hen you're doing a string of TV Guides from consecutive weeks in the same year, as we're doing right now, it can get a little redundant. The best antidote for that is to go to a weekend, where all bets are off and everything is different. That's what we're going to see this week, as we look at Saturday programming in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
KRLD, Channel 4 (Dallas) (CBS)
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Morning
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07:00a
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Children’s Hour
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07:30a
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Captain Kangaroo
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08:30a
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Mighty Mouse Playhouse
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09:00a
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Winky Dink and You
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09:30a
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Tales of the Texas Rangers
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10:00a
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Johnny Jupiter
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10:30a
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Flash Gordon
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11:00a
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The Lone Ranger
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11:30a
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Learning to Live
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11:45a
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Baseball Preview
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11:55a
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Baseball
(Detroit vs. New York)
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Afternoon
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03:00p
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Sportsman’s Club
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03:30p
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Reporters’ Roundup
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04:00p
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Ability Counts
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04:15p
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Film Featurette
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04:30p
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Questions That Count
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04:45p
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Film Featurette
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05:00p
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TV Bible School
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05:15p
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Cartoon Time
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05:25p
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Do You Know Why?
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05:30p
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Beat the Clock
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Evening
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06:00p
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Big “D” Jamboree
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06:30p
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Secret File U.S.A.
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07:00p
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Two For the Money
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07:30p
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Ford Star Jubilee (color)
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09:00p
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The Honeymooners
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09:30p
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Stage Show (guests George Jessel, Sunny Gale, The
Step Brothers)
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10:00p
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Inspector Fabian
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10:30p
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News (local)
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10:35p
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Wrestling
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11:35p
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Four Star Theater
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WBAP, Channel 5 (Fort Worth) (NBC, ABC)
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Morning
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08:00a
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Pinky Lee
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08:30a
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I Married Joan
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09:00a
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Fury
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09:30a
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TV Auction
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10:00a
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Six Gun Theater – “Gangster’s Den”
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11:00a
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Bobby Peters
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11:30a
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Cartoon Capers
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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Farm Editor
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12:30p
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The Big Picture (Army)
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01:00p
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This Is the Answer (color)
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01:30p
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The Way
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02:00p
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Texas Wildlife
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02:15p
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Saturday Matinee – “Stage Struck”
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03:30p
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Six Gun Theater – “Border Badman”
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04:30p
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Gabby Hayes
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05:00p
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Strange Adventures
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05:30p
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This Is the Story
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05:45p
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Two Grand
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Evening
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06:00p
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Perry Como (guests Dick Powell, Cathy Carr, Dana
Wynter, Jackie Miles)
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07:00p
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People Are Funny
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07:30p
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Jimmy Durante (guest Lisa Kirk)
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08:00p
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George Gobel
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08:30p
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Your Hit Parade
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09:00p
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Crunch and Des
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09:30p
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I Spy
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10:00p
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Spotlight on Texas
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10:15p
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Weather, News
(local)
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10:30p
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Les Paul and Mary Ford
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10:35p
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Congressional Report (Jim Wright)
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10:40p
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Movie Marquee – “Foreign Correspondent”
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Here's the description for TV Auction, a new series debuting at 9:30 am: "A new action-packed show for boys and girls. The studio audience will have a chance to bid on valuable prizes by bringing ice cream cartons put out by a local dairy. Each week there will be two or three winners of certificates for free ice cream when a number is chosen corresponding to the "lucky seat" in the studio." What you want to bet the show's sponsored by that dairy company?
KCEN, Channel 6 (Temple) (NBC)
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Morning
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08:25a
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Program Previews
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08:30a
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I Married Joan
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09:00a
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Fury
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09:30a
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Movie –
“Hellfire Austin”
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10:30a
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The Trouble with Father
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11:00a
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Watch Mr. Wizard
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11:30a
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This Is the Life
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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The Way
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12:30p
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Navy Diary
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01:00p
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The Big Picture (Army)
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01:30p
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Wrestling
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02:30p
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Movie – “Bad Man
of Tombstone”
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04:00p
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Workshop for Living
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04:15p
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Movie – “Rhythm
Inn”
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05:30p
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News, Weather,
Sports (local)
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05:45p
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Industry on Parade
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Evening
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06:00p
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Bluebonnet Barn Dance
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07:00p
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People Are Funny
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07:30p
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Jimmy Durante (guest Lisa Kirk)
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08:00p
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George Gobel
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08:30p
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Your Hit Parade
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09:00p
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TV Playhouse
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10:00p
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News, Weather,
Sports (local)
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10:20p
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Wrestling
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I'm pretty sure the morning movie, Hellfire Austin, is not about the state capital of Texas. Hmm, here's a description: "Heading west, Ken and Bouncer end up at the Brooks ranch where Ken is to ride Tarzan in the big race." I don't think I want to know any more.
WFAA, Channel 8 (Dallas) (NBC, ABC)
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Morning
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08:15a
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Agriculture on Parade
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08:30a
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The Big Picture (Army)
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09:00a
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Buster Crabbe
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09:30a
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Uncle Johnny Coons
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10:00a
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Captain Gallant
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10:30a
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Paul Winchell and Jerry Mahoney
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11:00a
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Jungle Jim
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11:30a
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Sky King
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Afternoon
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12:00p
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John Wayne Theater – “Frontier Horizon”
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01:00p
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Movie – “Law of
the West”
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02:00p
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Boys’ Baseball
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04:00p
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Bowling Champions
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05:00p
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My Little Margie
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05:30p
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The Big Surprise
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Evening
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06:00p
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Grand Ole Opry Stars (host Jimmy Dickens)
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06:30p
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His Honor Homer Bell
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07:00p
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Lawrence Welk
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08:00p
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Chance of a Lifetime
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08:30p
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Death Valley Days
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09:00p
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Ozark Jubilee (hosts Porter Wagoner, Red Foley, guests
Wesley and Marilynb Tuttle, Mitchell Torok, The Balentines, Ray Crespin)
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10:00p
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News (Joe
Templeton)
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10:15p
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Sports (Ken
Cariker)
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10:30p
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Mystery Playhouse
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11:00p
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Channel 8 Theater – “So Long at the Fair”
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KWTX, Channel 10 (Waco) (CBS, ABC)
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Morning
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07:30a
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Captain Kangaroo
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08:30a
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Superman
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09:00a
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Winky Dink and You
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09:30a
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Boy Scout Review
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10:00a
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Tales of the Texas Rangers
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10:30a
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To Be Announced
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11:00a
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Neighborhood Salute
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11:30a
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Plan for the Future
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11:45a
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Baseball Preview
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11:55a
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Baseball
(Detroit vs. New York)
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Afternoon
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03:00p
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To Be Announced
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03:30p
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The Big Picture (Army)
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04:00p
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Movie - Western
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05:00p
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Home Folks Frolic
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Evening
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06:00p
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Film Featurette
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06:15p
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Spotlight on Texas
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06:30p
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The Honeymooners
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07:00p
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Two For the Money
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07:30p
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Ford Star Jubilee (color)
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08:30p
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Ozark Jubilee (hosts Porter Wagoner, Red Foley, guests
Wesley and Marilynb Tuttle, Mitchell Torok, The Balentines, Ray Crespin)
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10:00p
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News, Weather,
Sports (local)
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10:30p
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Lawrence Welk
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11:30p
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Million Dollar Movie – “To Be or Not to Be”
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At 3:30 pm, Channel 10 becomes the fourth and final station of the day to show The Big Picture, which has to be one of the most broadcast series of all time. I don't think I've ever found a part of the country in which it wasn't aired during the '50s and '60s. When I was a lad, it was on Channel 4 in Minneapolis; at other times it was even on Channel 2, the educational station. Imagine that today.
KFJZ, Channel 11 (Fort Worth) (Ind.)
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Afternoon
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02:30p
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Film Featurette
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02:45p
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Here’s to Beauty
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03:00p
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Bowling
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04:25p
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News (Jim
Abbott)
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04:30p
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Terry and the Pirates
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04:55p
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Congressional Report (Jim Wright)
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05:00p
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Continental Teen Club
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Evening
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06:00p
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Jalopy Derby
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06:30p
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News, Sports,
Weather (local)
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07:00p
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The Little Rascals
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07:30p
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Million Dollar Movie -
“Angel on the Amazon”
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08:55p
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News (Dan
Allison)
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09:00p
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Life With Elizabeth
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09:30p
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Roller Derby
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10:00p
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News, Weather
(local)
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10:20p
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Golfing (Byron
Nelson)
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10:35p
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Sports (Dave
Naugle)
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10:40p
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Saturday Night Theater – “A Walk in the Sun”
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12:00a
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Labor Savers
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First things first:
ReplyDelete- Please confirm that during this period, Dallas-Ft.Worth did not observe Daylight Savings Time.
A quick check of the network stations shows that series aired one hour earlier than they do in other cities (such as Chicago, which observes DST) - except for certain early-evening shows, which are kinescoped and delayed to later hours, such as CBS's Honeymooners and ABC's Ozark Jubilee.
I have no idea if Texas ever adopted DST, or if they do today; since there is no more live TV as we once knew it, I'm guessing that local network affiliates stick to the announced schedules, save of course for live sporting events (correction welcomed).
- Hellfire Austin:
If "Ken is riding Tarzan", this is a Ken Maynard Western, probably of '30s or early '40s vintage; a quick scan of these listings show a distinct tilt in that direction on all of the stations (perhaps not surprising in Texas, but B-westerns were among the first big sellers to local stations in the '50s; many Chicago stations had their cowboy blocs as well).
- The Big Picture's omnipresence in many stations's schedules is easily explained: it was free.
The Army made it available to any station that asked for it, and nearly every station in the country at that time had at least one half hour to fill somewhere.
My Chicago edition shows that independent channel 9 is showing Big Picture Saturday at 9:00 am, in between This Is The Life and a movie; and also on channel 7 at 2:00 pm, in between two TBA movies (most likely low budget B's).
I haven't checked the whole week, but I wouldn't be surprised if The Big Picture turns up a few more times this week, in off-hours.
I may return ...
I've lived in Texas for the most part since 1983, and it's always had DST since then. However the TV Guide from April 28, 1956, with Red Skelton on the cover with a clock, has an article with a map of the USA showing the patchwork of DST observances then, and it showed Texas (along with its border states Oklahoma, Arkansas, & Louisiana) entirely in Standard Time year-round, so I think that your suspicion about Texas in year-round Standard Time at the time is correct. Texas probably began observing DST sometime in the 60s, and I know it was observing DST by 1971 at the latest, since I found an article from April of that year in a Texas newspaper referencing the start of DST.
DeleteHere, for fun, is what the Chicago stations were showing this day (all times Central Daylight):
ReplyDeleteWBBM, channel 2, CBS:
7:45 am: Thought For Today
7:50: News
8:00: Winky Dink and You
8:30: The Little Show with Ray Rayner
Much like the show Ray did years later on channel 9; on ch2, he worked with a live duck named Havelock.
9:00: Wild Bill Hickok (syndicated)
9:30: Mighty Mouse
10:00: Operation New Horizons (local)
10:30: Tales of the Texas Rangers
11:00: Sealtest Big Top (bumped in Texas by the live CBS baseball game)
12:00: The Lone Ranger (CBS network; also aired on ABC in prime time on Thursday night)
12:30: Ray Rayner's Dance Party.
Pre-rock'n'roll: Ray and his sidekick Mina Kolb did record pantomimes to popular tunes and welcomed visiting guests (Vic Damone this week).
2:00: Vision (local education)
2:25: Life Line (local safety for kids)
2:30: Back-to-back B movies: "Bush Pilot" (Jack LaRue) and "Western Pacific Agent" (Kent Taylor).
4:30: Playhouse (half-hour syndicated drama); lots of these old shows from several years before served as filler in off hours.
5:00: Range Rider
5:30: Annie Oakley
6:00: Gene Autry
Triple-header from Autry's Flying A Productions.
6:30: Beat The Clock
7:00: Honeymooners
7:30: Stage Show
8:00: Two For The Money
8:30: Ford Star Theater, "Bell For Adano"
10:00: Pee Wee King, with a two-hour local country music show.
12 midnight: Movie: "The Gay Swordsman", an Italian import (stop that snickering in the back).
1:30 or thereabouts: Signoff.
WNBQ, channel 5, NBC:
8:30am: Kid's Holiday, local
9:00: Pinky Lee
9:30: I Married Joan
10:00 Fury
10:30: Uncle Johnny Coons, network pickup from Chicago.
Uncle Johnny was on channel 5 locally, every weekday at noon.
11:00: Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, starring Buster Crabbe and his son; filmed on location in northern Africa.
11:30: Winchell-Mahoney
12 noon: It's Chris, with Eugene de Christopher, Chicago's answer to Jon Gnagy.
12:30: Bob Steele Western, "Doomed At Sundown".
1:30: Ken Maynard Western, "Harmony Trail".
2:00: Don 'Red' Barry Western, "Tough Assignment".
3:00: Harry Carey Sr. Western, "Ghost Town".
4:00: Tim McCoy Western, "Frontier Crusader".
5:00: Buster Crabbe Western, TBA.
5:30: Gardening with John Ott (long-running local show).
6:00: The Falcon, syndicated series.
6:30: The Big Surprise, Mike Wallace's quiz show.
7:00: Perry Como.
8:00: People Are Funny.
8:30: Jimmy Durante
9:00: George Gobel
9:30: Your Hit Parade
10:00: Dr. Hudson's Secret Journal, syndicated drama.
10:30: Boys' Clubs Dinner, special.
Speeches given at the dinner a month ago; the speakers include J. Edgar Hoover and former President Herbert Hoover (no relation).
11:00: Championship Bowling, local with Whispering Joe Wilson.
12:00: Movie: "Kidnapped" 1948 Hollywood version with Roddy McDowall.
Signoff when the movie ends.
It's late, so I'll get to channels 7 and 9 tomorrow.
Picking up from last night:
ReplyDeleteWBKB, channel 7, ABC:
Channel 7 "slept in", so to speak, on Saturday mornings; their first show of the day was -
10:45 am: Town Hall - Religion (that's what the listing says).
11:15: Sheriff Reports; Cook County Sheriff Joe Lohman with a weekly crime report.
11:30: Down To Earth, local gardening show.
12 noon: Ralph Flanagan and his Orchestra, syndicated film series (Many big bands did shows like these to promote their tours).
12:30: Hi Time, talk/variety for teenagers.
1:30: Film Shorts (could be anything).
2:00: The Big Picture (see above - and below).
2:30: Movie - TBA
3:50: Film Shorts (see above).
4:00: Dave O'Brien Western, "Brand Of The Devil".
5:00: Superman with George Reeves, still in first run.
5:30: Gabby Hayes Show, syndicated film.
6:00: Curtain Up, syndicated half-hour film comedy.
6:30: Ozark Jubilee: a half-hour with Porter Wagoner, followed by an hour with Red Foley, both live from Springfield, MO; ABC stations had the option to carry either or both.
8:00: Lawrence Welk's Dodge Dancing Party.
9:00: Chance Of A Lifetime, an Amateur Hour knock-off.
9:30: Susie, syndicated rerun of Ann Sothern's Private Secretary.
10:00: Movie, "Battles Of Chief Pontiac" with Lex Barker and Lon Chaney.
11:30: Famous Playhouse, syndicated half-hour drama.
12 midnight: Movie, "Exile Express" with Anna Sten.
- To signoff.
WGN, channel 9, independent (but see below):
9:00am: This Is The Life.
9:30: The Big Picture (not the same film that channel 7 will show this afternoon).
10:00: Movie, "The Long Night" with Henry Fonda and Vincent Price.
11:30: Laurel & Hardy comedy short.
12 noon: Ron Terry's Polka Party, live variety (tickets available).
1:00 - 6:00 (approx.): Cubs vs. Dodgers, doubleheader.
6:00 (approx.): Movie, "Norman Conquest" with Tom Conway (George Sanders's brother).
7:00: Curtain Call, syndicated film drama.
7:30: Your Senator Reports: At this time, Illinois's Senators were Paul Douglas (Democrat) and Everett Dirksen (Republican).
They'd usually alternate, but sometimes would appear together (it was, as they say, a different time ...).
8:00: Northwestern University Reviewing Stand, news talk.
8:30: Wrestling From Marigold Gardens with Jack Brickhouse (who came over directly from the Cubs doubleheader).
This was one of the last shows left standing from the Dumont Network; at this point, the network had folded, but the show was still sufficiently popular locally to merit continuation.
11:00 (Yes, really - two and a half hours of wrestling): Anyway -
11:00: Movie, "Gung Ho!" with Randolph Scott.
1:00am: Movie, "Woman On The Run" with Ann Sheridan and Dennis O'Keefe.
- To signoff.
Thanx and a hat tip to Jon H for the Daylight Saving intel.
Thanks for the hat tip, Mike. :)
DeleteI just received from an EBay auction TV Guides dated May 19, 1956 and August 16, 1958.
WHAT'S MY LINE in the 1956 issue on May 20, 1956 appeared on the CBS affiliates in this issue (Dallas & Waco) live following THE $64,000 CHALLENGE (only on Dallas' CBS station, Waco's station has the earlier timeslot "to be announced") from 8 to 9 PM CST then followed them with (probably) a kinescope of that night's ED SULLIVAN SHOW from 9 to 10.
On Sunday, August 17, 1958, though, the game shows (again only WML? was on the Waco station) were listed 9-10 PM, followed by CBS news hosted by Walter Cronkite. This change in 1958 leads me to believe that either Texas started observing DST in 1957 or 1958 or CBS had a more elaborate system set up for its CBS affiliates by 1958. More likely the former is the case here, though I have not found any confirmation of when Texas actually started observing DST.
"CBS had a more elaborate system...by 1958"
DeleteYes, starting in spring 1958, during DST, the networks (with video tape now a reality) fed programs on a one-hour delay to standard time areas in the Eastern and Central time zones.
And Texas did not begin observing DST until 1967.