Image: CBS Television via Wiki Commons
About This Quiz
Any TV lover worth his or her pop culture badge would definitely know the many successful television shows of each decade. And what decade would provide those rightful TV-watching stripes than having them identify the shows during the Golden Age of Television.
Indeed, each media produced by humankind always came out with its own respective golden age era. For television, whose technicalities were still being polished, debated upon, and even being fought in court during the 1940s, the latter part of that decade became the Golden Age of Television, continuing it well up to the 1950s and even the early 1960s. The 1950s was the definitive decade for this era since there were many kinds of innovations that appeared ever since the first commercial television broadcast was made.
And what were those innovations? For one, the kinds of programs that were shown were always being experimented upon. Genres borrowed from TV's earlier audiovisual cousin, cinema, which also developed and got enhanced as the television industry unfolded more. TV commercials also had a different approach of selling back then, but all of these early innovations were pivotal in the development of the television industry today.
So, do you think you can name the '50s TV shows where some prominent actors first appeared or got popular? Take a shot and take the quiz!
Captain Kangaroo
Leave It To Beaver
The popular show called "Leave It To Beaver" aired in 1957 and concluded in 1963, but it forever cemented its place in American pop culture for what it showed, and how it told stories. The show unfolded from the point of view of the young Theodore Cleaver, who is the one being referred to as “The Beaver” in the narrative, showing America a glimpse of American childhood told from a young boy’s perspective, which was rare back then.
Rawhide
The Jack Benny Program
Advertisement
The Rifleman
Have Gun – Will Travel
The Lone Ranger
The heroic adventures of "The Lone Ranger" first aired in 1949, and it ran its course until 1957. Its distinct opening theme music, the “William Tell Overture,” is forever connected to this character.
Wagon Train
Advertisement
Bonanza
"Bonanza" came on the air in 1959, and lasted on television up to the early ‘70s, which proves that an all-male western with some drama depicted on it could last for a long time back then. The series was about a widower living on a ranch with three grown sons he sired from three different women.
Father Knows Best
Dragnet
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
Advertisement
The Untouchables
The Lone Ranger
Maverick
Father Knows Best
"Father Knows Best" starred Robert Young who first essayed the role of all-American dad Jim Anderson on radio, and continued it when it became a TV series in 1954. It was shown in black and white, and lasted until 1960.
Advertisement
The Roy Rogers Show
The Three Stooges
"The Three Stooges" were originally a vaudeville comedy act that began in the 1920s. Moe Howard and Larry Fine were present during its start and were also there with a third stooge as they made short films that aired on television in 1958, gaining them more popularity that transcended until the ‘70s.
Our Miss Brooks
Amos 'n' Andy
Advertisement
Highway Patrol
Dennis the Menace
Dragnet
Like other shows of the 1950s, "Dragnet" first came to life on radio, where it was a successful crime drama. When it came to television in 1952, the success continued, even spawning a reboot in later decades.
The Danny Thomas Show
Advertisement
Perry Mason
The TV version of "Perry Mason" debuted in 1957 and lasted on air until 1966, proving that early legal dramas were also a hit among TV viewers of the Golden Age of Television. Raymond Burr became known for this role, playing the criminal defense lawyer who was first popularized in many novels and on radio, prior to becoming a TV show.
Truth or Consequences
Peter Gunn
Bachelor Father
Advertisement
The Red Skelton Show
The Donna Reed Show
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
It’s not so strange to have a real-life family star in one TV show these days, thanks to reality TV fare, but this was a rare occurrence in the 1950s. So when the popular radio-originating show called "The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet" crossed over to television in 1952, Americans welcomed the Nelson family in their living rooms via the new media technology, until the show ended in 1966.
Zorro
Advertisement
The Jackie Gleason Show
Sea Hunt
77 Sunset Strip
Adventures of Superman
It was in 1952 when Superman first debuted on American screens via the TV show, "Adventures of Superman," which lasted until 1958. While the original run was broadcast in black and white, the latter seasons were originally filmed in color, and the colored versions were the ones shown when the series went on syndication in 1965.
Advertisement
The Honeymooners
The Ed Sullivan Show
Gunsmoke
"Gunsmoke" debuted on television in 1955 and lasted until 1975, counting a total of 20 seasons to its credit. Audiences loved watching Marshal Matt Dillon’s adventures in this western set in Dodge City, Kansas.
Perry Mason
Advertisement
Bonanza
The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
The Abbott and Costello Show
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello got their own show called "The Abbot and Costello Show" in 1952. It lasted until 1954 but continued to run in syndication afterward. While their original style is reflective of vaudeville comedy acts, the TV show actually had a narrative arc that featured fictionalized scenarios.
The Untouchables
Advertisement
Zorro
Guy Williams played rich intellectual Don Diego de la Vega, who secretly became "Zorro" to fight for the oppressed. The TV version of this character first aired in 1957 and concluded in 1958.
Adventures of Superman
Father Knows Best
Dragnet
Advertisement
The Lone Ranger
Rawhide
Before honing his craft playing moody cowboys in spaghetti western films, Clint Eastwood honed his cowboy poses in "Rawhide." He played the character of Rowdy Yates, and the show ran successfully from 1959 to 1965.
Maverick
Lassie
Advertisement
Gunsmoke
Amos ‘n’ Andy
Amos Jones and Andy Hogg Brown were characters of African-American descent, but were originated by two white men – Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll -- on radio and later on film. But as they realized that black actors needed to portray the two on television, Alvin Childress and Spencer Williams got cast to play the comedic duo in the TV show, which aired from 1951 to 1953.
Have Gun Will Travel
The Restless Gun
Advertisement
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Honeymooners
The New York-set story of "The Honeymooners" featured comedic storylines coming out of two married couples’ interactions in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. It premiered on TV in 1955, and had the story revolve around funnyman Jackie Gleason’s bus driver character named Ralph Kramden.
Perry Mason
Advertisement
The Life & Legend of Wyatt Earp
Wagon Train
The Rifleman
Maverick
James Garner starred as Bret Maverick, the poker player who roamed around the old west, in the TV show called "Maverick," which aired from 1957 to 1962. Coincidentally, when Mel Gibson adapted the show into a 1994 movie, taking the role of Bret Maverick, an older James Garner co-starred with him, this time playing Marshal Zane Cooper.
Advertisement
I Married Joan
The Untouchables
Peter Gunn
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Before getting into cars and racing on film, Steve McQueen played a bounty hunter character in the TV western, "Wanted: Dead or Alive." The show aired from 1958 to 1961, and this is where he showcased the cool persona he brought along successfully into the movies when he transitioned into a movie star.
Advertisement
The David Niven Show
A Date with Judy
The Donna Reed Show
The 1950s American TV landscape featured many suburban family life scenarios and "The Donna Reed Show" was no exception. Donna Reed played a middle-class housewife who was married to a doctor and had two teenage children. This scenario played successfully on television from 1958 to 1966.
The Clay Cole Show
Advertisement
The Red Skelton Show
The Donna Reed Show
Zorro
The Real McCoys
"The Real McCoys" is about the McCoy family, originally from Virginia, who had to move to California. Richard Crenna starred as Luke McCoy while Walter Brennan played his Grandpa Amos. The series aired from 1957 until 1963.
Advertisement
The D.A.'s Man
The Roy Rogers Show
Roy Rogers is the quintessential all-American cowboy Dale Evans in "The Roy Rogers Show," whose aim is to help those in need. The show successfully aired from 1951 to 1957, and as reruns from 1961 to 1964, targeting Saturday morning viewers – namely, children.
Cheyenne
Casey Jones
Advertisement
Hopalong Cassidy
Gangbusters
Davy Crockett
In modern-day language, Davy Crockett was technically a "mini-series." It aired between 1954 and 1955, featuring five episodes that ran for one hour each. The popular song, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett,” actually came from this series, which was later edited together and became films.
The George Gobel Show
Advertisement
The George Gobel Show
Sergeant Bilko
"The Phil Silvers Show" was actually titled "You’ll Never Get Rich" in the beginning because that was basically the premise of the sitcom’s story lines. But since Phil Silvers’ Sgt. Bilko character made a huge mark in pop culture, sometimes the show also gets called "Bilko" or "Sergeant Bilko."
I Love Lucy
Leave It to Beaver
Advertisement
Laramie
Hawaiian Eye
The Real McCoys
The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp
"The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp" was a western series primarily marketed to adults. It began airing in 1955 and concluded in 1961. They say that Hugh O’Brian was cast in the lead role because his profile resembles that of the real Earp's profile.
Advertisement
The Rifleman
Wagon Train
Have Gun, Will Travel
It’s interesting to note that the roster of writers who made "Have Gun, Will Travel," from 1957 to 1963, also became legendary in their own right later on. Gene Roddenberry, for instance, went on to create "Star Trek," Harry Julian Fink became a co-creator of the Dirty Harry character in movies, and Bruce Geller created the original concept for "Mission: Impossible" that also became a TV series.
Captain Kangaroo
Advertisement
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis
While the sitcom called "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis" made Dwayne Hickman a star, it also featured a very young actor who would transition into a big Hollywood movie star later on: Warren Beatty. This sitcom ran successfully from 1959 to 1963 and also featured "Gilligan’s Island" lead actor Bob Denver as Dobie’s best friend.
Faye Emerson's Wonderful Town
The Greatest Gift
High Adventure
Advertisement
The Auntie Dee Show
Annie Oakley
Betty Crocker Star Matinee
Our Miss Brooks
"Our Miss Brooks" aired from 1952 to 1956, coming out of a successful radio series that started airing in 1948. Eve Arden played the titular teacher character, and the narratives revolved around her life as a public high school teacher.
Advertisement
77 Sunset Strip
Efrem Zimbalist Jr. played a secret agent-turned-private detective in "77 Sunset Strip." The series aired from 1958 to 1964. His daughter, Stephanie Zimbalist, also played a detective in the ‘80s series, "Remington Steele."
After the Deadlines
Crusader
Danger
Advertisement
Dennis the Menace
The memorable comics character of "Dennis the Menace" was turned into a cute TV series which aired from 1959 to 1963. It starred Jay North as Dennis Mitchell and famous voice actor Mel Blanc also had a guest role.
The Adventures of Clint and Mac
Time for Beany
The Adventures of Superboy
Advertisement
Lassie
Blondie
"Blondie" is the TV series version of the popular comic strip, which features the same female-driven narrative headlined by Blondie and her hubby, Dagwood. The TV series version, which aired in 1957, featured Pamela Britton as Blondie.
Markham
Peter Gunn
Advertisement
The Real McCoys
Wanted: Dead or Alive
Public Defender
Reed Haley essayed the role of Bart Matthews, the lawyer who usually worked pro bono in the TV series called "Public Defender." This legal drama aired from 1954 to 1955and had notable guest stars such as Natalie Wood, Lyle Talbot, and Charles Bronson, to name a few.
Perry Mason
Advertisement
The Cisco Kid
"The Cisco Kid" is a character created by American literary writer O. Henry, so it’s no surprise that he also ended up writing episodes of this TV series. This ‘50s program is also notable for being shot in color, even though it aired in black and white.
Johnny Staccato
The Kaiser Aluminum Hour
Kukla, Fran and Ollie
Advertisement
The Alan Dale Show
Andy's Gang
Arthur Godfrey and His Friends
Make Room for Daddy
"Make Room for Daddy" first aired in 1953 and ran for three seasons before it was revised to "The Danny Thomas Show" but with similar continuing storyline content. The show transferred networks and ran successfully until it ended in 1964.
Advertisement
Johnny Ringo
Hopalong Cassidy
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
The Rifleman
"The Rifleman" aired from 1958 to 1963, featuring a father raising a son in the New Mexico territory of the late 1800s. The notable single parent storyline was very unique for American media.
Advertisement
Behind Closed Doors
Sea Hunt
"Sea Hunt" was a TV series that aired from 1958 to 1961. It focused on the character of Mike Nelson who was played by Lloyd Bridges. The show also had notable guests, like Bridges' sons. Beau Bridges and Jeff Bridges, as well as Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern, to name a few.
The Cases of Eddie Drake
Death Valley Days
Advertisement
Lamp Unto My Feet
Pony Express
The Restless Gun
Lassie
Tommy Rettig played Jeff Miller at the start of the show called "Lassie," from 1955 to 1957. Lassie had several humans as the dog was transferred to different places, until the long-running show ended in 1973.
Advertisement
Decoy
Jungle Jim
I Married Joan
"I Married Joan" became a new star vehicle for an already popular vaudeville star, Joan Davis, when it aired in 1952. She was able to bring her radio comedy persona into the show until it ended in 1955.
The Ed Sullivan Show
Advertisement
Casablanca
Captain David Grief
Highway Patrol
"Highway Patrol" was supposed to depict the California Highway Patrol but was developed into a more generic-sounding highway patrol to reach a wider audience. The series starred Broderick Crawford as the police chief of the patrol, and also featured notable guest stars such as Barbara Eden, Larry Hagman, and Leonard Nimoy, to name a few.
The Deputy
Advertisement
Lash of the West
The Lawless Years
Fury
"Fury" was the name of the horse that’s also a character in the TV series starring Peter Graves. The show was aimed at children and starred a boy in the lead. It aired from 1955 to 1960.
The Man from Blackhawk
Advertisement
77 Sunset Strip
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Richard Greene portrayed Robin Hood in the British TV series called "The Adventures of Robin Hood," which ran from 1955 to 1959. It also aired in the U.S., as well as in Canada and Australia, and was actually produced by American Hannah Weinstein who had already moved to the U.K. by that time.
Father Knows Best
Dragnet
Advertisement
Leave It to Beaver
I Love Lucy
"I Love Lucy" is a show everybody loved back then, which showed people that women can also successfully carry a show, and headline it for a long time. The original sitcom aired in 1951 and ended in 1957, which featured Desi Arnaz as her partner in life and in laughs, both onscreen and off.
The Donna Reed Show
The Danny Thomas Show
Advertisement
You Got:
/40
