1955 in American television

List of years in American television:
1954–55 United States network television schedule
1955–56 United States network television schedule
List of American television programs currently in production

This is a list of American television-related events in 1955.

Events

Date Event Ref
March 5 Elvis Presley makes his first television performance on Louisiana Hayride, a program shown locally on KSLA in Shreveport, Louisiana.
March 15 Andy Griffith stars in his television debut in the play No Time for Sergeants, broadcast by the American Broadcasting Company in The United States Steel Hour series.
April 1 The DuMont Television Network drastically decreases its programming; just eight series to keep the network operating, in anticipation of its eventual shutdown sixteen months later.
May 9 Harpo Marx makes a memorable appearance on I Love Lucy.
Jim Henson's puppet show Sam and Friends first airs on NBC O&O station WRC-TV in Washington, D.C.
June 7 The quiz show craze begins with the premiere of The 64,000 Dollar Question. The series spawns many imitations, including Twenty-One the next year.
September 28 World Series baseball is broadcast in color for the first time in the U.S., with WITN-TV in Washington, North Carolina signing on the air with the first game of the 1955 World Series as their first telecast. [1]

Networks and services

Launches

Network Type Launch date Notes Source
CatholicTV Cable television January 1

Television programs

Debuts

Date Debut Network
January 2 The Bob Cummings Show (also known as Love That Bob) NBC[2]
January 3 Hollywood Today NBC
January 5 Norby
January 17 TV Reader's Digest ABC
January 19 The Millionaire CBS
January 22 Ozark Jubilee ABC
February 3 Star Tonight ABC
February 27 Key to the Ages DuMont
April Paul Dixon Show WLWT
April 9 Science Fiction Theater Syndication
May 3 Have a Heart Dumont
May 9 Sam and Friends WRC-TV
June 3 It's Alec Templeton Time Dumont
June 25 The Soldiers NBC
June 28 Talent Varieties ABC
July 2 The Lawrence Welk Show
July 20 Frankie Laine Time CBS
September 6 The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp ABC
September 10 Gunsmoke CBS
It's Always Jan
September 12 Medical Horizons ABC
September 13 Kings Row ABC
September 14 Hollywood Preview DuMont
September 14 MGM Parade ABC
September 20 Cheyenne ABC
Joe and Mabel CBS
September 26 Jungle Jim Syndication
September 27 Casablanca ABC
September 28 Brave Eagle CBS
September 29 Sergeant Preston of the Yukon
October 1 The Honeymooners
October 2 Alfred Hitchcock Presents
October 3 Captain Kangaroo
Mickey Mouse Club ABC
October 7 Crossroads ABC
October 20 Wanted CBS
October 31 Matinee Theatre NBC

Changing network affiliation

Program Moving from Moving to
Life Is Worth Living DuMont ABC

Ending this year

Date Program Network First aired Status Notes/References
January 1 China Smith First-run Syndication June 1, 1952 Ended
January 3 The Ilona Massey Show DuMont November 1, 1954 Ended
January 9 Opera Cameos DuMont November 8, 1953 Ended
January 27 So You Want to Lead a Band ABC August 5, 1954 Ended
February 11 The Stranger DuMont June 25, 1954 Ended
February 17 One Minute Please DuMont July 6, 1954 Ended
February 26 Space Patrol ABC March 9, 1950 Ended
March Wrestling from Marigold DuMont September 17, 1949 Ended
March 6 The Johns Hopkins Science Review DuMont March 9, 1948 (on CBS) Ended
March 11 The Jack Carson Show NBC October 22, 1954 Ended
Stories of the Century Syndication 1954 Canceled
March 23 I Married Joan NBC October 15, 1952 Canceled
April 1 Captain Video and His Video Rangers DuMont June 27, 1949 Ended
DuMont Evening News DuMont September 1954 Ended
April 2 The Vampira Show ABC April 30, 1954 Ended
April 6 Concert Tonight DuMont December 30, 1953 Ended
April 6 Norby NBC January 5, 1955 Canceled
April 7 The Ernie Kovacs Show DuMont December 30, 1952 (on NBC)
April 8 Dear Phoebe NBC September 1954 Canceled
April 13 The Stu Erwin Show ABC October 21, 1950
April 22 Where's Raymond? ABC October 1953 Canceled
May 3 Twenty Questions DuMont November 2, 1949
May 4 The Best of Broadway CBS September 15, 1954
May 22 Key to the Ages DuMont February 27, 1955
May 31 Danger CBS September 26, 1950 Ended
June 12 Mister Peepers NBC July 3, 1952 Ended
June 14 The Elgin Hour ABC June 14, 1955
June 14 Have a Heart DuMont May 3, 1955
June 16 Willy CBS September 1954 Canceled
June 18 Foreign Intrigue Syndication October 18, 1951 Ended
June 23 The Public Defender First-run syndication 1954 Ended
June 25 The Imogene Coca Show 1954 Canceled
Tom Corbett, Space Cadet DuMont October 2, 1950 (on CBS) Ended
June 26 The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse ABC 1953 Canceled
June 30 The Jane Froman Show CBS October 18, 1952 Ended
July All About Baby DuMont 1953 Ended
July 1 Concerning Miss Marlowe NBC July 5, 1954 Ended
Hawkins Falls NBC June 17, 1950 Ended
Treasury Men in Action NBC September 11, 1950 (on ABC) Ended
July 15 Flash Gordon DuMont/Syndication October 15, 1954 Canceled
July 26 Who Said That? NBC December 9, 1948 Ended
August 24 My Little Margie June 16, 1952 (on CBS) Canceled
August 26 It's Alec Templeton Time DuMont June 3, 1955 Ended
September 1 Life with Elizabeth Syndication October 7, 1953 Canceled
September 3 The Soldiers NBC June 25, 1955 Ended
September 10 The Donald O'Connor Show NBC October 9, 1954 Ended
September 17 Musical Chairs NBC July 9, 1955 Canceled
September 24 The Man Behind the Badge CBS October 11, 1953 Ended
September 29 The Halls of Ivy CBS October 19, 1954 Ended
September Frankie Laine Time CBS July 20, 1955 Canceled Returned for a short run in Summer 1956
October 2 The Philco Television Playhouse NBC October 3, 1948 Ended
October 7 The Name's the Same ABC December 5, 1951 Ended
October 17 Sherlock Holmes ABC October 18, 1954 Ended
November 1 Talent Varieties ABC June 28, 1955 Ended
November 22 The Adventures of Kit Carson Syndication August 11, 1951 Ended
December 25 The Colgate Comedy Hour NBC September 10, 1950 Ended
Unknown The Jo Stafford Show CBS 1954 Canceled
That's My Boy
Time for Beany Paramount Television Network February 28, 1949 Ended
The Red Buttons Show CBS October 14, 1952 Ended
NFL on DuMont DuMont 1951 Ended
Waterfront Syndication August 21, 1954 Ended

Television stations

Station launches

Date City of License/Market Station Channel Affiliation Notes/Ref.
January 1 West Palm Beach, Florida WEAT-TV 12 ABC
January 5 Minneapolis, Minnesota KEYD-TV 9 DuMont
January 7 Mt. Cheaha/Birmingham, Alabama WCIQ 7 NET
Alabama Educational Television
January 8 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
(Raleigh/Durham) 		WUNC-TV 4 NET/UNC-TV
January 23 Las Vegas, Nevada KLRJ-TV 2 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
February 3 Fairbanks, Alaska KTVF 11 CBS
February 12 Dothan, Alabama WTVY 4 CBS
February 13 Jefferson City/Columbia, Missouri KRCG 13 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
February 14 St. Petersburg/Tampa, Florida WXFL 8 NBC
February 28 Phoenix, Arizona KTVK 3 ABC
March 1 Fairbanks, Alaska KFAR-TV 2 NBC
March 6 Jackson, Tennessee WBBJ-TV 7 CBS
March 8 Portland, Oregon KLOR 12 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary)
March 14 Duluth, Minnesota KDAL-TV 3 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
March 15 Lexington, Kentucky WLEX-TV 18 NBC (primary)
ABC/DuMont/CBS (secondary)
March 20 Sacramento, California KBET-TV 10 CBS
March 25 Lewiston, Maine WLAM-TV 17 DuMont
March 27 Providence, Rhode Island WPRO-TV 12 CBS
April 1 Tampa, Florida WTVT 13 CBS
April 3 Waco, Texas KWTX-TV 10 Independent
April 14 Baton Rouge, Louisiana WBRZ-TV 2 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
April 24 Beaumont, Texas KFDM-TV 6 CBS
Wailuku, Hawaii KMAU-TV 9
April 28 Birmingham, Alabama
(Tuscaloosa) 		WBIQ 10 NET/Alabama Educational Television
May 2 Boston, Massachusetts WGBH-TV 2 NET
May 15 Hilo, Hawaii KPUA-TV 9
May 30 Twin Falls, Idaho KLIX-TV 11 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)
June 1 Rapid City, South Dakota KOTA-TV 23 CBS (primary)
NBC/ABC (secondary)
June 3 Lafayette, Louisiana KLFY 10 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
June 8 Hattiesburg, Mississippi WDAM-TV 7 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
June 10 San Antonio, Texas KCOR-TV 41 Spanish independent
July 15 South Bend, Indiana WNDU 16 NBC
July 31 Beckley/Bluefield, West Virginia WHIS-TV 6 NBC
Des Moines, Iowa KRNT-TV 8 CBS
August 1 Urbana, Illinois WILL-TV 12 NET
August 7 Scottsbluff, Nebraska KSTF 10 ABC (primary)
NBC (secondary)
August 12 Miami, Florida WTHS-TV 2 NET
August 29 Fayetteville/Raleigh, North Carolina WFLB-TV 18 ABC (primary)
NBC/CBS (secondary)
August 31 Lufkin, Texas KTRE 9 NBC (as a satellite of KPRC-TV/Houston, Texas)
September 1 Wichita, Kansas KARD-TV 3 Independent
September 3 Sacramento, California KCRA 3 NBC
Shreveport, Louisiana
(Texarkana, TX-AR) 		KTBS-TV 3 NBC
September 5 Mobile, Alabama WKRG-TV 5 CBS
September 6 Chicago, Illinois WTTW 11 NET
September 11 Dallas, Texas KFJZ-TV 11 Independent
September 12 San Jose/San Francisco, California KNTV 11 Independent
September 15 Thomasville, Georgia/Tallahassee, Florida WCTV 6 NBC
September 24 Florence/Aberdeen, South Dakota KDLO-TV 3 NBC Satellite of KELO-TV of Sioux Falls
September 28 Washington/Greenville, North Carolina WITN-TV 7 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
October 2 Huntington, West Virginia WOWK-TV 13 ABC
October 3 Detroit, Michigan WTVS 56 NET
Roanoke, Virginia WDBJ-TV 7 CBS
October 8 Yuma, Arizona KIVA 11
October 12 Mayaguez/Aguadilla, Puerto Rico WORA-TV 5 Independent
November 19 Bismarck, North Dakota KBMB-TV 12 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)
November 21 Kirksville, Missouri/Ottumwa, Iowa KTVO 3 CBS (primary)
NBC (secondary)
November 27 Little Rock, Arkansas KTHV 11 CBS
December 3 El Dorado, Arkansas
(Monroe, Louisiana) 		KRBB-TV 10 NBC (primary)
ABC (secondary)
December 4 Wailuku, Hawaii KMVI-TV 4 ABC Satellite of KULA-TV (now KITV) in Honolulu
December 7 Lewiston, Idaho KLEW-TV 3 CBS (primary)
ABC/NBC (secondary)
December 11 Fargo, North Dakota KNOX-TV 10 ABC (primary)
NBC (secondary)

Network affiliation changes

Date City of license/Market Station Channel Old affiliation New affiliation Notes/Ref.
February 27 Milwaukee, Wisconsin WXIX-TV 19 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary) 		CBS
March Wilmington, Delaware WVUE 12 NBC Independent
September Waco, Texas KWTX-TV 10 Independent ABC
Unknown date Little Rock, Arkansas KATV 7 CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary) 		ABC (exclusive)
Unknown date Minneapolis, Minnesota KEYD-TV 5 DuMont Independent
Unknown date Mobile, Alabama WEAR-TV 3 CBS ABC
Unknown date Shreveport, Louisiana KSLA 12 CBS (primary)
ABC and DuMont (secondary) 		CBS (primary)
ABC (secondary)

Station closures

Date City of license/Market Station Channel Affiliation First air date Notes/Ref.
February 2 Monterey, California KMBY-TV 8 ABC/CBS/NBC/DuMont August 17, 1953 Shared time with KSBW-TV
February 4 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KMPT 19 Independent November 22, 1953
February 12 Charleston, West Virginia WKNA-TV 49 ABC (primary)
DuMont (secondary) 		September 17, 1953
February 26 Milwaukee, Wisconsin WCAN-TV 25 CBS September 6, 1953
February 28 Fairmont, West Virginia WJPB-TV 35 ABC (primary)
NBC/DuMont (secondary) 		March 17, 1954
March 15 Charlotte, North Carolina WAYS-TV 36 ABC (primary)
NBC/DuMont (secondary)
April 1 Asbury Park, New Jersey WRTV 58 Independent December 14, 1953 Not to be confused with today's WRTV in Indianapolis, Indiana
April 3 St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota WMIN-TV 11 ABC/DuMont September 1, 1953 Shared time with KARE (now WTCN-TV)
April 15 Des Moines, Iowa KGTV 17 Independent November 14, 1953
April 30 Stockton, California KTVU 36 NBC December 15, 1953 Not to be confused with the present-day KTVU in the San Francisco Bay Area.
May 31 Atlanta, Georgia WQXI-TV 36 Independent October 13, 1954
June 30 Reading, Pennsylvania WEEU-TV 33 NBC April 9, 1953
July 1 Newport News/Norfolk, Virginia WACH-TV 33 Independent October 8, 1953
July 15 Providence, Rhode Island WNET 16 ABC (primary)
DuMont (Secondary) 		March 23, 1954
August 1 Jackson, Mississippi WSLI 12 ABC March 27, 1954 This station's operations merged with those of CBS affiliate WJTV to allow that station to move from UHF channel 25 to VHF channel 12.
December 15 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma KTVQ 25 ABC November 1, 1953
December 18 Pensacola, Florida WPFA-TV 15 DuMont October 16, 1953

Births

Main article: 1955 in television § Births

Deaths

Main article: 1955 in television § Deaths

See also

References

  1. ^ WITN history
  2. ^ McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 497. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
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