This is a list of issue covers of TV Guide magazine for the decade of the 1950s, from its national launch in April 1953 through December 1959. The entries on this table include each cover's subjects and their artists (photographer or illustrator). This list is for the regular weekly issues of TV Guide; any one-time-only special issues are not included. From April 3, 1953 to July 9, 1954, the magazine organized their TV listings from Friday to Thursday. Starting July 17, 1954, the pattern was reorganized in order from Saturday to Friday and would be done in this manner until April 3, 2004.
1953
Issue dateCover subjectCover typeArtist4/3/1953Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (using Desi Arnaz Jr.'s legal name) & uncaptioned inset photo of Lucille BallPhoto montageUnknown4/10/1953Dragnet's Jack Webb 4/17/1953Uncaptioned Lucille Ball, Arthur Godfrey, Milton Berle, Imogene Coca & Sid Caesar IllustrationJack Weaver4/24/1953Ralph Edwards 5/1/1953Eve Arden 5/8/1953Arthur GodfreyPhotograph5/15/1953David & Ricky Nelson 5/22/1953Uncaptioned Red Buttons 5/29/1953Uncaptioned Queen Elizabeth II 6/5/1953Jerry Lewis & Dean Martin 6/12/1953Eddie Fisher 6/19/1953Ed Sullivan 6/26/1953Dinah Shore 7/3/1953Uncaptioned Perry Como 7/10/1953Dave Garroway & Mr. Muggs 7/17/1953Uncaptioned Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz 7/24/1953Uncaptioned Groucho MarxIllustrationBob Taylor7/31/1953Max Liebman, Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca 8/7/1953Ray Milland: Moves to TV 8/14/1953Patti Page 8/21/1953Super Circus Mary Hartline & Claude KirchnerPhoto illustration8/28/1953Uncaptioned Jayne Meadows & Audrey Meadows 9/4/1953Back to School With Mr. Peepers/Uncaptioned Marion Lorne & Wally CoxIllustration9/11/1953Joan Caulfield & Ralph Edwards This Is Your LifePhotograph9/18/1953Fall Preview 1953–1954 Shows 9/25/1953George Reeves — — Man and SupermanPhoto montage10/2/1953Red Skelton: A Career at Stake 10/9/1953Preview: Bishop Sheen's New Book 10/16/1953Picture Story — 1953 T-Venus Winners (Three uncaptioned actresses, one of whom is Angie Dickinson) Photograph10/23/1953Arthur GodfreyPhoto montage10/30/1953Buelah Witch & FriendsIllustration11/6/1953Warren Hull 11/13/1953Jimmy Durante 11/20/1953Dorothy McGuire & Julius La Rosa 11/27/1953Lugene Sanders — 'Babs Riley' 12/4/1953Loretta Young 12/11/1953Jack Webb: Quitting Dragnet 12/18/1953Bob Hope: On The Run Photo illustration12/25/1953Merry Christmas with uncaptioned Perry Como, Patti Page & Eddie Fisher
1954
Issue dateCover subjectCover typeArtist1/1/1954Bing CrosbyPhotograph1/8/1954Joan Caulfield 1/15/1954Martha Raye 1/22/1954I've Got a Secret 1/29/1954Robert Montgomery 2/5/1954Jack BennyPhotograph2/12/1954Red Buttons 2/19/1954Ann Sothern 2/26/1954LiberacePhotograph3/5/1954Marion Marlowe & Frank Parker 3/12/1954Maria Riva 3/19/1954Groucho Marx 3/26/1954Jackie GleasonPhotographWilliam Kahn4/2/1954Eve Arden 4/9/1954Charlie Applewhite & Milton Berle 4/16/1954TV Guide Awards 4/23/1954Lucille BallPhotograph4/30/1954Ben Alexander & Jack Webb 5/7/1954Nelsons — Mother (Harriet Nelson) & Sons (Ricky Nelson & David Nelson) 5/14/1954Frank SinatraPhotograph5/21/1954Patricia Benoit & Wally Cox 5/28/1954Gale Storm 6/4/1954Arthur Godfrey 6/11/1954Ben Blue & Alan Young 6/18/1954Rise Stevens & Ed Sullivan 6/25/1954Howdy Doody & Bob SmithPhotograph7/2/1954Joan Davis & Jim Backus 7/9/1954Arlene Francis 7/17/1954Roy Rogers 7/24/1954Jack Webb & Ann Robinson 7/31/1954William Bendix 8/7/1954Perry Como & Friends 8/14/1954Dean Martin & Jerry LewisPhotograph8/21/1954Jayne Meadows & Steve Allen 8/28/1954Roxanne 9/4/1954Eddie Fisher 9/11/1954Betty Hutton 9/18/1954Liberace 9/25/1954Fall Preview 1954–1955 ShowsText graphic10/2/1954Teresa Wright & Dick Powell in The Long Goodbye 10/9/1954Lucille Ball 10/16/1954Red ButtonsPhotograph10/23/1954Walt Disney with his studio's cartoon charactersPhoto illustrationWalt Disney Productions10/30/1954Joan Caulfield & Barry Nelson 11/6/1954Gracie Allen & George Burns 11/13/1954Joanne Rio & Liberace 11/20/1954Bebe Daniels & Ralph Edwards 11/27/1954Peter Lawford & Marcia Henderson 12/4/1954George Gobel 12/11/1954Marion Marlowe 12/18/1954Imogene Coca 12/25/1954Ozzie Nelson & Family
1955
Issue dateCover subjectCover typeArtist1/1/1955Loretta Young of The Loretta Young ShowPhotographElmer Holloway1/8/1955Arthur Godfrey 1/15/1955I've Got a Secret 1/22/1955Ed Sullivan 1/29/1955Martha Raye 2/5/1955Edward R. Murrow 2/12/1955Your Hit Parade 2/19/1955Sid CaesarPhotographPhilippe Halsman2/26/1955Steve Allen & Judy Holliday 3/5/1955Liberace 3/12/1955Dinah Shore 3/19/1955Art Carney 3/26/1955Gale Gordon & Eve Arden 4/2/1955Tony Martin 4/9/1955Gloria Marshall & Bob Cummings 4/16/1955Garry Moore 4/23/1955Gale Storm 4/30/1955Buddy Ebsen & Fess Parker 5/7/1955Robin Morgan & Peggy Wood 5/14/1955Perry Como 5/21/1955Audrey Meadows & Jackie Gleason 5/28/1955Ralph Edwards 6/4/1955Eddie Fisher 6/11/1955Gail Davis 6/18/1955Danny Thomas 6/25/1955Sid Caesar, Barbara Nichols & Cliff Norton 7/2/1955Tommy Rettig with Lassie & Lee Aaker with Rin Tin TinPhotographGraphic House7/9/1955Patti Page 7/16/1955Julius La Rosa 7/23/1955Janet Leigh & Jack Webb 7/30/1955Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Margaret Whiting & Barbara Whiting 8/6/1955Art Linkletter 8/13/1955Roxanne & Bud Collyer 8/20/1955Hal March 8/27/1955Groucho Marx 9/3/1955Jody Carson & Johnny Carson of The Johnny Carson ShowPhotographGaby Rona9/10/1955Arthur Godfrey 9/17/1955Milton Berle & Esther Williams 9/24/1955Fall preview 1955–1956 ShowsIllustration10/1/1955Mickey Mouse 10/8/1955George Burns & Gracie Allen 10/15/1955Richard Boone 10/22/1955Peggy King & George Gobel 10/29/1955Phil SilversPhotographPhilippe Halsman11/5/1955Nanette Fabray 11/12/1955Liberace 11/19/1955Jack Benny 11/26/1955Martha Raye of The Martha Raye Show with her head leaning out of a picture framePhotographPhilippe Halsman12/3/1955Mary Healy & Peter Lind Hayes 12/10/1955Lucille Ball 12/17/1955Robert Montgomery 12/24/1955A Christmas image of a TV antenna decorated with ornaments and beadsPhotographLarry Fritz12/31/1955Cleo (dog) of The People's Choice
1956
Issue dateCover subjectCover typeArtist1/7/1956Arthur Godfrey 1/14/1956Loretta Young 1/21/1956Lawrence Welk 1/28/1956Janis Paige 2/4/1956Judy Tyler 2/11/1956Perry Como 2/18/1956Jimmy Durante 2/25/1956Gisele MacKenzie 3/3/1956Lynn Dollar & Hal March 3/10/1956Frances Rafferty & Spring Byington 3/17/1956Maurice Evans & Lilli Palmer 3/24/1956Dave Garroway 3/31/1956Arlene Francis & John Daly 4/7/1956Jayne Meadows, Garry Moore & Faye Emerson 4/14/1956Grace Kelly 4/21/1956Nanette Fabray 4/28/1956Red Skelton 5/5/1956George Gobel & Mitzi Gaynor 5/12/1956Bernadette O'Farrell & Richard Greene 5/19/1956Phil Silvers & Elisabeth Fraser 5/26/1956Alice Lon & Lawrence Welk 6/2/1956Sid Caesar & Janet Blair 6/9/1956Patti Page 6/16/1956Elinor Donahue, Robert Young, Lauren Chapin & Billy Gray 6/23/1956Steve Allen 6/30/1956Bob Cummings 7/7/1956LassiePhotographGarrett-Howard7/14/1956Gordon MacRae & Sheila MacRae 7/21/1956Bill Lundigan & Mary Costa 7/28/1956Gail Davis of Annie OakleyPhotographGarrett-Howard8/4/1956Jackie Cooper & Cleo (dog) 8/11/1956Democratic ConventionIllustrationKMLG-Barron8/18/1956GOP ConventionIllustrationKramer, Miller, Lomden, Glassman8/25/1956Esther Williams 9/1/1956Alice Lon 9/8/1956Elvis Presley 9/15/1956Fall Preview 1956–1957 Shows 9/22/1956Hal MarchIllustrationAl Hirschfeld9/29/1956Jackie Gleason 10/6/1956Gale Storm 10/13/1956The Nelson Family 10/20/1956Phyllis Goodkind & Perry Como 10/27/1956Alfred Hitchcock 11/3/1956Edward R. MurrowIllustrationAl Hirschfeld11/10/1956Loretta YoungPhotographElmer Holloway11/17/1956Buddy Hackett 11/24/1956Nanette Fabray 12/1/1956Gracie Allen & George BurnsIllustrationAl Hirschfeld12/8/1956Victor Borge 12/15/1956Dinah Shore 12/22/1956Merry Christmas 12/29/1956Jeannie Carson
1957
Issue dateCover subjectCover typeArtist1/5/1957Arthur GodfreyIllustrationAl Hirschfeld1/12/1957Lucille Ball 1/19/1957Jerry Lewis 1/26/1957Bob HopeIllustrationAl Hirschfeld2/2/1957Jane Wyman 2/9/1957Hugh O'Brian 2/16/1957Jane Wyatt & Robert Young 2/23/1957Charles Van Doren 3/2/1957Dorothy Collins & Gisele MacKenzie 3/9/1957Arthur Godfrey & Pat Boone 3/16/1957The Emmy Awards 3/23/1957Tennessee Ernie FordIllustrationErnest Chiriaka3/30/1957Julie Andrews 4/6/1957Lawrence WelkIllustrationAl Hirschfeld4/13/1957Nanette Fabray of The Kaiser Aluminum Hour in a baseball uniform (a baseball preview feature was included in this issue)PhotographHerb Ball4/20/1957Loretta Young 4/27/1957Groucho MarxIllustrationAl Parker5/4/1957Hal March & Robert Strom 5/11/1957James Arness of GunsmokePhotographGarrett-Howard5/18/1957Esther Williams 5/25/1957Sid CaesarIllustrationAl Hirschfeld6/1/1957Ida Lupino & Howard Duff 6/8/1957Lassie 6/15/1957Red Skelton 6/22/1957Jack Bailey 6/29/1957Gale Storm 7/6/1957What's My Line?IllustrationAl Hirschfeld7/13/1957Gail Davis 7/20/1957Julius La Rosa 7/27/1957Garry Moore 8/3/1957Cleo (dog) 8/10/1957Ann B. Davis & Bob Cummings 8/17/1957Phil SilversIllustrationAl Hirschfeld8/24/1957Marjorie Lord & Danny Thomas 8/31/1957Clint Walker of CheyennePhotographWarner Bros.9/7/1957Janette Davis & Arthur Godfrey 9/14/1957Fall Preview 1957–1958 Shows featuring a close-up of the eye of Polly BergenPhotographArthur Williams9/21/1957Pat Boone 9/28/1957Gracie Allen & George Burns 10/5/1957Joan Caulfield 10/12/1957This Is The Week To WatchPhoto montage10/19/1957Loretta Young 10/26/1957Peter Lawford & Phyllis Kirk 11/2/1957Lucille BallIllustrationAl Hirschfeld11/9/1957James Garner 11/16/1957Patti Page 11/23/1957Mary Martin 11/30/1957Alfred HitchcockIllustrationAl Hirschfeld12/7/1957Dinah ShoreIllustrationAl Parker12/14/1957Walt Disney 12/21/1957Season's Greetings 12/28/1957Ricky Nelson of The Adventures of Ozzie & HarrietPhotograph John Engstead
1958
Issue dateCover subjectCover typeArtist1/4/1958Lawrence Welk 1/11/1958Gisele MacKenzie 1/18/1958John Payne 1/25/1958Sid Caesar & Imogene CocaPhotographPhilippe Halsman2/1/1958Walter Winchell 2/8/1958Peggy King & Tab Hunter 2/15/1958A Great Week 2/22/1958Rosemary Clooney 3/1/1958LassieIllustrationAl Hirschfeld3/8/1958Arthur Godfrey 3/15/1958Amanda Blake & James Arness 3/22/1958Perry ComoIllustrationAl Hirschfeld3/29/1958Tennessee Ernie FordPhotographPaul W. Bailey4/5/1958Gale Storm 4/12/1958Hugh O'BrianIllustrationAl Hirschfeld4/19/1958Polly Bergen 4/26/1958Guy Williams of ZorroPhotographDave Preston5/3/1958Shirley Temple 5/10/1958Richard Boone of Have Gun Will TravelPhotographPhilippe Halsman5/17/1958Danny Thomas 5/24/1958Dick Clark 5/31/1958Phyllis Kirk 6/7/1958Pat Boone 6/14/1958Jane Wyatt & Robert Young 6/21/1958Ed Sullivan 6/28/1958Jerry Mathers 7/5/1958Bill Cullen of The Price Is Right 7/12/1958Lucille Ball 7/19/1958Dale Robertson 7/26/1958Paula Raymond & Marvin Miller 8/2/1958Walter Brennan 8/9/1958Steve Lawrence & Eydie Gorme 8/16/1958Robert Horton & Ward Bond 8/23/1958Edie Adams & Janet Blair 8/30/1958Bud Collyer, Polly Bergen & Kitty Carlisle 9/6/1958Arthur Godfrey 9/13/1958Lennon Sisters & Lawrence Welk 9/20/1958Fall Preview 1958–1959 Shows 9/27/1958Garry Moore 10/4/1958Dick Clark 10/11/1958Barrie Chase & Fred Astaire 10/18/1958Perry Como 10/25/1958George Burns 11/1/1958Jack Paar 11/8/1958Loretta Young 11/15/1958Warner Anderson & Tom Tully 11/22/1958Ronald Reagan & Nancy ReaganPhotographGarrett-Howard11/29/1958Victor Borge 12/6/1958James Arness 12/13/1958Danny Thomas 12/20/1958Special Holiday Issue 12/27/1958David Nelson & Ricky Nelson
1959