighbor, what was it, Herb?
 
Watched all the shows you listed, "oldman". I can still watch some of them on a cable channel we get. I remember when wife and I got on the treadmills in our apt. complex fitness center. There is a tv installed in each of them and I turned on The Rifleman. What a way to use the treadmill!
I was a huge Western fan back then and still am. It's sort of funny seeing Robert Fuller as a cowboy on Wagon Train and Laramie and as a ER doctor on Emergency. And, Lassie, Rin Tin Tin......my hero dogs!

I even remember when my step-parents would watch Lawrence Welk on Saturday night. I had to either watch that or go to my bedroom. There were times I'd just go to my bedroom!

Yes, B/W for a number of years and all of us had to get up to change the channels. Today a person almost has to be an "electronic Wiz" to operate a tv remote, let alone the other remotes that people can have hooked to a tv (Blu-Ray, DVD Player/Recorder, Game controller , speaker controller). Today's Generation hasn't got a clue how easy life was back when! But, then again, most of todays Generation LOVES the electronics of today. Wife and I would be "old" to today's Generation, but we are definitely "hip" when it comes to the electronics of today.
 
Other than the westerns in the last of the 50's and shows in the very early 60's, I never really liked mid to late 60's TV. Hated "Mr Ed" & "The Monkees". Although, "The Avengers" was pretty cool.
 
Our 1953, Philco tv, had a box that sat on top to change direction of the tv antenna. We got three, maybe four, on a good day, channels.
Some shows we watched. Howdy Doody, Saturday morning cartoons, the kind that are outlawed today because they might corrupt the kiddies minds, Lone Ranger, Mr. Ed and many more.
 

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I remember watching The Gary Moore Show in the early 50s - I think we got our TV in 52 or so.


As for remote controls, I have a friend who still doesn't approve of them. He says "any man who is too damn lazy to tell his wife to get up and change channels doesn't need to be watching TV"......
 
"Fury" on Saturday mornings. (Actually I just checked and it ran 'til 1960 so doesn't really fit here but I loved it.)
And "Tarzan" movies with Johnny Weissmuller and Maureen O'Sullivan.
And all the westerns oldman watched. My favorites were Rawhide and Laramie and Bonanza.
My parents watched Gunsmoke and The Lawrence Welk Show and Red Skelton and Jackie Gleason, so I watched those too.
"Atom Ant"
"Where the Action Is"
"My Three Sons"
Walt Disney
There was a cool program called "Fair Exchange," in which two teenage girls, one American, one English, swapped places for a year.
 
oldman said:
Oh, SeaBreeze, I remember "The Life of Riley." My favorite line...."What a revoltin' development this is." Him and his neighbor, what was it, Herb?
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My Dad loved that show and we watched it all the time. It came on when we were having dinner,so my Dad put a little tv in the kitchen. Almost in every show Riley said "You dirty rat" and my Dad would always say "Does he have to say that while we are eating" and me my sister and Mom would laugh because he said it almost every night. Oh what memories.
 
There were so many good shows back then,not like today. Of course I can't remember all the shows I enjoyed,but here are a few.

The Dean Martin Show


Alfred Hitchcock Presents


My 3 Son's


American Bandstand


It Takes a Thief


I Dream of Jeanie


The Dick Van Dyke Show


The Beverly Hillbillies


Bewitched


Dr. Kildare
 
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