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Primetime ratings from the 70's


Paul Raven

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Not sure if this or the Family thread would be a better place (given Gary Frank being on both shows), but I thought it might be better here as the show was seemingly very hard to find and now all the episodes are on Youtube, from the channel that has given us so much. 

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There's a lot of good stuff in this article, including the info that it was based on a pilot called Senior Year, that it was one of the lowest-rated shows of the season when it was canceled, etc.

https://www.tvobscurities.com/2019/10/episode-guide-sons-daughters/

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I guess S&D was CBS' response to the 50's nostalgia craze that spawned Happy Days.

Opposition was That's My Mama on ABC and Little House on the Prairie which was the timeslot winner finishing #13 for the season.

Cancelled and replaced by Tony Orlando & Dawn variety series which was waiting in the wings after a good Summer season. that did way better than S&D finishing #25.

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Tony Orlando and Dawn probably fit in better with what people expected - it doesn't seem like S&D was as much of the peppy false '50s as Happy Days. 

I have seen some of Tony Orlando and Dawn (I am still confused about why the show became known as Rainbow Hour in its last season). Tony is charming but a lot to take. I do enjoy Telma Hopkins and Joyce Vincent Wilson. I think even if his drug problems hadn't destroyed their partnership, it wouldn't have lasted much longer.

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Pretty much ABC all the way.

Project UFO on NBC #15 I think that might have been the first episode. Anyway it played Sunday @8 and finished #19 for the season, a desperately needed hit for NBC.

So they move it to Thurs@8 up against Mork & Mindy where it is pulverized. Odd choice.

King was a disaster for NBC. In the wake of Roots  I guess there was a feeling of awakened interest in Black history. But it showed that hyped 'quality' programming wasn't a guarantee to success.

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@Soapsuds Thanks for posting

Night by night

Mon

8pm The Rookies edged Gunsmoke but attracted younger(more desirable) viewers.NBC failed with Born Free/Smothers Brothers (how many different series did those 2 get??)

9-11pm  Maude/Rhoda/Medical Center dominated on CBS,but Football and Movies were competitive on an occasional basis. ABC tried  SWAT/Caribe later in the season and the former worked for them.

Tues

8-11 pm CBS all the way Good Times, MASH, Hawaii Five O,Barnaby Jones.

NBC had the fading Adam 12,Movie and Police Story mmm...don't see that listed?

ABC Happy Days, which ABC decided to keep despite lackluster ratings, the Movie of the Week and Marcus Welby-once pulling big numbers but no longer.

8pm NBC had a new hit with Little House, easily beating Sons and Daughters, which was axed and replaced with Tony Orlando, which did much better. ABC had That's My Mama and the Wed movie.

9pm Cannon was the lead here as Lucas Tanner failed to capitalize on the LHOTP leadin.

ABC continued the movie.

10pm Manhunter started strong for CBS but petered out and was cancelled. Petrocelli manged to beat Get Christie Love, which was replaced by Baretta-no ratings winner but ABC decided to renew.

Thurs

Another CBS night with The Waltons and a movie.

ABC counterprogrammed with Odd Couple/Paper Moon then Barney Miller/Karen

NBC did even worse with Sierra and replaced it with Mac Davis which improved ratings quite a bit. However, it was moved to 9pm for Sunshine/Bob Crane

9pm Some good numbers for ABC with Streets of San Francisco fending off Ironside,Archer and Mac Davis.

10pm Harry O had a slim victory over Movin On

Fri

8-11 NBCs best night Sanford/Chico/Rockford/Police Woman.

8pm CBS had high hopes for Planet of the Apes but it bombed. Replacement Khan did even worse. Paul Sand and We'll Get By were tossed in at the end of the season. With poor lead ins the Friday movie didn't deliver.

ABC's odd line up saw Kodiak flop, Six Million dollar Man struggle and Texas Wheelers  quickly cancelled. Kung Fu was brought in @8 and Six Million moved to 9.

Then Kolchak took over at 8 and Hot*l Baltimore/Odd Couple 9-10. Despite controversy Hot*l flopped.

10pm ABC tried Kolchak then Baretta and finally Get Christie Love

Sat

CBS lead  with #1 AITF then Paul Sand/MTM/Bob Newhart/Carol Burnett. Paul Sand lost too much of the lead in so CBS spun off The Jeffersons and it was a smash.

NBC did OK with Emergency (which beat Paul Sand on occasion, thus hastening that show's demise) and a movie.

ABC was a disaster with New Land/Kung Fu and Nakia all failing. They introduced a movie @9 and moved Kung Fu to 8.

Sun 

NBC  with Disney and Mystery Movie (Columbo McCloud, MacMillan and Wife/Amy Prentiss)did well.

ABC flopped with Sonny Bono and recovered by moving Six Million Dollar Man from Fri as a lead in to the movie.

CBS hoped Apples Way would be another Waltons but no, so Cher did what Sonny couldn't. Kojak and Mannix successfully finished out the night.

Two other shows on the ratings list were Adams of Eagle Lake starring Andy Griffith. Only 2 episodes aired and did well, so I'm not sure what happened there.

As for The Law it was a series follow up to a 2 and a half hour NBC special movie . 

 

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NBC must have been grateful to have LHOTP, it's only hit and still strong after several seasons.

Their next established show was Rockford Files at 45th.

They didn't develop any comedies and relied on movies and mini series  which didnt establish viewer loyalty and habits.

Their only new hit was mid season's Project UFO which debuted Feb up against Rhoda/On Our Own on CBS and How the West Was Won on ABC. It opened with a strong 36 share beating CBS and close to ABC as HTWWW had a 36 share over 3 hours.

The next week UFO saw a respectable 32 share, then a 31 so it was slipping. A 28 share followed but a few weeks later it jumped back up to a 34.

So no blockbuster but compared to what else they had, there was potential, So next season NBC sent it to Thursday up against Mork and The Waltons and it bombed. 

They were smart to see potential in Chips, which took off on Saturdaysnext season.

ABC was on a roll with Love Boat, 3's Company, Taxi, Eight is Enough adding to their hits. Their only real flops were Redd Foxx and San Pedro Beach Bums, an Aaron Spelling misfire.

Like Redd Foxx, Harvey Korman was lured to ABC but his series was a filler that did well but was considered a time slot hit. Nancy Walker and Rob Reiner were also given series on the philosophy that not only were they popular names, their absence from popular shows like Sanford, Rhoda and All in the Family might weaken those shows.

CBS were relying on old favorites. Betty White was strong the first few weeks then faded.

Incredible Hulk was their strongest newbie.

It was lucky for CBS that NBC was doing so badly or else some of their weaker shows would have really suffered.

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