What's on TV? Saturday, May 19, 1962

We're back in Eastern New England this week for an interesting day of programming. I think that by 1962 we're well into the transitional period between the Golden Age of the '50s, when technological advances weren't that pronounced, and the programming we're familiar with when we think of the '60s. Although you don't see it in today's selection, the evening news is still 15 minutes and there are still many shows from the '50s on the regular schedule, and yet I sense that change is in the air. That's probably one reason I like this period of the '60s so much.

	WBZ, Channel 4 (NBC)
	Morning
	06:30a	Armed Forces
	07:00a	Boomtown
	08:00a	Boomtown
	09:00a	Boomtown
	10:00a	Shari Lewis (color)
	10:30a	King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (color)
	11:00a	Fury
	11:30a	Make Room for Daddy
	Afternoon
	12:00p	News (Dick Tucker)
	12:10p	Weather (Bob Copeland)
	12:15p	Big Brother
	12:30p	Science Countdown 1962 (special)
	01:00p	Ten Pin Bowling
	02:00p	Alliance for Progress
	02:30p	Championship Debate
	03:00p	English for Americans
	03:30p	Highway Patrol
	04:00p	Junior Bowling
	04:30p	Horse Racing – Acorn Stakes
	05:00p	Movie – “Belle of Old Mexico”
	Evening
	06:00p	National Velvet
	06:30p	News (Borden, Jensen)
	06:55p	Weather (Bob Copeland)
	07:00p	Chet Huntley Reporting
	07:30p	Tales of Wells Fargo (color)
	08:30p	The Tall Man
	09:00p	Saturday Night at the Movies – “Garden of Evil”
	11:00p	News, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie – “The Roaring Twenties”
	01:00a	Movie – “A Message to Garcia”

Boomtown was an epic three-hour kids show, (with another 2½ hours on Sunday) hosted by Rex Trailer, that ran for almost twenty seasons, well into the 1970s. There's a full-page ad for the show that bills it, without irony, as "The World's Greatest Baby Sitter." We're used to hearing that as a negative appellation when it comes to TV, but the station uses it as a positive: Rex "helps you get a few hours more sleep by whisking your kids to the wonderful world of Boomtown. Nothing wrong with that; I know my mom was always grateful when she could catch an hour or so while I was watching TV.

	WHDH, Channel 5 (ABC, CBS, NBC)
	Morning
	06:30a	Potpourri (color)
	07:00a	Captain Bob (color)
	08:30a	Sergeant Preston
	09:00a	Captain Kangaroo
	10:00a	Video Village, Jr.
	10:30a	Mighty Mouse
	11:00a	Allakazam
	11:30a	Roy Rogers
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Candlepin Bowling
	01:00p	Championship Bridge
	01:30p	The Life of Riley
	02:00p	Baseball – Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels
	05:00p	West Point
	05:30p	Preakness Stakes (special)
	Evening
	06:00p	The Lone Ranger
	06:30p	Troubleshooters
	07:00p	Sea Hunt
	07:30p	Perry Mason
	08:30p	The Defenders
	09:30p	Have Gun – Will Travel
	10:00p	Gunsmoke
	11:00p	News, Weather (local) (color)
	11:15p	At Random
	12:45a	Movie – “Racing Luck”
	02:15a	Builders’ Showcase

I don't know how many of you are familiar with candlepin bowling (noon); it's a uniquely New England-form of bowling that involves ten very narrow pins and a smaller bowling ball. When I lived in Maine, there was a candlepin show every week. It's fun to watch, but even more fun to play.

	WCSH, Channel 6 (Portland, ME) (NBC)
	Morning
	08:00a	News, Weather (local)
	08:15a	Davey and Goliath
	08:30a	Fury
	09:00a	Annie Oakley
	09:30a	Pip the Piper (color)
	10:00a	Shari Lewis (color)
	10:30a	King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (color)
	11:00a	Popeye
	11:30a	Make Room for Daddy
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Watch Mr. Wizard
	12:30p	Championship Debate
	01:00p	Science Fiction Theater
	01:30p	Bowling
	02:00p	Baseball – Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians
	05:00p	Mr. District Attorney
	05:30p	Highway Patrol
	Evening
	06:00p	Hot Rod Drag Race
	06:30p	Tightrope!
	07:00p	Death Valley Days
	07:30p	Tales of Wells Fargo (color)
	08:30p	The Tall Man
	09:00p	Saturday Night at the Movies – “Garden of Evil”
	11:00p	News, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie – “The Outcast”

For the record, I don't know what kind of bowling is on Channel 6 at 1:30pm. I'd guess it to be candlepin, but the listings only say it's women's bowling.

	WNAC, Channel 7 (CBS)
	Morning
	07:00a	The Three Stooges
	07:55a	Topsy Turvy
	08:00a	The Three Stooges
	08:55a	Cartoons
	09:00a	Sky King
	09:30a	Movie – “Jack and the Beanstalk”
	11:00a	Abbott and Costello
	11:30a	Bugs Bunny
	Afternoon
	12:00p	American Bandstand
	01:00p	Movie Triple Feature – “Flight Command”, “The Saint Strikes Back”,  “Back to Bataan”
	05:30p	Changing Times
	05:45p	News Review of the Week
	Evening
	06:00p	Beany and Cecil
	06:30p	The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
	07:00p	Tightrope!
	07:30p	Calvin and the Colonel
	08:00p	Room For One More
	08:30p	Leave It to Beaver
	09:00p	Lawrence Welk
	10:00p	The Fight of the Week (Clay vs. Daniels)
	10:45p	Make That Spare (time approximate)
	11:00p	News, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie Double Feature – “Mr. Lucky”, “Parachute Battalion”

Do any of you remember Changing Times? It was one of the first informercials of the time, a 15-minute program that advertised the financial newspaper of the same name, published by Kiplinger. What I most remember about it was that it was often on before some sporting event I was waiting to watch (The Pro Bowlers Tour?), and that when they gave you the address to send in for your subscription, you'd hear a voiceover with a box number like "TV106." Anyone else remember that?

	WMTW, Channel 8 (Portland, ME) (ABC, CBS)
	Morning
	08:30a	Country Style, U.S.A.
	09:00a	Teddy Bear Playhouse
	10:00a	Teddy Bear Playhouse
	10:30a	Cartoons
	11:00a	Cartoons
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Bugs Bunny
	12:30p	Movie – “Bundle of Joy”
	01:45p	Baseball Warm-Up
	02:00p	Baseball – Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels
	05:00p	Movie – “Fort Worth”
	Evening
	06:00p	Big Time Wrestling
	07:00p	M Squad
	07:30p	Calvin and the Colonel
	08:00p	Room For One More
	08:30p	Mantovani (guest Dorothy Collins)
	09:00p	Lawrence Welk
	10:00p	The Fight of the Week (Clay vs. Daniels)
	10:45p	Make That Spare (time approximate)
	11:00p	Movie – “Road House”
	12:30a	Movie – “Bewitched”

This should be the theme song for Teddy Bear Playhouse.

	WMUR, Channel 9 (Manchester, NH) (ABC, CBS)
	Morning
	09:30a	Cartoons
	10:00a	Ring-a-Ding the Clown
	10:30a	Gene Autry
	11:00a	Range Rider
	11:30a	Hi Neighbor
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Bugs Bunny
	12:30p	Candlepin Bowling
	01:30p	The Big Picture (Army)
	02:00p	Movie Double Feature – “The Marshal’s Daughter”, “Little Pal”
	04:45p	Armed Forces Day
	05:00p	Chicago Wrestling
	Evening
	06:00p	Film Feature
	06:30p	Cartoons
	07:00p	Beany and Cecil
	07:30p	Calvin and the Colonel
	08:00p	Room For One More
	08:30p	Leave It to Beaver
	09:00p	Lawrence Welk
	10:00p	The Fight of the Week (Clay vs. Daniels)
	10:45p	Make That Spare (time approximate)
	11:00p	News, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie – “Dr. Rhythm”

Again, most of you probably know this, but Calvin and the Colonel was, in essence, an animated version of Amos 'n' Andy. right down to the voices: Freemen Gosden and Charles Correll. It's actually a pretty funny show, but you can see for yourself here.

	WJAR, Channel 10 (Providence) (ABC, NBC)
	Morning
	08:00a	Off to Adventure
	08:30a	Watch Mr. Wizard
	09:00a	Draw Podner
	09:30a	Pip the Piper (color)
	10:00a	Shari Lewis (color)
	10:30a	King Leonardo and His Short Subjects (color)
	11:00a	Fury
	11:30a	Make Room for Daddy
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Bugs Bunny
	12:30p	Championship Debate
	01:00p	Golden 500
	01:30p	Captain Grief
	02:00p	Paris Precinct
	02:30p	Movie Double Feature – “The Crowd Roars”, “British Intelligence”
	05:00p	National Velvet
	05:30p	Lawrence Welk
	Evening
	06:30p	Bachelor Father
	07:00p	The Lawman
	07:30p	Target: Corruptors
	08:30p	The Flintstones
	09:00p	Saturday Night at the Movies – “Garden of Evil”
	11:00p	News, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie – “Paths of Glory”

Garden of Evil sounds as if it should be an Orson Welles movie, doesn't it? And Pip the Piper, which was actually one of the early color television broadcasts - well, every time I run across it in the listings, I think of this. I have no idea if I'm right or not, but it seems right.

	WPRO, Channel 12 (Providence) (CBS)
	Morning
	07:00a	Popeye and The Three Stooges
	08:00a	Commander Jets
	09:00a	Captain Kangaroo
	10:00a	Video Village, Jr.
	10:30a	Mighty Mouse
	11:00a	Allakazam
	11:30a	Roy Rogers
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Sky King
	12:30p	American Bandstand
	01:30p	Wrestling Champions
	02:30p	Movie – “Guadalcanal Diary”
	04:00p	Ten Pin Bowling
	05:00p	The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
	05:30p	Preakness Stakes (special)
	Evening
	06:00p	Frontier Circus
	07:00p	Sea Hunt
	07:30p	Perry Mason
	08:30p	The Defenders
	09:30p	Have Gun – Will Travel
	10:00p	Gunsmoke
	11:00p	News, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie Double Feature – “The Bull Skinner”, “Voodoo Man”

Commander Jets was the star of the Red Ball Jet TV show. Remember Red Ball Jets? They were sneakers, and boy were they cool shoes if you were a kid. Just like P.F. Flyers - remember them?

	WGAN, Channel 13 (Portland, ME) (CBS)
	Morning
	07:00a	Cartoons
	07:30a	4-H Club
	08:00a	Commander Jets
	09:00a	Captain Kangaroo
	10:00a	Video Village, Jr.
	10:30a	Mighty Mouse
	11:00a	Allakazam
	11:30a	Roy Rogers
	Afternoon
	12:00p	Sky King
	12:30p	Candlepin Bowling
	01:30p	Camera Carnival (special)
	02:30p	Ivanhoe
	03:00p	Men Into Space
	03:30p	Film Feature
	04:00p	Ken MacKenzie
	04:30p	Dave Astor
	05:30p	Preakness Stakes (special)
	Evening
	06:00p	Ted Mack’s Original Amateur Hour
	06:30p	Frontier Circus
	07:30p	Perry Mason
	08:30p	The Defenders
	09:30p	Have Gun – Will Travel
	10:00p	Gunsmoke
	11:00p	News, Sports, Weather (local)
	11:15p	Movie – “Hell’s Five Hours”

Ah, see - yet more candlepin bowling! TV