WICS-TV/DT
Channel 20/42 Springfield, Illinois History
Page
1: WICS/Leland Hotel Years
1953-1965
WICS was the second Central Illinois station with sign-on
listed as September 30, 1953. The station's first broadcast was
that of the 1953 Major League Baseball World Series between the Yankees
and the Dodgers. Bernie Waterman, the station's first
sportscaster did a pre-game show from the WICS studio, making that the
first local TV production. On Monday, October first regular
scheduled programming began with local news, weather, sports and
"Captain Video" and "Dragnet." WICS was
over the early years
primarily an NBC affiliate, but 1954 editions of TV Guide also listed
the station as an ABC affiliate. In fact, because WICS and WTVP
were at relatively low power levels, there were times they actually ran
the same program at the same time.
WICS's transmitter
and tower was shared with WCBS(AM) radio(later WCVS) located on
South Second
Street
in Southern View, on Springfield's south side from 1953 to 1958.
The studios were shared with WCBS from 1953 to
1955 from studios in the downtown Leland Annex
Building at 523 East Capitol Avenue in Springfield. In 1955, the
facilities of WCBS was moved out of the facility, where the TV station
expanded into the entire annex. The story of the call
letter change of radio station WCBS to WCVS is one which hinted at a
huge payout from CBS which handed over the rights to the call letters
WCBS to the Columbia Broadcasting System, a situation which was
reportedly against FCC rules at the time...but that's another
story.
In 1953 at first sign-on, some of the employees included: Betty
Mueller, Aggie Netznik, John Begue(Promotions Director/Weathercaster),
Bernice Abner, Helen Kinner, Jim Harrelson, Jack Hoskins, Basil
O'Hagen, Dick Ashenfelter and Milt Friedland.
The technical specs of WICS early days were documented by the Chief
Engineer at WICS, Jerry Merritt during the 80's. A summary of the
details will be included as part of Page
2.
When the antenna for WICS was installed in 1953, it took the place of
the mast antenna operated as WCVS-FM at
102.9FM. The FM license was turned back in to the FCC in
1953, and eventually the allocation was moved to Decatur and used by
WSOY-FM.
Based on what I've learned about local television stations receiving
the network, WICS appears to have had similar problems as WTVP in
Decatur. All of the major coaxial lines which fed the major
market stations didn't reach out across much of the rest of the country
until late in 1953. At that time, a coax line was installed
across west central Illinois from Chicago, which appeared to feed WEEK
and WTVH in Peoria and then proceed south along the Illinois River
Valley to St. Louis. Somewhere along the path, a system was
installed which would pull the network feeds from the coax, then
microwave those feeds to WICS in Springfield and relay to WTVP in
Decatur. That relay system relied on a series of small towers
with two sided reflector/antenna structures at the top to receive,
boost, and re-transmit the signal along the way. Keep in mind,
the methodology, although good in theory, was based on tube technology
and probably brought nightmares and constant network dropouts, bad
video and audio problems.
WTVP used a "bicycle network", or
the broadcast
of week old, or older, kinescopes of network programming. This
was because of the absence
of a live network feed during the time before the installation of the
western Illinois system before the end of 1953. The western
Illinois coaxial
cable/microwave set up to receive network programming came about at
about the same time as WICS's sign-on and probably was an indication
that
the "bicycle network" wasn't necessary for the Capitol City's first TV
station. That being said, the station still probably broadcast a
number of network kinescopes during the era from ABC, such as for
"Zorro" shown above in the TV Guide ad. Comparing the schedule of
the other TV stations, the "Zorro" episode, and others from ABC which
were broadcast on the other ABC stations live, seemed to be delayed
broadcasts on WICS.
It's also possible that the relay
of TV signals most
likely wouldn't include the increased bandwidth necessary for the
relay of color programming. Historical information provided by
WICS
referred to 1956 as being the year that "WICS began receiving and
transmitting network color" which hints that the station was not able
to receive NBC programming in color before that time, so that was
probably that year that WICS was hooked up to the coaxial cable which
gave them direct access to NBC programming.
WICS ad for the
ABC show "Zorro" which proves that WICS was once at least technically a
secondary ABC affiliate. It wouldn't be until 2005 until WICS
became a full time ABC affiliate.
Since the concept of
video tape was yet to occur at
WICS, the
only way to delay any network programming was for the network to film
the live network presentation, and actually ship the kinescope or film
to the local stations.
In 1955 WICS expanded into the full use of the
downtown studio
facilities, but by 1964 the need to expand took the TV station into
it's present facility on East Cook Street. Ground was broken for
the
largest downstate TV studio facility in 1964.
Like the other stations in the market, WICS had a
limited
schedule of
broadcast, but thanks to the early morning broadcasts of NBC, WICS had
a much earlier sign-on at 7AM with Dave Garroway, Jack Lescoulie,
Edwin Newman, Frank Blair and "The Today Show." NBC
also offered several network talk shows, panel shows, game shows and
eventually daytime dramas during the 1950's. Saturday mornings
were not a part of the WICS schedule for a time, having delayed
"Howdy Doody" until early Saturday afternoon, usually before the
broadcast of NBC baseball or some other sports televised
event. Once again, I assume that the "Howdy Doody"
broadcast was from a kinescope of a previously produced episode.
By the mid to late 1950's, NBC's daytime schedule
was pretty much
complete, leaving just the late afternoons for local stations to
program. Many stations, along with WICS, would program locally
produced children's shows, which contained local hosts, local kids in
the studio and off theatrical Warner Brothers cartoons, or from
some other supplier or syndicator. At WICS, two local
personalities who hosted local kids shows in the 1950's were Kim Wilson
and "Pigwell Pete." Pigwell Pete's contribution was called
"Circus Time" and is included in the 1958 schedule of WICS below.
Above is the logo
used by WICS and WCHU from around
1961 to 1963.
(This is from an
ad in TV Guide, courtesy of J.R.
Evans)
WICS
Broadcast Schedule
from October 20, 1958
7:00 AM
sign-on 7:00 AM
Today-news/variety NBC 9:00 AM
Do Re Mi-game NBC 9:30 AM
Treasure Hunt-game NBC 10:00 AM Price is
Right-game NBC Bill Cullen 10:30 AM
Concentration-game NBC Hugh Downs 11:00 AM Tic Tac
Dough-game NBC Jack Barry 11:30 AM It Could
Be You-talk NBC Bill Leyden 12:00 PM
News-local 12:15 PM Bernie
Johnson Show-variety local? 1:00 PM
Truth or Consequences-game/stunts 1:30 PM
Hagis Baggis-COLOR-game
NBC 2:00 PM
Today is Ours-soap NBC 2:30 PM
From These Roots-soap NBC 3:00 PM
Queen for a Day-game NBC Jack Bailey 3:30 PM
Country Fair-stunts/game NBC Burt Parks 4:00 PM
George Rank Matinee-drama/film synd 4:30 PM
Little Rascals-kids/film synd
5:00 PM
Circus Time-kids/local host/cartoons 5:45 PM
NBC News-Chet Huntley NBC 6:00 PM
News/Weather/Sports 6:30 PM
Tic, Tac, Dough-COLOR-game
NBC 7:00 PM
Restless Gun-drama/film NBC 7:30
PM Father Knows Best-sit com/film NBC Robert Young, Jane Wyatt,
Billy Grey, Elinore Donohue, Lauren Chapin 8:00
PM Peter Gunn-crime drama/film NBC Craig Stevens, Henry
Mancini musical score 8:30 PM
Highway Patrol-crime drama/film syn Broadrick Crawford "ten-four" 9:00 PM
Arthur Murray Dance Party-COLOR
variety/dance/music NBC guests: Edie Adams, Ernie Kovacs, Shelly
Winters, Dick Clark 9:30 PM
Target-crime drama synd 10:00 PM
News/Weather/Sports 10:30 PM Jack
Parr-variety Guests: Anita Wood, Phyllis Diller 12:00 AM sign-off
Biography of Milton D. Friedland
Milton D. Friedland
was born July 17, 1920, in Nashville, Tennessee, but was reared and
educated in Chicago, Illinois. He as resided in Springfield,
Illinois since 1953, and lives at 2008 Fairview Drive, Springfield,
with his wife Ruth and two sons Lewis Allen and Howard Armand.
Mr. Friedland is a veteran of the United States Navy
and served from 1942 to 1945 with U. S. Naval Intelligence. After
honorable discharge from the Navy, he completed his education at
Roosevelt University, Chicago, where he received a Bachelor of Arts
Degree in 1948, and followed up with post-graduate studies at the
University of Chicago.
A high speed shorthand writer, Friedland was a
former instructor in Pitman shorthand at Moser Business College, DePaul
University School of Commerce, and Northwestern University School of
Commerce in Chicago.
A veteran of almost 19 years in television
broadcasting, Friedland entered television in its earliest commercial
development in Chicago. He was on the staff of WBKB, then CBS
Television in Chicago from June 1948 to 1953. There he served as
administrative assistant to the general manager and finally as national
sales manager. In 1953 he was associated with WBBM-TV Chicago,
after CBS purchased the CBS Television outlet from WBKB, and serviced
as sales service manger until June of 1953, wen he joined Plains
Television Corporation to become General Manger of WICS Channel 20 in
the State Capitol of Springfield.
Mr. Friedland organized the staff and put WICS on
the air in September of 1953, and since has developed the Plaines
Television Stations in Central Illinois to include WCHU, Channel 33
Champaign and WICD, Channel 24 Danville. In the fall of 1967,
Plains will consolidate Channels 33 and 24 into WICD Channel 15
Champaign-Danville with one million watts power radiating from the
tallest tower in the state. He now holds the position of Vice
President and General Manager of Plains Television Stations in Central
Illinois.
Friedland is very active in broadcasting affairs. He has served
the Illinois Broadcasters Association as Vice President for Television
and sat on it's Board of Directors. For several years he has been
chairman of it's legislative committee and served on it's program
committee in various capacities. He is a frequent speaker on
television broadcasting to community groups in Central Illinois, and
has
been guest lecturer on television at the University of Illinois School
of Communications. He is a contributing author of "Television
Station Management" (Hastings House, 1964). He is a member of the
Broadcast Pioneers and of the Chicago Academy of Television Arts and
Sciences.
Mr. Friedland has been active in civic affairs for many years and has
served on the boards of numerous organizations. Among them are
the United Community Services, Association of Commerce and Industry,
Urban League, Mental Health Association, United Cerebral Palsy,
Springfield Symphony Orchestra Association, Municipal Opera
Association. He has been president of Temple B'rith Shalom and of
Emes Lodge B'nai B'rith in Springfield. He is a member of the
Governor's Advisory Commission to the Fair Employment Practices
Commission, the Springfield-Sangamon County Health Services
Action Association and a lay delegate to he U.C.S. General Assembly in
Sangamon County.
-from a hand out prepared by WICS-TV sometime around 1966(courtesy of
WICS)
Even in the early
days at WICS, NBC provided bookend programs, "The Today Show" to "The
Tonight Show." That gave WICS a special challenge to fill the
middle. Again, NBC was a leading network with daytime
programming, probably because the network was also selling TV's.
Just like with the programming of daytime color shows during the
1960's, were to sell color TV's to the public, in the 1950's, it was
important to have NBC programming during the business day to sell TV's
for the dealers and ultimately for RCA. Since RCA is also
in the business of selling color TV's, they encouraged the installation
of color television equipment at their affiliate stations to help in
that effort as well. By 1956, WICS installed what was necessary
for the station to broadcast the NBC signal in color.
The original TV studio was located at the
Leland Hotel in
downtown Springfield on Capitol Street until a new facility was built
in 1964 at 2680 East Cook Street on Springfield's east side, where it
remains to this day. The new studio complex was the largest
downstate and included large drive through doors to accommodate cars
and boats in studio production. One local sponsor, Railsplitter
Lincoln-Mercury utilized the drive through doors on countless
commercials during the Sunday morning local movie
during the late 60's and early 70's.
A new
800-foot tower was constructed in 1958 near Mechanicsburg, Illinois,
east of Springfield which the station used until the early 70's when a
new 1400-foot tower was constructed. With the moving of the
transmitter location to Mechanicsburg, this made WICS more of a
broadcast player for viewers of central Illinois. This put
another direct competitor's signal into Decatur, bringing more pressure
into the business model at WTVP. It also made the reception of
WICS
better for residence in Springfield, now who just had to direct their
antenna to the east to receive the signals of WICS, WTVP and receive a
much weaker WCIA.
In 1959 the need to cover the entire
Springfield,
Decatur, Champaign-Urbana and Danville market became evident to remain
competitive with WCIA, and reap the benefit of keeping the entire
Central Illinois market as one, to collect larger national and
regional advertising dollars. So a plan was in place to putting
another UHF station in Champaign on the air. This Champaign station was
to rebroadcast WICS's signal to the Champaign area.
This ad from TV
Guide is from a 1956 edition of TV Guide. It shows that WICS by
that time had a pretty much complete daytime schedule thanks to NBC.
In 1957 work began on the plan to put WCHU on the air on channel
33. By April 24, 1959, Champaign finally had NBC network
television service when WCHU went on the air broadcasting from a short
tower atop the Inman Hotel in downtown Champaign. There were
problems with the dependability of the reception of WICS from a
receiving antenna atop the Inman Hotel. Plans were undertaken to
construct a receiving antenna north west of Champaign, which would
receive a stronger signal from WICS's new tower near Mechanicsburg,
then microwave it to the Inman. This worked for many years until
an "intercity" microwave system was installed between Mechanicsburg and
the studios which which were relocated on it's present sight at 250
South Country Fair Drive in 1978. A two way microwave system was
installed in 1997. The main studio for WICD was moved from the
Inman to the present sight, a former S&H Green Stamp store, on
Country Fair Drive during 1979. Read more about the history of WICD here.
During the 1960's kids TV was a
staple, and
most stations offered locally produced programs with one of the
staffers as hosts, interspersed with cartoons and local kids in the
studio participating in games to win prizes. One's that come to
mind at WICS was "Pigwell Pete's Circus"(sponsored by Pigwell
Weiners---"We love Pigwell Weiners...good ole' Pigwell
Weiners...they're the best in all the land....") hosted by Wild Bill
Wingerter and Jo and Joey Mack. The sponsor Pigwell Meats had
proof of purchase seals on them, and each product had different point
values. A few times each year the Pigwell Auction would be held
and kids could bid on toys and other merchandise based on the points
they collected. Other children's shows included Popeye and Kim
Wilson, Bugs Bunny and Clickitey Clack, the Funny Company and
others. WICS also had it's own dance party show with "Marty's
Pepsi Dance Party" during the early-mid 60's. During the 60's and
70's afternoon kids programming consisted of "The Three Stooges",
syndicated off network programming such as "Gilligan's Island," "The
Brady Bunch" along with games shows like "To Tell the Truth," "Wheel of
Fortune," and talk shows like "Virginia Graham", "The Mike Douglas
Show," "Merv Griffin," "Donohue."
When Steve Allen
was replaced by Jack Paar, NBC talked him into a weekly live series,
which would run opposite "The Ed Sullivan Show" on CBS. It only
lasted one year. Steve was a comic genius, but couldn't compete
against Sullivan.
WICS pre-empted NBC
programming and aired their own local programming, presumably to
broadcast more local commercials. During the first season
of Star Trek on NBC, WICS aired off network reruns of
"Laramie." WICS also preempted the first couple of seasons
of "Saturday Night Live" to air movies. One piece of programming
which was unique was the "Sunday Morning Movie" which ran for many
years, every Sunday morning at 9:30AM. Commercials were done
live, as the movie was sponsored for a time by "Railsplitter
Lincoln-Mercury" and featured cars driven through the new WICS studios
on Cook Street. The Sunday night rerun of the "The Tonight Show"
was also pre-empted by WICS's "Sunday Night Movie." Many might
remember the "Acree Creature Feature" which ran late Saturday nights.
From 1959, WICS also fed local programming
to it's sister station(s), WCHU, channel 33, Champaign and WICD,
channel 24, Danville as well as a translator station W-75-AD in
Mattoon by the early 1960's. In 1967, WCHU and WICD were combined
on channel 15 and
retained the WICD call letters. The stations in Champaign and
Danville covered local commercials with their own from the east side of
the market, as well as locally produced programming, such as the
afternoon children's programming and local news.
By 1965, WICS was able to enjoy the use of
it's new TV
facility located at 2680 East Cook Street in Springfield. The
studio
was the largest downstate TV studio with it's large drive-through doors
to accommodate cars, boats and even trucks in studio productions.
In 1958, the transmitter site of
WICS was moved from Springfield's south side suburb, Southern View to a
much taller tower, at Mechanicsburg, with 1.5 million watts and a much
greater
viewing area in central Illinois. Now, communities that were
outside the original coverage area, like Decatur, Taylorville, Lincoln,
Bloomington, Litchfield, Hillsboro, Mount Pulaski and others were able
to receive the new WICS signal.
Pictured above is the anchor lineup of WICS in 1958. News Anchor
was G.B. Gordon, Weathercaster was Bob Warren and well known
broadcaster, Wally Gair was the Sports Anchor.
"Mister Peepers" starred Wally Cox
as Robinson Peepers, a science teacher at Jefferson High School.
This sitcom was performed live across NBC from 1952 to 1955. Only
a small handful of episodes exist today on very poor kinescopes.
Other stars included Marion Lorne(Aunt Clara on "Bewitched") and a
young Tony Randall. It was sponsored by Ford.
"Judge for Yourself" was one of the
first TV shows on WICS, having premiered on NBC in 1952 where it ran
until 1954. It was seen on Tuesday evenings at 9PM CT during it's
run. It was hosted by radio veteran Fred Allen. The
original format of the show, consisted of a talent "American Idol" type
of talent show. The format changed during it's second season, in
which top hits of the era were performed and celebrity panelists rated
them as to their hit potential.
The Chevy Show ran on NBC from 1955 to 1956 and
was hosted by a rotating group of stars. Among those Bob Hope and
Dinah Shore, along with Betty Hutton and Ethel Merman. Above is a
sample, complete with commercials with beginning introduction and
ending.
The Jimmy Durante Show was a
variety/sitcom which ran on NBC from 1954 to 1957. It was set in
a night club which was owned and managed by Jimmy Durante, called Club
Durant. It was originally done live, but this particular episode
was from film or kinescope.
More NBC/WICS video coming soon
Ralph
Edward's This is Your Life ran
on NBC TV for nine years starting in
1952, when it had already aired for a number of years on CBS and NBC
radio. The format of "This is Your Life" featured some
unsuspecting celebrity or common person, who would be greeting in
public with the statement "This is Your Life." They would then be
transported to the TV studio, and a parade of people from that person's
past would be brought out to reflect on aspects of the honored person's
life. The person of honor would receive prizes, along with a film
print of the show and a 16mm movie projector to show the film
with.
It was interesting to note that most of the announcements to the
featured person, were done by complete surprise to them, but NBC always
had a kinescope cued and ready in case someone didn't agree to be
featured on the program.
More NBC/WICS video coming soon
NBC was the first TV network to program
a regular network newscast. It began in 1939 when Lowell
Thomas(seen on a "M*A*S*H" episode in the 1970's) was featured as the
first newscaster. The show included maps, diagrams prepared by
NBC, but also included background music by organ! Newscasts were
suspended during WWII, as most commercial TV activity, but in 1944 in
returned as "The War As it Happens" and has been a part of network
operations ever since.
By 1953, John Cameron Swayze was the first one to be called "Anchorman"
as he hosted the "Camel News Caravan"
on NBC. He anchored the NBC
news until 1956 when he was replaced by Chet Huntley and David Brinkley.
Milton Berle's "Texaco Star Theater"
helped to sell more TV's than
any other TV series at the time. "Uncle Miltie" or "Mr.
Television" was so popular with viewers that we was awarded a decades
long contract with NBC. The show consisted of musical
numbers, comedy acts, skits and pretty much set the format for variety
shows for years. But in 1954 Texaco decided to drop sponsorship
in favor of "Jimmy Durante" and "Donald O'Connor" Shows.
After Texaco dropped sponsorship, Milton Berle's show became "The Buick
Berle Show" for awhile. But, competition was getting
tough, and
the sponsorship of General Motors was dropped within a year. It
later was just called "The Milton Berle Show" until it's eventual
cancellation. His show which had been a part of
NBC from 1948, was dropped from NBC's lineup in 1956. Tuesday
nights wouldn't be the same, as he occupied the 7-8PM CT time slot,
ever since most people purchased their first TV.
This is one of small group of TV shows that could be named as an
example of TV's Golden Age. "Your
Show of Shows" starred Sid
Caesar and Imogene Coca along with Carl Reiner, Howard Morris, Bill
Hayes and many others who would later be a part of the first half
century of television. Writers of the series became stars in the
own right, geniuses like Mel Brooks, Neil Simon, Woody Allen and Larry
Gelbart. It was 90 minutes LIVE each week and it was all
considered very, very good! Unfortunately, it didn't last long
enough to be enjoyed by most households, because the penetration of
households with TV simply wasn't all that large, even in 1954.
So, some 6 months or so, after WICS signed on the air in Springfield,
"Your Show of Shows" went off the air.
Jack Webb, who starred in a number of radio crime dramas, P.I. shows,
developed the concept of "Dragnet"
for network radio in 1949. By
1952, the show was ready for TV as well. These half hour filmed
episodes were produced in documentary style, with realistic side plots,
which gave the officers a connection to the viewers. Jack Webb
played Joe Friday, an L.A. police detective who would solve various
crimes with his partner. His partner over the years were played
by Barton Yarborough, Barney Phillips, Ben Alexander and Herb
Ellis. By January of 1953, it was a weekly series on NBC, and was
part of the lineup of WICS during it's early years.
"Name That Tune" was hosted by Red
Benson from 1953 to 1954 on NBC. It moved to CBS in 1954, where
it continued through 1959. Contestants tried to identify popular
songs as played by the shows in-house orchestra.
"Gang Busters" ran on NBC during
it's 1952 season as an alternative to "Dragnet"(right). It was a
stopgap show that was basically produced to fill time. That said,
the show was a tremendous success anyway, but was still canceled after
one season. Episodes ran in syndication for quite some time, and
on WICS during the 1950's. It was based on the long running radio
police drama which ran from the 1930's to the 1950's.
"I
Married Joan"
was NBC's try at the success of "I Love Lucy" on
CBS. This TV series starred "TV's Queen of Comedy" as she was
billed, Joan Davis. Davis was a screen comedian in several
B-pictures of the 1940's. Her character Joan Stevens was the wife
of Judge Brad Stevens, played by Jim Backus. The series was
produced on film, similarly to how Desi and Lucy's show was produced,
but the results were less than spectacular. One of the more
unique aspects of the show, was the fact that the musical accompaniment
was done accapella by a male singing group. The various “do-weee”
and “do-waas” were dropped in to the various dramatic, or comedic
places in the plot. Even the theme song was done accapella.
"I Married Joan....what a wife, what a wife, what a life!" Joans
character was somewhat similar to Lucy’s as well, having her get
herself into some scheme and relying on slapstick action to get her
out. It ran on NBC from 1952 to 1955, on Wednesday evenings from
7 to 7:30 CT, making it one of the original network shows on
WICS. If you ever get a chance to see any of this TV series,
you'll see just how silly it all was, and didn't have the writing, the
acting, or the production elements of "I Love Lucy" which pretty much
is the reason why you'll never see this one broadcast again!
"The Colgate Comedy Hour"
was a big budget live variety show which began for NBC in 1950 and
continued through 1955. Hosts over the time included Eddie
Cantor, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis, Donald O'Connor, Abbott and
Costello(see stills above), Jimmy Durante, Gordon MacRae and Robert
Page. It was mostly a comedy series and originated from Hollywood
and included the first NBC colorcast on November 23, 1953, before WICS
went on the air. It wouldn't have made any difference anyway, as
WICS, and probably most NBC affiliates at the time didn't have the
ability to broadcast color. That didn't even include the fact
that very very few viewers even had the ability to view color
TV. The TV classic featured many other broadcast firsts
over it's life, including broadcasts taking place at remote
locations over the country, where ever some "big" event took
place. It was always featured in the Sunday night,
7-8PM CT time slot.
"The Today Show"
began before WICS went on the air in January of 1952. The morning
news and entertainment program was hosted by Dave Garroway(shown
above). It was developed by Pat Weaver for NBC, who also created
"Tonight" for NBC(below). The show, which was produced live for
the eastern time zone from 7am-9am was split for the central time
zone. The second hour for the eastern zone, was the first hour
for the central zone. Early on, before the use of video tape, a
third hour was produced for the central time zone's second hour, and
the first hour was only seen as the first hour in the eastern time
zone. One of the unique production techniques was the use of the
sidewalk studio, which would feature an "audience" outside on the
sidewalk of Rockefeller Center in New York. Others on
staff included Jack Lescoulie and Frank Blair. One other cast
member who was featured was a chimp named J. Fred Muggs. After he
became uncontrollable, he was dropped. Dave Garroway was the main
host from 1952 to 1961.
"Tonight" premiered in 1953 as a
local show on the NBC Flagship station in New York, WNBT.
The host of Steve Allen when it finally premiered on NBC in September
of 1954, less than a year after WICS went on the air. The variety
talk show included Allen, along with a cast of regulars who performed
skits, live. The show showcased the many talents of Steve
Allen, who along with a comedian, was also a songwriter, a performer,
he played piano, and was an actor. He continued through 1956,
when he left the show to be replaced by Ernie Kovaks. Others on
the show included Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Andy Williams, Gene
Rayburn(who also read a short newscast during one of the breaks), and
band leader Skitch Henderson.
Unknown WICS film technicians in the film processing/screening room at
the Leland Hotel Annex studios. Obviously before the current day
"no smoking" rules went into effect! (picture courtesy of WICS)
At the Leland Hotel Studio, a very small cramped facility which was
shared with the WCBS(later WCVS) studios. The unknown employees
were involved in a local production which included a studio
audience. It's unknown what the production was and who these WICS
employees were. If anyone knows who the identities of these
people are, please drop me an e-mail! (picture
courtesy of WICS)
NBC during the years between 1953 and
1960 at WICS included the following network programs: People are
Funny, Mr. Peepers, Colgate Comedy Hour, Philco TV Playhouse, Goodyear
TV Playhouse, Loretta Young Show, The Hunter, Tony Martin, Caesar's
Hour, Medic, Robert Montgomery Presents, Dinah Shore Show, Buick Berle
Show, Fireside Theater, Armstrong Circle Theater, Truth or
Consequences, It's a Great Life, Coke Time, I Married Joan, My Little
Margie, Kraft Television Theatre, This is Your Life, Big Town, You Bet
Your Life, Justice, Dragnet, Ford Theatre, Lux Video Theatre, Red
Buttons Show, Life of Riley, Big Story, Dear Phoebe, Gillette Cavalcade
of Sports, Mr. Wizard, Ethel and Albert, Mickey Rooney Show, Place in
the Face, Imogene Coca Show, Texaco Star Theater, George Gobel Show,
Your Hit Parade, Frontier, Medic, Martha Raye Show, Milton Berle Show,
Chevy Show, Pontiac Presents, Big Town, Screen Director's Playhouse,
Father Knows Best, Midwestern Hayride, Star Stage, Perry Como Show,
Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers, Circus Boy, Steve Allen Show,
Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Stanley, Jonathan Winters Show, Noah's Ark,
Jane Wyman Show, Break the $250,000 Bank, Adventures of Hiram Holiday,
Twenty One, People's Choice, Ford Show starring Tennessee Ernie Ford,
Walter Winchell Show, On Trail, Original Amateur Hour, Sally, Price is
Right, Restless Gun, Tales of Wells Fargo, Turn of Fate, Suspicion, Nat
"King" Cole Show, Eddie Fisher Show, Meet McGraw, Bob Cummings Show,
The Californians, Wagon Train, Tic Tac Dough, Rosemary Clooney Show,
Saber of London, Court of Last Resort, M-Squad, Thin Man, Polly Bergen
Show, Club Oasis, Gisele MacKenzie, What's it For, Dinah Shore Chevy
Show, Peter Gunn, Arthur Murray's Dance Party, Bat Masterson, Jefferson
Drum, Ed Wynn Show, Behind Closed Doors, Buckskin, Ellery Queen, Steve
Canyon, Cimarron City, Brains and Brawn, Riverboat, Sunday Showcase,
Richard Diamond, Love and Marriage, Laramie, Fibber McGee and Molly,
Witchita Town, Staccato, Bachelor Father, Trouble Shooters, Bonanza,
Man and the Challenge, The Deputy, Five Fingers, It Could Be You
Here's Promotion
Director John Begue who was also the weather man. He's
holding a coffee can of "Manhattan Manor House Coffee" who probably was
the sponsor of the local weather. It was probably his job to do
the commerical live talking about how "good tasting" Manhattan Coffee
was. This was a time in which many
local stations were collecting national advertising dollars for local
sponsorships. WICS, because of it's location in the
Illinois state capitol city, was more than likely the number two
station in the market. See WCIA for other examples of national
sponsorships. (picture courtesy of WICS)
(Left):
Eddie Fisher was the host of "Coke Time" a 15 minute twice weekly music series which ran
from 1953 to 1957 on NBC. Eddie Fisher was at the height of his
career and was idolized by the teens of the era.
(Right): From "Your Lucky Strike Hit Parade" show.
"Lucky
Strike's Hit Parade" ran on NBC from 1950 to 1958 on NBC before it
moved to CBS for it's final season in 1959. It starred many
singers who would recreate the hit songs of the day in skit and
performance. Stars included: Snooky Lanson, Dorothy Collins,
Gisele MacKenzie, Johnny Desmond and many more.
By September of 1957, "Lucky Strike's Hit Parade"
was broadcast in color, and it was the premiere of the NBC Peacock
shown below. The sequence was 10-seconds long, and in spite of
the use of the well known peacock image at the end, the first part was
much different. This early version of the Peacock was used until the
much more familiar version in 1962. Both versions preceded
programs that were broadcast in color on NBC.
"Watch
Mr. Wizard" was a children's science program which originated in
Chicago from 1951 to 1955. In 1955 it moved to New York as was
part of the NBC Saturday morning lineup until 1965. Don Herbert
was Mr. Wizard playing the role of teacher, with an assistant who was a
young boy or girl or perhaps both at the same time. He would conduct
science experiments, to which the young assistants would say "Gee Mr.
Wizard!" It was produced by the Public Affairs Department of NBC
News.
Ernie Kovacs Show aired on NBC as a summer series from July to
September of 1956. Ernie Kovacs starred with Edie Adams, Bill
Wendell, Peter Hanley, Henry Lascoe, Al Kelly and Barbara Loden.
It was a replacement for Side Caesar's "Caesar's Hour." Kovacs
series was an inspiration for many future TV comedies, including Rowan
and Martin's Laugh-In 12 years later.
NBC Saturday's Color Carnival was a series of variety shows which
alternated with different hosts. This particular one was the
first installment of "The Jerry Lewis Show" from January of 1957.
Even though it's called "Saturday's Color Carnival" it was performed
live, but this is a black and white kinescope recorded from the live
broadcast. This is the only form in which the very colorful
variety show hour was kept. It starred Jerry Lewis along with his
father Danny and son Gary(later of Gary Lewis and the Playboys), Rowan
and Martin and Eydie Gorme. The show was obviously an attempt to
sell RCA color TV's to the public. It's sponsored by RCA and
RCA/Victor along with Oldsmobile. This was broadcast in color on
WICS, to probably just a few dozen households which had those
expensive ($500) RCA color TVs.
From 1951 to 1957, "The Roy Rogers
Show" ran on NBC, primarily on Sunday evenings from 5:30-6 pm
CT. Along with Roy viewers saw Dale Evans and Pat Brady, along
with Trigger, Dale's horse Buttermilk, their dog Bullet and the
Jeep Nellybelle. Yes, Jeep, as this was a modern day "western"
taking place at the Double R Bar Ranch.
"Wagon Train"
premiered on NBC in 1957 where it ran until 1962. It was the
first of the epic TV westerns. Stars included Ward Bond and
Robert Horton, along with Terry Wilson and Frank
McGrath. It moved to ABC from 1962 to 1965 with quite a few cast
changes.
"The Lux Show Starring Rosemary Clooney"
ran on NBC from 1957 to 1958 and starred George Clooney's Aunt
Rosemary. The show also starred Frank DeVol and his Orchestra,
Paula Kelly and the Modernaires before being replaced by The Jones Boys
in 1958. This variety series aired on Thursday's at 9-9:30 pm CT.
He
was called "Lonesome George", George Gobel, probably one of the
funniest guys in the business during the 1950's, and even in the
1960's, after his comedy was out of date. Gobel hosted "The George Gobel Show" on NBC from
1954 through 1959. In 1959-60, it moved to CBS. The show
featured many classic performers during the time including Eddie
Fisher, Joe Flynn, Anita Bryant, Harry Von Zell, the Johnny Mann
Singers, Peggy King and the Modernaires. The show featured comedy
skits along with musical numbers.
Te "Zorro" was a product of the Walt
Disney Studios" as part of their package of programs for ABC. In
this case, it appears that the ad agency which represented products
which sponsored the show, purchased time on WICS independently from the
network. TV Guide even featured an ad with "Zorro" and an ABC
logo, even though WICS was a primary NBC affiliate. It ran via film
distribution the following night after originally being aired on ABC
Thursdays at 7:00-7:30 pm CT. WICS ran the show the following
night(or perhaps a week and a night later) at 7:30-8:00 pm CT.
The title character was played by Guy Williams and starred George J.
Lewis, Gene Sheldon, Britt Lomond, Jan Arvan, Henry Calvin, and
others. The show's theme became a hit record, recorded by the
Chordettes in 1958.xIt
In the late 1950's, WICS hosted a local
country western music program
called "The Holsum Ranch."
It was sponsored by the local Holsum Bread
Bakery(which was located on Clear Lake Avenue
in Springfield).
Here Gene Autry, in the double breasted suit, and
white cowboy hat is flanked by unknown staff
members of WICS. The other man with the
cowboy hat was "Pegwill Pete."
(picture courtesy of WICS)
WICS broadcast from the Illinois State Fair
during the TV station's early days.
Here WICS cameras focus on a display at one of
the exhibits at the Fair. Cities Service was an
oil company which supplied gasoline and oil
products to local gasoline stations, as well
as home heating oil and agricultural products.
I assume the photo was taken from the upper level
of the Exhibition Hall at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.
(picture courtesy of WICS)
"Break the Bank" made the rounds
among the networks in the 1950's. It ended up on NBC during the
Summer of 1953, before WICS signed on, but returned again during the
Fall of 1956 and Winter of 1957. This game show began on Radio
and featured Burt Parks. In 1956, it was called "The $250,000
Break the Bank," but during it's run, one one ever won $250,000.
Art
Linkletter was a mainstay at CBS during the 1950's, but at the same
time, he hosted "People are Funny" on
NBC from 1954 to 1961. It was a contestant stunt show which would
win participants cash and prizes. It also featured the first use
of a computer to match single people together for dating. It ran at
various times on the NBC prime time schedule over it's run.
"Queen for a Day" was TV game show
which had it's beginnings in radio. Prizes were awarded to the person
who told the best hard luck story as voted on by the audience "applause
meter." The NBC show which ran from 1956 to 1964 was hosted by
Jack Bailey. It was probably one of the first examples of reality
programming.
"The Nat 'King' Cole Show" was the
first network program hosted by a black performer. Unfortunately,
it never attracted much of an audience, it was also said his race had
something to do with not attracting a sponsor as well. He was
truly well ahead of his time! The show ran in 15-minute and
30-minute versions from 1956 to 1957 on NBC and WICS.
"Blondie" was based on the comic
strip which still runs in newspapers today! This was the first
attempt at making a sit com based on the strip. It starred Arthur
Lake, Pamela Britton, Blorenz Ames and Hal "The Great Gildersleeve"
Peary as neighbor Herb Woodley. "Blondie" ran on NBC from January
through December of 1957. It was also the basis of several movies
as well.
Bob Cummings Show aired on both NBC and CBS during it's run in the
1950's. It aired from 1955 and 1957-59 on NBC, as well as 1955-57
on CBS. It was sponsored by Winston cigarettes. Bob
Cummings played Bob Collins a photographer who worked by beautiful
models, who was a swinging bachelor who lived with his sister, played
by Rosemary DeCamp and her son, played by Dwayne Hickman. Ann B.
Davis played his secretary who was madly in love with Bob, bus his eyes
went to his gorgeous models. The show was a product of Paul
Henning who went on later to produce the Beverly Hillbillies. In
fact the show sharred many crew members and had much of the same
production "feel." The show also co-starred Nancy Kulp(Miss
Hathaway in Beverly Hillbillies), Lyle Talbot, King Donovan, Joi
Lansing, Carol Henning and Ingrid Goude, Miss Sweden 1956.
Mark Goodson and Bill Todman developed this game show for NBC in
1957. One of the potential hosts for the long running game show
was Dick Van Dyke, who auditioned for the job in 1957. A rare
picture from his audition is left. Bill Cullen ultimately ended
up as the host. This version was different from the Bob Barker
version of the show with the same name. This had a panel of
contestants who made bids on products, and would win prizes.
"You
Bet Your Life" was one of the longest running shows on NBC during the
1950's. Groucho Marx was the host, in which people would win cash
by answering questions. It was more of a vehicle to showcase the
wit of Groucho, and worked for NBC from 1950 through 1961. It had
always run on Thursday during it's entire run.
Bob Hope was an NBC regular from the early 1950's through the 1980's
with "The Bob Hope Show."
He would star in several TV big event "specials" each TV season,
usually during ratings periods, as his show would normally end up in
the top 10, if not number one, for the week. His show's were
simple, with a format which was developed during his long run on "The
Pepsodent Show" on network radio during the 1940's. The monolog,
would be followed by a musical number, a skit, another musical number
and finally another climatic comedy skit. The laughs were plenty,
the cue cards were plenty and the great looking female guests were
plenty as well. There were election specials(in which he was a
well known Republican-well, not everyone's perfect), there were
Christmas specials, specials based on football season, baseball World
Series contests and more. Sponsors included Texaco, The Chrysler
Corporation and others. Bing Crosby would guest star in many of
these yearly specials too.
"The Bob Cummings Show" premiered on
NBC in January of 1955 and run through September of that year, before
switching to CBS through 1957. In September of 1957, it returned
to NBC where it ran for two more seasons. Bob Cummings starred
with Rosemary DeCamp(Death Valley Days), Ann B. Davis(Brady Bunch),
Dwayne Hickman(Dobie Gillis), Nancy Kulp(Beverly Hillbillies), Lyle
Talbot(Ozzie and Harriett), King Donovan, Joi Lancing(Beverly
Hillbillies). The show also ran on ABC daytime during the early
1960's as "Love That Bob!"
Dinah
Shore starred in two long running NBC series during the 1950's. "The Dinah Shore Show" first
premiered in 1951 and ran until 1957. It was a twice weekly
variety music series which ran on Tuesday and Thursdays from 6:30 to
6:45pm CT. The first series also starred the Notables, the
Skylarks, Ticker Freeman the Harry Zimmerman Orchestra and the
Vic Schoen Orchestra. The second series was called "The Dinah
Shore Chevy Show" obviously sponsored by General Motors' Chevrolet
Division. Dinah would sing, "See the U.S.A. in your
Chevrolet....."
"My Little Margie" was another of
the series which put on miles being shuttled between networks.
This one ran on CBS and NBC in alternate years. It was on NBC in
1952 from October to November, then again from 1953 to 1955. It
starred Gale Storm, a b-movie actress who also sang, and had a hit
record in the early 1950's. Playing her troubled father was
former b-movie actor Charles Farrell, along with Hillary Brooke.
Big
Screen actor Robert Montgomery hosted "Robert
Montgomery Presents" and was one of the big-budget dramatic
anthology shows which ran from 1950 to 1957. It would star a
number of many well known stars of the time, including his real life
daughter, Elizabeth Montgomery("Bewitched"). It ran on Monday
night at 8:30 to 9:30pm CT during it's entire run on NBC.
"The Loretta Young Show" was an
anthology series, in which she starred in about half. The half
hour show always began with her trademark entrance in her full skirt to
introduce the place of the night. It ran on NBC from 1953 to 1961
on Sunday nights. It also ran on NBC daytime from 1960 to 1964,
called "The Loretta Young Theater."
Jack Barry was the emcee of "Twenty One" on NBC from 1956 to
1958. In incredibly successful prime time game show in it's day,
as it's contestants became national celebrities. Pictured in the
right three pictures above, were two of the most acclaimed
participants. Herb Stempel and Charles Van Doren were battling
out for the big dollars when later it was disclosed that the contest
was rigged in favor of the more attractive and younger Charles Van
Doren. Herb Stempel resented the fact that he had to "take the
dive" on a question from a subject in which he was well versed, the
Academy Awards. For Charles Van Doren, a college professor, who
acquired a job with the "Today" Show, the "arrangement" was especially
embarrassing. The fraud became known as the "Quiz Show Scandals"
and changed the method of operating for all others in the genre.
Jack Berry was a game show outcast and it was a number of years before
he and the producers Enright Productions regained the trust of the
networks and the viewing public.
Here is a listing of the prime time NBC shows which aired from 1956 to
1960 which aired on WICS: Tales of the 77th Bengal Lancers,
Circus Boy, Steve Allen Show, Goodyear TV Playhouse, Alcoa Hour,
Loretta Young Show, National Bowling Championships, The Nat King Cole
Show, Adventures of Sir Lancelot, Stanley, Medic, Robert Montgomery
Presents, Jonathan Winters Show, Big Surprise, Noah's Ark, Jane Wyman,
Armstrong Circle Theatre, Kaiser Aluminum Hour, Break the $250,000
Bank, Eddie Fisher Show, Adventures of Hiram Holiday, Father Knows
Best, Kraft Television Theatre, This is Your Life, Twenty-One, You Bet
Your Life, Dragnet, People's Choice, Ford Show with Tennessee Ernie
Ford, Lux Video Theatre, Life of Riley, Walter Winchell Show, On Trail,
Big Story, Gillette Cavalcade of Sports, Red Barber's Corner, People
are Funny, Perry Como Show, Caesar's Hour, George Gobel Show, Your Hit
Parade, Original Amateur Hour, Sally, Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Meet
McGraw, Bob Cummings Show, The Californians, Tic Tac Dough, Lux Show
starring Rosemary Clooney, Jane Wyman Show, Sabor of London, Court of
Last Resort, M Squad, Thin Man, Polly Bergan Show, Club Oasis, Gisele
MacKenzie Show, What's it For, Northwest Passage, Restless Gun, Tales
of Wells Fargo, Peter Gunn, Arthur Murray Dance Party, George Burns
Show, Wagon Train, Price is Right, Milton Berle in the Kraft Music
Hall, Bat Masterson, Jefferson Drum, Ed Wynn Show, Behind Closed
Drawers, Masquerade Party, Buckskin, Adventures of Ellery Queen, Steve
Canyon, Cimarron City, Brains and Brawn, Riverboat, Sunday Showcase,
Richard Diamond-Private Detective, Love and Marriage, Laramie, Fibber
McGee and Molly, Startime, Wichita Town, Law of Plainsman, Staccato,
Bachelor Father, The Lawless Years, The Trouble Shooters, Bell
Telephone Hour, Bonanza, Man and the Challenge, The Deputy, Five
Fingers and It Could Be You.
October 17, 1958, "Another Evening
with Fred Astaire" as broadcast on NBC. Viewers probably
didn't
know it, but it was the first color show to be pre-recorded on video
tape at NBC's new "Color City" state of the art new studios in
Burbank. This TV special pre-empted "M-Squad" and "The Thin Man"
that evening. The NBC special was sponsored by The Chrysler
Corporation. "Another Evening with Fred Astaire" won several Emmy
Awards in 1959.
"The
Perry Como Show" bounced back
and forth between NBC, then CBS and NBC again by 1955 through
1963. This music variety show also featured announcer Frank
Gallop, and later the familiar Ed Herlihy who is best known as the
announcer for the Kraft commercials after he became host of the Kraft
Music Hall in 1961.
"Peter Gunn" starred Craig Stevens
in the title role, along with Lola Albright, Herschel Bernardi, Hope
Emerson(replaced by Minerva Urecal). This very stylistic, crime
drama featured the work of one detective Gunn who hung out a jazz
nightclub, called Mothers where his girlfriend Edie(Albright) was a
singer. The jazz score of the show was from Henry Mancini.
"Peter Gunn" was a part of the NBC schedule from 1958 to 1960, where it
moved to ABC from 1960 to 1961.
"Howdy Doody" was
one of the pioneering children's programs which ran on NBC from 1947
to 1960. Although, it was on the air in 1953, it wasn't seen on
WICS for at least a couple of years, as WICS didn't sign on until after
the show aired live across the network on Saturday mornings.
Since the show was presented live, WICS later ran kinescopes of the
show on Saturday afternoon right after it's sign-on. It was also
a pioneer in color TV as well, as it was presented in color during the
late 1950's and in 1960 as a way to help RCA(the owner of NBC) sell
color TV sets. Bob "Buffalo Bob" Smith was the cowboy host of the
show and provided the voice of the marionette "Howdy Doody."
Howdy wasn't the only puppet, as his sister was featured "Heidi."
Other puppet characters were Doodyville Mayor Phineas T. Bluster,
Dilly Dally, Princess Summerfall Winterspring and Flub-a-Dub.
There were live characters as well, including Clarabell the Clown,
Chief Thunderthud(who came up with the word 'kowabonga') and later the
Princess became a live character played by Judy Tyler. Clarabell,
who was mute, was first played by bob Keeshan(who later became Captain
Kangaroo). A scene during the final episode of the series in 1960
had Clarabell(pictured far right above) saying "Goodbye
kids." WICS, when the decision was made to sign-on early on
Saturday(around 1957) to air the lineup of kids programming later ran
"Howdy Doody" live as it came across the network.
(Right):
A photo taken from
"Capitol Conference" a public affairs
program broadcast from WICS.
Pictured is an unknown guest or
moderator along with WICS anchor,
Doug Kimball and WICS General
Manager Milton Friedland.
(Picture courtesy of WICS)
(Above): TV
Guide ad for
Capitol Conference from
around 1961.
(Click to enlarge)
TV Guide Ad courtesy J.R. Evans
In 1956, after
covering the political conventions during the election year, Chet
Huntley and David Brinkley replaced John Cameron Swayze as the
"anchormen" of NBC News. "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" ran
on NBC for nearly 14 years. The early years were 15 minutes in
length, but by 1963, the newscast was taken to 30 minutes. This
was done within a week of CBS taking their newscast from 15 to 30
minutes as well.
"Bonanza" began as a production of NBC, sponsored by major
corporate sponsor General Motors, primarily Chevrolet. It was a
replacement for "The Dinah Shore Chevy Show" which was canceled in
1959. "Bonanza" premiered in 1959 and ran through 1973. It
was a promotional partnership which would be extended much further than
the actual broadcast of the TV show. One of the more unique
disadvantages of this partnership, was that the product couldn't be
shown as part of the show itself! "Bonanza" was also a color TV
pioneer, as it was broadcast in color throughout it's entire run, with
many scenes designed to showcase the advantage of watching the show in
color, hopefully on an RCA color TV no doubt. There was also a
tour of a duplicate set of the "Pondorosa" ranch house exterior which
made appearances at state fairs and other events across the country
during the early 1960's. These displays also featured the latest
models of Chevrolet vehicles
The series was set on a ranch, which included many thousands of square
miles called "The Pondorosa" owned by patriarch of a family of all half
brothers. Adam Cartright was the father, played by Lorne Green,
with sons Adam(Pernell Roberts), Eric"Hoss"(Dan Blocker), Joe "Little
Joe"(Michael Landon). Others in the cast during the early years
included Ray Teal as Sheriff Coffee and Victor Sen Yung as their cook
Hop Sing. The series concentrated more on the relationship of the
cast with guest characters. Many episodes would feature the drama
surrounding just one or two of the main characters, but still included
at least short cameos of the other members of the cast. The show
also was featured in syndication and in reruns in other time periods as
"The Pondorosa."
The
Jack Paar version of "Tonight" premiered in July of 1957 and ran on NBC
through March of 1962. The announcer/co-host was Hugh
Downs(pictured far left below), along with other regulars which
included Dody Goodman, Cliff Arquette as Charlie Weaver, Pat Harrington
Jr., Hans Conried, Peggy Cass, Joey Bishop, Florence Henderson, Buddy
Hackett, Betty White and others. This version of the late
night variety show was much different than the Steve Allen version, as
it included more interviews with the very emotional Jack Paar. As
pictured here he interviewed politicians such as Richard Nixon, John
Kennedy, Robert Kennedy and others. He was very opinionated and
brought his pet concerns to the limelight with various episodes.
NBC, after having complaints about some of his opinions and actions,
decided to use video tape to delay his shows after being edited for
content. This did allow for reruns of the show to be run on
Friday's, giving him a 4 night work week.
Construction
on WCHU began in November of 1958, and the station originally went on
the air in September of
1959 as a low power UHF station and a translator of WICS.
The original coverage of
area of WCHU was estimated to be no more than 15 miles from the
transmitter site at the Inman Hotel in downtown Champaign. The
power output on the new WCHU was 5.5 kilowatts visual and 2.96
kilowatts aural from a short antenna mounted on top of the Inman Hotel
in downtown Champaign, the corner of Neil and University. Now by 1959,
Champaign-Urbana could receive NBC programming full time....and in
color by 1961.
Late in 1960, the exact date is unclear, but Northwest Publishing,
owner of WDAN-TV sold the station to Plains Television
Partners which then renamed the station WICD-TV to become a satellite
station of
WCHU which was a satellite of WICS in Springfield. The original
WDAN-TV
studios on North Washington Street in Danville after the sale, was
leased from Northwest Publishing. The original facility also
housed
the WDAN-AM studio and transmitter while the television station was
located there. Later
during the early and mid 1960's Champaign's
WCHU did originate local programming which was simulcast on
WICD-TV,
including local news, children's programming and local
commercials.
"The Westerner" was a short lived
western series which aired on NBC from September through December of
1960. It starred Brian Keith and long time radio and TV western
guest star John Dehner. It also starred a pet dog which traveled
with Dave Blassingame(Keith). Interesting bit of trivia-this was
the same dog who played "Old Yeller" in the Walt Disney movie of the
early 1960's.
"The Life of Riley" had two lives,
maybe even more if you count the radio version of the 1940's and
50's. The first TV version ran on NBC Television in 1949-50 and
starred Jackie Gleason in the role which originated by William Bendix
on radio. The show didn't last long, but was recast with William Bendix
when it appeared in the 1953 to 1958 version for NBC. His wife
was played by Marjorie Reynolds, with kids Wesley Morgan and
Lugene Sanders. His friend Gillis was played by Tom
D'Andrea. Later George O'Hanlon joined the cast as Calvan
Dudley(he provided the voice for George Jetson) and Martin Milner(Route
66, Adam 12) played a boyfriend and later husband for his daughter.
This
30-minute sitcom has the distinction as being broadcast by all three
networks during it's run. "Bachelor
Father" started in September 1957 on CBS when it moved in June
of 1959 to NBC where it run until September 1961. The next month
it popped up on ABC where it ran for another year-until 1962.
John Forsythe(Dynasty) starred as a well to do bachelor Hollywood
lawyer who was forced to adopt his 13 year old niece, Kelly, after her
parents were killed. The cast also included his "house boy"
Sammee Tong. On one episode, a friend of Kelly's came to visit,
one young actress named Linda Evans, who later played his wife in the
ABC series Dynasty some 20 years later.
This
Nat Hiken show starred a great cast of comedians a couple of whom would
work together again in the future. "Car 54 Where Are You" was shot in
New York, featuring a police department in New York, The actors
included: Joe E. Ross, Fred Gwynne, Bea Pons, Nipsey Russell, Paul
Reed, Albert Henderson, Al Lewis and Charlotte Rae. Of course,
Fred Gwynne and Al Lewis would work together later in the decade in
"The Munsters." Joe E. Ross is probably best remembered with his
catch phrase, "Ooh-ooh....."which preceded just about every line he
delivered. A great show, with a great friendly feel to it and a
live audience. Nat Hiken also produced "The Phil Silvers Show."
NBC
had the chance to air a TV series with one of the greatest actors in
history, and they wasted him on a western. "The Deputy" ran for two years on
NBC from 1959-61. Even though, he was listed as the star, there
were many episodes which he didn't appear, he did serve as a narrator
for each episode. The co-stars were Alan Case, Wallace Ford,
Betty Lou Keim and Read Morgan. It ran on Saturday nights from
8-8:30pm CT on NBC and WICS.
"Play
Your Hunch" was
emceed by Merv Griffin, with announcer Johnny Olson. Teams of
related individuals were given problems to solve. Each problem
solved would earn points worth $100. The winners would keep
playing against other teams until the end of the show. The prime
time version ran on NBC from 1960 to 1962.
"Play Your Hunch"
actually ran on all three networks during daytime
from June 1958 to 1963. The daytime emcees included: Merv
Griffin, Robert Q. Lewis, Richard Hayes and Gene Rayburn.
Kim
Wilson
Kim Wilson was a popular local celebrity at WICS from it's very
early days
into the 1960's. She not only hosted several children's shows
including "Popeye and Kim," but also "Kim's Corner" during the midday
and various interview segments with local personalities and many
of the traveling promotional appearances with NBC stars.
Based on the WICS logo, this was probably from around 1963. (pictures courtesy of
WICS)
Above-top: Kim Wilson interviews a local personality.
Below Kim is pictured with Rory Calhoun who starred in
the syndicated "Western Star Theater" also known
as "Death Valley Days" after Borax discontinued it's
sponsorship when the series went into syndication.
Kim Wilson also spent time at WTVP in Decatur during her
central Illinois TV career. (pictures courtesy of
WICS)
WICS didn't have the TV franchise to "Romper Room," but with Kim
Wilson, who needed it? Kim Wilson, based on my memory, was
probably one of the most beloved TV personalities in the market.
An extremely versatile TV performer and artist, she hosted the
children's shows, but also conducted celebrity interviews, did programs
on women's issues and even local news features. In this publicity
hand out, it included her autograph. Click on picture for larger
view. (picture courtesy of WICS)
Here is Kim in what's probably an early publicity shot for "Kim's
Kiddie Korner" which aired sometime in the 1959 to 1962 era. This
time it was sponsored by Hill's Brothers Shoes(an early incarnation of
Payless Shoes).
Click on picture for larger view. (picture
courtesy of WICS)
Here's Kim Wilson once again, with a studio guest, an unidentified
celebrity cowboy. As you can tell, the studio was rather filled
to capacity with Springfield area kids, and left over studio furniture
in the background. Click on picture for larger view. (picture courtesy of WICS)
Based on the camera and tripod, this was more than likely from the era
from 1959 to 1962 at the Leland Hotel studios. Here Kim is
performing in an installement of "Kim's Kiddie Korner." Click on
picture for larger view. This photo also contains the only photo
of a very notable kids show.....more on that later. (picture courtesy of WICS)
This 1963 Photo has Kim Wilson with one of her celebrity interviews
during the "5 O'Clock Report" newscast. Here she's interviewing
Virginia Graham, who was a show business reporter and host of a
syndicated show which aired during the Noon hour in the early to mid
1960's.
Click on picture for larger view. (picture courtesy of WICS)
WICS
Election Coverage.
It's
difficult to determine what election this was,
but it was perhaps from the 1964
General Election.
The man
standing is most likely Dale
Coleman, News Director.
It's also
difficult to determine who is at the
desk...could be Wayne Cox.
The sponsor
was Bressmer's, a downtown clothing
department store in Springfield for many
years.
(picture
courtesy of WICS)
"The
"The Bob Hope
Show" ran on NBC as a series of Specials on the network. Here he
is pictured with guest stars Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball and Jack Benny.
Dale Coleman
This is Dale Coleman, who was initially News Director at WTVP in
Decatur. By the late 50's into the early 60's he was News
Director at WICS. He was noted by an early biographer as
being "a tall, warm, outgoing farm boy from norhern
Illinois." He later became the Public Information Director at
Springfield's Sangamon State University(now UI-S). He passed away
at the age of 54 in 1983.
(Picture courtesy of WICS)
WICS-WCHU
Anchor Team 1963
Pictured above are the WICS anchors from the early 1960's, in tuxedos
no less!
Top row: Wayne Cox and Joe Thompson
Bottom row: Nick Alexander, News Director Dale Coleman, Alan Crane.
(Picture courtesy of WICS)
Wally
Gair
It's unknown what the purpose of this feature was but along with
an attractive unknown female celebrity was Dick Clark along with
WICS's Wally Gair.
(Picture courtesy of WICS)
Wayne Cox
Wayne Cox was a long time WICS
Anchor during the mid to late 1960's.
"Dr. Kildare" was
one of the most popular TV medical dramas in the history of TV.
He was played by Richard Chamberlain. His co-stars were played by
Raymond Massey, Eddie Ryder, Jud Taylor, Joan Patrick and Lee
Kurty. It aired on NBC from 1961 to 1966. If this series
was produced in color, it probably would have been seen more in
syndication later, but it's pretty much disappeared off the radar
screen. The series was based on a series of 1940's
B-movies. During it's run, the young Dr. Kildare went from being
an intern to a resident. The hour long show also went to being
aired as a two part, 2-half hours show broadcast on two consecutive
nights on NBC. Some of the story lines lasted on 2 or more
episodes as the series became more serialized in format. It's also
important to note that another important popular medical drama
premiered the same year, "Ben Casey."
By 1959 and 1960, the NBC
schedule included just a small number of regular series broadcast in
color. That year "Laramie," "Bell Telephone Hour" and "Bonanza"
was about it, along with a few specials, like "the Bob Hope Show" and
others. In 1961, Disney moved to NBC as "Walt Disney's Wonderful
World of Color" to the list that made Sunday the night of color with 2
hours of prime time. In 1962, "The Virginian" was added along
with "Sing Along With Mitch, "The Andy Williams Show" and select
movies of "Saturday Night at the Movies."
One
daytime classic which withstood many years of competition was "Concentration" hosted by long time
NBC announcer/host Hugh Downs. Two contestants would choose
panels on a huge board, which would hide duplicate prizes and
cash. Contestants would have to remember which one's matched, and
when they guessed the ones, they would display another piece of a large
puzzle. A simple game, but one which would last many years.
It was produced by NBC.
Sheri
Lewis hosted "The Sheri Lewis Show"
on NBC Saturday mornings from 1960 to 1963. She was a puppeteer
and created "Lambchop" and "Charlie Horse." These puppets were
also merchandised as toys during the period.
"The G.E. College Bowl" was a game
show, of sorts, featuring a contest of knowledge of teams representing
colleges across the U.S.. Since the show was sponsored by General
Electric, it featured commercials of appliances....and color
TV's. So, it being the cousin of RCA, it was broadcast in color
and was a regular Sunday late afternoon feature. The questions
were tough, and these kids were smart. Where is this show
today?? Note the colleges shown above were The University of
Colorado and Decatur, Illinois' Millikin University.
(Left): Do you recognize anyone in this picture?
It was taken in the WICS studio during a
live broadcast of one of the many
children's programs of the day.
It was apparently taken sometime in the mid 60's
after the construction of the new WICS
studios on Cook Street in Springfield.
(Picture courtesy of WICS)
(Left): Clicka T. Clack was the WICS host for
several of the children's late afternoon
programs in the early 1960's. His real name
was William R. Miller.
This one was "Bugs Bunny and Pals with
Clicka T. Clack." It began with a cartoon segment
of a railroad train pulling up to the station(taken
from a Warner Brothers cartoon).
He was also host of "The Funny Company"
(TV Guide ad courtesy of J.R. Evans)
(Left): is Clicka T. Clack (William R. Miller) pictured with several
local children holding
"Pay Day" candy bars, as part of a local promotion with the candy maker.
"In my opinion, these baby boomer children shows which were an
important part of local TV during the 1950's to early 60's were a
strong foundation of viewership to local TV for those kids as they
became adults. When local TV discontinued their local
participation children's shows in favor of off-network sit coms in the
late afternoon, stations eliminated a strong emotional tie for
viewership in the future. Now, local TV for most young viewers is
just another notch on the cable tier as they have no emotional tie to
the local television station."
"I would challenge any local TV station to duplicate what was done
during the era....perhaps those FOX, CW and MY-TV stations would be
able/willing to take this on. There would not be a better way to
make your TV station stand out among the crowd with young
viewers....who ultimately become older viewers!"
--Doug Quick
The Lost Kid's Show
In my time looking at and sorting through files of
pictures taken at WICS during the early years, one thing I remembered
very well as a kid's show staple was missing. No pictures were on
file of "The Pegwill Circus" and Pegwill Pete.
This weekday afternoon children's show was sponsored by the Pegwill
Packing Company which was owned by Bill Wingerter. Mr. Wingerter
was the
founder of WFMB radio and WBHW(TV), now WRSP, Channel 55.
The show was done with Pegwill Pete being the "ring master" of a
circus. The kids who were involved with the production were in
circus tent like bleachers and would sing the Pegwill theme
song...."We love Pegwill Weiners.....good ol' Pegwill Weiners....."
The only evidence I could find was in the background in a picture shown
above with Kim Wilson. Behind the curtain is part of the Pegwill
Circus set which was a passenger train with the Warmer Brothers cartoon
characters in each of the windows of the passenger train.
Partially visitble is Elmer Fudd waving out the window.
If any one has any photographs, personal or professional, of this or
any other WICS local TV production, or any background material which
could be included here, please e-mail me!
(Right): Kim Wilson hosted the local
children's show "Popeye Fun Time with Kim."
It was also called "Popeye and Kim Wilson."
It featured the more recent King Syndicate versions
of the classic cartoon character along with
local children in the studio.
It was also broadcast in Champaign
on WCCU, Channel 33.
(TV Guide ad courtesy of J.R. Evans)
This
space is reserved for photos and information from WICS children's
programming during the 1960's. Pegwill Weiners sponsored
"Pegwill's Circus." There was also "Marty's Pepsi Dance
Party." It's possible that "Marty's Pepsi Dance Party" was hosted
by long time Springfield personality Marty Roberts, but I'm not
sure. A search is
underway to find pictures and more information about the production of
these terrific shows for kids produced at WICS during the early to mid
1960's. If you have any photos or information, or perhaps you
appeared on one or more of these Springfield based shows, send me your
remembrances to me to be included on this site.
E-mail at:
dougquick @ dougquick.com
A form of "The Andy Williams Show" ran on ABC back in 1958, then
moved to CBS in 1959, but really waited until it's premiere on NBC to
build a huge audience. Big stars were guests, many musical
acts of different styles from what Andy Williams was associated
with. He did have several hit records in the 1960's including his
version of "Moon River." Regulars included The Good Time Singers,
Jonathan Winters, Marian Mercer, R.G. Brown, but the best known were a
group of young boys from Utah, from one very large family, the
Osmonds. His family also guested on Christmas shows. His
wife, a french beauty, Claudine Longet, and his children. Longet
was pop up as a semi regular on McHale's Navy and guested on various
comedies and dramas of the 1960's, as well as had a career as a singer
having recorded several mediocre hits.
The
NBC big time epic western 90-minute color series was "The Virginian." It was
loosely based on the movie of the same title and starred Lee J. Cobb,
James Drury(as the no-name "Virginian"), Doug McClure, Clu Galager,
Charles Bickford, Jeanette Nolan, David Hartman(Good Morning America),
John McIntire, Tim Matheson(Jonny Quest), Lee Majors(Big Valley),
Stewart Granger and Pippa Scott. Most episodes would feature a
story of just a few of the cast, as the shooting schedule of a
90-minute weekly series required several production units, so it was
rare that a large number of cast members would appear together.
John
Novak was played by James Fransiscus. The title character
was a young first year High School English teacher at Jefferson High
School. "Mr Novak" also
starred Dean Jagger, Burgess Meredith and Marion Ross(later of "Happy
Days." You might notice that another similarly formatted series
"Mr. Peepers" about 10 years before, also took place at Jefferson High
School. "Mr. Novak" ran on NBC from 1963 to 1965.
In September of 1961, Walt Disney's "Disneyland" left ABC where it
would find a home on colorful NBC. The hour long family anthology
would include produced for TV episodes and reworked theatrical features
along with some animated specials and documentaries. The show was
introduced by Walt Disney each week, who would explain that week's
episodes. Pictured above is Ludwig Von Drake(voiced by Paul
Frees) along with Walt Disney and the NBC peacock. I remember how
glorious the tinker bell's magic wand looked as it spread color across
the screen.
"Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color" was a Sunday night regular
series for 20 years from 1961 to 1981 on NBC.
"You Don't Say" ran on NBC daytime from 1963 to 1969 with host Tom
Kennedy(pictured above left). Two teams consisting of a celebrity
and a regular contestant would guess the name of a famous person from
clues given by the other team member. The clue would be a
sentence with the unknown name being the last words in the
sentence.
"You Don't Say" was also part of the NBC prime time schedule from
January to May of 1964.
This is a promo for weekday mornings on NBC from 1965. Notice the
emphisis on color programs. RCA had NBC run it's daytime schedule
in color to help demonstrate color TV's among it's hometown dealers to
sell more color TV's.
"The Tonight Show starring Johnny Carson" premiered in 1962 after the
Jack Paar version shown above. These scenes, excluding the lower
right(which is from Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In), were from
installments early in it's run which originated from New York.
The show began with a monologue, then he would chat with one or more of
the celebrities of the day. Many of which were promoting other TV
shows or movies, or perhaps a book or some other effort. Musical
numbers were done by guest musicians, and over the years many comedians
were also exposed to the national viewing public for the first
time. Many of his more successful skits were evolved from his
earlier shows on CBS and his game show experience on ABC. His ABC
announcer on "Do You Trust Your Wife" was Ed McMahon who continued with
him during his entire run on NBC. His band leaders included
Skitch Henderson, Milton Delugg and Doc Severinsen over the years.
It's unknown when the broadcast of "The Tonight Show" went from black
and white to color, but it seems to be in the 1963 or 1964 time frame
as ads from TV Guide from 1964 list it in color. Many of
the shows, though, even though they were recorded on video tape for
later broadcast, were not kept. Most of the recordings from the
show during the 1960's were recorded on black and white film
kinescopes, as virtually all of the video tapes were either destroyed
or recycled to record other episodes. The more classic shows were
finally kept, when Carson asked for more days off and the show was
rerun on weekends for network affiliates that didn't run their own late
night movies or other programming, when guest hosts weren't available.
The original show actually ran from 10:15 to midnight CT, but many
stations ran half hour local news at 10pm CT, so the first 15 minutes
were not aired on most markets. Carson by 1965, refused to do the
first 15-minutes, so filling the time was left to Ed McMahon and Skitch
Henderson. It was later dropped in 1967 forcing all of the NBC
affiliates to fill with local news. In 1972, the show moved from
New York to Burbank where it continues today(at least until it moves to
Universal). The show later in the 1980's dropped back to one hour
installments from 90 minutes. Carson retired in 1992. NBC
awarded the show to Jay Leno, while having favored his late night
partner David Letterman of "The David Letterman Show." The
controversy and in-fighting which occurred at NBC between Leno,
Letterman and the network executives was the subject of a book and a TV
movie "Late Shift."
"Jeopardy"
was a part of NBC daytime during much of the 1960's, and well into the
70's, the 80's...and it still continues today in syndication.
This Merv Griffin produced show was originally hosted by Art Fleming,
shown above. I'm sure you know the format, it really hasn't
changed, even though the technology of the game board has changed
somewhat. The long time announcer of the show was Don
Pardo(Saturday Night Live).
"Mr. Roberts" was an NBC series,
based on the book by Thomas Heggen, a play and the classic Warner
Brothers movie which starred James Cagney, Henry Fonda and Jack
Lemmon. The series which aired from 1965 to 66 starred
Roger Smith, Steve Harmon, Richard X. Slattery.
The
Ford Motor Company sponsored "Hazel"
on NBC which featured Hazel driving a Ford Falcon, while his boss
played by Don DeFore drove an LTD, his wife played by Whitney Blake
drove a Mustang. The son was too young to drive, he was played by
Bobby Buntrock. The series did go through a change during it's
later seasons when most of the cast was dismissed, and Hazel went to
work for another family. Only Buntrock continued.....but by then
it had moved to CBS. It ran on NBC from 1961 to 1965. It
was broadcast in color during it's last season on NBC. This could
be the only series to be produced in black and white, then color, then
shown in black and white during it's final season when it was on CBS.
The origination of "The Jonathan Winters Special" is unknown. It
could have been a network special, but the history of WICS includes
quite a few network preemption's for locally sponsored syndicated
programming. This enabled WICS to sell and air more commercial
time than what would have been available for network programming.
The program listings for "Jonathan Winters" were shown exclusively by
channels 20, 24 and 33 and didn't include the other NBC affiliates who
were showing regular NBC programming, so it appears to be syndicated
programming.
This
was another of the popular dramatic anthology series of the 1950's and
60's. It was hosted by Richard Boone with a cast of regulars
which included Robert Blake, Lloyd Bochner(Dynasty), Harry
Morgan(M*A*S*H), Jeannette Nolan(Real McCoys) and Guy Stockwell.
It lasted on NBC from 1963 to 1964.
"Truth
or Consequences" ran on NBC from 1954 to 1958, but also ran in
syndication hosted by Bob Barker who took over hosting duties in
1956. Before that it was hosted by Jack Bailey(Queen for a
Day). The syndicated version with new episodes were a weekday
afternoon staple in the late 1960's and early 1970's on WICS.
"Let's Make a Deal" premiered on NBC
daytime in 1963, and eventually made it's way to prime time in
1967. Monte Hall was the host who dealed with costumed audience
members and traded junk for major cash and prizes.
"Get Smart" was a satire on the
popular spy movies of the time, especially the James Bond movie
series. It was created by Mel Brooks and Buck Henry and starred
Don Adams as Agent 86, Barbara Feldon as Agent 99, Edward Platt as the
Chief and others who went on to other series later, including: Stacy
Keach, Bernie Kopell(The Love Boat), Dick Gautier(When Things Were
Rotten-also a Brooks production), Victor French(Little House on the
Prairie) and Jane Dulo(many cartoon voices for Jay Ward
Productions). It ran on NBC in black and white for one season,
then went to color in 1966. It later moved to CBS where it aired
for it's last miserable season in 1970.
"Hullabaloo" was produced in
color(the only show of the night in 1965) and was an attempt by NBC to
really get hip with the young crowd. Unfortunately, it was
incredibly stale, very stuffy and seemed to be written by someone's
grand father. If you ever get a chance to see the episode which
stars Michael Landon as guest host, check it out and laugh out
loud. It also appeared that the producers felt that Gary Lewis
and the Playboys(a pop-rock group of the mid 60's) couldn't hold up the
show, on a later episode as they brought in the lead's father to
co-host, Jerry Lewis. The result is another laughable musical
variety show. There was a segment which originated from England
hosted by Beatles manager, Brian Epstein, which was in black and
white. By the way, check out the long "go-go skirts" on the
dancers....geez! "Hullabaloo" ran on NBC from 1965 to
1966.
Yet
another spy show, this time it was played seriously. "I Spy"
starred Robert Culp(Greatest American Hero), and Bill Cosby(Cosby Show)
together as globe trotting spys out to foil the bad guys. Kelly
Robinson and Alexander Scott were the good guys. It would air on
NBC from September 15th, 1965 through September 2nd, 1968. It was
produced in color.
This was an early
version of "The Match Game" from those we see today in rerun
form from the 1970's. Gone is the large collection of celebrity
panelists. This time it's teams of three, one celebrity and two
contestants, tried to match each other's answers to various fill in the
blank questions. This show was aired live from NBC in New York
and there are no known video tapes of the show in existence.
There are, though, ten shows on kinescope which are in existence.
It ran at 3PM CT on NBC and WICS from 1962 to 1969. The color
photo to the right is a snapshot photograph taken from the set.
It was eventually broadcast in color sometime in 1965.
In 1961, the local
newscast was called, "At Your Service." It was anchored by Wally
Gair(sports), Jack Thorne(weather) and Nick Alexander(news).
This was in TV
Guide in 1961.
(TV Guide Ad
courtesy of J.R. Evans)
By 1963 the local
news was called, "The Big
News." It was a male
dominated local news, as most were in
the era, unless there was somekind of
"women's news" feature included.
Puctured on top
row are: (unknown-could be
a gentleman with the name of
Duncan or Eaton), Chet Huntley(NBC),
News Director Dale Coleman,
David Brinkley(NBC), and another
unknown. Bottom row:
Douglas Kimball(WICS Anchor) and Wayne
Cox(WICS Anchor).
(TV Guide Ad from
1963 courtesy J.R. Evans)
Probably one of the most trashed TV show ever, was "My Mother the
Car." It really wasn't all that bad, although, the pitch for the
show sounds terrible. It all begins when Dave Crabtree, played by
Jerry Van Dyke, finds a vintage car , a 1928 Porter in a used car
lot. He is strangely attracted to the car and he buys it.
Well, come to find out, the car has the personality of his dead mother,
and the voice.....of his Mom, played by long time film comedian and TV
sit com veteran, Ann Southern. His wife, played by Maggie
Pierce doesn't believe that this car talks....as his mom only talks to
him(Mr. Ed, without the horse-just a car). The car is constantly
being courted by a car collector, played by Avery Schreiber, Captain
Mancini. It ran in black and white on NBC from 1965 to 1966.
"Today" began with Dave Garroway in the 1950's, but by much of the
1960's, the hosts were Hugh Downs and Barbara Walters. Downs was
the main anchor from 1962 to 1971, while Walters began in 1964 where
she stayed until 1971. Frank Blair was the newscaster during the
entire period from 1953 to 1975. "Today" began to be broadcast in
color by 1965.
"The Rogues" ran on NBC from 1964 to
1965 in black and white. It starred film stars Gig Young, David
Niven and Charles Boyer. They were all con men who operated world
wide to relieve the rich of their riches. They played family
members who were well known thieves and scoundrels.
Click on the TV Guide Close-Up above for information about
the first broadcast of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer."
Larry
"Buster" Crab starred in the old 1930's and 40's movie serial, "Flash Gordon" for the movie
theaters. Each installment was one reel in length, about 20
minutes, which made it work in half hour installments with commercials
of breakfast cereals, toys other kids necessities. WICS featured
"Flash Gordon" weekday afternoons for a period of time in the 1960's,
as well as on Saturday afternoons.
"The Mike Douglas Show" originated
in Cleveland during the 1960's and syndicated to other Westinghouse
owned TV stations. By 1965 it was syndicated to other local
stations including WICS, where it ran on weekday afternoons. Here
he is pictured with Steve Wonder.
Just
like "Flash Gordon" "The Three
Stooges" features were one reelers, again only about 20 minutes
in length and made for a great half hour of after school programming
for WICS. The show was later cast aside in more adult times in
later years, as the harmless violence was considered too much for kids
to handle.
"The Man from U.N.C.L.E." was NBC's
knockoff of the James Bond character, but this time there were two for
the money. Robert Vaughn was the title character, Napoleon
Solo. His co-agent was the youthful Illya Kuryakin played by
David McCallum. They were two super secret agents who were
fighting THRUSH an international crime syndicate from 1964 to 1968. For
you trivia buffs, U.N.C.L.E. stood for United Network Command for Law
and Enforcement. The head of the Command was Mr. Alexander
Waverly played by Leo G. Carroll.
Critics were not impressed as the story lines were almost comic book in
nature and continued to get more so as the series progressed. The
final season, the series took a more serious tone, but that wasn't
enough to pull if our of the ratings doldrums.
The series did offer a spinoff "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E" starring
Stephanie Powers. This series ran on NBC from 1966 to 1967 a
short one season. The story lines were even more unbelievable,
but young viewers loved them both, and were big fans of the
merchandising offered by both series. Toy guns, secret agent gear
were offered to young boy and girl secret agents.
Both series were produced by M.G.M Television. The initial season
of "Man from U.N.C.L.E." was in black in white, with the rest of the
run being in color. "The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.' was produced in
color.
"The Cisco Kid" was an hour
long color syndicated program which was produced from 1950 to
1956. There were a total of 156 episodes which aired on Friday
evening at 6:30(the beginning of prime time) preempting the NBC
programming at the time("Camp Runamuck" and "Hank"). This gave
WICS an opportunity to air more local commercials during prime time, at
a much higher ad rate that what the station could've gotten by airing
NBC programming. Cisco was played by Duncan Renaldo and Pancho
was played by Leo Carrillo, "Oh Ceesco...., Oh, Pancho!"
"The Adventures of Superman" ran
weekday afternoons on WICS at 5PM during the mid 1960's. The
syndicated adventure show starred George Reeves as the 'Man of Steel',
along with Phyllis Coates and Noel Neill as Lois Lane, Jack Larson as
Jimmy Olson, and John Hamilton as Perry White. The show included
both black and white and color episodes from 16mm prints.
Here
is a listing of the prime time NBC shows which aired from 1960 to 1965
which aired on WICS: Shirley Temple's Storybook, National
Velvet, Tab Hunter Show, Dinah Shore Chevy Show, Loretta Young Show,
This is Your Life, Riverboat, Tales of Wells Fargo, Klondike, Dante,
Barbara Stanwyck Show, Jackpot Bowling, Laramie, Alfred Hitchcock
Presents, Thriller, Wagon Train, Price is Right, Perry Como's Kraft
Music Hall, Peter Loves Mary, The Outlaws, Bat Masterson, Bachelor
Father, Ford Show starring Tennessee Ernie Ford, Groucho Marx, Dan
Raven, The Westerner, Bell Telephone Hour, Michael Shayne, Bonanza,
Tall Man, The Deputy, Nation's Future, Bullwinkle Show, Walt Disney's
Wonderful World of Color, Car 54 Where Are You?, DuPont Show of
the Week, 87th Precinct,Thriller, Dick Powell Show, Cain's Hundred,
Joey Bishop Show, Bob Newhart Show, David Brinkley's Journal, Dr.
Kildare, Hazel, Sing Along with Mitch, International Showtime, Robert
Taylor's Detectives, Here and Now, NBC Saturday Night at the Movies,
Ensign O'Toole, It's a Man's World, Saints and Sinners,
Empire, The Virginian, Wide Country, Andy Williams Show, Don't
Call Me Charlie, Jack Paar Show, Sam Benedict, Bill Dana Show, Grindl,
NBC Monday Night Movie, Hollywood and the Stars, Mr. Novak, Redigo,
Richard Boone Show, Espionage, Temple Houston, Kraft Suspense Theater,
Bob Hope presents the Chrysler Theatre, Harry's Girls, The Lieutenant,
Profiles in Courage, The Rogues, 90 Bristol Court: Karen, 90
Bristol Court: Harris Against the World, 90 Bristol Court: Tom-Dick and
Mary, NBC Wednesday Night Movie, Daniel Boone, Flipper, Famous
Adventures of Mr. McGoo, Kentucky Jones, Branded, Wackiest Ship in the
Army, Hullabaloo, John Forsythe Show, Run for Your Life, My
Mother the Car, Please Don't Eat the Daisies, I Spy, Laredo, Mona
McCluskey, You Don't Say, Dean Martin Show, Camp Runamuck*, Hank*,
Convoy, Mr. Roberts, Man from U.N.C.L.E., I Dream of Jeannie and Get
Smart.
*These two Friday night series in 1965 were not aired on WICS.
WICS chose instead to run it's own syndicated programming "The Cisco
Kid", to gain more
ad dollars with more valuable commercial time which would be available.
thanks to Cindy Larson and others at WICS for help in getting
WICS photos.
thanks to J.R. Evans for the TV Guide Ads with WICS
If you have any additional material or can identify any people not ID'd
in pictures, please e-mail me at dougquick @ dougquick.com