Retro: This Week in TV Guide, April 1, 1961 - MSP Edition

[Mitchell H]

It's always amusing to see how wound-up people would get over soap operas back in the day, and this week we have one of those stories. Also, Roger Smith - before he married Ann-Margaret; the NBA finals - starting in April! - The Red Balloon on G.E. Theater, and notes on two new cartoon shows coming to prime time. And that's no April Fool joke!

http://www.itsabouttv.com/2013/03/this-week-in-tv-guide-april-1-1961_30.html

And now this week's TV listing. Wouldn't you love to hear this conversation:
Cop: "Where'd you learn to drive like that, son?"
Kid: "Watching Channel 2!"

Thursday, April 6, 1961
KTCA, Channel 2 (Educ.)
Morning
08:30a Driver Training
09:00a Music as a Language
09:30a Driver Training
10:00a Layman’s Guide to Art
10:30a Driver Training
Afternoon
12:00p Driver Training
12:30p Graphic Arts
01:00p Driver Training
01:30p Social Studies – Grade 5
02:05p Driver Education
02:30p Music – Grade 2
03:00p Casals Master Class
03:30p Chimney Corner
Evening
06:00p Adventures of Danny Dee
06:30p Casals’ Master Class (repeat)
07:00p Adult Education
07:30p What Are the Odds?
08:00p Gustavus Adolphus Hour
08:30p Music
09:00p African Character
09:30p Town and Country
10:00p Fitzpatrick’s Cartoons
10:30p Background
10:40p Music as a Language

WCCO, Channel 4 (CBS)
Morning
07:00a Siegfried and His Flying Saucer
08:00a CBS News (Richard C. Hottelet)
08:15a Captain Kangaroo
09:00a News (local)
09:10a Reuben K. Youngdahl (religion)
09:20a What’s New?
09:30a Video Village
10:00a Double Exposure
10:30a Your Surprise Package
11:00a Love of Life
11:30a Search for Tomorrow
11:45a Guiding Light
Afternoon
12:00p News (local)
12:15p Something Special
12:20p Weather (local)
12:30p As the World Turns
01:00p Face the Facts
01:30p House Party
02:00p Randy Merriman
02:30p The Verdict is Yours
03:00p A Brighter Day
03:15p The Secret Storm
03:30p The Edge of Night
04:00p Around the Town
04:30p Axel and His Dog
04:50p Bozo the Clown
05:00p Yogi Bear
05:30p Clancy the Cop
05:55p Sports (local)
Evening
06:00p News (local)
06:10p Weather (local)
06:15p CBS News (Douglas Edwards)
06:30p December Bride
07:00p Angel
07:30p Zane Grey Theater
08:00p The Gunslinger
09:00p Face the Nation
09:30p WCCO Television Reports – “First Minnesota Regiment” (pre-empts U.S Steel Hour)
10:00p News (local)
10:15p Weather (local)
10:20p Sports (local)
10:30p Tightrope!
11:00p Weather
11:05p Outdoor Sports

KSTP, Channel 5 (NBC)
Morning
06:00a Continental Classroom – Chemistry (color)
06:30a Continental Classroom – Probability and Statistics (color)
07:00a Dave Garroway (aka Today Show)
09:00a Say When
09:30a Play Your Hunch (color)
10:00a The Price is Right (color)
10:30a Concentration
11:00a Truth or Consequences
11:30a It Could Be You (color)
11:55a 55 NBC News (Ray Scherer)
Afternoon
12:00p News (local)
12:15p Weather (local)
12:20p Treasure Chest
01:00p Jan Murray (color)
01:30p Loretta Young
02:00p Young Dr. Malone
02:30p From These Roots
03:00p Make Room For Daddy
03:30p Here’s Hollywood (guests George Nader, Coleen Townsend)
04:00p Topper
04:30p T.N. Tatters
05:15p City Detective
05:45p NBC News (Huntley/Brinkley)
Evening
06:00p News (local)
06:15p Weather (local)
06:30p The Outlaws
07:30p Bat Masterson
08:00p Bachelor Father
08:30p Ernie Ford
09:00p Groucho
09:30p Manhunt
10:00p News (local)
10:15p Weather (local)
10:20p Sports (local)
10:30p Jack Paar (aka Tonight Show) (guest host Orson Bean)
12:00a News

KMSP, Channel 9 (Ind.)
Morning
09:50a Chapel of the Air
09:55a Newsbeat (local)
10:00a Jack La Lanne
10:30a Movie – “The Perfect Snob”
11:30a I Married Joan
Afternoon
12:00p Kartoontime
12:30p Willy
01:00p Follow That Man
01:30p Racket Squad
02:00p Movie – “Angel with the Trumpet”
04:00p How to Marry a Millionaire
04:30p Mr. Adams and Eve
05:00p Susie
05:30p Our Miss Brooks
Evening
06:00p Looney Tuners Club
07:00p Silent Service
07:30p Assignment: Underwater
08:00p The Gray Ghost
08:30p Trackdown
09:00p Movie – “Honky Tonk”
10:35p 35 News (local)
10:50p Sports (local)
10:55p Weather (local)
11:00p Playboy’s Penthouse (guests Billy Eckstine, Robert Clary, Peggy Lord, Bernice Reading, George Kirby, Burns and Carlin)

WTCN, Channel 11 (ABC)
Morning
07:55a Farm News
08:00a Good Morning Minnesota!
08:30a Cartoon Circus
09:00a Romper Room (Miss Betty)
09:45a Shape Up
10:15a Ways With Food
10:30a Life of Riley
11:00a Morning Court
11:30a Love That Bob!
Afternoon
12:00p Camouflage
12:30p Number Please
01:00p About Faces
01:25p ABC News (Al Mann)
01:30p Dr. Hudson’s Secret Journal
02:00p Day in Court
02:30p Seven Keys
03:00p Queen For a Day
03:30p Who Do You Trust?
04:00p American Bandstand
05:00p 5 O’Clock Report (local)
05:05p Casey Jones with Popeye
05:30p Rocky and His Friends
Evening
06:00p U.S. Marshall
06:30p Guestward Ho!
07:00p Donna Reed
07:30p The Real McCoys
08:00p My Three Sons
08:30p The Untouchables
09:30p Silents Please – “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
10:00p News (local)
10:15p Weather (local)
10:20p Sports (local)
10:30p The Brothers Brannagan
11:00p News (local)
11:05p Theater 11 – “Patterns”
12:30a News (local)

 

[MCarney]

One more tie-in with Perry Mason that you missed - "The Edge of Night" was originally supposed to be the Perry Mason radio show shifted to TV. Gardner objected to the idea of any love stories and other soap plots in his program.

There were also 6 theatrical Perry Mason movies in the 1930s, some of the titles being redone on the TV show. In "The Case of the Velvet Claw" Perry actually married Della at the beginning of the movie! No wonder Erle Stanley Gardner was wary of TV.

 

[Mitchell H]

One more tie-in with Perry Mason that you missed - "The Edge of Night" was originally supposed to be the Perry Mason radio show shifted to TV. Gardner objected to the idea of any love stories and other soap plots in his program.

There were also 6 theatrical Perry Mason movies in the 1930s, some of the titles being redone on the TV show. In "The Case of the Velvet Claw" Perry actually married Della at the beginning of the movie! No wonder Erle Stanley Gardner was wary of TV.

You're right! I forgot all about that Mason-Edge tie-in. Thanks for catching it.

I saw that "Case of the Velvet Claw" movie as well - and I've been sorry ever since...

 

[rnigma1]

"The Edge of Night" used the cast and writers of the Perry Mason radio series, but changed the character names (Mason became "Mike Karr") when Gardner gave them the thumbs-down. When he did approve a TV show, he had more control over it, and had his agent's wife, ex-actress Gail Patrick Jackson, produce it. It was one of the first hour-long filmed mystery shows on TV.

Gardner did authorize a Perry Mason comic strip around 1950, drawn by Mel Keefer (who also drew a "Dragnet" comic - and is apparently still alive, having started a blog). It was scripted by anonymous writers at William Morrow, Gardner's publisher.

The Perry Mason movies from the 1930s have their own charm, but look odd to those raised on Raymond Burr's characterization. Especially seeing Paul Drake turned into "Spudsy." (Spudsy?)

 

[bpatrick]

I don't think the "WCCO Reports" special would have pre-empted
"U.S. Steel Hour." This is a Thursday listing, and "Steel Hour" aired
every other Wednesday from 9-10 (CT). "Face The Nation," at the
time, was on Thursdays at 9 (CT) and was sometimes on for an hour;
I suspect that on this particular night it aired for only 30 minutes with
the affiliates getting back 9:30-10, much as sometimes happened a few
years later with the "CBS News Hour" on Tuesdays.

Also I find it somewhat prophetic that the ABC affiliate had a morning
show called "Good Morning Minnesota." Think about it.