Answer: Beat the Clock
Couples competed against the clock doing all sorts of crazy stunts. James Dean was a stunt tester for the show.
From Quiz: 1950's TV Game Shows
Answer: Henry and Alice
"Dennis the Menace" debuted in 1959. It starred Jay North as Dennis. His father, Henry Mitchell, was played by Herbert Anderson, and his mother, Alice, was played by Gloria Henry. As the name of the series implies, Dennis was always getting into trouble, usually because he wanted to help. He loved his neighbors, Mr. and Mrs. Wilson. Sylvia Field played Mrs. Martha Wilson. She adored Dennis; however, her husband, Mr. George Wilson, thought Dennis was a pest and did his best to avoid him, but it never worked. Joseph Kearns played George Wilson until shortly before his death due to a cerebral hemorrhage. Gale Gordon replaced Joseph Kearns, playing George Wilson's brother, John Wilson. After Joseph Kerns died, Martha Wilson was written out, and Sara Seegar joined the cast as John's wife, Eloise Wilson.
From Quiz: 1950s Sitcoms that I Like
Answer: Jingles
Buckshot was the horse ridden by Madison. Joker was Andy's horse. The real Hickok was the Marshal of Abilene, Kansas; his days as Marshal ended shortly after he accidentally killed his deputy in a barroom shootout.
From Quiz: Golden Age of Television: The '50s III
Answer: Walter Denton
In 1952 Richard was 2 months short of 26 years old when he first appeared as high school student Walter Denton in "Our Miss Brooks." The school was Madison High School.
"Route 66" - Tod Stiles played by Martin Milner
"Sea Hunt" - Mike Nelson played by Lloyd Bridges
"The Amos 'n Andy Show" - Algonquin J. Calhoun played by Johnnie Lee
From Quiz: Television's Golden Age - the '50s
Answer: Jay North
Born in 1951, North was already an experienced actor when he became Dennis the Menace in 1959, having made 14 other appearances on the small screen through that year.
In 1990 North joined fellow former child star Paul Peterson's organization, A Minor Consideration, which counsels child actors dealing with challenges and pitfalls which often occur in children's entertainment careers.
From Quiz: Fifties TV Child Stars
Answer: I Love Lucy
The original "I Love Lucy" show ran for six years, from 1951 to 1957, and finished first in the Nielsen Ratings for four of those six years. It was followed by a less successful hour-long show, called "The Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Show". Their marriage deteriorated during this time, and the day after the last episode of this latter show aired in 1960, Lucy filed for divorce from Desi.
From Quiz: Sitcoms of the 1950's
Answer: Romper Room
Although it began as an American TV program, "Romper Room" later branched out internationally. The show targeted children five years of age and younger. The salutation "Miss" in front of a hostess's name was intended to teach children manners. Many of the hostesses had been teachers prior to hosting the show.
From Quiz: Feeling Nostalgic?
Answer: The Cisco Kid
"The Cisco Kid" was the first television show produced fully in color. Color receivers didn't come into wide use in the U.S. until the early '60s so few of us ever saw Cisco and Pancho in color until long after their first run. Frederick Ziv correctly anticipated the future value of syndicated reruns. When stations began color broadcasting, "The Cisco Kid" stayed in demand long after its contemporaries filmed in black and white.
From Quiz: ZIV Television: Syndicated Memories Of The '50s
Answer: The Cavendish Gang
In 1952, due to a dispute over pay, Clayton Moore was replaced as The Lone Ranger for 52 episodes by John Hart. The Ames Brothers were a popular singing group and probably never massacred anyone.
From Quiz: Television's Golden Age - the '50s II
Answer: Admiral Broadway Review
The idea for "Your Show Of Shows" came from the success of a vaudeville act performed at a resort in the Catskills. Caesar and Coca were the stars of this program and TV executive Pat Weaver thought it would look good on TV. It did. Some of the greatest comedy writers in the entertainment industry wrote sketches for this 90-minute live program, including Mel Brooks and Neil Simon.
From Quiz: Life As Viewed Through A 10-inch TV Screen
Answer: Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion
This short lived program that lasted only from 1955 through 1957 starred Buster Crabbe as Capt. Michael Gallant and Cullen Crabbe as his son Cuffy. The setting was a foreign legion outpost in N. Africa. The first season of this show was filmed on location in Morocco, using some of the French colonial troops and real legionnaires. Later, after political unrest reared its ugly head in Morocco, filming was done back in California.
From Quiz: Classic TV shows from 1950 through 1959 Part 2
Answer: Topper
The ghosts were George and Marion Kerby, and their gin-drinking St. Bernard, Neil. Cosmo Topper was the only one who could see the three ghosts that haunted him.
From Quiz: Classic TV shows from 1950 through 1959
Answer: Phineas T. Bluster
Buffalo Bob was the host but he wasn't grouchy. Other characters included Clarabelle and Princess Summer Fall Winter Spring. And where did all the kids sit? Too easy - the Peanut Gallery.
From Quiz: Turn That TV Off!
Answer: Bonanza
Only the characters Ben and Little Joe Cartwright, together with the cook Hop Sing, lasted the entire 14 years of the series.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1959 Season Premiers
Answer: The Oscar Levant Show
Oscar's live show was immediately cancelled after a comment about Marilyn Monroe and Arthur Miller. His 'taped' show ended after a comment about Mae West's sex life. Poor Oscar suffered from mental illness and drug addiction most of his life.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1958 Season Premiers
Answer: M Squad
Lee Marvin played Frank Ballinger who fought organized crime.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1957 Season Premiers
Answer: The Price is Right
Bob Barker began "The New Price is Right" in 1972 and the format changed from a four person panel to the "come on down" audience participation.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1956 Season Premiers
Answer: Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Who can forget the music, the silhouette, the "good evening..." beginning of each episode of this series? The 'Master of Suspense' kept us biting our fingernails for ten years.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1955 Season Premiers
Answer: Lassie
The series ran for 20 years. Tommy Rettig played Jeff Miller, Lassie's original master.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1954 Season Premiers
Answer: You Are There
These dramatic reenactments included "The Gettysburg Address", "The Salem Witchcraft Trials" and "The Landing of the Hindenburg" to name but a few.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1953 Season Premiers
Answer: I Married Joan
Joan Davis was a popular radio and movie comedienne, and rivaled Lucille Ball in the early days of television.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1952 Season Premiers
Answer: Dragnet
Writer, director and star Jack Webb gave a realistic look at the Los Angeles Police Department in the early 1950s.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1951 Season Premiers
Answer: The Arthur Murray Party
Arthur and Kathryn Murray danced their way into Americans' hearts for ten seasons.
From Quiz: Nostalgic Television - 1950 Season Premiers
Answer: Sugarfoot
Tom "Sugarfoot" Brewster got a law degree by correspondence and headed west where his "cowboy" abilities were questionable.
From Quiz: 1959 TV Westerns - Number 4
Answer: 26 Men
Capt. Tom Rynning played by actor Tristram Coffin led the Rangers with the assistance of Ranger Clint Travis played by Kelo Henderson.
From Quiz: 1959 TV Westerns - Number 3
Answer: Hotel de Paree
Earl Holiman starred as Sundance and Jeanette Nolan was his partner Annette Deveraux. Sundance wore a hat with a mirrored hat band.
From Quiz: 1959 TV Westerns - Number 2
Answer: The Rebel
Johnny Yuma was the Rebel, and was played by Nick Adams for the 1959 to 1961 seasons.
From Quiz: 1959 TV Westerns - Number 1
Answer: 'The Adventures of Superman'
Played by Robert Shayne.
From Quiz: 1950s TV Cops
Answer: Metropolis
From Quiz: 1950s TV Cities
Answer: Soldier
Played by Phil Silvers
From Quiz: 1950s What's Their Line?
Answer: Bennett Cerf and Dorothy Kilgallen
Bennett Cerf was the founder of the publishing house Random House. Dorothy Kilgallen was a crime reporter and played a role in the retrial and subsequent release of Sam Shephard, whose case formed the basis for the TV series "The Fugitive".
From Quiz: 1950's TV Game Shows
Answer: Stone
"The Donna Reed Show" also starred Carl Betz as her husband Alex Stone, a doctor. At the beginning of the series, they had two children: a daughter, Shelley Fabares, who played Mary, and a son, Jeff, played by Paul Petersen. When Mary went to college, and the actress playing her left the series, Paul's sister Patty Petersen played Trisha, an eight-year-old the family adopted. Donna Stone was a housewife on the show. The show's opening credits showed her handing lunches to the kids as they went off to school and then to her husband as he left for work. He would then come back in to kiss her before going.
From Quiz: 1950s Sitcoms that I Like
Answer: Man With A Camera
Before attaining superstar status in the movies, Charles Bronson appeared in dozens of TV shows in the '50s and '60s. Besides the short lived (29 episodes) "Man With A Camera", he was later a regular in "Empire" and "The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters."
From Quiz: Golden Age of Television: The '50s III
Answer: John Beresford Tipton
The money given away in the 206 episodes of "The Millionaire" would be worth over $1.7 billion in 2013 dollars. Thurston Howell III was stranded with Gilligan. Rich Uncle Pennybags is the top-hatted guy in the Monopoly game. I made up Randolph Trump.
From Quiz: Television's Golden Age - the '50s
Answer: George Burns
"The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show" debuted on TV in 1950, following a successful run on radio. Its TV run ended in 1958, but only because Gracie grew tired of performing and wanted to retire.
From Quiz: Sitcoms of the 1950's
Answer: Communists
The major networks blacklisted writers and actors suspected of left wing leanings, but they generally ignored the subject on the air. Ziv brought the Red Scare into America's living rooms weekly from 1953-56.
From Quiz: ZIV Television: Syndicated Memories Of The '50s
Answer: The Life of Riley
The first "round" of "The Life of Riley" ran from 1949-1950 with Jackie as Chester A. Riley. In 1953 the show was resurrected starring William Bendix and a whole new cast. It was a perfect role for Bendix and the show lasted for five years. Bendix had played Riley on the radio and starred as Riley in a 1949 theatrical film release. How Gleason got the initial nod for the TV show is a mystery to me.
From Quiz: Television's Golden Age - the '50s II
Answer: U.S. Navy
Lt. Hennesey was a Naval medical officer, assigned to a U.S. Navy base in San Diego, California.
Hennesey answered to the base commander, Captain Walter Shafer (Roscoe Karnes), and had a romantic interest, Martha Hale (Abby Dalton), whom he married in an episode during the third season. The activities of the base medical department were spiced up by Harvey Spencer Blair III, a dentist who always seem to have gimmick or scam in progress.
"Hennesey", a popular comedy drama, aired for three seasons and produced 96 episodes between 1959 and 1962.
The series received four Emmy Awards nominations during its run. Jackie Cooper was nominated for "Outstanding Lead Performance in a Series" in 1961 and 1962.
Abby Daltom was nominated for "Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role by an Actress" in 1961.
From Quiz: Television in the 1950's ... Remember ?
Answer: Adam Cartwright
Adam Cartwright, who was the eldest son, was played by Pernell Roberts. He left the series in 1965, at the end of season six.
From Quiz: Classic TV shows from 1950 through 1959
Answer: 3
"I Love Lucy" finished behind the ever popular "Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts" and the "Texaco Star Theatre", but went on to dominated the decade, and set the standard for television comedy for the next half a century.
From Quiz: The 1950s Most Popular TV Shows
