Was it difficult for TV shows in the 1960s to switch from black and white to color?

[TMC]

In interviews Rose Marie often cited, as one of the reasons for ending The Dick Van Dyke Show, the presumption that if they did one more season they’d have to go to color.

[PhoenixAcres]

There may have been other reasons but the main reason was Carl Reiner deciding that five years was enough to tell all the stories he envisioned. From the very beginning he said if they got through five seasons they'd call it quits after that.

I would have liked a few color seasons though.

[MIKEPR]

Why would it even be an issues to go into color? CTV was becoming more common in the mid 60's.

[Chocolate Moose]

I assume it was.

[GentlemanJim]

Originally Posted by MIKEPR

Why would it even be an issues to go into color? CTV was becoming more common in the mid 60's.

The challenges of going to color are often cited as reasons why the Addams family was not continued. It wasn't a cost issue, it was a matter of aesthetics.

Grays coordinate well with one another, so the set designers used prop combinations for B&W filming that would have been costly to fix for the color versions.

[merlinjones]

Going to color required more expensive film stock and processing, more difficult lighting preparation, and more unwieldy cameras. Plus a complete reworking of color schemes on sets, wardrobe, makeup and hair. Color selections on set designed to look good as b/w tones on film are odd when seen in color, so everything has to be rethought. (Take a look at the color View-Master reels for The Munsters and Addams Family and you'll see the unusual color schemes chosen for b/w). At any rate if was a healthy hit on the budget in those days.

Early on, Walt Disney chose to shoot many of his TV productions in color so they would have a longer life in reissue - and it payed off when Davy Crockett, for example, was recut as a color theatrical feature (later, recut Zorro didn't fare as well on the big screen, having been shot in b/w).

So the networks made certain prestige shows in color (Bonanza, Disney, Batman) until the 1966-67 season when all network shows made the switch. On Bewitched and Jeannie, you can compare the redesign of interiors, furniture, props, costumes, etc.

[torcan]

In old copies of TVGuide, Carl Reiner was quoted as saying he originally wanted to do The Dick Van Dyke Show in color starting with the third season - but it would add $7000 to the cost of each episode, so they stayed in black and white.

By fall 1966, all primetime network shows moved to color. Addams Family was cancelled despite decent ratings. In an interview in TVGuide during the second season, John Astin stated they thought they could get five years out of the show. However, when they had to switch to color in '66, they realized it wouldn't work as well and ended the show instead.

[CosmicCharlie]

Originally Posted by torcan

In old copies of TVGuide, Carl Reiner was quoted as saying he originally wanted to do The Dick Van Dyke Show in color starting with the third season - but it would add $7000 to the cost of each episode, so they stayed in black and white.

By fall 1966, all primetime network shows moved to color. Addams Family was cancelled despite decent ratings. In an interview in TVGuide during the second season, John Astin stated they thought they could get five years out of the show. However, when they had to switch to color in '66, they realized it wouldn't work as well and ended the show instead.

about the cost of a house back then +-

[TMC]

Originally Posted by torcan

In old copies of TVGuide, Carl Reiner was quoted as saying he originally wanted to do The Dick Van Dyke Show in color starting with the third season - but it would add $7000 to the cost of each episode, so they stayed in black and white.

By fall 1966, all primetime network shows moved to color. Addams Family was cancelled despite decent ratings. In an interview in TVGuide during the second season, John Astin stated they thought they could get five years out of the show. However, when they had to switch to color in '66, they realized it wouldn't work as well and ended the show instead.

I heard that CBS offered them an additional 1-2 seasons and in color, but Dick Van Dyke and Mary Tyler Moore were already making plans after their 5 year contract was up. Also, Carl Reiner wanted to go out on top and didn't want to chance subsequent seasons being inferior in quality.