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Then and Now
Popular Television Shows
Many who grew up in Athens in the 1950s saw television for the first time through a window in Parker Brothers Store. Curiosity and interest was accelerated when WDBJ-TV, Channel 7 in Roanoke Virginia, signed on the air in 1955. With a strong signal in Athens, Fred and Frank Parker tuned a set they had for sale to the station for passersby to see in the evening. It was quite the attraction! Many of the first sets in Athens were sold by the Parkers and E. H. Jennings. Blaine Jennings started repairing sets and made home visits with his tube tester and various replacement parts.
Position | Title | Network |
|---|---|---|
1 | Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In | NBC |
1 | I Love Lucy | CBS |
1 | Bonanza | NBC |
1 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
1 | Bonanza | NBC |
1 | Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In | NBC |
1 | I Love Lucy | CBS |
1 | Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts | CBS |
1 | I Love Lucy | CBS |
1 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
1 | I Love Lucy | CBS |
1 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
1 | The Beverly Hillbillies | CBS |
1 | Wagon Train | NBC |
1 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
1 | The $64,000 Question | CBS |
1 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
1 | Bonanza | NBC |
1 | The Beverly Hillbillies | CBS |
2 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
2 | The Jackie Gleason Show | CBS |
2 | The Texaco Star Theater | NBC |
2 | The Danny Thomas Show | CBS |
2 | The Ed Sullivan Show | CBS |
2 | Dragnet | NBC |
2 | Bewitched | ABC |
2 | Wagon Train | NBC |
2 | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS |
2 | Bonanza | NBC |
2 | Wagon Train | NBC |
2 | Candid Camera (tie) | CBS |
2 | The Red Skelton Shown (tie) | CBS |
2 | Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts | CBS |
2 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | CBS |
2 | Wagon Train | NBC |
2 | I Love Lucy | CBS |
2 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | CBS |
2 | Bonanza | NBC |
2 | The Lucy Show | CBS |
3 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | CBS |
3 | The Ed Sullivan Show | CBS |
3 | Have Gun, Will Travel | CBS |
3 | Dragnet | NBC |
3 | Arthur Godfrey and His Friends | CBS |
3 | Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts (tie) | CBS |
3 | Tales of Wells Fargo | NBC |
3 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. | CBS |
3 | Have Gun, Will Travel | CBS |
3 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
3 | Bonanza | NBC |
3 | You Bet Your Life (tie) | NBC |
3 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
3 | Have Gun, Will Travel | CBS |
3 | Bonanza | NBC |
3 | The Lucy Show | CBS |
3 | I Love Lucy | CBS |
3 | General Electric Theater | CBS |
3 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | CBS |
4 | The Danny Thomas Show | CBS |
4 | Hazel | NBC |
4 | Mayberry R.F.D. | CBS |
4 | Gunsmoke (tie) | CBS |
4 | Family Affair (tie) | CBS |
4 | Have Gun, Will Travel | CBS |
4 | Dragnet | NBC |
4 | The Red Skelton Show | NBC |
4 | The $64,000 Question | CBS |
4 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
4 | The Lucy Show (tie) | CBS |
4 | Disneyland | ABC |
4 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
4 | Mayberry R.F.D. | CBS |
4 | The Rifleman | ABC |
4 | Bonanza (tie) | NBC |
4 | Petticoat Junction | CBS |
4 | You Bet Your Life | NBC |
4 | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS |
4 | The Lucy Show | CBS |
4 | Bonanza (tie) | NBC |
5 | The Texaco Star Theater | NBC |
5 | The Jackie Gleason Show | CBS |
5 | The Jack Benny Program | CBS |
5 | Family Affair | CBS |
5 | Toast of the Town (Ed Sullivan) | CBS |
5 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
5 | Perry Mason | CBS |
5 | The Bob Hope Show | NBC |
5 | Family Affair | CBS |
5 | I've Got a Secret | CBS |
5 | The Real McCoys | ABC |
5 | Batman (new season) | ABC |
5 | The Red Skelton Show | CBS |
5 | The Colgate Comedy Hour | NBC |
5 | December Bride | CBS |
5 | The Fugitive | ABC |
5 | The Danny Thomas Show | CBS |
6 | The Red Skelton Show | CBS |
6 | Rawhide | CBS |
6 | The Buick-Berle Show | NBC |
6 | Disneyland | ABC |
6 | Maverick | ABC |
6 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
6 | The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp | ABC |
6 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
6 | Green Acres | CBS |
6 | 77 Sunset Strip (tie) | ABC |
6 | The Lucy Show | CBS |
6 | Father Knows Best (tie) | CBS |
6 | Fireside Theatre | NBC |
6 | December Bride | CBS |
6 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
6 | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS |
6 | The Buick Circus Hour | NBC |
6 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | CBS |
6 | Here's Lucy | CBS |
7 | Ben Casey (tie) | ABC |
7 | Gunsmoke (tie) | CBS |
7 | The Danny Thomas Show (tie) | CBS |
7 | The Beverly Hillbillies (tie) | CBS |
7 | Bewitched (tie) | ABC |
7 | General Electric Theater | CBS |
7 | Candid Camera | CBS |
7 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | CBS |
7 | The Beverly Hillbillies (tie) | CBS |
7 | Julia | NBC |
7 | The Jack Benny Program | CBS |
7 | The Andy Griffith Show | CBS |
7 | Candid Camera | CBS |
7 | I've Got a Secret (tie) | CBS |
7 | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS |
7 | The Colgate Comedy Hour | NBC |
7 | Arthur Godfrey and His Friends | CBS |
7 | The Red Skelton Hour | CBS |
7 | Daktari (tie) | CBS |
7 | You Bet Your Life | NBC |
7 | Bewitched (tie) | ABC |
7 | The Bob Hope Show | NBC |
7 | Tales of Wells Fargo | NBC |
8 | The Dean Martin Show | NBC |
8 | The Ed Sullivan Show | CBS |
8 | The Real McCoys | ABC |
8 | The Dean Martin Show | NBC |
8 | The Price Is Right | NBC |
8 | The Untouchables (tie) | ABC |
8 | Gangbusters | NBC |
8 | The Ford Television Theater | NBC |
8 | Dragnet | NBC |
8 | Marcus Welby, M.D. | ABC |
8 | The Jack Benny Program | CBS |
8 | The Price Is Right (tie) | NBC |
8 | The Danny Thomas Show | CBS |
8 | The Lucy Show | CBS |
8 | Your Show of Shows | NBC |
8 | The Restless Gun | NBC |
9 | Peyton Place (old season) | ABC |
9 | You Bet Your Life | NBC |
9 | The Perry Como Show | NBC |
9 | The Martha Raye Show | NBC |
9 | The Jackie Gleason Show | CBS |
9 | The Danny Thomas Show | CBS |
9 | Dr. Kildare | NBC |
9 | Hogan's Heroes | CBS |
9 | I've Got a Secret | CBS |
9 | I've Got a Secret | CBS |
9 | The Jackie Gleason Show | CBS |
9 | The Wonderful World of Disney | NBC |
9 | You Bet Your Life | NBC |
9 | Here's Lucy | CBS |
9 | The Dick Van Dyke Show | CBS |
9 | Wanted: Dead or Alive | CBS |
9 | December Bride | CBS |
10 | The George Gobel Show | NBC |
10 | Fireside Theatre | NBC |
10 | Combat | ABC |
10 | The Virginian (tie) | NBC |
10 | General Electric Theater | CBS |
10 | Fireside Theatre | NBC |
10 | The Doris Day Show | CBS |
10 | Saturday Night at the Movies | NBC |
10 | My Favorite Martian | CBS |
10 | Wyatt Earp | ABC |
10 | The Jack Benny Program | CBS |
10 | The Beverly Hillbillies | CBS |
10 | You Bet Your Life | NBC |
10 | The Jack Benny Program | CBS |
10 | Candid Camera | CBS |
10 | The Lawrence Welk Show (tie) | ABC |
10 | Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (tie) | CBS |
10 | Arthur Godfrey and His Friends | CBS |
10 | Perry Mason | CBS |
10 | Gunsmoke | CBS |
10 | The Ed Sullivan Show (tie) | CBS |
10 | Batman (old season) | ABC |
11 | My Three Sons | ABC |
11 | Mama | CBS |
11 | The Red Buttons Show | CBS |
11 | Bewitched | ABC |
11 | The Real McCoys | ABC |
11 | The Jack Benny Program (tie) | CBS |
11 | This Is Your Life (tie) | NBC |
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