1958–59 United States network television schedule
The following is the 1958–59 network television schedule for the four major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1958 through March 1959. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancelled after the 1957–58 season. According to television historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), the networks' schedules were thrown "into complete chaos" by the quiz show scandals that erupted during fall 1958. At first only one series, "Dotto", was implicated in the game-fixing charges. Ed Hilgemeier , a contestant on the program, filed a complaint with the show's sponsor, Colgate-Palmolive. Colgate withdrew its sponsorship of the Tuesday evening (on NBC) and daytime (on CBS) versions of "Dotto", and the show did not appear on either network's fall 1958 schedule. "The $64,000 Challenge" (on CBS) similarly did not appear that fall, and by November, "The $64,000 Question" (CBS) and "Twenty-One" (NBC) were also removed from the network schedules, amidst accusations of game rigging. NBC's primetime "Tic-Tac-Dough" lasted through December. According to Castleman and Podrazik, "NBC and CBS were adamant  in their own statements of innocence" since they only aired, and did not produce, the rigged series. They also claimed the cancellations were due to low ratings, not because of game-fixing accusations. ABC had few game shows on its 1958–59 schedule, and "eagerly pointed out" its innocence in the quiz show mess. The network affirmed its commitment to Westerns, which could not be rigged. Western TV series continued to be very popular with audiences, and for the first time, the three highest-rated programs on television, CBS's "Gunsmoke", NBC's "Wagon Train", and CBS's "Have Gun – Will  Travel", were all Westerns. ABC's new series, "The Rifleman" even hit #4, quite a feat for a network which had had no series in the top 30 five years earlier. Although ABC, CBS, and NBC remained the largest television networks in the United States, they were not the only companies operating television networks during this era. In May 1958, Ely Landau, president of the NTA Film Network, announced an NTA Film Network schedule for the 1958–59 season. The schedule consisted of three and a half hours of programs on Friday nights: "Man Without a Gun" at 7:30, followed by  This is Alice at 8:00, then "How to Marry a Millionaire" at 8:30, and "Premiere Performance", a package of films from the network's minority shareholder 20th Century Fox, from 9:00 to 11:00. Although the NTA Film Network had over 100 affiliate stations, only 17 agreed to air the Friday night schedule "in pattern" (during the scheduled time). Other NTA Network affiliates carried the network's programs whenever they had available slots, and outside of "Gun", "Alice", "Millionaire" and "Performance", NTA's programs were aired whenever the local stations preferred. National Educational Television (NET), the predecessor to PBS founded in  1952, also allowed its affiliate stations to air programs out of pattern. New series are highlighted in bold. All times are U.S. Eastern and Pacific time (except for some live sports or events). Subtract one hour for Central and Mountain times. Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research. Sunday. NOTES: The Canadian-produced anthology series "Encounter" aired only five episodes on ABC before cancellation. "Deadline for Action" on ABC consisted of reruns of episodes that starred Dane Clark of the 1956–1957 series "Wire Service". From February to  September 1959, "Richard Diamond, Private Detective", starring David Janssen, aired for a third and final season on CBS, on the Sunday schedule at 10 p.m. Eastern. It switched to NBC and returned to the air for a fourth season during the 1959–60 television season. Monday. Note: "The Westinghouse Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show" was later rebroadcast and syndicated as "The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour". In most areas, "Douglas Edwards with the News" and "The Huntley-Brinkley Report" aired at 6:45 p.m. Tuesday. "Confession," with host Jack Wyatt, which had begun as a local program in the Dallas, Texas, market in  early 1957, premiered as a summer replacement on ABC on June 19, 1958, in advance of the 1958–59 television season. It ended on January 13, 1959, and was succeeded on January 20, 1959, by the paranormal anthology series "". Wednesday. Notes: On CBS, "Armstrong Circle Theatre" alternated with "The United States Steel Hour". "Armstrong by Request", which also alternated with "The United States Steel Hour" and aired in place of "Armstrong Circle Theatre" from July 8 to September 16, 1959, consisted of reruns of six documentary dramas which originally had aired on "Armstrong Circle Theatre" during the 1958–1959 season. On NBC , "Milton Berle starring in the Kraft Music Hall" formerly was known as "The Milton Berle Show". Friday. Note: On January 9, Phillies Jackpot Bowling premiered in the 10:45-11 p.m. spot on NBC, while on March 13 Tombstone Territory replaced Man with a Camera on the ABC schedule. Saturday. Note: On NBC, Brains & Brawn was replaced on January 3, 1959, by The D.A.'s Man. On CBS, Markham premiered Saturday, May 2, 1959, at 10:30 pm. By network. ABC. Returning Series New Series Not returning from 1957–58: CBS. Returning Series New Series Not returning from 1957–58: NBC. Returning Series New  Series Not returning from 1957–58: NTA. Returning series New series Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.