1981/82 – Dallas was #1 on CBS Friday, second year running.
Note: Any BOLD shows were cancelled in 1981 season; Soap was cancelled in the
fifth season.
Anniversary:
M*A*S*H celebrated ten years on CBS.
Wild Kingdom celebrated fifteen on TV.
Biggest New Hit: Falcon Crest was #13 on CBS Friday. Well, duh! It aired after Dallas. What a better way to get ratings
for a new show. You better watch out for Angela Channing. She is one of the meanest and baddest women on Falcon Crest. She
will fight tooth and nail for her vineyards whether you are a relative or not.
Contract Dispute:
Tom Wopat and John Schneider left their popular series, The Dukes Of Hazzard, in a dispute over their salaries and merchandising
royalties. Warner Bros. replaced them with new Dukes for next season.
Lynn Redgrave left House Calls. Sharon Gless replaced her in the series.
Daytime: Diff'rent Stokes was on NBC weekdays from April 1982–December 1983 and July–September 1984.
Death: Slim Pickens died from a brain tumor after the first few Filthy Rich episodes were filmed. Forrest Tucker replaced
him in the Big Guy role.
Movies 2 TV:
Fame was based on the 1980 Irene Cara movie. Debbie Allen, Albert Hague, Gene Anthony Ray and Lee Curreri reprised their
roles for the series.
Herbie, The Love Bug was based on the Walt Disney movies. Dean Jones reprised his role from two movies, The Love Bug and
Herbie Goes To Monte Carlo.
Name Change:
It’s A Living to Making A Living.
Harper Valley P.T.A. to Harper Valley.
SCTV Network 90 to SCTV Network.
Return: The $25,000 Pyramid returned to syndication as The $50,000 Pyramid after a two year absence.
Simultaneous:
A Martinez was on Cassie & Company and Born To The Wind in the same season. Born To The Wind started on August 19,
1982; Cassie & Company ended the very next day.
Slim Pickens was on The Nashville Palace and Filthy Rich in the same season. The Nashville Palace ended on August 7, 1982.
Two days later, Filthy Rich started on CBS.
Spin Off: Bret Maverick from Maverick, James Garner FINALLY returned to Maverick...oops, I mean, Bret Maverick...after
twenty one years. Didn't I mention that Bret Maverick was a spin off?
Switch Networks: The Wonderful World of Disney went from NBC to CBS.
TV History: – In the TV movie, Sidney Shorr: A Girl's Best Friend, Sydney was a known homosexual.
It became a TV show, Love, Sydney, starring Tony Randall. His sexual orientation was never ever mention on the show.
Thus, he, somehow, slipped back in the closet. Really, some groups pressured NBC to drop it from the show. Sadly, Sidney Shorr
could have been the first gay lead character in primetime, but it wasn’t meant to be. The gay lead honors goes to Ellen
DeGeneres on Ellen in 1997. The LGBT people came a long way since then.
Tidbits:
Falcon Crest was the third popular soap. The first ones were Dallas and Dynasty.
Simon & Simon premiered on my twelfth birthday – November 24, 1981. I brought them luck; they were on for eight
years! LOL
Entertainment Tonight, the first of it’s kind, premiered this year; it is the longest entertainment magazine ever.
There was turmoil with the hosts in the first year. When Mary Hart came aboard, it hits their stride. Mary is a favorite host;
she is the longest running host. Leonard Martin, the movie critic, was there from the very beginning, as he is today.
Michael Landon was the creator/producer of Father Murphy, starring Merlin Olsen.
Lorenzo Lamas is the only actor to appear in all 227 episodes of Falcon Crest. His own father, Fernando Lamas, guest starred
on Jane Wyman’s series in 1958 when Lance was just a baby. Falcon Crest made him world famous.
Delta Burke & Dixie Carter both starred on Filthy Rich, created by Linda Bloodworth-Thomason. The flop lasted for a
few months on CBS. Delta, Dixie and Linda rejoined together for their biggest hit of their careers, Designing Women, in 1986.
Linda created that show too.
Scott Baio & Ellen Travolta played mother/son on Joanie Loves Chachi. Ellen joined Charles In Charge in 1987. Once
again, she played his mother.
Viewer Response: Cagney & Lacey started out very badly in the ratings, thou the TV movie was a big hit in October
1981with Loretta Swit and Tyne Daly. Loretta wasn't available for the series; she was doing M*A*SH at the time. Meg Foster
flopped as Cagney; Sharon Gless replaced Meg in the second season and the ratings was still bad. Like any network does with
a bad series, CBS cancelled the series at the end of the season. The letters poured into CBS and the summer reruns picked
up new viewers to see what the fuss was about. Tyne Daly won the Emmy for best actress in September 1983. Cagney & Lacey
returned the following March. It was #10 of the season.
1981/82 Fall Season
A writer’s strike delayed the 1981/82 Season.
One Season (1981/82)
The Fall Guy – 1981–1986, ABC, adventure, Lee Majors, Heather Thomas
Falcon Crest – 1981–1990, CBS, soap, Jane Wyman, Robert Foxworth, Susan Sullivan
Father Murphy – 1981–1983, NBC, drama, Merlin Olsen
Gimme A Break! – 1981–1987, NBC, comedy, Nell Carter, Dolph Sweet
Love, Sidney – 1981–1983, NBC, comedy, Tony Randall
Simon & Simon – November 1981–1989, CBS, detective drama, Gerald McRaney, Jameson Parker
Cancelled TV Shows
Best Of The West – ABC, comedy, Joel Higgins
Bret Maverick – NBC, western, James Garner
Code Red – ABC, adventure, Lorne Greens, Adam Rich
Darkroom – ABC, occult anthology, James Coburn
Fitz & Bones – NBC, comedy/drama, 4 episodes, Dick & Tom Smothers
Jessica Novak – CBS, drama, Helen Shaver
Lewis & Clark – NBC, comedy, Gabe Kaplan
Maggie – ABC, comedy, Doris Roberts
McClain’s Law – NBC, crime drama, James Arness
Mr. Merlin – CBS, comedy, Barnard Hughes
The Nashville Palace – NBC, variety, Slim Pickens
Shannon – CBS, crime drama, Kevin Dobson
Strike Force – ABC, crime drama, Robert Stack
Today’s FBI – ABC, crime drama, Mike Connors
6 out of 20 new series SURVIVED for 1982/83
ABC – 1/7, Fall Guy
CBS – 2/5, Cagney & Lacey, Falcon Crest & Simon &
Simon
NBC – 3/8, Father Murphy, Gimme A Break & Love, Sidney
Mid season shows
Cagney & Lacey – March 1982–1988, CBS, crime drama, Tyne Daley, Meg Foster
Fame – January 1982–1983, NBC, drama, Debbie Allen, Albert Hague
Filthy Rich – August 1982–1983, CBS, comedy, Dixie Carter, Delta Burke
Joanie Loves Chachi – March 1982–1983, ABC, comedy, Scott Baio, Erin Morin
9 To 5 – March 1982–1984, ABC, comedy, Rita Moreno, Jeffrey Tambor
T.J. Hooker – March 1982–1987, ABC, crime drama, William Statner, Heather Locklear
Teachers Only – April 1982–1983, NBC, comedy, Norman Fell, Lynn Redgrave
Cancelled Mid Season Shows
Baker's Dozen – CBS, comedy, Ron Silver, Sam McMurray
The Billy Crystal Comedy Hour – NBC, comedy variety, 5 episodes, Billy Crystal
The Book Of Lists – CBS, variety, 4 episodes, Bill Bixby
Born To The Wind – NBC, adventure, A Martinez
Bret Maverick – NBC, western, James Garner
Cassie & Company – NBC, detective drama, Angie Dickinson, A Martinez
Chicago Story – NBC, drama, Dennis Franz, Craig T. Nelson
Counterattack: Crime In America – ABC, information/public affairs, George Kennedy
Foul Play – ABC, detective, 5 episodes, Barry Bostwick
Herbie, The Love Bug – CBS, comedy, 5 episodes, Dean Jones
Inside America – ABC, magazine, 4 episodes, Dick Clark
King’s Crossing – ABC, soap, 7 episodes, Mary Frann, Linda Hamilton
Making The Grade – CBS, comedy, 6 episodes, James Naughton
No Soap, Radio – ABC, comedy, 5 episodes, Steve Guttenberg, Edie McClurg
One Of The Boys – NBC, comedy, Nathan Lane, Meg Ryan, Mickey Rooney
Open All Night – ABC, comedy, Jay Tares
The Phoenix – ABC, sci fi, 5 episodes, Judson Scott
Police Squad – ABC, comedy, 6 episodes, Leslie Nielson
Q.E.D. – CBS, adventure, 6 episodes, Sam Waterston
Report To Murphy – CBS, comedy, 6 episodes, Michael Keaton
Television: Inside And Out – NBC, magazine, Wil Shriner
Syndication
Entertainment Tonight – 1981–present, Syndication, news/gossip, Tom Hallick
The People's Court – 1981–1993, syndication, courtroom, Judge Joseph Wapner
The $50,000 Pyramid – syndication, quiz, Dick Clark
Late Night
Behind The Screen – CBS, soap, Mel Ferrer
Late Night With David Letterman – February 1982–1993, NBC, talk, David Letterman
Two Seasons (1980/81)
Barbara Mandrell & The Mandrell Sisters – 1980–1982, NBC, variety
Bosom Buddies – 1980–1982, ABC, comedy
Dynasty – January 1981–1989, ABC, soap
Flamingo Road – January 1981–1982, NBC, soap
The Greatest American Hero – March 1981–1983, ABC, adventure
Harper PTA – January 1981–1982, NBC, comedy
Hill Street Blues – January 1981–1987, NBC, crime drama
Making A Living – 1980–1982, ABC, comedy
Magnum PI – 1980–1988, CBS, detective drama
NBC Magazine – 1980–1982, NBC, newsmagazine
Nurse – April 1981–1982, CBS, drama
Private Benjamin – April 1981–1983, CBS, comedy
Solid Gold – 1980–1988, syndication, music
Too Close For Comfort – 1980–1983, ABC, comedy
Two Of Us – April 1981–1982, CBS, comedy
Three Seasons (1979/80)
Archie Bunker’s Place – 1979–1983, CBS, comedy
Benson – 1979–1986, ABC, comedy
The Facts Of Life – August 1979–1988, NBC, comedy
Fridays – April 1980–1982, ABC, comedy/variety
Hart To Hart – 1979–1984, ABC, adventure
Here’s Boomer – March 1980, 1981/82, NBC, adventure
House Calls – December 1979–1982, CBS, comedy
Knots Landing – December 1979–1993, CBS, soap
That’s Incredible – March 1980–1984, ABC, documentary
Walter Cronkite's Universe – July 1980–1982, CBS, science magazine
Four Seasons (1978/79)
Dance Fever – January 1979–1987, syndication, dance
Diff’rent Stokes – November 1978–1985, NBC; 1985/86, ABC, comedy
The Dukes Of Hazzard – January 1979–1985, CBS, comedy/adventure
Mork & Mindy – 1978–1982, ABC, comedy
PM Magazine – 1978–1990, syndication, magazine
Real People – April 1979–1984, NBC; human interest
Taxi – 1978–1982, ABC; 1982/83, NBC, comedy
WKRP In Cincinnati – 1978–1982, CBS, comedy
Five Seasons (1977/78)
Chips – 1977–1983, NBC, crime drama
Dallas – April 1978–1991, CBS, soap
Family Feud – 1977–1985, syndication, quiz
Fantasy Island – January 1978–1984, ABC, romantic drama
The Incredible Hulk – March 1978–1982, CBS, adventure
Lou Grant – 1977–1982, CBS, drama
The Love Boat – 1977–1986, ABC, comedy
SCTV Network – May 1981–1983, NBC, comedy
Soap – 1977–1982, ABC, comedy
That's Hollywood – 1977–1982, syndication, documentary
20/20 – June 1978–present, ABC, newsmagazine
Six Seasons (1976/77)
Alice – 1976–1985, CBS, comedy
In Search Of... – 1976–1982, syndication, documentary
The Joker's Wild – 1976–1986, syndication, quiz
Quincy, M.E. – 1976–1983, NBC, crime drama
Three’s Company – March 1977–1984, ABC, comedy
Seven Seasons (1975/76)
Laverne & Shirley – January 1976–1983, ABC, comedy
Match Game P.M. – 1975–1982, syndication, game
Nashville On The Road – 1975–1983, syndication, music
One Day At A Time – December 1975–1984, ABC, comedy
Saturday Night Live – 1975–present, NBC, variety
Eight Seasons (1974/75)
Barney Miller – January 1975–1982, ABC, comedy
The Jeffersons – January 1975–1985, CBS, comedy
Little House On The Prairie – 1974–1983, NBC, drama
Pop! Goes The Country – 1974–1982, syndication, music
Nine Seasons (1973/74)
Happy Days – January 1974–1984, ABC, comedy
Tomorrow Coast To Coast – 1973–1982, NBC, talk
Ten Seasons (1972/73)
M*A*S*H – 1972–1983,CBS, comedy
Twelve Seasons (1970/71)
Monday Night Football – 1970–2006, ABC, sports
That Good Ole Nashville Music – 1970–1985, syndication, music
Fourteen Seasons (1968/69)
Hee Haw – 1971–1993, syndication, variety
60 Minutes – 1968–present, CBS, newsmagazine
Fifteen Seasons (1967/68)
Wild Kingdom – 1971–1988, syndication, wildlife
Twenty one Seasons (1961/62)
The David Susskind Show – 1961–1987, syndication, talk
Twenty eight Seasons (1954/55)
The Lawrence Welk Show – 1971–1982, syndication, music
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson – 1962–1992, NBC, talk/variety
Walt Disney – 1954–1983, anthology
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