Happy 50th Anniversary 1966/67 TV Season! (1 Viewer)

[BobO'Link]

After the realization, and surrounding hype, that 8/8/16 is the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek I realized there are a several classic (and some iconic) series which saw their premiers 50 years ago. Other than The Green Hornet and The Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour all of these have seen full series releases with The Smother's Brothers having a pair of "Best Of" releases. Here's a link to the wikipedia page of the 66/67 TV schedule.

Here's a list with the original premiere date:

Star Trek (September 8th)
That Girl (September 8th though in a episode tag Marlo Thomas tells us the "real" 1st episode will air the next week on the 15th)
The Green Hornet (September 9th)
The Time Tunnel (September 9th)
The Monkees (September 12th)
The Rat Patrol (September 12th)
Family Affair (September 12th)
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (September 13th)
Mission Impossible (September 17th)

And some minor one season series many of us remember fondly, none of which have made it to release:

Captain Nice
Mr. Terrific
It's About Time
The Pruitts of Southampton
Rango
T.H.E. Cat

And some mid-season/summer replacement programs from that year:

The Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour (actually a mid-season replacement starting Feb. 5th, 1967)
The Saint (had been in syndication but NBC picked it up as a summer replacement and it began mid-series)
The Invaders (Another mid-season replacement. First episode - January 10th, 1967)

I'll be watching those for which I own copies in the coming days, hopefully at the time of the original airing as well. One fun part is the 50th anniversary dates fall on the same day of the week as the original airings.

I regret I didn't think of this in 2010 and start with 1960 series debuts and keeping it up through the decade. It would have been quite fun. I'll try to do this going forward as it makes a easy introduction for some of these to my grandkids and give a excuse to pull them off the shelf again (as if you really need one).

 

[Mark-P]

I hadn't realized that Desilu premiered two iconic shows just two days* a week apart! Even though Lucille Ball was starring in her own (rather ridiculous) show at the time, she was producing some great TV shows for her company.

*Mission Impossible actually premiered September 17th, not September 10th.

 

[BobO'Link]

^Oops! I didn't double check Mission Impossible like the others and just assumed it premiered the same week as Star Trek, The Green Hornet and The Time Tunnel.

Thanks! Original post corrected.

That also means I need to hold off another week to watch S1E1. Man... I was pumped to watch it tonight!

If it helps any, both That Girl and Family Affair were Desilu productions with That Girl's first episode airing right after Star Trek on ABC and Family Affair had it's first airing the same week as Mission Impossible.

It's somewhat amazing the number of iconic TV programs produced at Desilu.

 

[Kyrsten Brad]

After the realization, and surrounding hype, that 8/8/16 is the 50th Anniversary of Star Trek I realized there are a several classic (and some iconic) series which saw their premiers 50 years ago. Other than The Green Hornet and The Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour all of these have seen full series releases with The Smother's Brothers having a pair of "Best Of" releases. Here's a link to the wikipedia page of the 66/67 TV schedule.

Here's a list with the original premiere date:

Star Trek (September 8th)
That Girl (September 8th though in a episode tag Marlo Thomas tells us the "real" 1st episode will air the next week on the 15th)
The Green Hornet (September 9th)
The Time Tunnel (September 9th)
The Monkees (September 12th)
The Rat Patrol (September 12th)
Family Affair (September 12th)
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. (September 13th)
Mission Impossible (September 17th)

And some minor one season series many of us remember fondly, none of which have made it to release:

Captain Nice
Mr. Terrific
It's About Time
The Pruitts of Southampton
Rango
T.H.E. Cat

And some mid-season/summer replacement programs from that year:

The Smother's Brothers Comedy Hour (actually a mid-season replacement starting Feb. 5th, 1967)
The Saint (had been in syndication but NBC picked it up as a summer replacement and it began mid-series)
The Invaders (Another mid-season replacement. First episode - January 10th, 1967)

I'll be watching those for which I own copies in the coming days, hopefully at the time of the original airing as well. One fun part is the 50th anniversary dates fall on the same day of the week as the original airings.

I regret I didn't think of this in 2010 and start with 1960 series debuts and keeping it up through the decade. It would have been quite fun. I'll try to do this going forward as it makes a easy introduction for some of these to my grandkids and give a excuse to pull them off the shelf again (as if you really need one).

Speaking of the Smothers Brothers, I believe that show itself was temporarily replaced in summer of 67 by a variety show called "Our Place" featuring the vocal group Doodletown Pipers and the first appearance of McGruff (or Rowlf) the Talking Dog (I think). I remember that show as a 7 year old and thought the women were so beautiful.
Of course I was also fan of Dream Girl 67 that same year (featuring among the judges Mark Goddard and I think Burt Ward) much to my great grandmother's utter disgust with "those hussies" and why would I like Dream Girl 67 over the children's live variety shows popular at that time.

 

[Mark-P]

^Oops! I didn't double check Mission Impossible like the others and just assumed it premiered the same week as Star Trek, The Green Hornet and The Time Tunnel.

Thanks! Original post corrected.

That also means I need to hold off another week to watch S1E1. Man... I was pumped to watch it tonight!

If it helps any, both That Girl and Family Affair were Desilu productions with That Girl's first episode airing right after Star Trek on ABC and Family Affair had it's first airing the same week as Mission Impossible.

It's somewhat amazing the number of iconic TV programs produced at Desilu.

Not entirely accurate. Yes, That Girl and Family Affair were filmed at Desilu Studios, however neither was a Desilu Production. Daisy Productions (That Girl) and Don Fedderson Productions (Family Affair) simply rented the stages at Desilu.

 

[Regulus]

IT was during this season I was introduced to a show about a four-legged star who helped a forest ranger whenever he needed it.Soon after this I found out there were not one but two "versions" of this show playing on TV, in both of these "versions" this critter helped a farm boy and his family. Little did I know each "version" were segments of one HUGE series, whom the syndicators broke up into the three "versions". It wasn't until the advent of the internet did I find how big this show was. I also discovered there were four seasons of this show (Seasons 4, 9,10 and 11) that were LEFT OUT of the syndication! It was in 2009 I finally to see the episodes of these "Lost Seasons" via "other means".

 

[Tina_H_V]

FWIW...the 1966-7 TV season also marks the 50th Anniversary of not only The Fugitive's final season...but its one-and-only palette of color episodes as well. Though going into its fourth and final season, it is, to me, a key milestone in this particular celebration as well.

 

[Mark-P]

Quite a few shows switched to COLOR for this season as in fact it was the first season where the entire prime-time lineup on all three networks was in color.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

Quite a few shows switched to COLOR for this season as in fact it was the first season where the entire prime-time lineup on all three networks was in color.

Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie are the two I remember best switching to color. But there also would have been Petticoat Junction, Beverly Hillbillies, The Andy Griffith Show, and, well, anything left that was still in B&W.

And didn't The Munsters and The Addams Family wind up canceled because of the switch to color?

 

[BobO'Link]

Interestingly, I read where the switch to color was one of the contributing factors to F Troop being cancelled at the end of this season. The other was the new studio owners, Seven Arts, felt it was wasteful for so much of the Warner Ranch to be taken up by a single half-hour TV show. Had it not been for that we may have had at least another season as it had a 31.3 share and was #40 out of 113 programs in the 66/67 season. Absolutely good enough to be picked up for another season.

 

[BobO'Link]

Bewitched and I Dream of Jeannie are the two I remember best switching to color. But there also would have been Petticoat Junction, Beverly Hillbillies, The Andy Griffith Show, and, well, anything left that was still in B&W.

And didn't The Munsters and The Addams Family wind up canceled because of the switch to color?

The Munsters was cancelled due to a large ratings drop when Batman was scheduled opposite it on Thursday evenings. I'm sure the switch to color didn't help but it was already too late.

I don't know for sure but I believe The Addams Family was a victim of poor ratings as it generally scored lower than The Munsters. Of course the mandatory switch to color didn't help.

While I've seen a colorized episode of The Munsters I'm glad it, as well as The Addams Family, didn't survive the switch to color as I just don't think they'd have been as good in color. They feel more "right" in glorious BW - at least to me.

 

[The Obsolete Man]

The Munsters was cancelled due to a large ratings drop when Batman was scheduled opposite it on Thursday evenings. I'm sure the switch to color didn't help but it was already too late.

I don't know for sure but I believe The Addams Family was a victim of poor ratings as it generally scored lower than The Munsters. Of course the mandatory switch to color didn't help.

While I've seen a colorized episode of The Munsters I'm glad it, as well as The Addams Family, didn't survive the switch to color as I just don't think they'd have been as good in color. They feel more "right" in glorious BW - at least to me.

So, low ratings plus the budget increase for color probably did 'em in.

And I agree with the B&W remark. Same goes for The Dick Van Dyke Show. If you've seen the color photos from the set, color would have dated TDVDS, while B&W makes the show timeless. And The Addams Family set was really, really pink.

As for shows that survived and went color, the Paul Henning shows made the transition nicely. Though The Andy Griffith Show didn't seem right in color, IMO. Of course, losing Don Knotts didn't help, either.

It's also a good thing color was mandatory for '66, because you know Desilu would have cheaped out and we would have had a B&W season of Star Trek that would have killed syndication value and there would have went the juggernaut before it ever began.

 

[Mark-P]

It's also a good thing color was mandatory for '66, because you know Desilu would have cheaped out and we would have had a B&W season of Star Trek that would have killed syndication value and there would have went the juggernaut before it ever began.

Are you talking about the same Desilu that filmed seasons 2 and 3 of The Lucy Show in color even though the network insisted on airing them in Black and White?

 

[Mark Collins]

Howie thank you for this. We had a color TV at this time. Time Tunnel and of course in Color Peyton Place and the entire ABC schedule. People loved this color season.

Just watched Voyage the color pilot and season 3 and 4 debute.

 

[JamesSmith]

Still, someone pointed out that the television shows of the sixties, out of several decades, had more successive's and are most lasting than of other decades. I think that's true.

James

 

[Oliver Ravencrest]

The Munsters was cancelled due to a large ratings drop when Batman was scheduled opposite it on Thursday evenings. I'm sure the switch to color didn't help but it was already too late.

I don't know for sure but I believe The Addams Family was a victim of poor ratings as it generally scored lower than The Munsters. Of course the mandatory switch to color didn't help.

While I've seen a colorized episode of The Munsters I'm glad it, as well as The Addams Family, didn't survive the switch to color as I just don't think they'd have been as good in color. They feel more "right" in glorious BW - at least to me.

The Munsters is one of my all time favourite shows, didn't know it had aired opposite Batman, another favourite. I'm glad the series never went colour. Black and White suits the show so much better IMO, the movie Munster Go Home was visually interesting in set design, costuming and make-up design but I think the colour film takes something away.

I still think 1964 - 1969 is my favourite time period for TV series! Happy Anniversary, 1966!

It may not have been a Prime Time series but the great Dark Shadows premiered in June of '66

 

[Mark Collins]

I still can remember that first episode of Collinwood in color. Also when they advertised during the credits of General H that Barnabas Collins was going to have a party at the old house. Then I knew my favorite soap was a hit!!

 

[Doug Wallen]

As I was turning 8-9 during this time period, this season was first one that I remember. I have such fond memories of so many shows that premiered this season.
Dark Shadows
Star Trek
Time Tunnel
It's About Time
The Monkees
Mr. Terrific
Captain Nice
Family Affair
Coronet Blue
The Invaders
The Girl From U.N.C.L.E.
That Girl
Tarzan
Mission:Impossible
What a list. These are just the new ones that I was interested in.

Happy 50th to a great season of "classic" television!!! And only on three channels!

 

[BobO'Link]

I watched the premiere episodes of The Monkees and Rat Patrol on the 12th with the grandkids. All three loved The Monkees and asked to watch more. My grandson liked Rat Patrol so I may watch more of it with him later.

I don't yet own any seasons of Family Affair. It's one my sister and I loved when it first came on but as it continued I grew less and less interested as it often felt more like drama than comedy. The last time I saw a episode was 20+ years ago and it still played the same for me. I just don't know if I'd like it today so have held off while waiting for a really good deal on S1 to "test the waters" again. Of course it's one that goes on sale for ~$85 for the whole shebang on Amazon fairly regularly and every time it does I'm tempted...

I also don't own any Girl from U.N.C.L.E. as much as anything because it's a MOD release. I *did* watch the show that season and remember liking it well enough, but not as much as Man from U.N.C.L.E. It's another I'd purchase anyway if the price is right.

I'm now all primed to watch the premier of Mission Impossible Saturday night.

 

[Regulus]

I've purchases a number of MOD titles, and have had no problems with them. If there is a show I could care less if it's pressed or burn't. it's six of one and half a dozen of the other.