Classic TV Ratings and Rankings: 1959 - 60 Season

FATHER KNOWS BEST - Ranked #6

As the 50's end and the 60's begin, the TV Westers is still the king of television. The top three programs are westerns. In the top 30 programs, ten are westerns. This was dowen from the previous season, but it is still a force in the Nielsen ratings. For ABC the Western is what is making the network successful. Five of its seven TOP 30 programs are drama's based in the 1800's with plenty of gun play.

Over at NBC, things are still a little tough. they only place five programs in the TOP 30 chart. Only two of the seven nights are represented in the chart. As history is showing us, once the BIG 3 Networks were on equal footing, NBC seems to be in 3rd place, more times than not.

That leaves CBS with a dominate 18 programs in the TOP 30 chart. The westerns help in that, but CBS has a more diverse line up that is also successful in the ratings. From LASSIE kicking things off on Sunday nights, to FATHER KNOWS BEST, THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW, ALFRED HITCHCOCK PRESENTS and WHAT'S MY LINE. CBS also has at least one TOP 30 hit on every night of the week. As it seems NBC is always in third, it seems CBS is always in first place.

Top 30 Network Programs by household ratings

#1 Comedy Program

1. Gunsmoke (CBS) - 40.3
2. Wagon Train (NBC) - 38.4
3. Have Gun, Will Travel (CBS) - 34.7
4. The Danny Thomas Show (CBS) - 31.1
5. The Red Skelton Show (CBS) - 30.8
6. Father Knows Best (CBS) - 29.7
6. 77 Sunset Strip (ABC) - 29.7
8. The Price Is Right (NBC) - 29.2
9. Wanted: Dead or Alive (CBS) - 28.7
10. Perry Mason (CBS) - 28.3
11. The Real McCoys (ABC) - 28.2
12. The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) - 28.0
13. The Rifleman (ABC) - 27.5
14. The Ford Show Starring Tennessee Ernie Ford (NBC) - 27.4
15. Lawman (ABC) - 26.2
16. Dennis The Menace (CBS) - 26.0
17. Cheyenne (ABC) - 25.9
18. Rawhide (CBS) - 25.8
19. Maverick (ABC)- 25.2
20. The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp (ABC) - 25.0
21. General Electric Theater (CBS) - 24.4
21. Mr. Lucky (CBS) - 24.4
21. Dick Powell's Zane Grey Theater (CBS) - 24.4
24. The Ann Southern Show (CBS) - 24.2
25. Alfred Hitchcock Presents (CBS) - 24.1
26. You Bet Your Life (NBC) - 24.0
27. What's My Line? (CBS) - 23.9
28. I've Got A Secret (CBS) - 23.5
29. Lassie (CBS) - 23.1
29. Perry Como's Kraft Music Hall (NBC) - 23.1