Primetime 1966-1967

The year 1966 was when many TV viewers all over America discovered the wonders of “in living color.” The 1966–1967 primetime television lineup was remarkable not only for the legendary shows that aired, but also because it was the first season in which every show on primetime, across all three major networks, was broadcast entirely in color. Celebrating this iconic year of television, this book covers every scripted episodic show that aired on the ABC, CBS, and NBC networks during the 1966–1967 season in primetime. It includes longtime favorites such as Batman, Bonanza, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, and The Lucy Show and the notable shows that premiered that year such as Star Trek, The Monkees, Green Hornet, Mission: Impossible, It’s About Time, and the color revival of Dragnet. Organized by genre, each entry examines a show from conception to cancelation (and sometimes beyond), ratings, critical and fan reactions, and the show’s use of color.

Thom “Beefstew” Shubilla is a professor of speech communication at Luzerne County Community College in Northeastern Pennsylvania and writes for Screem and Monster Bash Magazines. He lives in Plains Township, Pennsylvania.

Thom “Beefstew” Shubilla

Foreword by Frank Santopadre
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 241
Bibliographic Info: 26 photos, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2022
pISBN: 978-1-4766-8344-7
eISBN: 978-1-4766-4502-5
Imprint: McFarland

Foreword: “Get away from the TV!” by Frank Santopadre 1
Introduction: How the World Turned to Color 3
Chapter One. Superheroes 11
Chapter Two. Dramas 39
Chapter Three. ­Action-Adventure 46
Chapter Four. Law Enforcement 59
Chapter Five. Science Fiction 70
Chapter Six. World War II 97
Chapter Seven. Westerns 106
Chapter Eight. Spies 134
Chapter Nine. Southerners 153
Chapter Ten. Situation Comedies 165
Works Cited 209
Index 225

• “An affectionate, wide-ranging look at the wide spectrum of shows that aired that momentous year.”—The Media Tourist

• “The book examines each genre and provides interesting and fascinating text about the shows, their casts and crews, their genesis and so forth. Take a delightful trip down TV Memory Lane and discover some of the best TV series ever produced and all in full color!”—Boyce McClain’s Consumers’ Collectors’ Corner