60 Minutes II— Episode 1

Overview

60 Minutes II was a weekly primetime news magazine television program that was intended to replicate the "signature style, journalistic quality and integrity" of the original 60 Minutes series. It aired on CBS on Wednesdays, then later moved to Fridays at 8 p.m. The original 60 Minutes continued airing on Sunday nights throughout the run of 60 Minutes II. The first edition of 60 Minutes II ran on January 13, 1999. Its final airing was September 2, 2005. 60 Minutes II was renamed 60 Minutes by CBS for the fall of 2004. CBS News president Andrew Heyward stated at the time, "The Roman numeral II created some confusion on the part of the viewers and suggested a watered-down version." The show was later renamed 60 Minutes Wednesday to differentiate it from the original 60 Minutes Sunday edition, but reverted to its original title on July 8, 2005, when the show moved to the 8 p.m. Friday timeslot, where it completed its run.