1949–50 United States network television schedule

The 1949–50 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1949 through March 1950. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1948–49 season. This was the first season in which all four networks offered at least some prime time programming all seven nights of the week.

The schedule below reflects the fall lineup as it all settled into place throughout October 1949, before any subsequent time changes were made and additional new series appeared in November.

New series are highlighted in bold.

Notable debuts during the season included The Plainclothesman with its unusual camera work, the popular The Lone Ranger (which is one of the few 1940s television series to be given a DVD release), The Ed Wynn Show (a short-lived series featuring popular performers as guests and the first variety show from the West Coast), and the unsuccessful series The Life of Riley, one of the first sitcoms to be produced on film as opposed to live transmission. Continuing from the prior season were the highly popular variety series Toast of the Town, the critically well-received and popular anthology series Studio One, the critically panned but popular Captain Video and His Video Rangers which was one of the earliest sci-fi TV series, the well received by critics and viewers anthology series Kraft Television Theater, the popular Kukla, Fran and Ollie, and the popular in some regions drama/comedy The Goldbergs (which is also one of the few 1940s television series to be given a DVD release).

Legend

  •   Light blue indicates local programming.
  •   Blue-gray indicates news programming.
  •   Light green indicates sporting events.
  •   Light purple indicates movies.

Sunday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Stained Glass Windows ABC Penthouse Players Think Fast The Little Revue Let There Be Stars Celebrity Time Youth on the March
CBS Fall Tonight on Broadway This Is Show Business Toast of the Town The Fred Waring Show (10:00) The Week in Review
(10:15) Local Programming
Local Programming
Spring Starlight Theatre
DMN Front Row Center Chicagoland Mystery Players Cinema Varieties Cross Question Local Programming
NBC Leave It to the Girls The Aldrich Family The Chesterfield Supper Club Colgate Theatre The Philco Television Playhouse Garroway at Large Local Programming

Monday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC (7:00) News and Views
(7:15) Club Seven
Author Meets the Critics Your Witness Photoplay Time ABC Barn Dance Mr. Black Roller Derby
CBS (7:00) The Roar of the Rails
(7:15) The Paul Arnold Show
(7:30) CBS Television News
(7:45) The Sonny Kendis Show
(7:55) Ruthie on the Telephone
The Silver Theatre Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts The Black Robe The Goldbergs Studio One
DMN Captain Video and His Video Rangers (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Manhattan Spotlight
Newsweek Views the News The Al Morgan Show And Everything Nice Wrestling From Sunnyside Gardens
NBC Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:30) Mohawk Showroom
(7:45) Camel News Caravan
Chevrolet Tele-Theater The Voice of Firestone Candid Camera Cities Service Band of America Quiz Kids Local Programming

Notes: Beginning July 18, 1949, The Magic Cottage aired on DuMont Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

On NBC, The Black Robe aired at various times on Mondays from August through October 1949.

Tuesday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC (7:00) News and Views
(7:15) Club Seven
On Trial Local Programming Oboler Comedy Theater Local Programming Tomorrow's Boxing Champions
CBS Fall (7:00) Your Sports Special
(7:15) Local Programming
(7:30) CBS Television News
(7:45) The Sonny Kendis Show
(7:55) Ruthie on the Telephone
Uptown Jubilee Local Programming Suspense (10:00) The Week in Sports
(10:15) Local Programming
Local Programming
November Actors Studio
DMN Captain Video and His Video Rangers (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Manhattan Spotlight
Court of Current Issues The O'Neills Feature Theater Local Programming
NBC Kukla, Fran and Ollie 7:30 Mohawk Showroom
(7:45) Camel News Caravan
Texaco Star Theater Fireside Theater The Life of Riley The Original Amateur Hour

Notes: Beginning July 18, 1949, The Magic Cottage aired on DuMont Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Wednesday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall (7:00) News and Views
(7:15) Club Seven
Local Programming Actors Studio (through October) Photocrime Local Programming Wrestling from the Rainbo in Chicago
October Local Programming
CBS (7:00) Your Sports Special
(7:15) The Paul Arnold Show
(7:30) CBS Television News
(7:45) Earl Wrightson at Home
Arthur Godfrey and His Friends The Bigelow Show International Boxing Club Bouts
DMN Fall Captain Video and His Video Rangers (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Manhattan Spotlight*
Local Programming The Plainclothesman Famous Jury Trials Local Programming
December (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Easy Aces
Summer (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Manhattan Spotlight
NBC Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:30) Mohawk Showroom
(7:45) Camel News Caravan
The Crisis The Clock Kraft Television Theater Break the Bank Local Programming
  • Manhattan Spotlight was replaced by Easy Aces from December 1949 to June 1950.

Notes: Beginning July 18, 1949, The Magic Cottage aired on DuMont Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Thursday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall (7:00) News and Views
(7:15) Club Seven
The Lone Ranger Stop the Music Crusade in Europe Starring Boris Karloff Roller Derby
Spring Blind Date
Summer Blind Date
CBS To the Queen's Taste 7:30 CBS Television News
(7:45) The Sonny Kendis Show
(7:55) Ruthie on the Telephone
The Front Page Inside U.S.A. with Chevrolet The Ed Wynn Show Local Programming
DMN Captain Video and His Video Rangers (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Manhattan Spotlight
Mystery Theater The Morey Amsterdam Show Boxing From Sunnyside Gardens
NBC Fall Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:30) Mohawk Showroom
(7:45) Camel News Caravan
Hollywood Premiere Mary Kay and Johnny Fireball Fun-For-All Martin Kane, Private Eye The Wayne King Show
Winter The Black Robe

Notes: Beginning July 18, 1949, The Magic Cottage aired on DuMont Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

On NBC, The Black Robe aired from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. Eastern Time from January to March 1950. The Wayne King Show was seen only on NBC's Midwest Network.

Friday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC Fall (7:00) News and Views
(7:15) Club Seven
Local Programming Majority Rules Blind Date Auction-Aire Fun for the Money Roller Derby
Spring
CBS (7:00) Your Sports Special
(7:15) The Paul Arnold Show
(7:30) CBS Television News
(7:45) The Sonny Kendis Show
(7:55) Ruthie on the Telephone
Mama Man Against Crime Ford Theatre / 54th Street Revue People's Platform Capitol Cloak Room
DMN Captain Video and His Video Rangers (7:30) The Vincent Lopez Show
(7:45) Manhattan Spotlight
Hands of Murder Broadway to Hollywood – Headline Clues Fishing and Hunting Club Local Programming Amateur Boxing Fight Club
NBC Kukla, Fran and Ollie (7:30) Mohawk Showroom
(7:45) Camel News Caravan
Hopalong Cassidy Bonny Maid Versatile Varieties The Big Story (10:00) Gillette Cavalcade of Sports
(10:45) Greatest Fights of the Century

Notes: Beginning July 18, 1949, The Magic Cottage aired on DuMont Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time.

Saturday

Network 7:00 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 8:00 p.m. 8:30 p.m. 9:00 p.m. 9:30 p.m. 10:00 p.m. 10:30 p.m.
ABC (7:00) News and Views
(7:15) Local Programming
Hollywood Screen Test Paul Whiteman's TV Teen Club Local Programming
CBS Fall (6:45) Lucky Pup
(7:15) Local Programming
(7:30) In the First Person
(7:45) Blues by Bargy
(7:55) Ruthie on the Telephone
Local Programming Premiere Playhouse Local Programming
Spring (6:45) Lucky Pup
(7:15) Blues by Bargy
(7:30) In the First Person
(7:55) Ruthie on the Telephone
Summer Big Top
DMN Fall Captain Video and His Video Rangers Local Programming Spin the Picture Cavalcade of Stars Wrestling From Marigold
Winter Dinner Date With Vincent Lopez Local Programming
NBC Fall Local Programming (7:30) The Nature of Things
(7:45) Leon Pearson and the News
Meet Your Congress Mixed Doubles Who Said That? Meet the Press Local Programming
November The Black Robe Local Programming
February Your Show of Shows The Black Robe
April Local Programming

Notes: In the half-hour preceding prime time, ABC aired one of the first television westerns, The Marshal of Gunsight Pass, with 22 live episodes between March 12 and September 30, 1950.

From January 28 to July 29, 1950, Dinner Date With Vincent Lopez aired Saturdays from 8 to 8:30pm ET on DuMont.

On NBC, The Black Robe aired from 10:00 to 10:30 p.m. on Saturday from November to December 1949 after airing at various times on Monday from August to October 1949. Your Show of Shows premiered at 9:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 25, 1950.

By network

ABC

CBS

DuMont

NBC

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

References

  • Bergmann, Ted; Skutch, Ira (2002). The DuMont Television Network: What Happened?. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4270-X.
  • Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
  • McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
  • Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1964). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.
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