1973/74 – All In The Family was #1 on CBS Saturday, third year running.
Note: Any BOLD shows were cancelled in 1973 season; Flip Wilson was cancelled in
the fourth season.
Anniversary:
Lassie is the longest running animal show on TV, lasting twenty years on CBS and syndication. So long, Lassie!
The Lawrence Welk Show celebrated twenty years on TV.
The Tonight Show celebrated twenty years on NBC.
Wonderful World of Disney celebrated twenty years on TV.
Biggest New Hit: Kojak was #7 on CBS Tuesdays. Lollipops and “who loves ya, baby?” was very much Kojak.
He is never seen without a lollypop.
British Ties:
Lotsa Luck was based on the ITV series, On The Buses.
A Touch Of Grace was based on For The Love Of Ada.
Movies 2 TV:
Adam's Rib was based on the 1949 Spencer Tracy/Katharine Hepburn movie.
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice was based on the 1969 Natalie Wood/Dyan Cannon movie.
The Cowboys was based on the 1972 John Wayne movie. Robert Carradine made his movie debut in The Cowboys. A Martinez, Sean
Kelly, Clay O'Brien and Robert Carradine reprised their roles for the series.
Shaft was based on the 1971 movie. Richard Roundtree respired role in the TV show. Even the movie theme song is the show's
theme song; Issac Hayes won an Oscar for the theme song.
NBC Mystery Movie:
Sunday - Columbo, McCloud, McMillian And Wife & Hec Ramsey. The Sunday version was #14 in the ratings of the season.
Wednesday - Madigan, Tenafly, Faraday & Company and The Snoop Sisters. Banacek returned to NBC Mystery Movie's new
night, Tuesday.
Name Change:
The Bobbie Gertry Show was also known as Bobbie Gentry's Happiness. Dear, Bobbie. I hoped you are happy now. You was happy
for four weeks in your life. Don't put all your eggs in the basket. There are other things to be happy about, beside your
FAILED show. I don't get it. A failed show made you happy! At least, you made lemonade out of the lemons!
The Dean Martin Show to The Dean Martin Comedy Hour
Little People to The Brian Keith Show.
The Return:
Shirley Booth returned in A Touch Of Grace after a seven-year absence. She was best known as Hazel in the early 1960's.
CBS revived Your Hit Parade for the summer. It was last seen on CBS in 1959.
Simultaneous: Lee Majors starred in two ABC series, Owen Marshall, Counselor At Law & The Six Million Dollar Man.
Summer Replacement: The Dean Martin Comedy World replaced The Dean Martin Comedy Hour for the summer.
Spin Off: Good Times from Maude. As far I’m concerned, Good Times is a Maude spin off. Then again, it couldn’t
be one. Only Florida Evans and her renamed James Evans somehow lived in Chicago with their three kids on Good Times, whereas
Florida worked in New York on Maude. We know Florida can’t be in two places at once. The spin off debate continues to
this day.
Tuesday Night CBS Movie: It combined two rotating series, Hawkins and Shaft, and The New Tuesday Night CBS Movie. Just
like ABC's The Men last season, it couldn't compete with NBC Mystery Movie and folded after a season. The New Tuesday Night
CBS Movie originally started last season.
Tidbits:
Lucy Ball’s longest running TV show (Here’s Lucy/The Lucy Show) finally ended after a great twelve year run.
Telly Savalas and George Savalas, real life brothers, co-starred on Kojak.
Kevin Dobson (Kojak) went on greater fame on Knots Landing in 1982.
Amanda Blake quit Gunsmoke this year; she played Kitty Russell for nineteen years.
Howard & Marion Cunningham had three kids – Chuck, Richie and Joanie on Happy Days. Chuck disappeared from the
family in 1975 and was never ever referred to again. They only had two kids.
Fonzie was a minor character, but grew in popularity on Happy Days. The producers saw a good thing that Fonzie became a
major character like Steve Urkel (Family Matters) years later.
John Amos and Jimmie Walker played father/son - James and JJ Evans - on Good Times. In reality, John is eight years older
than Jimmie. Yet, they are so realistic as father and son on Good Times. John is nineteen years younger than Esther Rolle
(Florida Evans).
Jimmie Walker trademarked the popular catchphrase, "DY-NO-MITE!"
Toma was based on the real Detective David Toma, who played bit parts in the show. Tony Musante (Toma) quit the show after
the first season; he hated the weekly grind of production. ABC wasn't quite please with the ratings and planned for a new
Toma, Robert Blake. Instead, the series was scrapped and Robert Blake starred in Baretta, despite the strong similarities
between the two shows, the following January.
Bill Bixby felt right at home as The Magician, Anthony Blake. In real life, Bill was an amateur magician.
The New Perry Mason was a big disaster on CBS without the real Perry Mason, Raymond Burr, who was on the hit NBC series,
Ironside. Come on, networks! By now, you can't replace a well known character with another actor. It doesn't feel right. Raymond
Burr will always be Perry Mason to us. Yo, CBS! You should have waited a year. Ironside ended the next season. Raymond Burr
returned to his famous role in the reunion movie, Perry Mason Returns, in 1985. Even Barbara Hale was back as Della Street.
The movie was so popular that NBC continued to aired 2/3 movies per year till Raymond Burr passed away in 1993. Apple's Way
replaced The New Perry Mason on CBS Sunday.
What a very strange ride for Dirk Benedict. He was fighting on the right side of the law in Chopper One. Couple years later,
He was fighting on the wrong side of the law in The A–Team! Being a rebel outcast suited him much better! The A–Team
lasted longer than Chopper One.
1973/74 Fall Season
One Season (1973/74)
Kojak – 1973–1978, CBS, crime drama, Telly Savalas, Kevin Dobson
Police Story – 1973–1977, NBC, police anthology
Cancelled TV Shows
Adam’s Rib – ABC, comedy, Ken Howard
Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice – ABC, comedy, Robert Urich
Calucci’s Dept. – CBS, comedy, James Coco
Chase – NBC, crime drama, Mitchell Ryan
Diana – NBC, comedy, Diana Rigg
Faraday & Company – NBC; mystery, Sharon Gless, James Naughton
The Girl With Something Special – NBC, comedy, John Davidson, Sally Field, Teri Garr
Griff – ABC, mystery, Lorne Greene, Ben Murphy, Vic Tayback
Hawkins – CBS, drama, James Stewart
Lotsa Luck – NBC, comedy, Dom DeLuise
Love Story – NBC, dramatic anthology
The Magician – NBC, adventure, Bill Bixby
NBC Follies – NBC, variety, Sammy Davis, Jr., Mickey Rooney
Needles & Pins – NBC, comedy, Normal Fell, Bernie Kopell
The New Perry Mason – CBS, mystery, Monte Markham, Sharon Acker
The New Tuesday Night CBS Movie – movies, originally started in 1972
Roll Out – CBS, comedy, Stu Gilliam, Ed Begley, Jr.
Shaft – CBS, mystery, Richard Roundtree, Ed Barth
The Snoop Sisters – NBC; mystery, Helen Hayes, Mildred Natwick
Tenafly – NBC; mystery, Wednesday/Tuesday, James McEachin
Toma – ABC; crime drama, Tony Musante
2 out of 23 new series SURVIVED for 1974/75
ABC – 0/3,
CBS – 1/7, Kojak
NBC – 1/11, Police Story
Mid season shows
Apple’s Way – February 1974–1975, ABC, drama, Ronny Cox
Good Times – February 1974–1979, CBS, comedy, Esther Rolle, John Amos
Happy Days – January 1974–1984, ABC, comedy, Marion Ross, Tom Bosley
The Mac Davis Show – July 1974–1976, NBC, musical variety, Mac Davis
The Six Million Dollar Man – January 1974–1978, ABC, adventure, Lee Majors
Cancelled Mid Season Shows
The Bobbie Gentry Show – CBS, musical variety, 4 episodes, Bobbie Gentry
Chopper One – ABC, crime drama, Dirk Benedict
The Cowboys – ABC, western, A Martinez, Robert Carradine
The Dean Martin Comedy World – NBC, comedy variety, Jackie Cooper
Dick Clark Presents The Rock And Roll Years – ABC, music, Dick Clark
Dirty Sally – CBS, western, Jeanette Nolan, Dack Rambo
Doc Elliot – ABC, medical drama, James Franciscus
Firehouse – ABC, adventure, James Drury
The Helen Reddy Show – NBC, musical variety, Helen Reddy
The Hudson Brothers Show – CBS, variety, Mark Hudson
Music Country USA – NBC, musical variety
A Touch Of Grace – ABC, comedy, Shirley Booth
Syndication
Dealer's Choice – Early 1974–1975, syndication, quiz, Bob Hastings
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert – 1973–1981, syndicated, music, Don Kirshner
Dusty's Trail – syndication, comedy, Bob Denver
The Wild, Wild World Of Animals – 1973–1978, syndication, wildlife, William Conrad
Late Night
The Tomorrow Show – 1973–1982, NBC, talk, Tom Snyder
Two Seasons (1972/73)
Banacek – 1972–1974, NBC, mystery
Barnaby Jones – January 1973–1980, CBS, crime drama
The Bob Newhart Show – 1972–1978, CBS, comedy
The Bobby Goldsboro Show – Early 1973–1975, syndication, music
The Brian Keith Show – 1972–1974, NBC, comedy
CBS News Retrospective – 1973/74, CBS, documentary
Hec Ramsey – 1972–1974, NBC; Sunday, western
Kung Fu – 1972–1975, ABC, western
M*A*S*H – 1972–1983,CBS, comedy
Maude – 1972–1978, CBS, comedy
The Midnight Special – February 1973–1981, NBC, music
The Parent Game – 1972–1974, syndication, quiz
The Protectors – 1972–1974, syndication, adventure
The Rookies – 1972–1976, ABC, crime drama
Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour – August 1971–1974, CBS, variety
Streets Of San Francisco – 1972–1977, ABC, crime drama
Temperatures Rising – 1972–1974, ABC, comedy
Thrill Seekers – January 1973–1974, syndication, documentary
The Wacky World Of Jonathan Winters – 1972–1974, syndication, comedy/variety
Wait Till Your Father Gets Home – 1972–1974, syndication, cartoon
The Waltons – 1972–1981, CBS, drama
Three Seasons (1971/72)
The Amazing World Of Kreskin – 1971–1975, syndication, mind reading
The Baseball World Of Joe Garagiola – 1972–1975, NBC, sports commentary
Cannon – 1971–1976, CBS, crime drama
Columbo – 1971–1977, NBC, crime drama
Dr. Simon Locke – 1971–1974, syndication, medical drama
Emergency – January 1972–1977, NBC, drama
McMillan & Wife – 1971–1977, NBC, crime drama
The New Dick Van Dyke – 1971–1974, CBS, comedy
Owen Marshall, Counselor At Law – 1971–1974, ABC, drama
Sanford & Son – January 1972–1977, NBC, comedy
Untamed World – 1971–1975, syndication, documentary
Four Seasons (1970/71)
All In The Family – January 1971–1979, CBS, comedy
The Flip Wilson Show – 1970–1974, NBC, variety
The Mary Tyler Moore Show – 1970–1977, CBS, comedy
McCloud – 1970–1977, NBC, crime drama
Monday Night Football – 1970–2006, ABC, sports
The Odd Couple – 1970–1975, ABC, comedy
The Partridge Family – 1970–1974, ABC, comedy
That Good Ole Nashville Music – 1970–1985, syndication, music
Five Seasons (1969/70)
The Brady Bunch – 1969–1974, ABC, comedy
Love, American Style – 1969–1974, ABC, anthology
Marcus Welby MD – 1969–1976, ABC, drama
Medical Center – 1969–1976, CBS, drama
Room 222 – 1969–1974, ABC, comedy
Safari To Adventure – 1969–1975, syndication, documentary
Six Seasons (1968/69)
Adam 12 – 1968–1975, NBC, crime drama
Hawaii Five-O – 1968–1980, CBS, crime drama
Hee Haw – 1971–1993, syndication, variety
Here's Lucy – 1968–1974, CBS, comedy
60 Minutes – 1968–present, CBS, newsmagazine
Seven Seasons (1967/68)
The Carol Burnett Show – 1967–1978, CBS, variety
Ironside – 1967–1975, NBC, crime drama
Mannix – 1967–1975, CBS, crime drama
Wild Kingdom – 1971–1988, syndication, wildlife
Nine Seasons (1965/66)
The Dean Martin Comedy Hour – 1965–1974, NBC, variety
The FBI – 1965–1974, ABC, crime drama
Thirteen Seasons (1961/62)
The David Susskind Show – 1961–1987, syndication, talk
Nineteen Seasons (1955/56)
Gunsmoke – 1955–1975, CBS, western
Twenty Seasons (1954/55)
Lassie – 1971–1974, syndication, adventure
The Lawrence Welk Show – 1971–1982, syndication, music
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – 1962–1992, NBC, talk/variety
Wonderful World of Disney – 1954–1983, NBC, anthology
Twenty two Seasons (1952/53)
Death Valley Days – 1952–1975, syndication, western anthology
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