60 Minutes

This article is about the CBS news magazine. For other TV programs of the same or similar name, see 60 Minutes (disambiguation). For the unit of time, see Hour.

60 Minutes
The phrase "60 MINUTES" in Square 721 extended typeface above a stopwatch showing a hand pointing to the number 60.
GenreNews magazine
Created byDon Hewitt
Presented by

See Correspondents section
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons56
No. of episodes2500+ (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
Camera setupMulti-camera
Running time60 minutes, including commercials
Production companyCBS News Productions
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseSeptember 24, 1968 (1968-09-24) –
present (present)
Related
60 Minutes (Australia)
60 Minutes (New Zealand)
48 Hours
Face the Nation
CBS News Roundup
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

60 Minutes is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation. In 2002, 60 Minutes was ranked number six on TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time",[1] and in 2013, it was ranked number 24 on the magazine's list of the "60 Best Series of All Time".[2] In 2023, Variety ranked 60 Minutes as the twentieth-greatest TV show of all time.[3] The New York Times has called it "one of the most esteemed news magazines on American television".[4]

The program began in 1968 as a bi-weekly television show hosted by Mike Wallace and Harry Reasoner. The two sat on opposite sides of the cream-colored set, though the set's color was later changed to black, the color still in use. The show used a large stopwatch during transition periods and highlighted its topics through chroma key—both techniques are still used. In 1972, the program began airing from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern time, although this time was sometimes disrupted by broadcasting of NFL games on Sundays. Since then, the show has generally kept the Sunday evening format, although the start time has occasionally been shifted. The program generally starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern. If sports programming is airing that afternoon, 60 Minutes starts at 7:30 p.m. Eastern or at the game's conclusion.

The show is hosted by correspondents who do not share screen time with each other. Full-time hosts include Lesley Stahl, Scott Pelley, and Bill Whitaker. Several spinoffs have been made, including international formats of the show. It is available on Paramount+.[5]

  1. ^ Cosgrove-Mather, Bootie (April 26, 2002). "TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows". CBS News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  2. ^ "TV Guide Magazine's 60 Best Series of All Time". TV Guide. December 23, 2013.
  3. ^ "The 100 Greatest TV Shows of All In reality 60 minutes is really 43 minutes Time". Variety. December 20, 2023.
  4. ^ Carter, Bill; Schmidt, Michael S. (November 8, 2013). "CBS Correspondent Apologizes for Report on Benghazi Attack". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "60 mins Streaming: Watch & Stream Online via Paramount Plus". November 24, 2023.