TV Shows of the 1950's
Best of the early years of TV in no order!
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- CreatorJackie GleasonStarsJackie GleasonArt CarneyAudrey MeadowsA bus driver and his sewer worker friend struggle to strike it rich while their wives look on with weary patience.
- CreatorNat HikenStarsPhil SilversHarvey LembeckPaul FordMaster Sergeant Bilko, regularly helped by the soldiers at Fort Baxter's motor pool, spends little time performing his duties by constantly trying to obtain money through various get-rich-quick scams and promotions.
- StarsWilliam LundiganJoyce TaylorCharles HerbertThe adventures of Colonel Ed McCauley, head of the American space program. He battles saboteurs, budget cuts, defective equipment and other problems in outer space.
- CreatorGeorge W. TrendleGeorge W. GeorgeStarsJay SilverheelsClayton MooreJohn HartThe adventures of the masked hero and his Native American partner.
- StarsGeorge ReevesNoel NeillJack LarsonThe Man of Steel fights crime with help from his friends at the "Daily Planet."
- StarsLucille BallDesi ArnazVivian VanceThe wife of a band leader constantly tries to become a star - in spite of her having no talent, and gets herself (along with her best friend) into the funniest predicaments.
- CreatorJoe ConnellyBob MosherDick ConwayStarsJerry MathersHugh BeaumontBarbara BillingsleyThe misadventures of a suburban boy, family and friends.
- CreatorCharles Marquis WarrenClyde WareStarsJames ArnessMilburn StoneAmanda BlakeMarshal Matt Dillon keeps the peace in rough-and-tumble Dodge City.
- StarsIrish McCallaChristian DrakeNeal the ChimpThe adventures of a woman who grew up in the jungle as she protects the beasts and the natives while encountering white hunters, native Africans, wild animals and slave traders.
- StarsRichard GreeneVictor WoolfArchie DuncanRobin of Loxley, otherwise known as Robin Hood, and his band of Merry Men protect England from the evil machinations of Prince John while King Richard the Lionheart is away fighting in the Crusades.
- StarsDanny ThomasRusty HamerMarjorie LordDanny is a New York entertainer. Between his co-stars at the nightclub where he performs and his wife and kids, he has dilemmas galore, which he somehow manages to resolve and still laugh.
- StarsOzzie NelsonHarriet NelsonRicky NelsonOzzie and Harriet Nelson raise their two sons Ricky and David. As the sons age, they experience teenage dating problems, marriage and careers.
- CreatorEd JamesStarsRobert YoungLauren ChapinJane WyattThe popular radio show comes to life in this hit sitcom about a wise family man, Jim Anderson, his common-sense wife Margaret and their children Betty, Bud and Kathy.
- StarsGail DavisBrad JohnsonJimmy HawkinsA fictionalized account of the life of legendary Wild West sharpshooter Annie Oakley.
- StarsSteve McQueenWright KingOlan SouleA Civil War veteran with a sawed-off rifle as a holstered weapon makes a living as a bounty hunter in the Wild West of the 1870s.
- CreatorHerb MeadowSam RolfeStarsRichard BooneKam TongHal NeedhamThe adventures of a gentlemanly gunfighter-for-hire.
- StarsHugh O'BrianJimmy NoelEthan LaidlawLoosely based on historical fact, the series portrays the gunslinging Wyatt Earp and his successful determination for law and order.
- CreatorRoy HugginsStarsJack KellyJames GarnerRoger MooreBret and Bart Maverick are well-dressed gamblers who migrate from town to town always looking for a good game.
- StarsFrank McGrathTerry WilsonRobert HortonStories of the journeys of a wagon train as it leaves post-Civil War Missouri on its way to California through the plains, deserts, and Rocky Mountains.
- StarsHarry BellaverHorace McMahonPaul BurkeThe cases of the N.Y.P.D.'s 65th Precinct.
- StarsJohn RussellPeter BrownPeggie CastleThis is the story of Marshal Dan Troop of Laramie, Wyoming, and his Deputy Johnny McKay, an orphan Troop took under his wing.
- StarsClint WalkerClyde HowdyChuck HicksAfter the Civil War, nomadic adventurer Cheyenne Bodie roamed the West looking for fights, bad guys to beat up, and women. His job changed from episode to episode.
- CreatorAaron SpellingStarsDon DurantMark GoddardKaren SharpeEx-gunfighter Johnny Ringo is now the sheriff of a small Western town, and attempts to keep the peace with the aid of his girl Laura Thomas and his deputy Cully.
- CreatorRuth WoodmanStarsStanley AndrewsRobert TaylorRonald ReaganWestern stories and legends based, and filmed, in and around Death Valley, California. One of the longest-running Western series, originating on radio in the 1930s. The continuing sponsor was "20 Mule Team" Borax, a product formerly mined in Death Valley.
- CreatorHal AdelquistWalt DisneyStarsJimmie DoddDarlene GillespieSharon BairdMickey Mouse hosts a youth-oriented variety show featuring 'The Mouseketeers'.
- StarsChuck ConnorsJohnny CrawfordPaul FixThe adventures of a Wild West rancher, wielding a customized rapid-fire Winchester rifle, and his son.
- StarsLassieJon ProvostJune LockhartThe ongoing saga of the Martin family and their beloved collie, Lassie.
- StarsGene BarryAllen JaffeAllison HayesBat Masterson roams The West and defends the innocent.
- StarsBud AbbottLou CostelloSid FieldsBud and Lou are unemployed actors living in Mr. Fields' boarding house. Lou's girlfriend Hillary lives across the hall. Any premise would lead to slapstick, puns, lots of gimmicks from their movies.
- CreatorErle Stanley GardnerStarsRaymond BurrBarbara HaleWilliam HopperThe trials of a master criminal defense attorney handling the most difficult cases in support of the innocent.
- StarsHerbert AndersonJay NorthGloria HenryTelevision episodes built around the same sorts of incidents found in Hank Ketcham's long-running comic strip.
- CreatorJames BuxbaumStarsLloyd BridgesKen DrakeCourtney BrownMike Nelson is a scuba diver in the days when it was still very new. He works alone, it was mostly carried through his voice-over narrations. These gave the show a flavor of a radio program.
- StarsBroderick CrawfordArt GilmoreWilliam BoyettPowerful patrol cars, fast motorcycles, and superheterodyne two-way radios combine to fight crime on the rural highways of America's wide open spaces.
- CreatorCharles J. CorrellFreeman F. GosdenStarsAlvin ChildressSpencer WilliamsTim MooreStories mostly centered on The Kingfish's schemes to get rich, often by duping his brothers in the Mystic Knights of the Sea Lodge. Andy was particularly dupable. Amos mostly narrated.
- StarsAlfred HitchcockHarry TylerLillian O'MalleySeries of unrelated short stories covering elements of crime, horror, drama, and comedy about people of different backgrounds committing murders, suicides, thefts, and other sorts of crime caused by certain motivations, perceived or not.
- StarsMilton BerleSid StoneJimmy NelsonThe Texaco Star Theatre was one of the most popular shows in the history of television. In the first year, Milton Berle was not the permanent emcee, but once he replaced the rotation, the show soared to ratings dominance (Number One in 1950-51), NBC dominated Tuesday night, and Berle became the first great star of the new medium, "Mr. Television". The basic format was modeled after a vaudeville variety hour, spotlighting Berle's jokes, sight gags, and costumes.
- StarsMilton BerleEd HerlihyBilly MayThe second incarnation of 'Mr. Television' Milton Berle's variety TV series.
- CreatorFred HamiltonStarsDean MartinJerry LewisAl GoodmanThis was a Colgate-sponsored comedy hour that featured many notable comedians and entertainers of the era as guest stars.
- StarsScott ForbesWilliam SchallertJohn LaingThe adventures of frontier hero Jim Bowie are brought to life in this popular children's television series.
- CreatorSylvester L. Weaver Jr.StarsSid CaesarImogene CocaFelisa VanoffBest remembered by its posterior title, Your Show of Shows, this live variety show included comedy sketches with TV pioneers Sid Caesar and Imogene Coca.
- CreatorFrank GruberJames BrooksGene ReynoldsStarsDale RobertsonArt FelixKit CarsonAgent Jim Hardie splits his life between being an agent helping Wells Fargo cope with bad guys, and owning a ranch near San Francisco, California.
- StarsRobert CulpNorman LeavittEllen CorbyTexas Ranger Hoby Gilman travels the Old West tracking down assorted killers, bank robbers, horse thieves, and other evil-doers.
- StarsJack BennyEddie 'Rochester' AndersonDon WilsonThe comic misadventures of the "skinflint" comedian and his friends.
- StarsWilliam BendixMarjorie ReynoldsWesley MorganRiley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems.
- StarsRosemary DeCampJackie GleasonLanny ReesRiley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems. His stock answer to every turn of fate became a catch phrase: 'What a revoltin' development this is!"
- CreatorJack WebbStarsJack WebbBen AlexanderOlan SouleSgt. Joe Friday and his partners methodically investigate crimes in Los Angeles.
- CreatorWilliam RobertsStarsDonna ReedPaul PetersenCarl BetzA loving mother and wife deals with situations and problems of a middle-class family in the late 1950s and the early 1960s.
- StarsGuy WilliamsGene SheldonHenry CalvinDon Diego de la Vega opposes the corrupt tyrants of Spanish California as the masked swordsman, Zorro.
- StarsSpike JonesHelen GraycoEarl BennettA music-themed variety show, hosted by the experienced bandleader Spike Jones. The regular cast included the singer Helen Grayco (Jones' wife) and Jones' band, "The City Slickers". The series only lasted from January to May 1954. Jones would later re-use the concept and the title for two other short-lived series, the first in 1957 and the second in 1961.
- CreatorArt NapoleonJo NapoleonStarsKenneth TobeyCraig HillNancy HaleCharter helicopter pilots Chuck and P. T. solve crimes. Rescue people, perform tasks and more using their Bell helicopter, the star of the show;
- StarsWayde PrestonDonald MayKenneth MacDonaldChristopher Colt appeared to be a gun salesman, but he was actually a government agent tracking down notorious bad guys. His cousin Sam took the lead when the studio had contract disputes with the original star.
- StarsJohn LuptonMichael AnsaraSteven RitchIndian Agent Tom Jeffords makes friends with Chief Cochise, becoming a blood brother of the Apache. Together they fight white schemers and renegade Indians.
- StarsRichard CraneSally MansfieldScotty BeckettCruising the galaxy in his space ship "The Orbit Jet" Space Ranger, Rocky Jones, Vena Ray, and 10 year-old Bobby defend the Earth and themselves against space-bound evil doers.
- StarsJohn HartLon Chaney Jr.Bill WalshNat Cutler, known as Hawkeye, is a fur trader. With his faithful Indian companion Chingachgook, the last of the Mohican tribe, he fights to protect settlers against the raiding Huron Indians.
- StarsDon HastingsAl HodgeHal Conklin"Guardian of the Safety of the World", private citizen-scientist Captain Video, assisted by his teenage helper The Ranger and an army of Video Rangers, preserves the peace in the far-off future, fighting the evil Dr. Pauli of the Astroidal Society and a bunch of other baddies (Nargola, Mook, Kul, Clysmok). The show appeared nightly Mon-Fri, featured many outlandish weapons and techno-gimmicks, and was run on a minuscule prop budget.
- StarsPat ConwayRichard EasthamQuentin SondergaardTough Sheriff Clay Hollister keeps the law in Tombstone, Arizona with the support of his faithful deputies and the editor of the local newspaper.
- StarsAndy DevineVito ScottiPaul CavanaghA TV Show where Andy, with a studio audience full of loud screaming kids, would show movies. At the opening of the show he had a puppet friend called "Froggy". To get the frog to appear Andy and the audience would have to scream "Plunk your Magic Twanger, Froggy". There would then be a big puff of smoke and the frog would appear.
- StarsLee AakerJames BrownRin Tin Tin IIRusty was orphaned in an Indian raid. He and his dog Rin Tin Tin were adopted by the troops at Fort Apache in Arizona, and helped establish law and order in and around Mesa Grande.
- CreatorHarry Julian FinkStarsDavid McLeanDon WilbanksRobert RedfordThe adventures of a one-armed gunfighter (he lost the use of an arm during the Civil War) in the Old West.
- StarsGuy MadisonAndy DevineSam FlintHickok rode Buckshot while 300-pound Jingles rode Joker. Jingles described Hickok as "the bravest, strongest, fightingest U.S. Marshal in the whole West." And that's about it: he beat up all the bad guys and somehow kept his good looks.
- StarsFrank SinatraJohn AngeloJesse WhiteFrank Sinatra hosts a variety show.
- StarsFrank SinatraJune HuttonBen BlueThe Frank Sinatra Show (also known as Bulova Watch Time) was an American musical variety series hosted by Frank Sinatra from 1950 to 1952.
- CreatorChic YoungStarsArthur LakePamela BrittonAnn BarnesArthur Lake had played Dagwood in a long series of "Blondie" movies. This show, retelling stories and situations familiar to readers of the comic strip, lasted one year.
- StarsTruman BradleyMichael FoxMarshall ThompsonIn this science-fiction anthology series host Truman Bradley introduces stories extrapolated from actual scientific data available in the 1950's, concentrating on such concepts as space flight, UFO's and mental telepathy.
- StarsMarshall ThompsonArthur FranzMarcia HendersonMarshal Thompson plays a secret agent who is approximately 6 inches tall. He's carried around from one mission to another in a briefcase with a small chair inside.
- StarsDane ClarkJoan MarshallBernie GozierAn adventurer and his pretty young ward live in a house boat in Trinidad.
- StarsKent TaylorJan MerlinPeter WhitneyAfter the Civil War, two former Union soldiers and an ex-Confederate team up to travel the West.
- StarsDuncan RenaldoLeo CarrilloTroy MeltonThe Cisco Kid rides through the American frontier with his sidekick, Pancho, fighting corruption with a blend of pride and humor that created a legend in the hearts of generations of television viewers.
- StarsKent TaylorLois CollierFrank OrthBlackie and gal pal Mary, and their dog Whitey, solve lots of Los Angeles crimes before the cops can do it.
- StarsRichard CarlsonJohn ZarembaVirginia StefanHerbert Philbrick's covert life as an FBI spy within the Communist underground, his dual existence fraught with constant peril and the challenge of keeping his espionage activities hidden from family and friends.
- StarsRichard CarlsonArt GilmoreRiley HillColonel Mackenzie, commander of the 4th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Clark near Brackettville in Kinney County in southwest Texas during the 1870s, receives secret orders from President Ulysses S. Grant and Secretary of War William W. Belknap to stop bandits from crossing the Rio Grande into the United States, or from returning to Mexico.
- StarsMacdonald CareyJohn DoucetteJoan GranvilleCases taken from the files and case histories of renowned Philadelphia defense attorney Herbert L. Maris.
- StarsDane ClarkGeorge BrentMercedes McCambridgeAdventures of three globetrotting reporters working for an international wire service.
- StarsBeverly GarlandFrank CampanellaJoseph SullivanNew York City policewoman Casey Jones' assignment to fight crime often entails her going undercover in some of the seediest and most dangerous parts of the city.
- StarsTim TurnerLisa DanielyDeborah WatlingWhile working on an invisibility formula, British scientist Dr. Peter Brady (Tim Turner) suffers a tragic accident which turns him invisible. Unfortunately, there is no antidote, so while working on a method to regain his visibility, he undertakes missions for his government stopping bad guys.
- StarsRobert MontgomeryJohn NewlandVaughn TaylorActor, Producer, and Director Robert Montgomery introduced each telecast, sometimes interviewing one of the stars, and sometimes appearing in the play.
- StarsRobert TaylorTige AndrewsRussell ThorsonCaptain Matt Holbrook leads a squad of brave and tough detectives in a large, unnamed city. Instead of leading personal lives, they spend all of their time tracking murderers, thieves, corrupt cops, con-men and other lawbreakers. Holbrook's squad always consisted of three detectives, and rarely were all four men on a case at the same time.
- StarsJohn CassavetesEduardo CiannelliDennis SallasJohnny Staccato is a jazz pianist and private detective.
- StarsLee MarvinPaul NewlanGail KobeThe hard-hitting adventures of tough Lieutenant Frank Ballinger, a member of the Chicago Police Department's M Squad, an elite crime-fighting unit.
- StarsDavid JanssenRoxane BrooksRuss ConwayRichard Diamond is a suave private investigator who at first walks the mean streets of New York City, then later packs up and moves to Los Angeles, California, where he tools around in a convertible with a car phone. His sexy receptionist Sam, whose face is never shown, minds the office while Diamond solves his cases.
- StarsFrank M. ThomasNicholas SaundersWilliam GarganPrivate detective Martin Kane works in New York solving crimes. Depending on the year, Kane was either smooth and suave or hard bitten and the cooperation he received from the police depended on the year. The only constant was Happy McMann's tobacco shop where Kane hung out.
- StarsDarren McGavinBart BurnsVito ScottiThe adventures of Mickey Spillane's tough-talking, brawling, skirt-chasing private detective Mike Hammer, who's always ready to use his fists on a "mug" or his charm on a "skirt" to get the case solved.
- CreatorRaymond ChandlerStarsPhilip CareyWilliam SchallertEd KemmerA short-lived crime series, featuring the cases of the fictional detective Philip Marlowe. The series was based on the detective novels of Raymond Chandler,, but failed to find an audience.
- StarsReed HadleyHugh BeaumontKeith RichardsThis series dramatizes confidence games which fall under the jurisdiction of Captain John Braddock.
- CreatorBlake EdwardsStarsCraig StevensHerschel BernardiLola AlbrightPeter Gunn is a private detective with a knack for finding trouble. His cases often mean he runs into the shadiest characters, most vicious thugs and the most powerful crime bosses. Cool and resourceful, he always gets the guilty party.
- StarsBrian DonlevyHerb ButterfieldLyle Talbot"The Commissioner" sends US special agent Steve Mitchell to exotic locales where he encounters adventure and international intrigue, all played out using extreme violence.
- StarsLouis HaywardJohn DoucetteBurt MustinMichael Lanyard is a debonair gentleman who travels the world solving crimes and getting lawbreakers arrested. He operates on the edge of what is legal and occasionally finds time to romance the beautiful women he encounters.
- StarsJames GregoryRobert KarnesJohn DennisBarney Ruditsky is a New York City police officer in the Roaring '20s who fights organized crime. The show was loosely based on the real life Rudisky who was a New York police officer during the period.
- StarsGeorge RaftJ. Anthony HughesJune VincentLieutenant George Kirby is a New York City detective whose jurisdiction appears to cover a wide area. Whether it's murderers or thieves, he approaches every situation prepared to deal violently with the criminals.
- StarsJohn ForsytheNoreen CorcoranSammee TongThe misadventures of a single adoptive father raising a teenage niece with the help of his manservant.
- StarsAnne JeffreysRobert SterlingLeo G. CarrollA somewhat grumpy and uptight banker, Cosmo Topper, and the ghosts which only he could see or hear, George and Marion Kerby. The Kerbys would often try to get Cosmo to loosen up and enjoy life, but more often they would complicate it.
- StarsRoger MooreDorothy ProvineJeff YorkA pair of adventurers are intent on swindling travellers bound for the Yukon Territories during the height of the Klondike Gold Rush.
- StarsRoger MooreRobert BrownAndrew KeirThe adventures of Sir Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a noble knight and champion of justice during the rule of the evil Prince John.
- CreatorRichard SaleMary LoosStarsJock MahoneyX BrandsKevin HagenAn adventurer, gambler, and widely respected southern gentleman is recruited to work as a secret agent, at no pay, in post-Civil War New Orleans, helped by his companion, a silent Pawnee Native American.
- StarsTy HardinRobert ColbertClyde HowdyA former confederate soldier wanders the old west, and meets such famous characters as Jesse James, William Frederick "Buffalo Bill" Cody, and Theodore Roosevelt.
- CreatorMike MoserStarsEd KemmerLyn OsbornNina BaraCommander Corey and youthful Cadet Happy roam the 30th-century universe in their ship "Terra" fighting super-villains Mr. Proteus, Prince Baccarratti, and other bad guys. The captured bad guys get zapped with the Paralyzer, then get reprogrammed with the Brainograph.
- StarsMichael AnsaraGina GillespieDayton LummisSam Buckhart, an Apache, rescues a Cavalry officer who later funds his Harvard education. Buckhart becomes a Deputy Marshal in New Mexico under Marshal Morrison. He boards with Martha Commager and had earlier saved orphan Tess Logan.
- StarsLucille BallDesi ArnazVivian VanceFollow-up to I Love Lucy (1951), Lucy Ricardo continues her wacky schemes as she travels with her husband, Ricky and their friends Ethel and Fred to various locations and meeting celebrities.