Here’s the schedule for WNBT (NBC’s flagship TV station in New York City) for the week starting Sunday, December 28th, 1947. The New York Times published daily listings for television stations in the city, including WNBT, alongside its comprehensive radio listings.
WNBT offered viewers a mix of news, criticism, and drama on Sunday (December 28th). Author Meets the Critics aired at 8PM ET. An installment of Rehearsal in 3H aired at 8:40PM ET. I know even less about this series than most of NBC’s other dramatic anthology series from the 1940s. A travel film followed, then a hymn.
On Monday (December 29th), the station aired more news, quiz show Americana, and boxing from St. Nicholas Arena.
No programs were scheduled on Tuesday (December 30th).
New Year’s Eve altered WNBT’s regular lineup on Wednesday (December 31st). Something called “Playtime” aired at 5PM ET, likely relayed from the NBC station in Washington, D.C. Kraft Television Theatre and In the Kelvinator Kitchen aired during the evening, as usual. Starting at 8:45PM ET, WNBT aired a New Year’s show.
At 10AM ET on Thursday (January 1st), WNBT aired coverage of the Mummers Parade in Philadelphia. A news preview of 1948 kicked off the evening lineup at 8PM ET.
On Friday (January 2nd), WNBT aired filmed sports highlights from 1947.
The second episode of Puppet Playhouse (called Puppet Theatre in the listings) aired on Saturday (January 3rd). It featured Howdy Doody and other puppet characters alongside host Bob “Buffalo Bob” Smith.
Sunday, December 28th, 1947
7:50PM News
8:00PM Author Meets the Critics
8:30PM Newsreel
8:40PM Rehearsal in 3H
9:10PM Travel Film
9:30PM Hymn
Monday, December 29th, 1947
7:30PM Music
7:50PM Television News
8:10PM Americana–Quiz. With John Mason Brown and Guests
8:41PM Film Shorts
8:46PM Boxing, St. Nicholas Arena
Tuesday, December 30th, 1947
No Programs Scheduled
Wednesday, December 31st, 1947
5:00PM Playtime, From Washington
7:15PM News Reports
7:30PM [Kraft Television Theatre] Play, Respectively Yours
8:30PM In the [Kelvinator] Kitchen–Alma Kitchell
8:45PM-12:05AM New Year’s Show
Thursday, January 1st, 1948
10:00AM Mummers Parade, Philadelphia
8:00PM Hello 1948; News Review
8:30PM Television News
8:40PM Musical Merry-Go-Round
8:55PM Universal Trailer
9:00PM You Are an Artist-Jon Gnagy
9:15PM Film: African Diary
Friday, January 2nd, 1948
1:00PM [Swift] Home Service Club: Tex and Jinx
1:30PM Television Newsreel
8:00PM Film: Sports Review of 1947
8:20PM Film: The World in Your Home
8:41PM Boxing, Madison Square Garden
Saturday, January 3rd, 1948
5:00PM [Puppet Playhouse] Puppet Theatre
Note: Television listings published in newspapers were based on information provided by stations and were subject to change at the last minute. They may not be an accurate representation of what actually aired.
This will be my last Historical Television Schedules post for the foreseeable future. I’m placing the feature on hiatus to focus on other projects. Be sure to check out other historical schedules for WNBT as well as stations like WCBW, WNHC-TV, and WTMJ-TV.
Best wishes on your new projects. Thanks for showing us what was on television 70 years ago.
My recently published book, “The Early Shows: A Reference Guide to Network and Syndicated Prime-Time Series from 1944 to 1949” contains more information on “Rehearsal in 3H,” which later was titled “Television Playhouse,” as well as on other late 1940’s series.