1964–65 United States network television schedule

The following is the 1964–65 network television schedule for the three major English language commercial broadcast networks in the United States. The schedule covers primetime hours from September 1964 through August 1965. The schedule is followed by a list per network of returning series, new series, and series cancel after the 1963–64 season.

This is the first full season in which NBC broadcast more than 50% of its schedule in color, a fact which the network emphasized during its September 19–25 premiere week.

CBS and ABC, still mostly in black and white, continued rolling out rural sitcoms; in fall 1964 the networks added Gomer Pyle, USMC (CBS) and No Time For Sergeants (ABC) to their respective schedules. According to television historians Castleman and Podrazik (1982), critics objected to CBS's rural sitcom-heavy schedule, particularly the Gomer Pyle character, but the "high ratings earned by the silly gimmicks and simpleton heroes would assure rural sitcoms spots in the network schedules for years."

Castleman and Podrazik also point out the large number of "escapist" programs which debuted during the fall of 1964: Gilligan's Island (CBS), Bewitched (ABC), My Living Doll (CBS), The Addams Family (ABC) and The Munsters (CBS). Only NBC avoided the escapist trend during the season, with the exception of The Man From U.N.C.L.E..

All times are Eastern and Pacific. Premieres are highlighted in bold while endings are highlighted in italics.

Each of the 30 highest-rated shows is listed with its rank and rating as determined by Nielsen Media Research.


 * Yellow indicates the programs in the top 10 for the season.
 * Cyan indicates the programs in the top 20 for the season.
 * Magenta indicates the programs in the top 30 for the season.

Sunday
Notes: Mister Ed aired on CBS from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m. until January 1965, when World War One took over the time period.

On NBC, some episodes of Branded aired in color. Buckskin, which aired on NBC in July and August 1965, consisted of reruns of the 1958–1959 series.

On CBS, Bill & Martha was originally supposed to have aired 9:30 p.m., but it was replaced by The Joey Bishop Show before it ever began.

Friday
Note: On CBS, Vacation Playhouse was an anthology series made up entirely of unsold television pilots.

ABC
Returning Series
 * The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet
 * The Avengers
 * Ben Casey
 * Burke's Law
 * Combat!
 * The Donna Reed Show
 * The Farmer's Daughter
 * The Flintstones
 * The Fugitive
 * The Hollywood Palace
 * The Jimmy Dean Show
 * The Lawrence Welk Show
 * McHale's Navy
 * My Three Sons
 * The Outer Limits
 * The Patty Duke Show
 * Saga of Western Man
 * Wagon Train

New Series
 * 12 O'Clock High
 * ABC Scope
 * The ABC Sunday Night Movie
 * The Addams Family
 * Bewitched
 * The Bing Crosby Show
 * Broadside
 * F.D.R. *
 * Jonny Quest
 * The King Family Show *
 * Mickey
 * No Time for Sergeants
 * Peyton Place
 * Shindig!
 * The Tycoon
 * Valentine's Day
 * Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea
 * Wendy and Me

Not returning from 1963–64:
 * 77 Sunset Strip
 * 100 Grand
 * ABC News Reports
 * Arrest and Trial
 * Breaking Point
 * Channing
 * Destry
 * The Edie Adams Show
 * Ensign O'Toole
 * The Fight of the Week
 * The Greatest Show on Earth
 * Hootenanny
 * The Jerry Lewis Show
 * Laughs For Sale
 * Make That Spare
 * The Price is Right
 * The Sid Caesar Show
 * The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters

CBS
Returning Series
 * The Andy Griffith Show
 * The Beverly Hillbillies
 * Candid Camera
 * CBS News Hour
 * CBS News Specials
 * The Danny Kaye Show
 * The Danny Thomas Show
 * The Defenders
 * The Dick Van Dyke Show
 * The Doctors and the Nurses
 * The Ed Sullivan Show
 * Glynis
 * Gunsmoke
 * Hollywood Talent Scouts
 * I've Got a Secret
 * The Jackie Gleason Show
 * The Joey Bishop Show (Moved from NBC)
 * Lassie
 * The Lucy Show
 * The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour
 * Mister Ed
 * My Favorite Martian
 * On Broadway Tonight
 * Password
 * Perry Mason
 * Petticoat Junction
 * Rawhide
 * The Red Skelton Hour
 * Secret Agent
 * Slattery's People
 * Summer Playhouse
 * To Tell the Truth
 * The Twentieth Century
 * Vacation Playhouse
 * What's My Line?

New Series
 * The Baileys of Balboa
 * The Cara Williams Show
 * The Celebrity Game
 * The Entertainers
 * Fanfare *
 * For the People *
 * Gilligan's Island
 * Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.
 * Many Happy Returns
 * Mr. Broadway
 * The Munsters
 * My Living Doll
 * Our Private World *
 * The Reporter
 * World War One

Not returning from 1963–64:
 * Brenner
 * East Side/West Side
 * The Great Adventure
 * High Adventure with Lowell Thomas
 * The Jack Benny Program (moved to NBC)
 * The Judy Garland Show
 * Made in America
 * Route 66
 * Suspense
 * Tell It to the Camera
 * The Twilight Zone

NBC
Returning Series
 * The Alfred Hitchcock Hour
 * The Andy Williams Show
 * The Bell Telephone Hour
 * The Bill Dana Show
 * Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre
 * Bonanza
 * Buckskin
 * Chrysler Presents a Bob Hope Special
 * Dr. Kildare
 * Hazel
 * International Show
 * The Jack Benny Program (moved from CBS)
 * The Jack Paar Program
 * The Jonathan Winters Show
 * Kraft Suspense Theatre
 * Mr. Novak
 * NBC Saturday Night at the Movies
 * Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
 * That Was the Week That Was
 * The Virginian
 * Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color

New Series
 * 90 Bristol Court
 * Branded *
 * Cloak of Mystery *
 * Daniel Boone
 * The Famous Adventures of Mr. Magoo
 * Flipper
 * Harris Against the World
 * Hullabaloo *
 * International Showtime
 * Karen
 * Kentucky Jones
 * The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
 * Moment of Fear
 * NBC Wednesday Night at the Movies
 * Profiles in Courage
 * The Rogues
 * Tom, Dick and Mary

Not returning from 1963–64:
 * The DuPont Show of the Week
 * The Eleventh Hour
 * Espionage
 * Ford Presents the New Christy Minstrels
 * Grindl
 * Harry's Girls
 * Hollywood and the Stars
 * The Lieutenant
 * The Joey Bishop Show (moved to CBS)
 * On Parade
 * Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall
 * Redigo
 * The Richard Boone Show
 * Sing Along with Mitch
 * Temple Houston
 * That Was the Week That Was
 * You Don't Say!

Note: The * indicates that the program was introduced in midseason.