1948–49 United States network television schedule

The 1948–49 United States network television schedule began in September of 1948 and ended in the spring of 1949. This was the first season in which all four networks then in operation in the United States offered nightly prime time schedules Monday through Friday.

The schedule below reflects the fall lineup as it all settled into place throughout October 1948, before any subsequent time changes were made and additional new series appeared in November.

New fall series are highlighted in bold. A number of ABC's new fall shows began as early as mid-August, when the network first began broadcasting a seven-night schedule. CBS and DuMont also had some new shows begin in the latter half of August. These shows are noted as such by (Aug.). NBC began airing Saturday Night Jamboree in December.

Several notable programs debuted during the season or during the preceding summer, with varying degrees of representation as kinescopes. Texaco Star Theater proved to be one of the most notable hits of the season, and was credited with encouraging many people to buy their first television set. The 1948 episodes of the show are lost, but many of the 1949 episodes are still extant. Short-lived series The Laytons was the first network television sitcom to feature an African-American in a regular supporting role, albeit a stereotypical one. No episodes survive. The Morey Amsterdam Show, which debuted in December, while not a ratings success, did introduce television audiences to Art Carney who played one of the main characters. In his book The Forgotten Network, David Weinstein noted similarities between Carney's "Charlie the Doorman" character and his later role as Ed Norton on Cavalcade of Stars and The Honeymooners. Four of the CBS episodes of The Morey Amsterdam Show are held by the UCLA Film and Television Archive. Toast of the Town, re-titled The Ed Sullivan Show in 1955, debuted in the summer of 1948, and would prove popular enough to run to 1971.

Fall Schedule

Sunday

Note: The Ed Sullivan Show, AKA Toast of the Town, premiered June 20, 1948, at 9:00 p.m. on CBS.

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

• The Laytons only lasted 10 episodes, from August 11 to October 13, 1948.
• Picture This, hosted by Wendy Barrie, aired November 17, 1948, to February 9, 1949

Thursday

Friday

• From April 14, 1948, to April 22, 1949, Russ Hodges' Scoreboard aired Fridays from 6:30pm to 6:45pm ET on DuMont.
• On January 21, 1949, Your Show Time replaced Musical Miniatures. Your Show Time had premiered on NBC's East Coast stations in September 1948, and began to include NBC's Midwest stations on January 21.

Saturday

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.