This may have been addressed in the past, but I wanted to know how shows should have been filmed/taped.

For me some I can think of for this question would be:

Gilligan's island I think should have been color only. It would have enhanced the cartoonish image it had.

Hazel - color only. They were promoting color in the first season with the color TV episode.
Too bad the color episodes haven't held up well over the years. I would even have been OK with the first 4 seasons in B&W and the last in color.

My Favorite Martian - B&W only. The third season film hasn't held up as well as the first 2 seasons.

Beverly Hillbillies and Petticoat Junction I liked the B&W episodes better but that's more a contest issue than visual. They both had a different feel or tone when they switched to color yet not as drastic as The Andy Griffith Show.

The Joey Bishop Show should have been B&W. The format change was bad enough. I liked the first season more than the rest. But adding color episodes in season 1, the color only for 2 & 3, then back to B&W didn't work that well. I know CBS wasn't sold on color yet for the last season.

I'm glad that The Dick Van Dyke Show stayed in B&W during it's run. Color would have been fine if the whole series was done that way.

Now it would have been interesting to see shows that were based in a pre-color filming era actually filmed in B&W. Hogan’s Heroes, MASH, Happy Days, and Laverne and Shirley come to mind.

What's your thoughts on this?

I would also add Bewitched could have been all color or at least separated by Darrins. B&W for Dick York and color for Dick Sargent. Similar to pre and post Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show.

I Dream of Jeannie should have been all color. Even though the theme of the show altered a bit with more zanny stunts in the color seasons.

I agree Gilligan could have gone all-color.

Also agree that Petticoat Junction declined in color, but not because of the color. My Three Sons is similar for me. I don't think the Hillbillies lost much in color, at least not for a long time. They started telling bigger stories, and that worked at least into Season 8.

I agree Gilligan could have gone all-color.

Also agree that Petticoat Junction declined in color, but not because of the color. My Three Sons is similar for me. I don't think the Hillbillies lost much in color, at least not for a long time. They started telling bigger stories, and that worked at least into Season 8.

So true with the Hillbillies. Remember the Jogging episode? That was brutal.

Also, My Three Sons became an odd Dramady when it essentially became "My Three Daughters ". Wasn't the final episode about Ernie's friend having a drug problem?. The only episode towards the end that I really liked was went the triplets were going to be in a TV Commercial and Steve bubbled his way throughout the store chasing the boys.

So true with the Hillbillies. Remember the Jogging episode? That was brutal.

Also, My Three Sons became an odd Dramady when it essentially became "My Three Daughters ". Wasn't the final episode about Ernie's friend having a drug problem?. The only episode towards the end that I really liked was went the triplets were going to be in a TV Commercial and Steve bubbled his way throughout the store chasing the boys.

I agree about season 12 (yes on the final episode, btw), but one of the best episodes of the series used Beverly Garland's game show talents in "The Enthusiast."

But back on-topic, I agree with most of the comments. Especially with Gilligan--if they thought they had a chance at multiple seasons, someone should have bit the bullet and funded color--if just for the scenery. Unfortunately, too, the show runners wold have no way of knowing what an awful job would later be done colorizing it (someone ought to re-do it, using the 35mm masters TBS obviously had no access to).

I agree that "Martian" should have stuck with black and white. Dick Van Dyke did--why not MFM? Also, the way they look, they must have used inferior color film stock.

When it comes to Pettitcoat Junction, Gilligan’s Island, I Dream of Jeannie and Hazel, they all would have better off in color.

Wagon Train would’ve stayed in Black and White for Season 7

The Joey Bishop Show would’ve also be in Color for Seasons 1 and 4

On the Game Show side, the CBS eras of What’s My Line(Daly) & I’ve Got A Secret(Moore/Allen) would’ve staying in B&W

On the Game Show side, the CBS eras of What’s My Line(Daly) & I’ve Got A Secret(Moore/Allen) would’ve staying in B&W

Goodson/Todman took care of that--all they kept were black and white kinescopes. In the case of WML, most episodes were broadcast live--but with shows that were videotaped in color in 1966/67, the tapes were either scrapped or wiped and reused. My guess is the live shows were never saved on tape, only kinescopes.

With regards to The Joey Bishop Show, it was interesting when Antenna TV ran the 1st season episodes, but overall I'm not really fond of that 1st season and prefer seasons 2 and 3, especially season 3 which to me is the best season. Season 4 is OK but overall not quite as good as seasons 2 and 3.

If I have the story correct, CBS originally planned a sitcom with William Bendix for the 1964-65 season, but word got to the execs at CBS that Bendix was not in good health, so the Bendix sitcom was scrapped and instead CBS offered Joey Bishop a 4th season of his sitcom, but in black and white because CBS did not want the expense of color episodes.

I agree Gilligan's Island should have been in color from the beginning. The 1st season in black and white looks drab with the tropical island setting.

I like the 1st season of I Dream Of Jeannie in black and white, the black and white filming in season 1 fits the mood of those episodes when the series resembled a fantasy/romantic comedy. Then in season 2 when the show started filming in color, the color fits the mood of those episodes because in the 2nd season the show started taking on a cartoonish atmosphere.

I wish there would have been a 4th season in 1965-66 of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour in black and white. I prefer the hour long Hitchcock series compared to the half hour series, three seasons of the hour series just isn't quite enough, I really wish there was a 4th season.

What about Lassie I know Jeff’s Collie Lassie & Timmy and Lassie were black and white but when the next franchise was that in color?


I wonder if the Lucy Franchise should have stayed in black and white?


Speaking of Lucy Will Me TV-Decades ever air the Christmas episode of I Love Lucy in black and white? Something about the last sceen of seeing them dressed as Santa in black and white has more of a classic magic than seeing it in color.


I saw the Bewitched A Vision of Sugar Plums in color the other night it seemed to take the magic away I much prefer black and white

Now it would have been interesting to see shows that were based in a pre-color filming era actually filmed in B&W. Hogan’s Heroes, MASH, Happy Days, and Laverne and Shirley come to mind.


Not a sitcom, but season 5 of Combat should have remained in B&W. And ditto for season 4 of The Fugitive.

The Please Don't Eat the Daisies Pilot episode was in black and white. I'm glad they were in color when they were picked up as a full series.

Related thread: Name sitcoms which started out in black & white and finished in color (https://www.sitcomsonline.com/boards/showthread.php?t=141064)

Adamantium came up with this list.

Each show is listed under the season in which they first went into color.

The 1962-63 Season
1. The Flintstones (Seasons 3-6)
2. The Joey Bishop Show (Seasons 2-3) Season 4 went back to B&W
3. Hazel (Seasons 2-5)

The 1965-66 Season
4. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (Season 14)
5. My Three Sons (Seasons 6-12)
6. The Andy Griffith Show (Seasons 6-8)
7. The Beverly Hillbillies (Seasons 4-9)
8. The Lucy Show (Seasons 4-6)
9. The Farmer's Daughter (Season 3)
10. Petticoat Junction (Seasons 3-7)
11. My Favorite Martian (Season 3)
12. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (Seasons 2-5)
13. Gilligan's Island (Seasons 2-3)
14. Please Don't Eat the Daisies (Pilot B&W, Series in Color)
15. Hogan's Heroes (Pilot B&W, Series in Color)
16. Get Smart (Pilot B&W, Series in Color)

The 1966-67 Season
17. Bewitched (Seasons 3-8)
18. I Dream of Jeannie (Seasons 2-5)

The Please Don't Eat the Daisies Pilot episode was in black and white. I'm glad they were in color when they were picked up as a full series.

Adamantium came up with this list.

Each show is listed under the season in which they first went into color.

The 1962-63 Season
1. The Flintstones (Seasons 3-6)
2. The Joey Bishop Show (Seasons 2-3) Season 4 went back to B&W
3. Hazel (Seasons 2-5)

The 1965-66 Season
4. The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (Season 14)
5. My Three Sons (Seasons 6-12)
6. The Andy Griffith Show (Seasons 6-8)
7. The Beverly Hillbillies (Seasons 4-9)
8. The Lucy Show (Seasons 4-6)
9. The Farmer's Daughter (Season 3)
10. Petticoat Junction (Seasons 3-7)
11. My Favorite Martian (Season 3)
12. Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C. (Seasons 2-6)
13. Gilligan's Island (Seasons 2-3)
14. Please Don't Eat the Daisies (Pilot B&W, Series in Color)
15. Hogan's Heroes (Pilot B&W, Series in Color)
16. Get Smart (Pilot B&W, Series in Color)

The 1966-67 Season
17. Bewitched (Seasons 3-8)
18. I Dream of Jeannie (Seasons 2-5)

Lucy Show seasons 2 and 3 were filmed in color, but shown in primetime by CBS in black and white. These seasons were later syndicated in color.

Another note: Gomer Pyle ran 5 seasons

Black and white TV shows from 1965-66 that were renewed for 1966-67 had to change over to color because 66-67 was the first season when it was mandatory for all network TV shows to be in color.

NBC probably would have had season one of I Dream Of Jeannie, 1965-66, in color but the people at NBC didn't have a lot of confidence in the show, so the 1st season was in black and white to save on production costs. When the show proved successful enough to get renewed for a 2nd season in 1966-67, the mandatory change over to color was made.

I caught the Please Don’t Eat The Daisies pilot last year. It was in black and white, but the closing credits cited “Metrocolor”, and the opening credits were identical to the ones used for the rest of the first season (just in B&W of course). I wonder if it was indeed filmed in color and the color print is missing. I know it has always been shown in B&W in syndication.

Why did it take until the mid 1960's to have full schedule TV programs? Was color film that much more expensive? How many years before that was there color TV sets?

What was the earliest show in color? I remember as a child in the 1970's watching Superman with George Reeves and some of those were in color and this was in the 1950's. What was funny was in the black and white opening credits, it showed Superman standing in costume but his red boots didnt show through and he looked liked he had legs but no feet.

I dont know, but I dont think The Wizard of Oz did that well on first release in 1939, and was discovered on television in the 1950's (correct me if I am wrong). I would think for movie goers in 1939, this film would have been like the original Star Wars. COLOR, and not only that, vibrant trippy color. Maybe people were so black and white in the 1930's they couldnt handle it. Dunno.

Why did it take until the mid 1960's to have full schedule TV programs? Was color film that much more expensive? How many years before that was there color TV sets?

What was the earliest show in color? I remember as a child in the 1970's watching Superman with George Reeves and some of those were in color and this was in the 1950's. What was funny was in the black and white opening credits, it showed Superman standing in costume but his red boots didnt show through and he looked liked he had legs but no feet.

I dont know, but I dont think The Wizard of Oz did that well on first release in 1939, and was discovered on television in the 1950's (correct me if I am wrong). I would think for movie goers in 1939, this film would have been like the original Star Wars. COLOR, and not only that, vibrant trippy color. Maybe people were so black and white in the 1930's they couldnt handle it. Dunno.

Here's a link to the History of color television. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_television

RCA which developed color TV owned NBC apparently pushed color produced programming to better sell their TVs. So when you look at The Joey Bishop Show the 4th season moved to CBS and they didn't want to promote color TV at that time and that season was done in black and white. Additionally in season I many episodes of the show were done in color for RCA to sell their TVs.

Without reading the history (Wikipedia is into begging for money at the moment and I'm not up for it). I think CBS was resentful that its version of color wasn't going to be the standard--so they stubbornly stuck to black and white until the bitter end. ABC was cash poor and they couldn't afford it (coupled with many of their affiliates' inability to do color). So there wasn't much color until the 1965/66 season.

NBC had a number of color shows prior to 1965: Bonanza (in color back in 1959), Walt Disney, The Virginian, Hazel, Flipper, Joey Bishop. 50% of NBC’s primetime schedule was in color for the 64-65 season.

ABC had a few color shows prior to 1965, too (even though a large number of its affiliates didn’t have the capability to broadcast in color): The Flintstones, The Jetsons, Jonny Quest, Wagon Train, The Greatest Show on Earth.

CBS, as you said, was stubborn and wouldn’t broadcast any weekly series in color until 1965.

Black and white TV shows from 1965-66 that were renewed for 1966-67 had to change over to color because 66-67 was the first season when it was mandatory for all network TV shows to be in color.

NBC probably would have had season one of I Dream Of Jeannie, 1965-66, in color but the people at NBC didn't have a lot of confidence in the show, so the 1st season was in black and white to save on production costs. When the show proved successful enough to get renewed for a 2nd season in 1966-67, the mandatory change over to color was made.

I didn't know about the mandate for programs to be in color. Seems kind of odd. I don't remember similar advancements/changes having a mandate. Like stereo, wide-screen, etc.

I didn't know about the mandate for programs to be in color. Seems kind of odd. I don't remember similar advancements/changes having a mandate. Like stereo, wide-screen, etc.

I'm with you on that one. I'm not sure the FCC would wade in on it.

Maybe the NAB negotiated an agreement with the networks. And I'm betting all the local stations wouldn't ditch all their black and white studio and film cameras just because the 1966 TV season started.

I didn't know about the mandate for programs to be in color. Seems kind of odd. I don't remember similar advancements/changes having a mandate. Like stereo, wide-screen, etc.

It may not have exactly been mandatory, but 1966-67 is the first season when the three major networks aired their full prime time schedules in color. The new shows were in color, and prime time shows from 1965-66 that were in black and white and got renewed for 1966-67 made the switch to color for the 66-67 season.

One example, The Fugitive switched over to color for it's final prime time season in 1966-67.

Another example, The Wild Wild West started out in black and white for it's 1st season in 1965-66, then made the switch to color for season 2 in 1966-67.

It was always in Black and White, but The Twilight Zone. The black and white somehow lended to the overall spoookiness of the show. I read in another thread here or somewhere else that the Twilight Zone was cancelled right before the full conversion to color, and color just wouldnt do the show justice....

There could have been color TZ episode which guest starred Andy Griffith as the Sheriff who hates color and wants to go back to Black and White and wants his friend back who is lost, being mentally tortured by his cruel girlfriend with psychic powers who wished away his best friend out of jealousy. He loves her at first but Andy sees the truth and becomes ,tired of her but sees how powerful she is to his blindness and says he does not love her anymore. This puts her in a rage threatening to erase everything. Opie then coming out of nowhere and whacks Helen in the head with a shovel. ( "Did I do OK pa?" " Yes son, you did"). Color bleeds away to black and white and best friend (Barney) and Thelma Lou comes back from the void like nothing happened and everything returns to normal. Andy tells Barney in the courthouse in the end, "check the locks in town before you go home." "Right Ang." Andy is finally happy again.

Rod Serling opens the episode explaining the show in a the Mayberry jail cell sharing a bottle of port with Otis with the opening, "Color isnt all that it is. Sometimes it is complete blindness. In a small town in America, one good man is colored by evil. Things can change, but can it? We will see in The Twilight Zone."

It may not have exactly been mandatory, but 1966-67 is the first season when the three major networks aired their full prime time schedules in color. The new shows were in color, and prime time shows from 1965-66 that were in black and white and got renewed for 1966-67 made the switch to color for the 66-67 season.


Because of the upcoming fall season being in full color, the Canadian networks started broadcasting in color on 9/1/1966. The '66-67 season of "Hockey Night In Canada" was the first to be in color - although almost anything that exists of that season is only black and white kinescope.

Many areas of Canada are close enough to the US border that it's easy to watch US stations. I guess the Canadian networks didn't want to lose money by having people switch over to US feeds if they remained in black and white.