Dusty Reels, Timeless Stories
Television in the 1960s opened new worlds, yet many short-lived gems slipped behind cultural curtains. These shows carried bold ideas and sharp humor while testing social courage.
The Patty Duke Show
A pair of cousins who looked exactly alike brought Patty Duke her sitcom in 1963. One cousin was from Brooklyn, the other from Scotland. Duke earned an Emmy nomination for her dual role, but after three seasons, ratings dropped, and she chose not to continue. ABC canceled it.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Honey West
Anne Francis played America's first female TV detective during primetime. Honey West launched in 1965 as a spin-off from Burke's Law. She had a pet ocelot and martial arts moves, but ABC canceled the show to cut costs and instead bought The Avengers from Britain.
ABC Television-ABC Photo stamp, Wikimedia Commons
The Farmer's Daughter
ABC canceled the show in 1966 following internal disagreements and declining ratings. Inger Stevens gave the lead character heart and strength as a farm girl working for a widowed congressman. Viewers grew invested in the slow-building romance, but once the couple got married, interest dwindled and the plot lost momentum.
ABC Television, Wikimedia Commons
My Living Doll
Julie Newmar starred as a robot named Rhoda in this 1964 CBS comedy. The concept: teach her to become the perfect woman. Bob Cummings left halfway through the season, and CBS struggled to keep the story going. Most episodes were wiped, making reruns nearly impossible to produce.
It's About Time
CBS canceled the show in 1967 despite reworking the storyline. In 1966, Sherwood Schwartz introduced two astronauts stranded in a prehistoric world filled with rhyming cave dwellers. The slapstick tone fell short, and critics panned the series for leaning too heavily into gimmick-driven comedy.
It's About Time - E01 - Astronauts Meet Cavemen by Bleu Raven
The Lieutenant
Gene Roddenberry's first television drama aired on NBC in 1963. It followed Second Lieutenant Rice, played by Gary Lockwood, at a California Marine base. Tackling race, war, and chain-of-command tensions, it proved too serious for its slot. Sponsors balked and NBC canned it after one season.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
The Tammy Grimes Show
Despite a strong time slot, critics disliked its tone, and audiences didn't connect. Tammy Grimes played a wealthy woman who avoided work and ignored convention. ABC launched the sitcom with high hopes in September 1966. Just four episodes aired before the network pulled it from the lineup.
The Second Hundred Years
The show leaned into generational confusion but couldn't maintain viewer interest. Monte Markham starred in dual roles as Ken and his grandfather, Lucius, a gold prospector who was transported from 1900 to 1967. Despite the time-travel twist, ABC saw ratings dip and canceled the show after one 26-episode season.
Second Hundred Years,The (Intro) S1 (1967) by RetroAlexander
Occasional Wife
Viewer interest faded quickly and the sitcom quietly disappeared after airing just 30 episodes. To impress his bosses, Michael Callan’s character invents a wife. Patricia Harty's character, his neighbor, pretends to be the invented wife. NBC picked up the concept in 1966, but critics weren't sold.
OCCASIONAL WIFE Ep. 6 "The Promotion" (1966) Michael Callan, Patricia Harty by sfinthecity
Coronet Blue
Frank Converse starred in this CBS mystery about a man pulled from New York Harbor who can’t remember his identity. He mutters only “Coronet Blue”. Shot in 1965 but aired in 1967, the show offered no planned ending. Ratings were low and CBS chose not to renew it.
Coronet Blue - Clip from S1 E6 with Frank Converse and Juliet Mills by Classic Film & TV Cafe
The Rogues
David Niven and Gig Young brought charm to a crew of elegant con men in The Rogues, a 1964 NBC experiment. It earned a Golden Globe and garnered critical support, but the rotating cast made continuity challenging. Production costs mounted and NBC chose not to renew it.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
He & She
CBS moved ahead in 1967 with He & She, led by real-life couple Paula Prentiss and Richard Benjamin. The show ended after one season due to poor ratings despite receiving Emmy attention. Its writing brought a progressive spin to TV marriage, but Bewitched dominated the time slot.
Run Buddy Run
Buddy Overstreet was always one step ahead of the mob—until CBS lost patience. Played by Jack Sheldon, the trumpet-playing fugitive raced across cities each week in this 1966 comedy. Despite its blend of jazz and slapstick, the show lost steam and ended before completing a season.
Run, Buddy, Run Promo by Television Obscurities
Captain Nice
William Daniels suited up in 1967 as Captain Nice, a chemist-turned-hero who never shed his awkward charm. The show folded after 15 uneven episodes and little audience engagement. NBC had hoped to ride Batman's success, but viewers didn't embrace its slapstick-heavy, parody-driven formula.
"Captain Nice" - 13 Week Theatre by Pab Sungenis
Mr.Terrific
A powered-up civilian should have been a hit. However, Mr. Terrific, which aired on CBS in 1967, struggled to win viewers away from The Lucy Show. Stephen Strimpell's bumbling hero took strength pills, but the humor felt forced. By episode 17, CBS gave up on the experiment.
"Mr. Terrific" - 13 Week Theatre by Pab Sungenis
The Baileys Of Balboa
Sherwood Schwartz created this 1964 CBS sitcom during a feud over Gilligan's Island. The ratings were disappointing and it ended after a single 26-episode season. Instead of shipwrecked castaways, it featured a boat captain navigating daily life among wealthy tourists—a comic flip of the usual adventure trope.
CBS Uploaded by We hope at en.wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons
The Jean Arthur Show
Only 12 episodes aired. Critics argued the show failed to connect the charm of old Hollywood with the style of modern TV. Jean Arthur returned in 1966, playing a quirky legal secretary, but CBS's attempt to revive her stardom landed flat. Viewers were expecting something more current.
CBS Television, Wikimedia Commons
East Side/West Side
George C Scott portrayed a social worker on New York's gritty streets in this 1963–64 CBS drama. The topics included homelessness and child mistreatment, which were rarely touched on then. The realism earned praise, but low ratings and sponsor discomfort led CBS to cancel it after one season.
East Side/West Side - Age of Consent by Joey
The Guns Of Will Sonnett
In this ABC Western, which aired from 1967 to 1969, Walter Brennan starred as a grandfather seeking his outlaw son. Its emotional tone and family focus set it apart in a genre packed with gunslingers. Despite decent reviews, ratings declined, and ABC let it end quietly after two seasons.
ABC Television-the network's Hollywood address is visible., Wikimedia Commons
Please Don't Eat The Daisies
Loosely based on a film and memoir, this 1965 NBC sitcom followed a family as they juggle campus life and parenting. Pat Crowley and Mark Miller starred. It performed well early on, but reviews turned lukewarm. By 1967, NBC had reshuffled its lineup and the show was discontinued.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
The Mothers-In-Law
NBC aired this sitcom from 1967 to 1969 by pairing Eve Arden and Kaye Ballard as feuding in-laws living side by side. Desi Arnaz produced it and writers from I Love Lucy added punch. Budget cuts in season two hurt production and ratings slipped too far to recover.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Karen
Karen aired for one season, outlasting the other shows in NBC's 1964 shared-address experiment by completing its full run. Debbie Watson was a teenager balancing school and family life. Despite being the block's longest survivor, it was still canceled after just that first season.
NBC Television, Wikimedia Commons
Love On A Rooftop
Inspired by Neil Simon's Barefoot in the Park, this 1966–67 ABC comedy followed a young couple living in a tiny San Francisco apartment. Judy Carne and Peter Deuel played the leads. Although praised for its chemistry, it arrived just as viewers were growing tired of newlywed sitcoms. It wasn't renewed.
Grindl
Scheduled opposite Ed Sullivan, this show ended after one season. Without steady supporting characters or narrative continuity, it struggled to find footing. Grindl starred Imogene Coca, who returned to NBC in 1963 after achieving earlier fame as a cheerful temp worker with a new job in every episode.
Valentine's Day
Tony Franciosa played a bachelor cartoonist in swinging 1960s Manhattan. ABC aired Valentine's Day in 1964–65, hoping to blend romantic comedy with mild mystery. But it competed against Perry Mason and lacked a clear tone. The show failed to catch on and was never picked up for syndication.
