Boomer Network - The following is fiction.

[Maine-i-ac]

Let’s get this out of the way. I’m home sick today and this is the only way I can justify my time on doing this. I’m a boomer. I was amazed that we could get three channels of entertainment when I was young. Now there’s many more than three, and you would think that one of them would be able to program to us aging boomers with programs that have been produced and sitting in the vaults (for the most part).

So here’s a “fantasy” schedule for the debut of the “Boomer Network”. Are all the shows “available” to show? I don’t know. Don’t tell me that some other network has exclusivity or legal mumbo jumbo.

The only criteria I used is that the program had to debut in the 50’s or 60’s and for the most part debuted in glorious black & white. There are a couple of exceptions, (Cisco Kid, Ben Casey). A couple of programs I really wanted to include were “The Odd Couple” and “Love, American Style”, but then I’d be breaking my own rule. You’ll have to wait for the 60’s and 70’s sister network to debut for them. Second, no back-to-back episodes. For me, it takes away the fun. Lastly, when some of the shows get “tired”, I have replacements all ready.

Hope you enjoy this and if Style, CNBC, or any of the other lesser cable channels want to try this … go for it!!!!!!!!

Episode number information is from “Harry and Wally’s Favorite TV Shows” by Walter J. Podrazik and Harry Castleman. Copyright 1989 Prentice Hall Press.

Monday - Friday

6:00 a.m. Jack LaLanne (ESPN Classic ran this awhile ago, I don’t know if they still are.)
6:30 a.m. Newsreel (Fox or Universal must have a ton of these)
7:00 a.m. Little Rascals/Our Gang
7:30 a.m. Three Stooges
8:00 a.m. Burns and Allen 239ep
8:30 a.m. Ozzie and Harriet 435ep (The Simpsons have a ways to go to catch the Nelsons!)
9:00 a.m. Bachelor Father 157ep
9:30 a.m. Patty Duke 104ep
10:00 a.m. I Married Joan 98ep
10:30 a.m. Love That Bob! 173ep (Oh, how PI this show is! Whoo hoo!)
11:00 a.m. Jack Benny 343ep (I'm so tired of the Public Domain shows that they show.)
11:30 a.m. The Lucy Show 156ep (Ditto!)
12:00 noon Hazel 154ep
12:30 p.m. Peyton Place 514ep
1:00 p.m. Ben Casey 153ep
2:00 p.m. Roy Rogers/Gene Autry Movie
3:00 p.m. The Lone Ranger 221ep
3:30 p.m. Annie Oakley 80ep
4:00 p.m. Cisco Kid 156ep
4:30 p.m. Sgt. Preston of The Yukon 72ep
5:00 p.m. Mickey Mouse Club (I'm talking Annette not Britney.)
5:30 p.m. Superman 104ep
6:00 p.m. Jeff’s Collie/Timmy and Lassie/Lassie 533ep
6:30 p.m. McHale’s Navy 138ep
7:00 p.m. I Love Lucy 180ep and The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour 13ep (The “Hour” would pre-empt “Topper”.)
7:30 p.m. Topper 78ep
8:00 p.m. My Three Sons 380ep
8:30 p.m. Petticoat Junction 212ep
9:00 p.m. Dragnet (1951 - 1959) 263ep
9:30 p.m. Have Gun Will Travel 225ep
10:00 p.m. Wanted: Dead Or Alive 94ep
10:30 p.m. The Phil Silvers Show 138ep
11:00 p.m. You Bet Your Life/Best of Groucho 130ep
11:30 p.m. The Honeymooners (The classic 39)
12 midnight The Jackie Gleason Show/Best of Gleason
12:30 a.m. Make Room For Daddy 336ep
1:00 a.m. Alfred Hitchcock Presents 266ep and Alfred Hitchcock Hour 93ep (The “Hour” would pre-empt “One Step Beyond”)
1:30 a.m. One Step Beyond 118 ep
2:00 a.m. The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis 145ep
2:30 a.m. The Donna Reed Show 175ep
3:00 a.m. Father Knows Best 203ep
3:30 a.m. The Life of Riley 226ep
4:00 a.m. Highway Patrol 156ep (for Howie Carr. I must buy this before the “Monkey Business” network purchases it.)
4:30 a.m. M Squad 117ep
5:00 a.m. Medic 60ep
5:30 a.m. The Loretta Young Theater 261ep

Saturday
6:00 a.m. You Are There
6:30 a.m. My Friend Flicka 39ep
7:00 a.m. Jungle Jim 26ep
7:30 a.m. Fractured Flickers 26ep
8:00 a.m. Gene Autry Show 86ep
8:30 a.m. Roy Rogers Show 100ep
9:00 a.m. Sky King 72ep
9:30 a.m. Fury 114ep
10:00 a.m. Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C. 150ep
10:30 a.m. Car 54 Where Are You? 60ep
11:00 a.m. Blondie (1957 w/ Arthur Lake) 26 ep
11:30 a.m. Abbott and Costello Show 52 ep
12:00 noon Jim Bowie 76ep
12:30 p.m. The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin 164ep
1:00 p.m. Rawhide 144ep
2:00 p.m. Wagon Train 253ep 221-60 min and 32-90min
3:00 p.m. Wild Bill Hickock 113ep
3:30 p.m. Death Valley Days 532ep
4:00 p.m. The Rifleman 168ep
4:30 p.m. The Rebel 76ep
5:00 p.m. Perry Mason 271ep
6:00 p.m. Peter Gunn 114ep
6:30 p.m. The Millionaire 188ep
7:00 p.m. Adventures In Paradise 92 ep
8:00 p.m. The Defenders 132ep
9:00 p.m. The Untouchables 118ep
10:00 p.m. The Outer Limits (1963 - 1965) 49ep
11:00 p.m. Route 66 116ep
12 midnight T.H.E. Cat
12:30 a.m. The Real McCoys 224ep
1:00 a.m. Mr. Peepers 100ep
1:30 a.m. Our Miss Brooks 127ep
2:00 a.m. Boris Karloff’s Thriller 67ep
3:00 a.m. 12 O’Clock High 78ep
4:00 a.m. The Saint 114ep
5:00 a.m. Richard Diamond, Private Detective 51ep
5:30 a.m. Biography w/Mike Wallace 1961-1964 65ep

Sunday
Sunday is up to you. I’m taking a nap.

 

[mstgator]

Hell, I was born in 1971, and I'd be addicted to this channel if it became reality.

 

[Maine-i-ac]

> Hell, I was born in 1971, and I'd be addicted to this
> channel if it became reality.

Thanks! It's back to work today. I had fun doing it.

The way I see it, both Nick at Nite AND TV Land when they first started their respective networks went back to the early days of TV. But then they went to the 60's, then 70's, then 80's! Now Nick at Nite even goes to the 90's! Sheesh!

If Sirius and XM can program 40's, 50's and 60's music, as well as old-time radio shows, isn't there an audience that would watch the older shows? TCM does well with their movies from Hollywood's Golden Age, so what's the hold up with a cable channel going back to the old shows? Is it legalities? Is the product unavailable?

Look at the numbers of episodes for a lot of these shows I listed. 200, 300, 400! 532 for "Death Valley Days"!

Seriously, I'm looking for a real answer as to why these aren't shown anymore? Anyone?

 

[Tom_Desmond]

> Seriously, I'm looking for a real answer as to why these
> aren't shown anymore? Anyone?

Mostly, it is the quest for younger demographics -- everyone wants to reach an audience that is predominantly 18 to 49 year-olds. While those classic shows probably would get some audience in that age range (after all, many of these shows were on in reruns when those of us between about 35 and 49 were growing up), they would also get lots and lots of 50+ viewers watching. And that is considered "undesirable"...

 

[uh_clem]

> > Seriously, I'm looking for a real answer as to why these
> > aren't shown anymore? Anyone?
>
> Mostly, it is the quest for younger demographics -- everyone
> wants to reach an audience that is predominantly 18 to 49
> year-olds. While those classic shows probably would get
> some audience in that age range (after all, many of these
> shows were on in reruns when those of us between about 35
> and 49 were growing up), they would also get lots and lots
> of 50+ viewers watching. And that is considered
> "undesirable"...

The main culprit for the desired demo is BLACK AND WHITE! I could be watching one of the finest programs ever produced, have my kids come in the room and walk out because it's "not in color!" Another culprit is "relatability."
Even some of the color shows I'll watch look dated to my kids (ages 11-21.)
If you colorize for the younger crowd, you lose the purists like me.