# Shows that went from B & W to Color **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 29, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135 "2004-03-29T19:19:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/1 "2004-03-29T19:19:34Z")
I’ve been trying to remember as many old TV series as I could which started broadcast in black and white then went to color. Here’s what I have so far: Gilligan’s Island The Beverly Hillbillies Bewitched I Dream of Jeannie The Andy Griffith Show Lost in Space My Three Sons. I’m not sure about : Gunsmoke The Wild Wild West Help? ---
**Author:** ![RumMunkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@RumMunkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RumMunkey)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/2 "2004-03-29T19:22:02Z")
Coronation Street Hockey Night in Canada The Friendly Giant ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/3 "2004-03-29T19:25:13Z")
Wagon Train The Man From U.N.C.L.E ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/4 "2004-03-29T19:26:28Z")
> [@photopat](#): > > I’ve been trying to remember as many old TV series as I could which started broadcast in black and white then went to color. > Here’s what I have so far: > > I’m not sure about : > Gunsmoke > The Wild Wild West Definitely Gunsmoke. I think the pilot for Wild Wild West was shot in black and white, but all the episodes were in color. Don’t forget F Troop Get Smart IIRC Believe it or not, the last two production cycles of The Adventures of Superman were shot in color, back in the 50s, while the first two were black and white. The syndicators bet on color someday being the standard, and they were right. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/5 "2004-03-29T19:30:35Z")
“Dragnet” appeared in b&w, and color. I think I remember seeing “Planet of the Giant” episodes in both B&W and color, but can’t be sure. As a fan of british sci-fi & adventure shows, and I know that both “Dr. Who” and “the Avengers” broadcast black & white and color episodes. “Dark Shadows”, like most of the daytime soaps, have been on forever and broadcast in black & white, then color. As a side note, do you remember the little tags that tv shows showed just before their color episodes? I remember reruns of “Bewitched” would start with Elizabeth Montgomery facing the camera and saying “Next is a show about a witch - in FULL COLOR!” The tags were eventually snipped out over time. ---
**Author:** ![Don\_Draper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Don\_Draper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Don_Draper)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/6 "2004-03-29T19:34:22Z")
Slight correction: it should be “LAND of the GiantS” (plural). :smack: ---
**Author:** ![photopat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e95f7d/32.png) [@photopat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/photopat)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/7 "2004-03-29T19:53:59Z")
I can’t believe I forgot F Troop and Doctor Who. (as to many of the others, they weren’t shows I was too familiar with) I don’t remember ever seeing an episode of Get Smart in black and white. **Art** , I don’t remember those tags, though I do recall the old NBC peacock and the announcements that the following show was in “living color.” ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/8 "2004-03-29T22:12:32Z")
Here are a few other long-running shows that come to mind: “The Ed Sullivan Show” “The Tonight Show” “Today” “Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood” (I think the first season and maybe the second season were in B&W.) All the network news and interview shows (e.g., “Face the Nation” and “Meet the Press”) “Walt Disney” (An early switch over, at one point it was called “Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” before becoming “The Wonderful World of Disney” in the late 60’s once color became the standard.) ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/9 "2004-03-29T22:21:00Z")
“Land of the Giants” was always in color. Also: Gomer Pyle, USMC ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMule](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc348/32.png) [@MonkeyMule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMule)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/10 "2004-03-30T00:39:21Z")
DOn’t forget Mr. Ed it was color at the end IIRC ---
**Author:** ![audit1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@audit1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audit1)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/11 "2004-03-30T01:03:53Z")
In the case of GET SMART and HOGANS HEROES. the pilot episode was black and white. all the rest in Color. VOYAGE TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA, first season B&w, 2nd - 4th color. ---
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/12 "2004-03-30T01:07:01Z")
Correction to above info: The entire first season of “The Wild Wild West” was in black and white. Practically any show from 64/65 that was renewed for 65/66 went from B/W to color. Exceptions being a few with producer/whatever who bet that color would be the future norm, and shot that way from the get-go. Example being “Bonanza,” which started in 59 in color, as I recall. Did someone mention “The Fugitive” yet? Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/13 "2004-03-30T01:31:57Z")
Regarding Dr. Who, I think the reason that Jon Pertwee was stranded on Earth was to cut costs as the show moved from b&w to color. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/14 "2004-03-30T02:09:58Z")
What’s my Line, To Tell the Truth, and Password. I’m sure there are many other game shows that will qualify. Not speaking of revivials, but original shows that moved to color. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/15 "2004-03-30T02:17:58Z")
Patty Duke commented in her autobiography that the network cancelled her sitcom because they didn’t want to pay the added expense of filming in color. ---
**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/16 "2004-03-30T02:20:02Z")
_The Joey Bishop Show_ is the rare show that went from b&w to color on NBC and then back to b&w when it moved to CBS, according to IMDB anyway. Apparently, CBS didn’t start its color changeover until after the show was cancelled. Weren’t the early episodes of _Are You Being Served?_ in b&w as well? ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/17 "2004-03-30T18:15:21Z")
I remember that in the 60s the Disney TV show was titled “Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color” (later changed to “The Wonderful World of Disney”) ---
**Author:** ![PaperBlob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/58956e/32.png) [@PaperBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaperBlob)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/18 "2004-03-30T18:25:16Z")
My Favorite Martian ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/19 "2004-03-30T18:32:58Z")
> [@widdershins](#): > > Weren’t the early episodes of **Are You Being Served?** in b&w as well? The pilot was, probably to cut costs in case it wasn’t approved. AFIK, all the other episodes are in color. ---
**Author:** ![Number](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/number/32/242_2.png) [@Number](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Number)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2004, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135/20 "2004-03-30T21:35:19Z")
> [@MonkeyMule](#): > > DOn’t forget Mr. Ed it was color at the end IIRC Really? How did they conceal the fact that he was a [zebra](http://www.snopes.com/lost/mistered.asp) then? heh heh heh heh [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/shows-that-went-from-b-w-to-color/237135.md?page=2)