1962–63 United States network television schedule

The following is the 1962–63 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1962 through August 1963. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1961–62 season.

Television historians Harry Castleman and Walter Podrazik (1982) state, "Despite all the promises of programming reform made by television executives in May, 1961" (the month of Newton Minow's landmark speech "Television and the Public Interest"), "the 1962–63 schedule turned out to be business as usual". Castleman and Podrazik point out that although the three networks had added generally well-made public-affairs and news programs to their schedules, there were "too many of them and their sheer number diluted the audience and stretched resources far too thin to allow quality productions each week".^[1] CBS aired CBS Reports and Eyewitness, NBC broadcast Chet Huntley Reporting, David Brinkley's Journal and Actuality Specials , while ABC had Bell and Howell Close-up and the Howard K. Smith show.^[1] Despite Minow's complaints that the sitcoms of the era were "totally unrealistic" and his disdain for cartoons, the new sitcoms of 1962 were even more hostile to Minow's stated taste and were frequently "stretching further than ever for their situations"; increasingly fantastical premises such as hillbillies in the city (The Beverly Hillbillies ) and cartoons set a century into the future (The Jetsons , ABC's first regularly-scheduled TV series to air in color) were among the new offerings.^[2]

This was the first season that ABC aired some of their prime-time programs in color.

New fall series are highlighted in bold. All times are Eastern and Pacific.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.^[3]

  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.

* formerly known as General Electric Theater * McKeever and the Colonel aired Sundays at 6:30-7 on NBC. * The Bullwinkle Show aired Sundays at 5:30-6 on NBC. * Password aired Sundays at 6:30-7 on CBS. * The Dinah Shore Show aired Sundays every 3 or 4 weeks at 10 on NBC In COLOR.

Notes: * In some areas, Walter Cronkite with the News and The Huntley-Brinkley Report aired at 6:45 p.m.(ET). ** Vacation Playhouse was an anthology series composed entirely of unsold television pilots. *** Stump the Stars was formerly Pantomime Quiz . **** It's a Man's World was shown in color on October 1, 1962.

Note: The CBS series Marshal Dillon consisted of reruns of episodes of Gunsmoke .

Note: Dr. Kildare on October 4, 1962 was shown in color.

Notes: * Formerly known as Matty's Funnies with Beany and Cecil . Sam Benedict on October 6, 1962 was shown in color.

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

• 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 (2007). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows (9th ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.

• United States primetime network television schedules
• 1962 in American television
• 1963 in American television

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