Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-10-31

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There were 81 new TV Sh
fall and one of the very few
firSt-rate entries was MICS Es-
piOnage. Know where it stands
among the 80 new shows &C.
cording to the Nielsen? No.
81.
Know who also isn't in the
top 40 with Danny? Judy Gar
land.
Remember the fuss when
CHS announced that it would
separate Red Shelton and Jack
Benny and insert a new half
hour series called Petticoat
Junction between them? Benny
was upset, right? Guess which
show is leading the list of new
corners? Yes, Uncle Jack-it'S
Petticoat Junction.
-
What do the seasons first ma
tional Nielsens Chased on audi
ence size estimates the first
two weeks of 0ctOber) prove?
Very little, l suspect, tn al
wasn't already known, namely
that what night a show is
scheduled, what its opposition
is, what the lead-in is, what the
following show is. very often
has much more to do with its
survival than its quality. Es-
pionage merely happens to be
opposite two of TVS top-rated
shows, Beverly Hillbillies and
Ben Casey. Danny is on oppO-
site The Eleventh Hour and
Charming. Petticoat Junction is
opposite the Richard Boone
show ANTHOLOGY drama - and
another loser, alas) and Jack
Palance's The Greatest Show.
One national Nielsen doesn't
make a season, but several
cancellations are already in
Dictated. Sharp improvement by
next month will be needed to
keep others on. Here are the
two key lists:
. The top Is shows: Beverly
HilIbillies. 34.9 (CBS), Bonanza,
800 (NBC), Dick Van Dyke, 28.1
(CBS), Lucille Ball, 28.1 (CBS),
Danny Thomas, 25.8 (CBS), Red
Shelton, 24.6 (CBS), Perry
Mason. PAP (CBS), Donna Reed,
24.9 (ABCl, I've Got a Secret,
24.9 (CBS), Patty Duke, 23.5
(ABC), Candid Camera, 23.4
(CBS), DIR. Kildare, 22.9 (NBC)
and Ben Casey, 22.8 (ABC).
. The ratings for the new
shows; PetticOat Junction, CHS,
Patty Duke, ABC, My FavOrite
Marian, CHS, Grind, NBC,
Outer Limits, ABC, The Fugi-
tive, ABC, The Greatest Show,
ABC, Burke's Law, ABC, Mr..
NOvak, NBC, Phil Silvers, CHS,
Danny Kaye, CHS, The Break
ing Point, ABC, The Lieutenant,
NBC, Bob Hopes SERIES, NBC,
Arrest and Trial, ABC, Suspense
Theater, NBC, Richard Boone
series, NBC, The Farmers
Daughter, ABC, GIynis, CHS,
Great Adventure, CHS, Judy
Garland, CHS, Travels of Jaime
McPheeters, ABC, RedigO, NBC,
Claiming, ABC, East Side, West
Side, CHS, Hollywood and the
Stars, NBC, Jerry Lewis, Abe,
Bill Dana, NBC, Jimmy Dean,
ABC, Harry's Girls, NBC,
Temple Houston, NBC, EspiO-
mage, NBC,
Comments: There are sur.
priSes in other directions, too
notably Grindl's No. 4 listing;
also, the poor East Side, West
Side showing. The ImOgene
Coca series was being written
off before it premiered. Ir
Hollywood, meanwhile, Danny
ThOmas-in the same week that
the survey was listing his
among the top 10 shows-was
telling the APPS Bob Thomas
that this would be his last year
81 know I've said l plan to re.
tire for the past several sea.
sons" Danny said, "but this
time l mean it. think it's time
to pick up the chips and walk. F"
D.. Danny couldn't pick up al
his chips with a wheelbarrow.
CHS, incidentally, still haC
a lead in the average prime
time rating for the two weeks
with a 20, but NBC, with II, anC
ABC, moving UP to a 1874, were
making it interesting =. CHECK
the new shows and you'll fine
that the top Is include 7 Abe
programs; 4 CHS and 4 NBC-
you can be sure ABC is huggine