IDK whether this qualifies, but...
Despite signing her and then-husband Grant Tinker to a deal for her own sitcom, CBS had zero faith that "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" would succeed, largely because Mary would be playing a divorced woman (which was later changed to unmarried, but leaving a live-in boyfriend when he refused to marry her after finishing medical school...because that's less scandalous than divorced, lol?) and they were afraid viewers would think "Laura Petrie" had left Rob. So, they attempted to bury her show on some night - I think Wednesdays? - with the hope that it would die a quick death.
Then, Fred Silverman replaced Mike Dann as CBS' programming VP. He watched the MTMS pilot and believed it fitted in with his overall strategy to "de-ruralize" the network's lineup and put on shows that would appeal to more upscale audiences instead. That's when he switched MTMS from its' original night to Saturdays - before the first episode had aired, but weeks after its' original time slot had been announced to the trades, including TV Guide.
The rest, as they say, is history.
By
Khan ·
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