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New Series 1966
 Star Trek: The Original Series - With low ratings Star Trek was set for cancellation for the first two years. A fan base letter writing campaign kept it going for a third year but was put in the Friday night "death slot" and funding so reduced that the quality suffered to the extent that creator Gene Roddenberry left the set in protest. It starred William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Nichelle Nichols, James Doohan and George Takei.
 Batman - High camp bi weekly cliff hanger series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. As has been the case with the Batman movies, the star power of the criminals stole the show with Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Frank Gorshin and Julie Newmar to name a few of very many. A Costume department had a hard time with the leotards and Burt Ward's... How do you say? Great Endowment which became a running joke on the set.
 The Monkees - (1966 -1968) Michael Nesmith, Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz and Peter Tork take the success of The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night and Help to television. Though the group was cast as actors, Jones, Nesmith and Tork were musicians and Dolenz quickly learned the drums, producer Don Kirshner held their musical talents in check. The TV show, the group, their albums and their tours all became very successful.
 That Girl - (1966 - 1971). Starring Marlo Thomas and Ted Bessell as her boyfriend Donald. Episodes would begin before the credits with that girl doing something that caused someone to yelp "That Girl" which was presented in large text on the screen.It was the first show starring a single woman in the workplace, the forerunner to Mary Tyler Moore Show and Murphy Brown.
 Dark Shadows (1966 - 1971) An afternoon Soap Opera with vampires, werewolves, ghosts, zombies, witches, warlocks, time travel and parallel universes. Starring lead Vampire Barnabas Collins played by Jonathan Frid. Big fans of the show include Tim Burton, Madonna and Johnny Depp.
The Newlywed Game - (1966 - 1983) Bob Eubanks became the youngest game show host (28) for this Chuck Barris production. It was the first show to dub naughty words with a "bleep". The show gained most notoriety from the answer to Eubanks question "Where is the weirdest place you ever made whoopie?". Here it is from 1977:
Newlyweds butt classic
The 700 Club
Firing Line
Cool McCool
Daktari
Family Affair
Felony Squad
Hollywood Squares
Mission: Impossible
Occasional Wife
The Rat Patrol
The Road Runner Show
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Tarzan
The Time Tunnel
More on each new show of 1966 at Wikipedia |
Television News 1966
Networks Go all Color Prime time
 How the Grinch Stole Christmas, narrated by Boris Karloff, is shown for the first time on CBS. It will become an annual Christmas tradition, and the worst-loved film ever based on a Dr. Seuss book.
The Emmy's of 1966 - 1967
Outstanding Dramatic Series - Mission Impossible
Outstanding Continued Performance By an Actor in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series - Bill Cosby, I Spy
Outstanding Continued Performance By an Actress in a Leading Role in a Dramatic Series - Barbara Bain, Mission - Impossible
Outstanding Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Drama - Eli Wallach, Xerox Special - The Poppy Is Also a Flower
Outstanding Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama - Agnes Moorehead, Wild, Wild West :Night of the Vicious Valentine
Outstanding Comedy Series - The Monkees
Outstanding Continued Performance By an Actor in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series - Don Adams, Get Smart!
Outstanding Continued Performance By an Actress in a Leading Role in a Comedy Series - Lucille Ball, The Lucy Show
Outstanding Performance By an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy - Don Knotts, The Andy Griffith Show
Outstanding Performance By an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Comedy - Frances Bavier, The Andy Griffith Show
Outstanding Variety Series - The Andy Williams Show
Most Watched 1966 - 1967
1. Bonanza
2. The Red Skelton Show
3. The Andy Griffith Show
4. The Lucy Show
5. The Jackie Gleason Show
6. Green Acres
7. Daktari
8. Bewitched
9. The Beverly Hillbillies
10. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
11. The Virginian
12. The Lawrence Welk Show
13. The Ed Sullivan Show
14. The Dean Martin Show
15. Family Affair
16. The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour
17. Friday Night Movies
18. Hogan's Heroes
19. Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
20. NBC Saturday Night Movie
Series End 1966
Rawhide (1959-1966)
Shindig! (1964-1966)
Mister Ed (1961-1966).
The Donna Reed Show (1958-1966).
The Flintstones (1960-1966).
The Addams Family (1964-1966).
The Munsters (1964-1966).
The Dick Van Dyke Show (1961-1966).
Hullabaloo (1965-1966). Replaced by The Monkees.
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966).
Ben Casey (1961-1966).
Ready Steady Go! (1963-1966)
TV Guide Schedule 1966
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