What America Didn’t Watch – Monday, November 25th, 1963

What We Didn’t Watch is a four-part special feature focusing on network prime-time programming pre-empted in November 1963 by coverage of President Kennedy’s assassination, its aftermath and his funeral. The networks aired news coverage and a few specials but no regular programming and no commercials. Most of the scheduled programs were aired at a later date. All times are Eastern.

Part Four: Monday, November 25th, 1963

This was the last day the networks would pre-empt their planned programming for continuing coverage of President Kennedy’s assassination and funeral.

Daytime programming pre-empted on ABC included The Price is Right, Seven Keys, General Hospital, Day in Court and Trailmaster.

CBS pre-empted shows like Captain Kangaroo, Search for Tomorrow, As the World Turns and The Secret Storm.

And NBC pre-empted shows like Today, Word for Word, Truth or Consequences, People Will Talk and Match Game.

Here’s a rundown of the prime time schedules for each network, with rescheduled airdates. There are a lot of sources online that state the “A Date for Gomer” episode of The Andy Griffith Show aired on Monday, November 25th but it most definitely did not.

ABC

7:30-8:30PM
The Outer Limits – “Tourist Attraction”
Postponed until December 23rd, 1963

8:30-10PM
Wagon Train – “The Michael Malone Story”
Postponed until January 6th, 1964

10-11PM
Breaking Point – “A Little Anger is a Good Thing”
Postponed until January 6th, 1964

CBS

7:30-8PM
To Tell the Truth
Postponed?

8-8:30PM
I’ve Got a Secret
Postponed?

8:30-9PM
The Lucy Show – “The Loophole in the Lease”
Postponed until December 23rd, 1963

9-9:30PM
The Danny Thomas Show – “The Hex”
Postponed until December 9th, 1963

9:30-10PM
The Andy Griffith Show – “A Date for Gomer”
Postponed until December 9th, 1963

10-11PM
East Side/West Side – “Creeps Live Here”
Postponed until December 23rd, 1963

NBC

7:30-9:30PM
NBC Monday Night at the Movies – “Singing in the Rain”
Postponed until January 13th, 1964

9:30-10PM
Hollywood and the Stars – “The Great Lovers”
Postponed until February 10th, 1964

10-11PM
Sing Along with Mitch – “Family Reunion”
Postponed until December 2nd, 1963


Related Posts

Become a Patron Today

Are you a fan of obscure television? Please support Television Obscurities on Patreon by becoming a patron today.

4 Replies to “What America Didn’t Watch – Monday, November 25th, 1963”

  1. If “To Tell The Truth” and “I’ve Got A Secret” were live (or due to be taped on the 22nd, 23rd, 24th, or earlier in the day on the 25th), those episodes were likely cancelled.

    And while “Today” as such was pre-empted on November 25th, I believe that Hugh Downs (the then-host) and the other members of the show’s on-air team anchored NBC’s early-morning coverage (roughly between 7 and 11 A.M. Eastern time) on the 23rd, 24th, and 25th before Chet Huntley and David Brinkley in Washington (the former having gone to D.C. to join the latter for the rest of the weekend) and Frank McGee in New York took over.

  2. Why did they air ‘A Date For Gomer’ on 12-09-1963 rather than the week following JFK’s funeral?

  3. Do you know if the nets just began again on Tuesday? I can’t imagine The Today Show or Captain Kangaroo on the morning after the funeral.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.