1. Rod Serling
    PREMIERED 1959

    The Twilight Zone

    On CBS, ran 1959–1964Pictured: Rod Serling

1950s

TV IN THE 1950s

1950: TOP PREMIERES

  1. FEB 2CBS
    What's My Line?

    American panel game show

    Ran 1950–1975

  2. SEP 5broadcast syndication
    The Cisco Kid

    American Western television series

    Ran 1950–1956

    The Cisco Kid
  3. OCT 28CBS
    The Jack Benny Program

    U.S. television comedy series

    Ran 1950–1965

    The Jack Benny Program

1951: TOP PREMIERES

  1. JAN 3NHK Radio 1
    Kōhaku Uta Gassen

    Japanese television program by NHK

    Kōhaku Uta Gassen
  2. SEP 3NBC
    Search for Tomorrow

    American soap opera (1952–86)

    Ran 1951–1986

  3. OCT 15CBS
    I Love Lucy

    American television sitcom

    Ran 1951–1957

  4. DEC 24NBC
    Hallmark Hall of Fame

    American television anthology series

1952: TOP PREMIERES

  1. JAN 14NBC
    Today

    American morning television program broadcast on NBC

  2. MAR 1broadcast syndication
    Death Valley Days

    American television series

    Ran 1952–1970

  3. JUN 30CBS
    Guiding Light

    American radio and television soap opera

    Ran 1952–2009

  4. SEP 19ABC
    Adventures of Superman

    US 1950s television series

    Ran 1952–1958

  5. OCT 3ABC
    The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet

    American sitcom

    Ran 1952–1966

    The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
  6. OCT 7ABC
    American Bandstand

    American TV program featured music-performances and dance television show

    Ran 1952–1989

1953: TOP PREMIERES

  1. JUL 18British Broadcasting Corporation
    The Quatermass Experiment

    Television series

  2. NOV 11BBC One
    Panorama

    BBC Television current affairs documentary programme

1954: TOP PREMIERES

  1. MAR 15CBS
    The Early Show

    American morning television series on CBS

    Ran 1954–2012

  2. SEP 12CBS
    Lassie

    TV series

    Ran 1954–1973

    Lassie
  3. SEP 27NBC
    The Tonight Show

    American late-night talk show hosted by Jimmy Fallon

  4. OCT 3CBS
    Father Knows Best

    Television program

    Ran 1954–1960

    Father Knows Best
  5. OCT 15ABC
    The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin

    Television program

    Ran 1954–1959

    The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin
  6. NOV 7CBS
    Face the Nation

    American weekly news and public affairs program

1955: TOP PREMIERES

  1. JAN 15British Broadcasting Corporation
    The Benny Hill Show

    Television series

    Ran 1955–1989

    The Benny Hill Show
  2. SEP 10CBS
    Gunsmoke

    American radio (1952–1961) and television (1955–1975) Western drama series

    Ran 1955–1975

  3. OCT 1CBS
    The Honeymooners

    American sitcom

    Ran 1955–1956

    The Honeymooners
  4. OCT 2NBC
    Alfred Hitchcock Presents

    American television anthology series

    Ran 1955–1965

    Alfred Hitchcock Presents
  5. OCT 3ABC
    The Mickey Mouse Club

    American variety television show loop

    Ran 1955–1959

    The Mickey Mouse Club
  6. DEC 25BBC One
    Children in Need

    UK charity of the BBC

1956: TOP PREMIERES

  1. APR 2CBS
    As the World Turns

    Television series

    Ran 1956–2010

  2. APR 2CBS
    The Edge of Night

    American television crime drama and soap opera (1956–84)

    Ran 1956–1984

  3. OCT 29NBC
    NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas

    American daily evening television news program

1957: TOP PREMIERES

  1. SEP 21CBS
    Perry Mason

    American dramatized court show

    Ran 1957–1966

    Perry Mason
  2. SEP 22ABC
    Maverick

    Television series

    Ran 1957–1962

    Maverick
  3. OCT 4CBS
    Leave It to Beaver

    American sitcom from the 1950s and 1960s

    Ran 1957–1963

    Leave It to Beaver
  4. OCT 10ABC
    Zorro

    American action-adventure western drama series

    Ran 1957–1959

  5. DEC 14NBC
    The Ruff & Reddy Show

    American animated television series

    Ran 1957–1960

  6. 1957Česká televize
    The Little Mole

    Czech animated short film series

    Ran 1957–2000

    The Little Mole

1958: TOP PREMIERES

  1. SEP 6CBS
    Wanted: Dead or Alive

    Television series

    Ran 1958–1961

  2. SEP 24ABC
    The Donna Reed Show

    American situation comedy

    Ran 1958–1966

    The Donna Reed Show
  3. OCT 2broadcast syndication
    The Huckleberry Hound Show

    American animated television series

    Ran 1958–1961

  4. OCT 2broadcast syndication
    Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks

    American animated television series

    Ran 1958–1961

  5. OCT 16BBC One
    Blue Peter

    British children's television programme

  6. 1958Sveriges Television
    Melodifestivalen

    Swedish Eurovision Song Contest preselection

1959: TOP PREMIERES

  1. JAN 9CBS
    Rawhide

    American television series

    Ran 1959–1965

    Rawhide
  2. SEP 12NBC
    Bonanza

    1959-1973 American western/cowboy television series

    Ran 1959–1973

    Bonanza
  3. SEP 28broadcast syndication
    The Quick Draw McGraw Show

    American animated television series

    Ran 1959–1962

    The Quick Draw McGraw Show
  4. OCT 2CBS
    The Twilight Zone

    American TV anthology series

    Ran 1959–1964

  5. OCT 15ABC
    The Untouchables

    American television series

    Ran 1959–1963

    The Untouchables
  6. NOV 19ABC
    The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show

    American animated television series

    Ran 1959–1964

Up next

NEXT DECADETV in the 1960sFROM 1955FuryDAILY GAMEWhich show premiered first?