1954–55 United States network television schedule

The following is the 1954–55 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1954 through March 1955. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1953–54 season.

Fall 1954 marked a big change for television when ABC announced a network deal with a significant Hollywood producer. ABC had contracted with Walt Disney to produce a new series called Disneyland (as part of the deal, the network provided funding towards the construction of Walt's amusement park of the same name, opening in July 1955). The series was an instant hit, and marked the beginning of the networks allowing Hollywood programs into their schedules. Thus, Disney became the third significant Hollywood film producer to venture into television production, after Jerry Fairbanks and Hal Roach.

ABC president Leonard Goldenson decided in early 1954 that a television network was not the place for religious programs; as a result, Billy Graham's religious series, Hour of Decision, did not appear on ABC's fall 1954 schedule. Goldenson told Graham that the series was canceled because the poor ratings the series received were hurting the "flow" of ABC's entertainment programs. However, later critics, such as R.D. Heldenfels (1994), reject the stated reason for the cancellation. According to Heldenfels, since Hour of Decision was the last program that ABC aired on Sunday nights (at 10:30), "flow would not have been an issue"; ABC did not air anything in place of the canceled series and gave the slot back to its local affiliates. Heldenfels believes Goldenson "simply felt uncomfortable about organized religion".^[1] Another 1953–54 ABC religious series, This Is the Life, also failed to make the 1954–55 ABC schedule.

DuMont's 1954–55 schedule would be the last year the failing television network planned a seven night program schedule, and even this schedule was full of holes. Heldenfels states that the 1954 DuMont schedule "was a checkerboard of programs and empty spaces for [local] stations to fill".^[2] DuMont did not bother to schedule anything against ABC's Disneyland, NBC's new series Caesar's Hour, or either of CBS's Arthur Godfrey programs, conceding those slots (and others) to the bigger networks. However, DuMont continued to air Bishop Fulton Sheen's program Life Is Worth Living against NBC's popular The Buick-Berle Show. DuMont's counter-programming strategy, scheduling a religious program against Milton Berle's bawdy show, had met with success in previous years. The rivalry between the programs had caused Berle to joke, "He uses old material, too." Sheen, for his part, once introduced himself as "Uncle Fultie".^[3] Still, DuMont's limited success in counter-programming a few slots would not be enough to save the network; Heldenfels states that the DuMont network's programs "resemble the grasping of program straws as much or more as they look like a strategic plan."^[4] DuMont would cancel Life Is Worth Living in April 1955, along with most of its remaining programs.^[5]

New fall series are highlighted in bold.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.^[6]

  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		You Asked For It	The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse	Flight No. 7	The Big Picture	9:00 The Walter Winchell Show / 9:15 The Martha Wright Show	Soldier Parade	Break the Bank	Local
CBS	Fall	Lassie	The Jack Benny Show (7/38.3) / Private Secretary (19/32.2)	Toast of the Town (5/39.6)		General Electric Theater (17/32.6)	Honestly, Celeste!	Father Knows Best	What's My Line?
	Spring							Appointment with Adventure
NBC	Fall	People Are Funny	Mister Peepers	The Colgate Comedy Hour (27/28.0)		The Philco Television Playhouse/Goodyear Television Playhouse		The Loretta Young Show (28/27.7)	The Hunter
	Winter								The Bob Cummings Show
DMN		Local	Opera Cameos	Local		Rocky King, Inside Detective	Life Begins at Eighty	The Music Show	Local

• On NBC, The Roy Rogers Show (30/26.9) aired 6:30–7:00 pm, and the Sunday edition of Max Liebman Presents made its debut as a monthly series, airing 7:30–9:00 pm On CBS, beginning this season, The Jack Benny Program alternated with Private Secretary as a bi-weekly series.
• Appointment with Adventure, an anthology series, appeared for the first of fifty-three episodes on the CBS 1954–1955 Sunday schedule at 10:00 pm EST, beginning April 3, 1955.

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	Fall	7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie / 7:15 John Daly and the News	Jamie	Come Closer	The Voice of Firestone	College Press Conference	Boxing from Eastern Parkway
	October		The Name's the Same
CBS		Local	7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Perry Como Show	The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (26/29.0)	Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (18/32.5)	I Love Lucy (1/49.3)	December Bride (10/34.7)	Westinghouse Studio One
NBC		Local	7:30 The Tony Martin Show / 7:45 Camel News Caravan	Caesar's Hour		Medic	Robert Montgomery Presents		Local
DMN		7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 DuMont Evening News	Local	The Ilona Massey Show	Local	Boxing From St. Nicholas Arena

Note: On NBC, Producers' Showcase made its debut as a monthly series, airing 8:00–9:30 pm

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		7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie / 7:15 John Daly and the News	Cavalcade of America	Local	Twenty Questions	Make Room for Daddy	The United States Steel Hour/The Elgin TV Hour		Stop the Music
CBS	Fall	Local	7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Jo Stafford Show	The Red Skelton Show	The Blue Angel	Meet Millie	Danger	Life with Father	See It Now
	Follow-up				The Halls of Ivy
	Summer				Music 55		The $64,000 Question
NBC		Local	7:30 The Dinah Shore Show / 7:45 Plymouth News Caravan	The Buick-Berle Show (11/34.6)/The Bob Hope Show/The Martha Raye Show		Fireside Theatre (20/31.1)	Armstrong Circle Theatre	Truth or Consequences	It's a Great Life
DMN		7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 DuMont Evening News	Local	Life Is Worth Living	Studio 57	One Minute Please	Local

Note: Beginning this season, Chrysler's Plymouth division alternated with R.J. Reynolds as sponsor of Camel News Caravan on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Bob Hope Show and The Martha Raye Show each appeared monthly.

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		7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie / 7:15 John Daly and the News	Disneyland (6/39.1)		The Stu Erwin Show	Masquerade Party	Enterprise	Local
CBS	Fall	Local	7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Perry Como Show	Arthur Godfrey and His Friends (22/29.8)		Strike It Rich	I've Got a Secret (13/34.0)	10:00 Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts (25/29.1) / 10:45 Sports Spot/10–11:00 The Best of Broadway (once a month)
	Winter					The Millionaire (16/33.0)
NBC	Fall	Local	7:30 Coke Time with Eddie Fisher / 7:45 Camel News Caravan	I Married Joan	My Little Margie (29/27.1)	Kraft Television Theatre		This Is Your Life (12/34.5)	Big Town
	Winter	Norby (In COLOR)
	Spring	Ford Theatre (In COLOR) (reruns)
DMN		7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 DuMont Evening News	Local			Concert Tonight (Chicago Symphony)		Down You Go	Local

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		7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie / 7:15 John Daly and the News	The Lone Ranger	The Mail Story	Treasury Men in Action	So You Want to Lead a Band	Kraft Television Theatre		Local
CBS	Fall	Local	7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Jane Froman Show	The Ray Milland Show*	Climax!/Shower of Stars (once a month)		Four Star Playhouse	The Public Defender	Name That Tune
	Spring								Willy
	Summer			The Bob Cummings Show
NBC		Local	7:30 The Dinah Shore Show / 7:45 Plymouth News Caravan	You Bet Your Life (4/41.0)	Justice	Dragnet (3/42.1)	Ford Theatre (In COLOR) (9/34.9)	Lux Video Theatre
DMN		7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 DuMont Evening News	Local	They Stand Accused		What's the Story	Local

* formerly Meet Mr. McNutley

Note: On CBS, Willy moved from Saturday to Thursday in April.

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	7:00 Kukla, Fran and Ollie / 7:15 John Daly and the News	The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin (23/29.5)	The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet	The Ray Bolger Show*	Dollar a Second	The Vise	Local
CBS	Local	7:30 Douglas Edwards with the News / 7:45 The Perry Como Show	Mama	Topper (24/29.4)	Schlitz Playhouse of Stars	Our Miss Brooks	The Lineup	Person to Person
NBC	Local	7:30 Coke Time with Eddie Fisher / 7:45 Camel News Caravan	The Red Buttons Show/The Jack Carson Show (once a month)	The Life of Riley (21/30.9)	The Big Story	Dear Phoebe	10:00 Gillette Cavalcade of Sports / 10:45 The Greatest Moments in Sports
DMN	7:00 Captain Video / 7:15 DuMont Evening News	Local	The Stranger	Local	Chance of a Lifetime	Time Will Tell	Local

* formerly Where's Raymond?

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	Fall	Local	Compass	The Dotty Mack Show		9:00 The Saturday Night Fights / 9:45 Fight Talk		The Stork Club	Local
	January					Ozark Jubilee
CBS	Fall	The Gene Autry Show	Beat the Clock	The Jackie Gleason Show (2/42.4)		Two for the Money (14/33.9)	My Favorite Husband	That's My Boy	Willy
	Winter							Professional Father
	Spring								Damon Runyon Theater
	Summer			America's Greatest Bands
NBC	Fall	Watch Mr. Wizard	Ethel and Albert	The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan	Place the Face	The Imogene Coca Show	Texaco Star Theater:The Jimmy Durante Show/The Donald O'Connor Show	The George Gobel Show (8/35.2)	Your Hit Parade (15/33.6)
	Summer			The Soldiers	The Amazing Dunninger	Musical Chairs		And Here's the Show
DMN		Local		National Football League Professional Football

Note: On NBC, the Saturday edition of Max Liebman Presents debuted as a monthly series, airing 9:00–10:30 pm. On ABC, Ozark Jubilee premiered in January from 9:00–10:00 p.m. On CBS, Willy moved from Saturday to Thursday in April.

The Soldiers, a live military sitcom starring Hal March, Tom D'Andrea, and John Dehner, produced and directed by Bud Yorkin, aired eleven episodes on NBC Saturday schedule between June 25 and September 3, 1955.

By network

ABC

Returning Series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet Bachelor Father The Big Picture Boxing from Eastern Parkway Break the Bank Cavalcade of America Compass Dollar a Second The Dotty Mack Show Enterprise Fight Talk Jamie John Daly and the News Kraft Television Theater Kukla, Fran and Ollie The Lone Ranger Make Room for Daddy The Martha Wright Show Masquerade Party The Name's the Same The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse The Ray Bolger Show The Saturday Night Fights So You Want to Lead a Band Soldier Parade Stop the Music The Stork Club The Stu Erwin Show Treasury Men in Action Twenty Questions The United States Steel Hour The Voice of Firestone The Walter Winchell Show You Asked For It

New Series The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin College Press Conference Come Closer Disneyland The Elgin TV Hour Flight No. 7 The Jane Pickens Show Let's See * The Mail Story Mr. Citizen * Ozark Jubilee Paris Precinct * Pond's Theater * So You Want to Lead a Band Star Tonight * TV Reader's Digest * The Vise What's Going On *

Not returning from 1953–54: Answers for Americans At Issue Back That Fact Billy Graham's Hour of Decision Center Stage The Comeback Story Dr. I.Q. The Ern Westmore Hollywood Glamour Show The Frank Leahy Show The George Jessel Show Jukebox Jury Junior Press Conference Leave It to the Girls Madison Square Garden Highlights The Motorola Television Hour Music at the Meadowbrook The Name's the Same Notre Dame Football Of Many Things The Orchid Award Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club The Pride of the Family Quick as a Flash Showcase Theater Sky King Take It from Me Talent Patrol This is the Life Through the Curtain Wrestling from Rainbo Arena

CBS

Returning Series Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts Beat the Clock The Blue Angel The Bob Cummings Show Danger Douglas Edwards with the News Four Star Playhouse The Garry Moore Show The Gene Autry Show The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show I Love Lucy I've Got a Secret The Jack Benny Show The Jackie Gleason Show The Jane Froman Show The Jo Stafford Show Life with Father Mama Meet Millie My Favorite Husband Name That Tune Omnibus Our Miss Brooks Pabst Blue Ribbon Bouts The Perry Como Show Person to Person Private Secretary The Public Defender The Ray Milland Show The Red Skelton Show Schlitz Playhouse of Stars See It Now Sports Spot Strike It Rich That's My Boy Toast of the Town Topper Two for the Money Westinghouse Studio One What in the World? Willy Your Play Time

New Series The $64,000 Question * America's Greatest Bands * Appointment with Adventure * The Best of Broadway Climax! Damon Runyon Theater * December Bride Father Knows Best Frankie Laine Time * The Halls of Ivy * Honestly, Celeste! Key to the Ages * Lassie The Lineup The Millionaire * Music 55 * Professional Father * Shower of Stars Stage 7 * Stage Show Windows *

Not returning from 1953–54: The Fred Waring Show The Gene Autry Show The Jane Froman Show The Man Behind the Badge Medallion Theatre Meet Mr. McNutley My Friend Irma Pentagon U.S.A. The Perry Como Show (returned in 1955 on NBC) Philip Morris Playhouse The Public Defender Quiz Kids The Revlon Mirror Theater Suspense This is Show Business The Web

DuMont

Returning series Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena Captain Video Chance of a Lifetime Concert Tonight Down You Go The Ilona Massey Show Life Begins at Eighty Life is Worth Living The Music Show National Football League Professional Football One Minute Please Opera Cameos Rocky King, Inside Detective The Stranger They Stand Accused What's the Story?

New series DuMont Evening News Flash Gordon Have a Heart * It's Alec Templeton Time * The Paul Dixon Show * Studio 57 Time Will Tell

Not returning from 1953–54: Better Living TV theatre The Big Issue Broadway to Hollywood – Headline Clues Colonel Humphrey Flack Front Page Detective Gamble on Love Guide Right The Johns Hopkins Science Review The Igor Cassini Show Joseph Schildkraut Presents Love Story Man Against Crime Marge and Jeff Melody Street Night Editor Nine Thirty Curtain On Your Way Pantomime Quiz The Plainclothesman Pro Football Highlights Pulse of the City Stars on Parade The Strawhatters Washington Exclusive

NBC

Returning Series Armstrong Circle Theatre The Big Story Big Town The Bob Hope Show The Buick-Berle Show Camel News Caravan Cameo Theatre Coke Time with Eddie Fisher The Colgate Comedy Hour The Dinah Shore Show Dragnet Ethel and Albert Fireside Theatre Ford Theatre Gillette Cavalcade of Sports Goodyear Television Playhouse The Greatest Moments in Sports The Hunter I Married Joan The Jack Carson Show Justice Kraft Television Theatre The Life of Riley The Loretta Young Show Lux Video Theatre (moved from CBS) The Martha Raye Show Mister Peepers My Little Margie The Philco Television Playhouse Place the Face The Red Buttons Show (moved from CBS) Robert Montgomery Presents The Roy Rogers Show Texaco Star Theater This Is Your Life The Tony Martin Show Truth or Consequences Watch Mr. Wizard The World of Mr. Sweeney You Bet Your Life Your Favorite Story Your Hit Parade

New Series The Amazing Dunninger * And Here's the Show * The Bob Cummings Show * Caesar's Hour Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe * The Donald O'Connor Show The George Gobel Show The Imogene Coca Show The Jimmy Durante Show Make the Connection * Max Liebman Spectaculars Medic The Mickey Rooney Show: Hey, Mulligan Mister Peepers Musical Chairs * Norby * Producers' Showcase The Soldiers *

Not returning from 1953–54: Bank on the Stars The Best in Mystery Bonino Campbell Sounstage Cheer Television Theatre The Dave Garroway Show The Dennis Day Show Inner Sanctum It Happened in Sports Judge for Yourself The Kate Smith Evening Hour Letter to Loretta Man Against Crime The Marriage Martin Kane, Private Eye On the Line with Considine The Spike Jones Show Summer Playhouse (returned in 1957) Your Favorite Story Your Show of Shows

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.

Notes

1. Heldenfels, R. D. (1994). Television's Greatest Year: 1954. New York: Continuum, pg 79–80. ISBN 0-8264-0675-0.
2. Heldenfels, pg 24.
3. Pride of Peoria. AmericanCatholic.com
4. Heldenfels, pg 194.
5. Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1984). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
6. 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.

References

• McNeil, Alex. (1996). Total Television: The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
• Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1984). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
• Heldenfels, R(ichard) D. (1994). Television's Greatest Year: 1954. New York: Continuum. ISBN 0-8264-0675-0.