1949–50 United States network television schedule

The 1949–50 United States network television schedule began in September of 1949 and ended in the spring of 1950. This was the first season in which all four networks offered at least some prime time programming all seven nights of the week.

The schedule below reflects the fall lineup as it all settled into place throughout October 1949, before any subsequent time changes were made and additional new series appeared in November.

New fall series are highlighted in bold.

Notable debuts during the season included The Plainclothesman with its unusual camera work, the popular The Lone Ranger (which is one of the few 1940s television series to be given a DVD release), The Ed Wynn Show (a short-lived series featuring popular performers as guests), and the unsuccessful series The Life of Riley, one of the first sitcoms to be produced on film instead of being live. Continuing from prior to this season were the highly popular variety series Toast of the Town, the critically well-received and popular anthology series Studio One, the critically panned but popular Captain Video and His Video Rangers which was one of the earliest sci-fi TV series, the well received by critics and viewers anthology series Kraft Television Theater, the popular Kukla, Fran and Ollie, and the popular in some regions drama/comedy The Goldbergs (which is also one of the few 1940s television series to be given a DVD release).

Fall Schedule

Sunday

Monday

• Beginning July 18, 1949, The Magic Cottage aired on DuMont Monday through Friday from 6:30 to 7pm ET.

Tuesday

Wednesday

• Manhattan Spotlight was replaced by Easy Aces from December 1949 to June 1950.

Thursday

• Wayne King was seen only on NBC's Midwest Network.

Friday

Saturday

• In the half-hour preceding prime time, ABC aired one of the first television westerns, The Marshal of Gunsight Pass, with twenty-two live episodes between March 12 and September 30, 1950.
• On February 25, 1950, Your Show of Shows premiered at 9pm ET on NBC.
• From January 28 to July 29, 1950, Dinner Date With Vincent Lopez aired Saturdays from 8 to 8:30pm ET on DuMont.

References

• Bergmann, Ted; Skutch, Ira (2002). The DuMont Television Network: What Happened?. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-8108-4270-X.
• Castleman, H. & Podrazik, W. (1982). Watching TV: Four Decades of American Television. New York: McGraw-Hill. 314 pp.
• McNeil, Alex. Total Television. Fourth edition. New York: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-14-024916-8.
• Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1964). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1.